Being slow is the only constant too. That’s how I feel lately. Things are just heading at a slow pace. The only difference is when I travel. Being away in a short span of time gives me a sense of excitement and thrill. Now I’m back in Brunei, it’s back to square one. I can feel it. The worrying signs, perhaps, of what’s in store for the country (economically). The headlines in the local media hasn’t help either but it’s good thing that it’s being identified because we cannot simply ignore it. It’s about time we step and see what we can do for the country in times of troubles.

I have two mutual friends who sought for help to see if I could connect them to the relevant authorities with regards to their termination of contracts. In recent headlines, it was stated that a major company (government linked) are carrying out “redundancy exercise” to cut costs and reducing “non-essential staff”. Of course, what we read in headlines will spark that fear that haven’t been teased for a very long, long time. We were in the comfort zone and now we are slowly getting a taste of reality checks.

Now with the ongoing LegCo, it’s an indication where our country will be heading for the next year or so, in reaching the Vision 2035 (which is in 19 years’ time). It was noted that government spending will be reduced in times of lower revenues and we will still be running in a deficit.

I still see hope in this country and I trust in the Brunei Government in overcoming the challenges. The transitional period will take some time but it’s a good start. The relevant government agencies have been pro-active in creating new bodies to see how Brunei can diversify and get out of the mentality of heavily depending on oil and gas as our revenue stream for the Brunei economy.

I’ve seen new bodies with government support being created such as DARe (Darussalam Enterprise), a statutory body that will help to empower local entrepreneurs in contributing to the local economy. The newly established is recognized in the LegCo recently and it is spearheaded by the Minister of Energy and Industry Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Mohammad Yasmin Hj Umar. DARe recently held a dialogue with local e-vendors in terms of helping them to set up a physical store and also issues with labour quotas and so on. With this guidance, it will hope to see how the e-vendors grow and create a more business friendly environment for a win-win situation.

Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Mohammad Yasmin Hj Umar, Minister of Energy and Industry, chairman of the board for Darussalam Enterprise (DARe) with other committee having a conversation with the e-vendors held at Design & Technology Building (opposite iCentre) last week. You can even visit their Business Support centre every Monday to Friday or call/sms via 836 3442. Image courtesy of @govbn

 

The winner of the Mitsubishi Lancer 1.6 Auto, Mah Wai Keun (left), as part of the “The Big Shopping Win”, a collaboration between Baiduri Bank and Hua Ho. Presenting the mock key were Michelle Lo (center), Manager of Card Brand Relationship & Business Banking Support and Lau Soon Lin, Director of Hua Ho. The event was held at Hua Ho Kiulap yesterday. You can website Baiduri website by clicking the image or you can download “Baiduri Deals” on your smartphone or follow their Facebook or IG @baiduribank. Image courtesy of Adib Noor of The Brunei Times.

Costume party at a friend’s place for Himari and Takumi’s farewell gathering. Both are my tennis buddies whom we trained under coach Aiman. It was also great to see Mr. Okochi after such a very long time. Thanks for the hospitality and great food.

My room mate for the past three nights at Taipei for our @mrbrownbrunei coverage trip with the winners of the Mr. Brown contest. We had this mini competition between us on making fun of each other on social media. It seems I’m dominating so far but we won’t have more opportunities until our next trip perhaps. Thank you, Aiking Sdn Bhd on giving us the opportunity to do coverage on the trip to Taiwan.

The Francophonie Week 2016 kicked off last Saturday and it will be ongoing for another week. Many events and activities to look forward too. This image was taken during the screening of the French movie “Win Win” at Taman Jubilee. The event is organised by Alliance Française and The Collective Arts Event. Click image to know more what’s in store for Francophonie Week 2016

The past week or so, I’ve been amazed with the stories that are being shared by my friends in their toastmasters journey. Many surprises in terms of content and I’m truly amazed by the growth of my friends. I’m still impressed with the ending of the “Helping Hand” story. Very impactful and witty. Congratulations to the winners of the UBD Toastmasters Club contest yesterday. Nice shot too, Sandy 😀

Last week, Inspire Magazine launched a new website to provide a better access to their stories. Back then, there were only magazines and PDF formats. This is a great step to reach more readers globally as well. Shaun Hoon (2nd from left), founder of Inspire Magazine, with his team during the launch of the website. You can visit www.yesinpire.com to access Inspire or click on the image. Image courtesy of Shaun Hoon.

 

One of the Ultraman walking with the students at St. George’s School. Image taken from St. George’s School Facebook Page.

Students were excited by their presence at school. Image taken from St. George’s School Facebook Page.

It was a day to remember for the students of two schools in the capital as they played host to the intergalactic heroes Ultraman Zero, Ultraman Ginga and Ultraman Tiga.

The multipurpose hall of St George’s School erupted with cheers and screams of close to 300 students as the Japanese heroes greeted them and showed off their signature moves much to the delight of their young fans.

“I’ve known about Ultraman since I was a kid – I used to watch him while I was growing up. Today is really awesome, I still can’t believe Ultraman is here at our school!” exclaimed Year 10 student Cj Ashley Albano.

A spokeperson for Ultraman Live Brunei shared that the visit is part of its ongoing roadshow to give a chance for fans, both old and new, to get a glimpse of Ultraman and what to expect during the upcoming show in March.

“With a history expanding over 50 years, we want our fans to see and learn more about all the history of the intergalactic hero,” added the spokesperson.

The day also saw two lucky students winning themselves free Ultraman Live tickets thanks to their knowledge of Ultraman.

The three heroes also paid a visit to Chung Hwa Middle School (CHMS).

Tickets were also given to the respective teachers of the school to be distributed to some of their best students.

The roadshow will continue today with a visit to Pusat Ehsan and KACA.

Ultraman Live Brunei will take place during the first-term school holiday from March 18 to 28 at Jerudong Park Amphitheatre.

Tickets are available at Mach Telecommunications, Times Square; Freshco Batu Bersurat; Sentral Shopping Centre in Kuala Belait; Cheezbox; all outlets of Gong Cha; EGM branches in Serusop, The Mall and Bunut; and the Jerudong Park Ticketing Counter.

The public can also contact the hotline of Ultraman Live in Brunei at 723-7477 and 829-7890, or follow updates on Facebook at ‘Ultraman Live in Brunei 2016’ and Instagram at ‘@UltramanLiveinBrunei2016’. Text courtesy of Adib Noor of The Brunei Times.

Students in ecstatic mood yesterday. Image taken from St. George’s School Facebook Page.

Ultraman’s appearance at the school hall. Image taken from St. George’s School Facebook Page.

Get your tickets now

Yes, Maria Sharapova makes it to the 3rd round. Image from Ausopen.com

Lleyton Hewitt playing his final Aussie Open and made it through to the 2nd round. Image from News Corp Australia.

The Australian Open. Oi, Oi, Oi.. That’s how they chant the Aussie way. The next two weeks, I will be heavily be attentive to the first Grand Slam of the year – The Australian Open. My favourite is, of course, Roger Ferderer, and he is still looking sharp at the age of 34. Not bad at all.

The biggest upset so far is Rafael Nadal who lost in a 5-setter to Verdasco in the first round. Has Nadal got what is left of him? According to the press, he has still have much to offer on the court. Rafael is also the ambassador for Kia as he unveiled the latest Kia X-Car at the Australian Open 2016 last week.

My other favourite player is Maria Sharapova who breezed past the second round with ease. One player that I am also eyeing is Lleyton Hewitt, playing his last Australia Open and also he is in his final professional tennis career. Let’s see how far the Australian can go on his home turf.

Tennis superstar and Kia global brand ambassador Rafael Nadal lifted the cover off of Kia’s latest ‘X-Car’ today in Melbourne, Australia during the official VIK handover ceremony for the Australian Open 2016. The one-of-a-kind Sportage CUV was created in collaboration with Twentieth Century Fox and modelled after the popular X-Men character Mystique

The winners of the “Drive Your Way to the 2016 Australian Open” feted last December 2015. Enjoy the tennis 😀

In keeping customers well informed on the latest trends in financial markets, Baiduri Bank, in collaboration with their long standing strategic partner, DBS Bank Singapore, organized an investment seminar linked to currency strategies titled, “Managing FX Volatility from a Weaker Chinese Yuan and Higher US Interest Rates”. The event was held at the Mutiara Ballroom, Radisson Hotel on 15 January 2015.

Pg Azaleen Pg Dato Hj Mustapha, Head of Retail Banking and Branch Network at Baiduri Bank gave the welcoming remarks. In his speech, he highlighted that after seven years since the global crisis of 2008, global markets were off to a bad start for 2016. The question is where are the opportunities?

The seminar was presented by Mr Philip Wee Sung Seng, Senior Currency Economist of DBS Bank, Singapore, who oversees currency research and co-manages macroeconomic research at DBS. He discussed the falling oil prices, depreciating currencies and China’s transition towards a slower “new normal” economy. In his presentation he also discussed how the global economy and financial markets evolved seven years after the global financial crisis.
Also present at the event were management and staff of Baiduri Bank including Andrew Young, Deputy General Manager, Operations Management Division and Diversification & Strategic Development of Baiduri Bank, and Peng Eng Soon, Head of Wealth Management, Baiduri Bank.

Pg Azaleen Pg Dato Hj Mustapha, Head of Retail Banking and Branch Network, Baiduri Bank

Mr Philip Wee Sung Seng, Senior Currency Economist of DBS Bank, Singapore

Baiduri Bank has a range of investment products and services to offer and is currently hosting a special promotion where with sign up of selected savings and protection plans with an annual premium of BND 2,000, customers will receive a Samsung Galaxy Tab. Furthermore, those who sign up for a monthly plan with premium of BND100 will receive a Hydroflask.

Customers who wish to invest in unit trusts are also treated to a 25% off total sales charge when they subscribe to a unit trust distributed by Baiduri Bank.

As an incentive, customers who consult with the Associate Financial Planners at Wealth Management Centre will receive movie tickets upon completion of an insurance planning exercise. Baiduri’s Wealth Management Centre is at 2nd Floor Baiduri Bank Kiulap Branch. To secure an appointment, or for more information, customers can call 2232457 during banking hours.

Gracing the New Year and upcoming Chinese New Year, KFC Brunei is delighting its fans by bringing back the sensational Ayam Kicap Meletup for customers to enjoy!

KFC Ayam Kicap Meletup features KFC’s signature chicken fried to perfection, together with the flavours of imported unique Shoyu soy sauce, seaweed, chili flakes, sesame seeds and delectable spices. The outcome is a deliciously aromatic fusion of sweet, savoury and spicy flavours in every bite.

“Ayam Kicap Meletup was launched last year in June and due to its amazing response, we are bringing it back by popular demand. The unique yet familiar taste with a local twist – kicap and chili is what makes this product such a big hit with our fellow Bruneians”, said Del goh, Vice President, KFC Brunei.

“We are confident that our customers will be delighted at the chance to taste the Ayam Kicap Meletup again, and share the extraordinary taste with family and friends this coming festive season!” he added.
With the tagline “Chinese New Year is more “meletup” when we celebrate together”, the comeback of this delicious product symbolizes the bringing together of all friends and family to share the celebration as well as the unique flavour of the Ayam Kicap Meletup.

Ayam Kicap Meletup

In line with the Chinese New Year festivities, KFC also created a special side dish, a fragrant Seaweed Rice to complement the Ayam Kicap Meletup. At only $6.60 customers can enjoy a good value combo meal consisting of two pieces of Ayam Kicap Meletup fried chicken, seaweed rice OR crispier fries, coleslaw, as well as a cup of soft drink.

KFC is also offering the Ayam Kicap Meletup big value buckets for families and groups at affordable prices. Great for sharing during the festivities, the KFC Ayam Kicap Meletup comes in a 9-piece Bucket consisting of nine pieces of chicken, a large whipped potato, one large crispier fries along with a 1.5 litre Pepsi, all for only $26.90! There is also a 5-piece Bucket option at $15.80. Make your visit to the nearest KFC this auspicious season and enjoy the Ayam Kicap Meletup while stocks last.

I’m glad someone wrote this piece to the Editor (The Brunei Times)

Movies ain’t for babies. I have highlighted this long time ago on my social media last year. It boggles me why parents would bring toddlers or babies or even small kids to movies that are inappropriate. This is pretty common in Brunei because the rules and regulations are not as strict. It’s only relying on “common sense” for parents or guardians to take that huge responsibility.

It’s not worth it to disrupt the harmony of movie goers who paid their dues for a movie experience. For one thing, babies won’t be able to understand the context of the movie though there might be an element of influence such as violence (which is a definite no-no). The most annoying part would be the the cry (or the screaming) babies. This has happened occasionally and it was relieved when mothers carrying their babies would politely exit the cinema to lessen the disruption.

Just a point for parents: Do be considerate to other movie goers and also for the sake of your kids.

Podcast review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens with special guests Nur Iskandar and Pranika Lama

The Progresif Cellular management all geared up for Episode VII

Progresif team showing their force at Times Cineplex

The US Ambassador to Brunei Craig Allen (5th L) with his family in a group photo with the characters of Star Wars at the Fanboys Infinite movie screening of Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens at Times Cineplex last Friday. Image courtesy of Khaliq Roziman of The Brunei Times.

It was good to see movie goers dressing up. Image courtesy of Khaliq Roziman of The Brunei Times.

I see familiar faces. Image courtesy of Khaliq Roziman of The Brunei Times.

Darth Vader taking a sip of the Red Velvet ice blended drink

The Managing Director of PAR Food & Beverages, YAM Pg Anak Abdul Mun’im (R), presents a mock cheque to a member of Pusat Ehsan Board of Trustee Hj Ahmad Hj Abd Rahman at The Coffee Bean’s outlet in Supasave Beribi yesterday. At the same time, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf also launched two new drinks in conjunction with the Star Wars movie – White Chocolate Peppermint Ice Blended and Double Chocolate Peppermint Ice Blended available until mid January. Image courtesy of Analisa Amu of The Brunei Times.

I recently saw many merchandise being sold at Mall of Asia, Manila.

I watched both movies and both are awesome and are in my 10 ten movies of 2015

 

Alan Inspiration Salon reopens and it is now located at Seri Q-Lap Mall

Alan, the man behind Alan Inspiration Salon and he will be available from 23rd to 25th December. Highly recommended 😀

Alan Inspiration Salon is relocated in Brunei and it’s located on the 1st floor at Seri Q-Lap Mall. They provide a one-stop service for men and women hair design/cut/wash and they just started operations quite recently. I met up with Alan the man behind the successful outlet & academy and he’s happy to be back, catering to the Brunei market.

The genius behind Inspiration Alan Salon, has been a hair champion of Malaysia and Singapore and he has trained in London, Europe, USA, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. Along the way he has won numerous awards and accolades which makes him one of the sought hairstylists in the region.

Surprisingly he still has his regular customers from Brunei and alan will make himself available from time to time as he is based in Miri too.

This time round one of his hair stylist is in Brunei from 18th December to 23rd December and his name is Wilson Lee (7 years experience in Kota Kinabalu). Alan himself will be in Brunei from 23rd to 25th December and followed by Michelle from 26th December to 31st December. So do make your appointments at Alan Inspiration Salon at Seri Q-Lap Mall because they have a special promotion of 20% discount (wash & cut) for the first ever client of Alan Inspiration Salon.

For now, the hair wash services for wash and blow is only BND 10. Wash and treatment (using Korea crystal shine products) is only BND 25 and Wash and Treatment (using L’Oreal or Schwarzkopf product) is only BND 50. 

The comfy chairs for the patrons

The hair wash section – separately from men and women. For the time being, hair wash and blow is only BND 10.

Some solutions for your hair

Great promotion especially for first time customer.

The schedules of the hair stylists from Alan Inspiration Salon

Alan was the hair stylist during one of the fashion show. He has many accolades under his belt as a hair stylist

Another highly recommended hair stylist – available from 26th December to 31st December at Alan Inspiration Salon

 

Alvina Ching Sei Ing, the winner of the ‘Baiduri fabulous Promotion @ Mabohai Shopping Complex’ promotion, receiving the a mock key from Pierre Imho, the CEO of Baiduri Bank

Group photo with the winners and finalists with Baiduri Bank management

18 finalists but only one walked away with the Mini Cooper. The campaign lasted for six months at the Mabohai Shopping Complex where all you need to do is swipe ur Baiduri Credit Card and Debit Card while shopping at their premise. The responses have been overwhelming and it was a win-win situation for the retailers and the consumers.

Presenting the prizes was Pierre Imho, the CEO of Baiduri Bank and the grand winner belonged to Alvina Ching Sei Ing who won herself a brand new Mini car.

There were also top three consolation prizes with $300 gift hamper sponsored by L’Occitane and $300 Flexa voucher won by Goh Chee Ming and Victor Edgar Keasberry respectively.

For more updates, you can visit their social media IG at @baiduribank.

One of the consolation winners

During the draw process

Alvina in great joy after winning the Mini

PechaKucha Volume 6 is happening tonight. Not sure if the tickets are sold out but I’m looking forward to this event and I hope I managed to catch all of them as I have another event to attend. Amazing that the team have reached the 6th volume of the PechaKuchaNight BSB. Tonight it will take place at The Energy Kitchen.

Happening tonight at Energy Kitchen

All the seven speakers to share their personal experiences for your interest

Finah Yusof was supposed to travel for only about 2 months. But things got topsy turvy as that extended to a life-gripping adventure of 32 months. In 2012, Finah went to many different places on the face of the globe witnessing what most of us now might never ever be able to someday. She returned just this year to tell you all of that very journey.

Josephine On is also a business entrepreneur. Her entrepreneurship journey was full of doubts and even fears. She found comfort in discomfort. Without overcoming those doubts, she would never have found Hoko Creative.

Next up, he is the youngest of the bunch. Malik Som is 17 years old and will tell you his story of his nostalgic camping experience in Ulu-Ulu Temburong. He discovered more than just a great experience, he discovered a lifetime of valuable lessons.

The business world is more than just earning money as easy as you want. There are loads of hard work, struggles and behind the scenes that many might never witness. Fatin Arifin will give an insight on the challenges that the business world could throw at you.

Hilman Omar had an unexpected reaction from his circle of friends when he drew illustrations of them. They loved it! It was gratifying to see that. And it was the first time ever showing his art towards his group of friends. *Hint* an artwork on the event/venue will be drawn by him. Wonder where that will be drawn?

Another presenter Nitisha Kashyap has lived in Brunei for about 3 years. It was challenging for her at first to adapt. Where to find friends? What activities were there to do to fill time?

Lastly, one of the speakers, Amir Noor who is rocking that Star Wars shirt. Amir is a geek at heart and loves, and we mean LOVES longboarding. Will he talk about longboarding? We shall see.

Baiduri Bank will be ending the year on a high note after it received its fifth award this year, the much sought-after Bank of The Year award from The Banker magazine. For 90 years, The Banker has been the world’s longest running international banking publication and leading monthly journal of record for the banking industry.

The Banker ‘Bank of the Year Awards’ is often regarded as the “Oscars of the Banking Industry”. This year’s The Banker Awards 2015 was held at Hilton London Bankside, London on Wednesday, 2 December. Mr Pierre Imhof, CEO of Baiduri Bank was in London to receive the coveted award at the annual awards ceremony.

Baiduri Bank is a ten-time recipient of the ‘Bank of the Year for Brunei’. The recognition of being named Bank of the Year in the country by The Banker is testament to the strong management, sound business model and prudent risk approach of the bank. Speaking on receiving the accolade, Mr Pierre Imhof said, “It is a wonderful feeling to end the year with this achievement. For the tenth time since 2002, we are proud to be awarded as the Bank of the Year for Brunei.” He further elaborated, “At every one of our milestones, there have been three common factors – our faithful employees, loyal customers and partners and it is with their support and confidence that we are the bank we are today.”

Mr Pierre Imhof, CEO of Baiduri Bank, receiving the award in London

The Banker Awards Ceremony is attended by representatives from over 120 banks across the world, which is a reflection of the importance which banks put on winning The Banker’s ‘Bank of the Year Awards’.

Baiduri Bank has also received four other international awards earlier this year, the ‘Domestic Retail Bank Brunei 2015’ and ‘Mobile Banking Initiative Brunei 2015’ from the Asian Banking and Finance magazine, the ‘Best Banking Group 2015’ from World Finance magazine and ‘Safest Bank in Brunei 2015’ from Global Finance. Baiduri Bank is proud to support and be associated with some of the leading international banking awards.

Arun Ravi Kumar, Timothy Lim, Zen Sii and Md Nurul Andi Hambali in a group photo at the 52nd Brunei ITF Junior Circuit at the National Tennis Centre of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas last Tuesday. Image courtesy of Yee Chun Leong of The Brunei Times.

This is the 52nd International Tennis Federation Junior Circuit Group 5 and I’ve been attending the matches especially in the mornings. This is the time you will witness high level quality of tennis and I wish how I could like them one day. They are least 25 years younger than me and so much stamina indeed. I don’t think I can even last them on the court for a set.

As for Brunei representatives, we are still far away from reaching the level of other regional countries. It has to go down to grass root levels if Brunei were to make an impact in the international scene and judging from what I see, we don’t have the resources to provide that opportunity for the young players. The ITF Junior Circuit ranges from age 15 to under 18 so I would believe that other regional countries will have dedicated youth academies to train when they are still a kid.

The closest talented young star that Brunei has produced in recent years is Aiman Abdullah who made his mark when he was 14 years old. Back in 2010, he made Brunei history as he made to the 3rd round of the ITF and no other Bruneians made it that far. Now he is a full time coach under the Brunei Darussalam Tennis Association and also helping out with the current ITF tournament held at National Tennis Court of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex.

This year, none of the Brunei representatives made it past the first round. The closest result was Arun Ravi Kumar who lost in 3 sets to Ryan Lee of Malaysia. Arun shared that the heat conditions played a factor in his gameplay. As you can see, none of the players trained in such hot conditions as most of the training happens in the late afternoon. Furthermore, all of them are still focusing on their studies which makes it difficult to train so they condition their bodies to accommodate the heat.

Another Brunei representative Timothy Lim failed to capitalise as he lost 6-3 6-0 to Jimmy Liong of Malaysia. I could see that Timothy was struggling in the second set and this is due to his fitness level. His first serve slowed down gradually and his opponent punished him, quickly ending the match. Other results, Zen Sii and Md Nurul Andi Hambali lost to Lin Guangzian of Chinese-Taipei and D Giritharan Devendiran of Singapore 6-0 6-0 respectively.

Tomorrow will be the semi-finals for the Boys and Girls Single and followed by the doubles championship matches. The matches will start at 9am tomorrow at National Tennis Court of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex and you are more than welcome to witness some great tennis.

Both players negotiating on points in their match recently

Mi Ryung Gwak surviving the heat and she won her first round match

Cholis H of Indonesia seeded 15 reached the last 16 before losing to the No.1 seed Soomin Kim of Korea

Ming Rui tabulating the results on the board

Timothy Lim of Brunei returning the ball. He lost in straight sets in the opening round.

Arun Ravi Kumar coached by Aiman Abdullah did quite well in the first set but eventually lost in rubber to Ryan Lee of Malaysia

Dunlop is the official ball for the ITF Junior Circuit

Elisa Hirn of Finland lost to Hadiati of Indonesia in the first round

One talented kid, Christian Didier Chin of Malaysia rose up the rank but he is still lacking in mental strength, losing 6-2 6-0 in the last sixteen to Shinji Hazawa yesterday

It was a great day out picnic with my other toastmaster buddies organised by OTTERS club. It was a pity not many could make it as it was a short notice gathering. I found out that the Anduki Recreational Park is a great spot for picnics and it’s clean too. Nice view of the lake too but do be wary of the crocodiles though.

A great shot by @faiqairudin as there was continuous lightning in Brunei last evening. I found this shot beautiful and thanks for sharing Faiq on instagram.

It was my first time playing paintball and one word to describe the experience – FUN. Thank you to @rbstpaintballbn for the invitation and I shall post the full coverage soon on my blog. For now, I found out that we can make a good team as we came runners-up in the mini tournament last Friday.

My last minute attempt to dress up as the Mad Hatter for @emmagoodegg’s Alice in Wonderland theme dinner. Bought the attire at Little M shop for roughly BND 30 but the quality ain’t that great but good enough for the occasion. I found out that there are some selection of costumes you can find at Little M but not wide selection to my likings but it’s getting there.

Well done to the management on the successful opening of Baba Rafi (known for their kebabs) at the Jerudong Park food court area last Friday. I found that Baba Rafi is a franchise from Indonesia and they have presence in Malaysia, Singapore and also Netherlands. Interesting..

A good gesture from Progresif Cellular. I found out that Progresif Cellular always find new ideas to bring their brand to another level. They were giving out free ice-cream at Times Square Shopping Centre during #WorldKindnessDay

Pierre Imhoff, CEO of Baiduri Bank, with associates of Baiduri Bank Group during the Deepavali celebration. Image courtesy of @candy_33

In celebration of Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, the Baiduri Bank Group hosted a dinner for its customers and partners at The Indera Samudra Grand Hall, The Empire Hotel & Country Club. Around 500 customers and associates from the local Indian community were present to witness the colourful illuminated evening.

The evening began with the traditional Light Ceremony with the Guest of Honour was His Excellency Dr. Ashok Kumar Amrohi, High Commissioner of India to Brunei Darussalam; Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Dato Hj Mahdini; President of the Brunei-India Friendship, Pierre Imhoff, CEO of Baiduri Bank; Ti Eng Hui, Deputy CEO of Baiduri Bank and management committee members of Baiduri Bank Group.

In his welcoming address, Mr. Imhof expressed his appreciation and thanks to the guests for their support and confidence over the years and outlined the major progresses and achievements of the Baiduri Bank Group in 2015.

Throughout the evening, guests were treated to a variety of song and dance performances by local artists, school children and staff, which culminated in a presentation of the lucky draw prizes by Pierre Imhof and Dr. Ashok Kumar Amrohi.

Image courtesy of @candy_33

Image courtesy of @candy_33

Image courtesy of @candy_33

So I’m thinking of opening up a new segment for my blog and it’s called What Did I Find Out segment. Well, I still think it’s a little lame to my liking but then again, that’s what I usually do when people start sharing information and lately, I’ve been flooded with information related to my readers and friends even though I’m still stuck here in Bali. I found out that Royal Brunei Airlines had two flights that departed from Bali, one at 7am and the other an hour later to cater for the stranded passengers. Awesome stuff!!

I shall post more on my findings with pictures and illustrations. Have a great weekend and I’m beginning to enjoy my final day here in Bali. Just some alone time 😀

I found out that Seth Rollins will have to vacate his title which he won in April during Wrestlemania. Is this bad for business? Yes, unless someone like Brock Lesnar and maybe, the super face, John Cena holds the title. The roster has been looking pretty mediocre in WWE.

I found out that there’s a special promotion at Chatime Citis Square in conjunction with their grand opening this weekend. So grab that opportunity 😀

I found out that there’s another BurgerKing outlet in Seria

I found out that not only I enjoy the services of Uber but even Mika *lol* Guys, if you haven’t tried Uber especially in Bali, try it. You will save a lot of money on transport. A lot.. Trust me. My average spending is around $3-4 per trip or even lesser.

I found out that JPMC having another car boot sale after a successful one last year.

I found that there will be another company running a similar concept of an escape room and tonight my team will be checking it out.

I found that the beach in Bali is soothing and welcoming as compared to the other beaches I visited. I do want to try out that beach tennis one day. Looks fun and you don’t have to bounce the ball on the beach. Then again, balls won’t bounce on sand :p

I found out there’s an eatery in Bali run by a Bruneian. I shall give it a try if I have the time. Thanks Yaya for the heads up 😀

I found out how Zheng ran the most popular marathon in the world which is the New York marathon. There were about 50,000 runners and he is the only Bruneian to participate. Furthermore, the entry of the event is done through ballots and by luck, his name was drawn. Amazing!!! He also clocked his personal best of 3 hrs 40 secs in the full marathon event. It was nice to see the Brunei flag being hoisted despite only having one Bruneians in the list. Zheng shared that this is best marathon to date.

I found out that finally Brunei International Airport has wifi connection for the public. I’m not sure if it’s only available inside area for flying passengers or the whole of BIA. Thanks, Adiman for the heads up.

Have you caught Spectre yet? Last evening, they had two special treats, one at Times Cineplex of Sentral Shopping Centre (KBSentral) and Empire Cinema. I couldn’t make it to either since I’m still enjoying my extension stay in Bali for now.

Customers of BIBD Perdana Privilege Banking and Indera Motors were treated to a special occasion at Empire Cinema whereas British Army Brunei Garrison organised one at Times Cineplex.

It was nice to see the British Army Brunei Garrison dressing up for the occasion and they had the opportunity to walk on the red carpet with cool decorations to blend with with the James Bond theme.

So what do you think of the latest James Bond movie Spectre? Reviews have been mixed and it’s not high on Rottentomatoes (only below 63% for now). I will be catching it tonight on the comfort of a premier style concept at Beachwalk Bali cineplex. I still feel that Skyfall is the best bond movie for me.

British High Commissioner David Campbell (in black) on the red carpet with members of the British Army Brunei Garrison during the premiere of the James Bond movie ‘Spectre’ at KBSentral’s Times Cineplex last night. Image courtesy of Hafiizah Maideen of The Brunei Times.

Some of the attendees last night. Image courtesy of Hafiizah Maideen of The Brunei Times.

The Jaguar F-Type convertible on showcase at the movie premiere. Image courtesy of Azli Azney of The Brunei Times.

Ben Boddy, Deputy High British Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam (left) as the guest of honour. Image courtesy of Azli Azney of The Brunei Times.

I’ve used Seagate hard drives before and they are pretty stable and reliable. Now I’m very picky when it comes to hard drive because I would need a Thunderbolt socket for transferring purposes (at high speed). Thunderbolt is only for Apple computers for your info.

Recently Concepts Computer has collaborated with Seagate and bringing the reliable, high-performance hard disk spaces to Brunei Darussalam. Hence if you want to store your data and documents, I do recommend you Seagate hard disks.

Now for the technical aspects of Seagate hard portable hard drives.

First on offer is the Seagate Expansion portable drive, available in 500GB ($89) and 1TB ($109) storage sizes. The Seagate Expansion portable drive is the ideal companion for anyone with lots of videos, photos, music and files that they want to protect and take everywhere with them. It offers useful storage capacities in a small enclosure for great mobility, very fast transfer rates with USB 3.0 connectivity and very secure physical digital storage. Sounds good to you? Well, it does for me 😀

Seagate Expansion portable drive

Now let’s look at the other batches – the Seagate BackUp Plus Slim, available in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB storage sizes. The Seagate BackUp Plus Slim will be one of the ultimate solutions to storage on-the-go. With an ultra-sleek design, made for ultra portability and with the ability for one click backup solutions through the Seagate Mobile BackUp app. The Seagate BackUp Plus Slim combines all the best features of what a portable storage device solution should be.

Now here’s the interesting thing if you actually need it – With the inclusion of the Seagate Mobile BackUp app, all your photos, movies and video scan be backed-up Seagate Dashboard, including the ones you’ve shared on Facebook, Flickr and Youtube; easily enabling you to save your favourite on popular social media sites to be viewed anywhere.

Another interesting fact is if you buy the Seagate BackUp Plus Slim from Concepts Computer, they will provide free access to Microsoft OneDrive. Every purchase of the Seagate BackUp Plus Slim, will provide its users with a 2 years, 200GB access to Microsoft OneDrive worth over BND$130. It will be available from Concepts Computers for $100 for the 500GB capacity, $110 for 1TB capacity and $162 for the 2TB capacity. Now that’ is value for money.

Seagate BackUp Plus Slim

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer with the management of Concepts Computer and resellers at the Brilliance Hall at Concepts Computer

Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer said, “This launch is the beginning of a great expansion for Concepts Computer on storage solutions, Concepts have noticed that storage solutions have become an important issue with our customers so we will work hard to provide a much larger range of great digital storage solutions at the best prices for the consumers of Brunei Darussalam.”

Zul Abdul Rahman, Marketing Executive of Concepts Computer added, ”We know how valuable digital data is to the modern world and this is our first step in providing exciting solutions for the local IT-market. And with the release of these Seagate external storage solutions, customers do not have to choose between reliability, high performance and affordability, it is all available from Seagate and Concepts Computer. ”

And for more information on the wide-selection and full-range of storage solutions available at Concepts Computer, please visit your nearest Concepts Computer showroom or call 2233551/2233552.

Concepts is also promoting their Acer projector

 

Launched on 19 October 2015, Baiduri Bank’s “Take Me Traveling” Promotion offers their Baiduri UnionPay Debit cardholders a 5% rebate on all transactions, including overseas ATM withdrawal fees and purchasing transactions at selected countries in Southeast Asia.

Baiduri Bank was the first bank to introduce the first UnionPay brand card in Brunei Darussalam back in April 2011. The Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card is also the first PIN-based international debit card in the country.

Unlike conventional signature-based payment cards, payments made with the Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card requires a personalized identification number (PIN) to be keyed in before payment is approved, giving cardholders an additional level of protection from fraud or misuse of the card.

Besides using the card for payment, the Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card can also be used as an ATM card for cash withdrawal. Vastly accepted in more than 150 countries around the world, Baiduri UnionPay Debit cardholders will have access to over 2,000 local retailers, over 26 million retailers and over 1.9 million ATMs globally.

Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card can also be used as an ATM card for cash withdrawal apart from payment

With such wide acceptance, it is no wonder that the Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card is an excellent choice for customers to bring along when traveling outside of Brunei. And with the exclusive “Take Me Travelling” promotion, Baiduri UnionPay Debit cardholders can enjoy more savings whilst on holiday in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines and Cambodia.

In addition to the 5% rebate, Baiduri UnionPay Debit cardholders are also entitled to the ongoing benefits at overseas destinations including Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. To name a few, UnionPay cardholders can enjoy offers and discounts at popular shopping destinations as well as hotel offers.

Benefits in Thailand include offers at Siam Paragon and Siam Centre Duration, Gourmet Market, Home Fresh Mart and Villa market, Ratchaprasong Shopping District, Central World and Thavorn Palm Beach Resort & Spa Phuket.

You can earn enjoy discounts in countries such as Singapore. For instance, earning discounts at TANGS. Image courtesy of TimeOut.

Or you can get benefits in Thailand such as at Siam Paragon. Image courtesy of The Continent Hotel.

In Singapore, UnionPay cardholders can enjoy discounts and exclusive offers at bebe, Greg Norman, Sentosa Harbourfront, High Society Café, Lacoste boutiques, TANGS and several hotel offers. Offers in Malaysia include discounts and deals at Pavilion, Parkson, Grand Lexis Port Dickson and Suria KLCC Shopping Centre. And in Indonesia, UnionPay cardholders can shop at Kuta Beachwalk Shopping Centre to enjoy exclusive offers.

Terms and conditions of the promotion can be viewed on Baiduri Bank website at www.baiduri.com or Baiduri Bank mobile app – Baiduri Deals promotions section.

To be in the know of Baiduri Bank current promotions and events, the public can also follow Baiduri Bank Group on Facebook or @baiduribank on Instagram and Twitter.

 

BIBD today announced new partners into the 2015 BIBD CE ALAF (Charity Expedition for Advocating Life-Long Learning for an Aspiring Future Programme). Fajr Capital (Dubai) and Silverlake (Malaysia) has come on board as Platinum Sponsors to the ALAF Programme, while Kristal FM and Radio Television Brunei have signed on as the Official Broadcaster Radio and Official Broadcaster Television partners to help raise awareness on CE ALAF as well as other efforts related to the event.

BIBD also welcomes new partners, Progresif Cellular Sdn Bhd (PCSB) who has agreed to contribute a one year subscription plan and a Vivo Y22 as a lucky draw prize, along with a co-branded runner t-shirts for the first one hundred participants who have raised at least B$100. At the same time, PCSB will also be providing support via providing volunteers for the ALAF event.

Happening this Sunday. Are you ready?

The Brunei Neuroscience Stroke Rehabilitation Centre (BNSRC) together with the Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC) are also on board as sound supporters of the programme whereby they will also be organizing the a Musical Broadway titled ‘Sebuah Perjalanan’ as part of the stroke and cancer patients’ Therapeutic Group Activity. Proceeds from tickets sales will be donated to the BIBD ALAF Program.

Meanwhile, as the Official Airline Partner, RB (Royal Brunei) will be providing a business class return ticket to Melbourne and Bangkok each for winners of the 21kM and 10km, Men and Women Bruneian category. BIBD also welcomes support from government agencies such as the Department of Electrical Services along with the Customs & Excise Department towards the Charity Expedition.

Yang Mulia Hajah Nurul Akmar binti Haji Mohd Ja’afar, in her capacity as Head of BIBD’s Corporate Social Responsibility commented “Alhamdulillah for the overwhelming support gained for not just the charity expedition, but also the ALAF programme. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved, from all partners, volunteers and supporters for their kind support for the programme.

This is it!!! I’m looking forward to this but I’m not too sure if I have the time just yet. It’s happening this coming Saturday. This is a FREE workshop (Adult Colouring Workshop) for customers who purchase “LOST OCEAN” colouring book from any Best Eastern store in Brunei.

The seats are limited so it’s a good idea to register. The workshop will be conducted by full-time artists at Jo-Art Gallery – Nabil, Fikri and Haronli.

This will be the first time a colouring workshop will be held. It will be a comprehensive workshop ranging from the materials of the colour pencil to the techniques of colouring (shading, rendering, colour scheme, blending and even discipline.

The venue will be at Mabohai Shopping Complex this Saturday 24th October and it’s co-organised by Best Eastern and Jo-Art Gallery.

Oh one more thing, don’t forget that there will be another colouring competition for adults on 1st November. Sadly I won’t be in the country then. Let’s hope for more participants in the second round. Good luck!!

Acer Aspire V Nitro. Another end to end stuff from Concepts Computer who are one of the biggest vendors at the TechXpo 2015 happening today at the ICC until this coming Sunday.

There will be having many good promotions and firstly is the Aspire V Nitro notebooks. There are two specs of the Aspire V Nitro on promotion but the one that caught my eye is the Aspire V Nitro the “17 inch one because it’s fast and it’s quiet too. The attention to detail is just spot on for this version and they have many ports available. Check out the posters below for more details.

When you purchase any of the Aspire V Nitro, it will come with 3 years warranty and especially if you buy now (during the TechXpo,) you can save up to BND 400 and even get FREE gifts worth BND 200.

Acer projector. Now if you are looking for projectors, look no further. The prices now become affordable and it’s the newly improved Acer projector. This is ideal for presentation and also perhaps for your in-house theatre screen.

It carries a 2 year warranty and the lamp also has a 1 year warranty or 1,000 hours whichever comes first. It’s powered with 3,200 ANSI Lumens with HDMI port and dual-VGA. This BND 398 deal is also offered at TechXpo today till Sunday. So look out for the Acer P1185 or just check the poster below for more details.

Epson printers. For all the heavy duty printer users out there especially students and teachers, this is one of the fastest selling brand in Brunei – Epson – because of you all. If you want to talk about efficiency and also cost savings, then target for the Epson printers. These printers have high recommendation even among our peers (my media friends) who are also active users of Epson printers.

Imagine with just four colour ink bottles that you will be able to print up to 6,500 colour pages. Now that’s a plenty and I like the new concept of having the ink cartridge being placed outside the printer so it will be convenient should you want to refill.

It’s no surprise that Epson have sold 2 million units alone in Southeast Asia and Brunei is one of the growing market leader in terms of growth per capita. So do check out their Super Deals at TechXpo today till Sunday.

In collaboration with UnionPay, the fastest growing card brand in the world, Baiduri Bank is currently having a 3-month campaign where Baiduri UnionPay Debit Cardholders will earn freebies and stand a chance to win shopping sprees when they use their cards at participating outlets each weekend till December.

Aptly named “Take me Shopping with Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card”, the promotion which started on 25 September 2015 will run every Friday to Sunday till 13 December 2015. During the promotion, Baiduri UnionPay debit cardholders will receive a free shopping bag when they spend a minimum of B$50 at participating supermarkets during the designated weekends, while stocks last.

The promotion will cover 14 different supermarket outlets, including supermarket chains Hua Ho, Soon Lee, Jaya Hypermart, Supa Save, Sim Kim Huat, Freshco, First Emporium and Utama Grand. Each weekend, a different outlet will be featured so that customers residing in the different districts will have a chance to participate.

Besides receiving shopping bags, shoppers also get a chance to win monthly shopping sprees worth B$150 each at selected supermarket throughout the campaign.

An Instagram competition is also being held back-to-back with the shopping campaign. Customers who post creative photos of themselves with the “Take Me Shopping with Baiduri Union Pay” shopping bag will get a chance to win shopping vouchers worth B$20 each week. Terms and conditions can be viewed on the Baiduri Bank website or through Baiduri Deals mobile app.

The “Take me Shopping with Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card” campaign was organized to create public awareness on the card’s user-friendliness and other benefits of owning a Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card.

Unlike conventional signature-based payment cards, the Baiduri UnionPay Debit Card requires a personalized identification number or PIN to be keyed in by the cardholder for any transactions to be approved, thus, giving cardholders a high level of protection from fraud or misuse of the card. This unique feature also allows cardholders to use the debit card as an ATM card too.

The Baiduri UnionPay Debit card is accepted at over 2,000 local merchants and more than 26 million UnionPay merchants in over 150 countries and allows withdrawals at all Baiduri ATMs, other local ATMs, and over 1.9 million ATMs worldwide.

More information about Baiduri Bank’s current promotions can be obtained from the Bank’s website at www.baiduri.com, ‘Baiduri Deals’ mobile app or their Call Centre at 244 9666. To be in the know of Baiduri Bank current promotions and events, the public can also follow Baiduri Bank Group on Facebook or @baiduribank on Instagram and Twitter.

Group photo with top senior management of Authoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam, top senior management of Baiduri Bank, diplomats and associates of Baiduri Capital Sdn Bhd during the launch of Baiduri Capital this morning

Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman, Deputy Chairman of Authoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (also the Minister of Development) launched the Baiduri Capital Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Baiduri Bank, this morning

It’s the first time that Baiduri Bank are providing securities trading and Pierre Imhof, the Director of Baiduri Capital feels it’s the right time for Baiduri Bank Group to explore into this market as there are a growing number of Bruneians with sizeable savings and also looking for opportunities to build wealth apart from deposits. The event took place this morning at Baiduri Bank Kiarong Complex.

The event was officiated by Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman, Deputy Chairman of Authoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (also the Minister of Development).

Baiduri Capital has been receiving a lot of interest from the public especially among the young professionals and these were done through workshops and seminars. Through these, Baiduri learnt that the market is ready. The extra added value from Baiduri Capital is the online securities trading portal. This is the first of its kind in Brunei and this is of course for the convenience of Baiduri Capital customers.

Well done on the launch this morning and so to those who love to play with stock market, look no further and try out Baiduri Capital services. They will be able to assist you and also assess the level of risk before you venture into the trading adventure.

The guest of honour touring Baiduri Capital

Yang Berhormat Pehin viewing Baiduri Capital

Pierre Imhof, CEO of Baiduri Bank and Director of Baiduri Capital (left), speaking with invited guests

Guest of honour signing a memento to commemorate the launch

Pierre Imhof delivering his speech and believes there is a market for securities trading and it’s also the first to provide it online

Hello Maurina and Joel :p

Bumped into Sarina Chieng, founder of Tada Concept and Seng Yee, Marketing Executive of RYS Event Management at the event :p

Refreshments being served after the launch

This is it… The 27th Universiti Brunei Darussalam convocation day which will take place tomorrow Wednesday 9th September 2015. I shall be there once again to do some live coverage.. Hopefully, there is a stable connection that I could Periscope or Snapchat on some occasions but we shall see.

This year alone there will be almost 1,200 graduates (PhD, Masters and Degree) and some of the UBD graduates will receive their certificates in the afternoon session. Good luck to all and it should be a good experience for all the students graduating.. Enjoy and cherish the moment. You deserved it 😀 Below are some of the pictures taken during the preparation of the convocation. They have been working very hard to make sure the event run smoothly. Keep up the great work, committee!!

Not sure sure who took this but nice shot 🙂

Deputy MCYS Minister Datin Paduka Hjh Adina, South Korean Ambassador Cho, General Manager of Times Square Amal, Director of Gallery DM Lim, Manager of Setia Motors Chin, and spouse of the South Korean envoy launched the Korean Food & Art Festival at Times Square by mixing the massive ‘bibimbap’

Have you checked out K-Food & Art Festival at Times Square Shopping Centre? It’s still ongoing until Wednesday 5th August. You can learn to do Korean traditional painting and also guess the Korean ingredient when you are blindfolded. This will normally begin in the evening times. On the finale itself (Wednesday), there will be a final eating competition and also guessing the ingredient followed by a closing performance of K-Pop dance performance by ITB Korean Culture Club.

The K-Food & Art Festival was kicked off last Saturday. The guest of honour was Datin Paduka Hjh Adina Othman, Deputy Minister of Ministry Culture, Youth and Sports. She was accompanied by Cho Won-Myung, South Korean Ambassador to Brunei, and his spouse, Grace Lim, Director of Gallery DM, Amal Majidah, General Manager of Times Square Shopping Centre and James Chin, Manager of Setia Motors Sdn Bhd.

The Korean Food and Art Festival will feature fun activities for the public including; Cooking Demonstration, Eating Competition, Learning Traditional Mask Painting, Face Painting by Korean Artist, Guess the ingredient, Learning Korean Fan Calligraphy, Learning Traditional Wrapping cloth (bojagi), Dress-Up & Photo Booth and activities by ITB KCC.

All customers of Times Square are welcome to vote any display artwork based on your choices. From this participation, you will get to join our lucky draw and win amazing prizes. You may come to our lucky draw counter to vote and get your lucky draw coupon.

Amal Majidah delivering her welcoming remarks

A gift to the guest of honour from an artist

A gift of appreciation to the guest of honour from the Korean Embassy

Grace Lim saying a few words

At the Korean art display

The eating competition

Guess the ingredient game

Hello Bomi Oh from Sarang Restaurant.

Busy behind the scene

Silla Restaurant have sitting area for the public

These are the halal food items imported from Korea

Some of the art display

You can dress up in Korean traditional clothes too

You will have a chance to try out Korean traditional painting in the evening time

The grand winner for the Baiduri Bank Multi-Tier Savings Account Promotion and she won herself BND 50,000… Awesome!!

Baiduri Bank has been very active lately during the Hari Raya season. Why? Because of the endless of prize presentation in the past few days. Hence there are many reasons to be a customer of Baiduri Bank.

First up was the Sungkai with Baiduri promotion, secondly is the Multi Tier Savings Promotion where one winner will walk away with BND 50,000 (wowweee) and finally the winners of another Sungkai with Baiduri in collaboration with Starbucks.

It doesn’t end there. There is still an ongoing promotion where you can stand a chance to win a Mini Cooper. Simply shop at Mabohai Shopping Complex and pay using your Baiduri credit or debit cards. Simple, right? And you even enjoy exclusive deals too. The promotion period ends on 30 November 2015.

For more updates, you can check out Baiduri Bank Facebook Page or follow their instagram @baiduribank

Another consolation prize for the Baiduri Multi-Tier Savings Promotion

Consolation winners of the Baiduri Multi-Tier Savings Promotion

Another winner for a flight to Singapore

She’s flying to Singapore

The winners of the Sungkai with Baiduri promotion

One of the winners of the joint promotion with Baiduri Bank and Starbucks

The winners of the joint promotion with Baiduri Bank and Starbucks

Wanna win a Mini Cooper?? Shop at Mabohai and swipe with your Baiduri cards

 

Baiduri cardholders lucky dip winners of the Hua Ho vouchers

Baiduri cardholders were in for a rewarding shopping experience when they paid for their purchases at participating Hua Ho Department Stores at Kiulap, Delima, Gadong 2, Mulaut and Tutong in the “Baiduri Bank & Hua Ho H2 Hari Raya Shopping Treats” promotion last weekend.

With a minimum spending requirement of B$100 in a single receipt, Baiduri cardholders can participate in an instant dip where they get to win Hua Ho H2 shopping vouchers. Depending on the amount on the receipt, they can earn up to 3 chances per receipt. The vouchers are in the values of B$5, B$10, B$20 or B$50 each.

The promotion will continue this weekend from 10 July to (tomorrow) 14 July 2015, to give Baiduri cardholders more opportunity to take part.

“We are very happy to reward our customers for their loyalty and we want our cardholders to benefit from our ongoing promotions. Giving a little extra support through shopping vouchers or discounts for the upcoming festivities is just one of the benefits we provide to our credit and debit cardholders,” explained Pg Azaleen Pg Dato Hj Mustapha, Head of Retail Banking and Branch Network Division at Baiduri Bank.

More promotional information can be obtained at Baiduri website www.baiduri.com or by calling Baiduri Call Centre at 244 9666. To be in the know of Baiduri Bank promotions, Baiduri cardholders can follow BaiduriBank on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to get the latest updates.

Less than a week, then Hari Raya will take place and it could be either be on Friday or Saturday. How have you Ramadhan been so far? Mine has been has hectic for the past three weeks due to coverage of the endless of Sungkai buffets. Now recently it has been quite relaxing because I’m off duty on food coverage 😀

I’m wondering how is the spending power lately in Brunei. I have heard that some of the Sungkai buffet sales at some places have dropped by 20-30%. One of the reasons could be attributed to the growing number of new restaurants and also more buffer options for the consumers end. Hence the market share of the restaurant will be reduced as our population has yet to increase relatively.

The biggest draw for Sungkai outings will be the BIBD 30% promotion (by swiping their credit cards) on selected restaurants on specific dates.

Last week, I had to forgo two travel trips – one to Denmark and one to Malaysia. The Denmark trip is one of the trips that I was looking forward to because it’s Denmark and I haven’t been there. It was part of a Bang & Olufsen trip for the media. I had no choice but to let it go due to my upcoming sister’s wedding in August. The KL trip was alright to miss but I will missing all the great access to catch Big Bang live concert in KL this coming August. Despite all that, I believe that I will get new opportunities to travel somewhere in the 2nd half of 2015 😀

I caught While You’re Young flick last night and it was a better experience than that last three movies I caught. Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts starred in this movie playing a married couple that wants to revive their younger days. Interesting movie and a humourous one too. A much better outing for Ben as compared to Night of the Museum sequel. I kinda like it but won’t watch it on cinema. Definitely a list for my blu-ray collection. Verdict: 7/10

Speaking of movies, Minions ruled the box office with a mammoth USD 115 million in the opening weekend. I predicted that Minions would be a top 3 movies of the summer in box office returns. At the moment, there is a good chance of that happening but no summer movies can come close to the surprise package Jurassic World followed by Avengers: Age of Ultron. The other potential movie is Inside Out which is doing very well indeed. I wasn’t a big fan of Minions and the movie was so so, catering more to kids. The disappointments of the summer movies so far are Tomorrowland and all the sequels of Magic Mike, Ted and Terminator.

I’m off to Bangkok today for another assignment. I won’t reveal much but you will know once you follow my IG and Snapchat feeds. I should be back in time for the Hari Raya festivity. Have a great week, my readers and thank you for all your support all these years.

My super friends buddies are quite addicted to the werewolf game indeed

I know it’s not healthy but this is occasional fix for Sahur 😀

Ok, I highly recommend you the Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie at Star Box Cafe (Kiulap). Amazing!!! I let my friends tried it and they love it too.

So this particular coffee table is my pick for the competition. Check out my IG on how to win the coffee table sponsored by Loft & Co, a new modern furniture shop located at Little Soho at Batu Bersurat. This coffee table comes in wooden texture, black and white.

Thank you Vincent Goh of Netcom House Computer for hosting Sungkai for the media at Excapade Sushi last week. I’m honoured for your humble invitation.

Now among all the gadgets of Apple, this is one over-rated gadget. Would I get one? I would perhaps wait for an updated version.

This watch so far has been very appealing and suits my needs. Loving the alerts but one problem – I’m not used to wearing a watch. Thanks @aj68 for the gift 😀

Lately I’ve been helping my friends’ wedding gifts which means longer nights

I had these three times… The Lamb Mandhi from Tandoor restaurant. A must from their Sungkai buffet. I would just go for this alone and not worried about the other dishes 😀

Now this is one exclusive magazine to own. Well done to the editor 😀

Congratulations to Vincent Pao, GM of Concepts Computer who defeated the Lizards yesterday to qualify for the Concepts Computer Veteran Basketball Cup 2015

Another successful event with the collaboration of Royal Brunei Airlines and the Collective Arts Event at the Royal Brunei Recreational Club. The event was called RBRC Syawal Donation. More stories on next post

Are copies making a comeback again? The enforcers must be pretty tired, recycling their efforts

Pengiran Azaleen bin Pengiran Dato Haji Mustapha, Head of Retail Banking and Branch Network receiving both awards on behalf of Baiduri Bank in Singapore recently

Baiduri Bank has received two awards from the Asian Banking and Finance Magazine – The “Domestic Retail Bank of the Year for Brunei 2015” for the third consecutive year and “Mobile Banking Initiative of the Year for Brunei 2015” for the first time.

The awards ceremony was hosted by the publication company at the Shangri-La Hotel Singapore on 8 July 2015. Receiving the awards on behalf of the Bank was Pengiran Azaleen bin Pengiran Dato Haji Mustapha, Head of Retail Banking and Branch Network.

Commenting on the ‘Domestic Retail Bank’ award, Pg Azaleen said, “We are delighted to receive these latest awards. I take this opportunity to thank our loyal customers for their strong support which has placed us among the top 60 Asian banks who were present at the award ceremony.”

He further elaborated that despite a challenging economic environment and competitive market, the Bank has been able to sustain growth by introducing new products and services to meet the needs and demands of different customer segments. The Bank is also constantly enhancing its existing product and service offerings to serve their customers better.

Pg Azaleen addressing his award acceptance speech

On winning the ‘Mobile Banking Initiative’ award, Pg Azaleen said, “Baiduri Bank recognized that mobile technology was fast becoming the preferred method of communication and accommodated these areas of customer needs by launching two apps, namely Baiduri Personal i-Banking in June 2013 followed by Baiduri Deals in August 2013 which was later enhanced in December 2014. The Baiduri Personal i-Banking app complements the Bank’s current web-based i-Banking application which gives customers a sense of familiarity, comfort and assurance. The Baiduri Deals app is a lifestyle app and is the first marketing app in Brunei that dispenses e-coupons which are redeemable for good and services or discounts at selected merchant outlets.

Since 2007, Asian Banking and Finance (ABF) magazine have been honouring and recognizing the best of the best in the Banking and Finance industry in Asia. It focuses on commercial and retail banking and on securities market from a banking perspective.

 

Have you been Snapchatting? Catch me on my username @ranoadidas

Are you new to Snapchat? I had this social media platform for quite some time but I wasn’t active for quite a long time. So what sparked it? Two things 1) new updates made it more appealing 2) one of my favourite fashion blogger from the Philippines @itscamilleco who uses the story video effectively. Only then, I gave it another go as I know Snapchat can be another good avenue to reach my followers. I know how Snapchat is very popular among teenagers in Brunei but that could soon change once the locals get the hang of it.

I feel the interface can do a little more tweaking so it would be easier to navigate for users. The best feature for me is the “story” section where you can upload unlimited photos and videos. However, there’s a timeline for all the data you post on Snapchat and once it reaches the 24 hour mark, Snapchat will delete them. Hence this gives you the urgency to catch what your friends have posted before it disappears.

So do come on Snapchat and look for me (username: ranoadidas) and so far I have coming to 100 followers after my continuous plug on IG. I’m not too sure if Snapchat will pick up the same wave like IG and Facebook did. As for Twitter, it’s barely surviving in terms of getting the news across. I only come to Twitter once every two days. When compared to IG, Facebook and now the addictive Snapchat, Twitter is way behind the pack of the most used social media platform in Brunei.

Don’t forget to add me on Snapchat 😀

 

BIBD recently extended their support to some seventy residents and caretakers of the Kampong Belimbing welfare home complex, under the Community Development Department, at an Iftar event at the Emperor’s Court Restaurant in Manggis.

The ceremony began with the recitation of the Surah Al-Fatihah which was then followed by the handing over of donations by the guest of honor, BIBD Managing Director Yang Mulia Javed Ahmad to forty-five residents of the welfare home along with certificates of appreciation to the ALMAS volunteer group for their cooperation in the success of the recent BIBD annual charity drive “Sirah Amal”.

Also in attendance was Yang Mulia Haji Minorhadi bin Haji Mirhassan, BIBD’s Head of Institutional Banking Division along with Yang Mulia Hajah Nurul Akmar binti Haji Mohd Ja’afar, Deputy Head of Consumer Banking Division in her capacity as Head of BIBD’s Corporate Social Responsibility.

Hjh Nurul mentioned that, “Alhamdulilah, the support in donations today are an extension of BIBD’s Sirah Amal initiatives as part of being an active community partner. At the same time, these donations are hoped to contribute to the development and progress of the residents to becoming productive members of the community”.

 

Hari Raya promotion until 31st July 2015