Dine with Kristy at Shabulicious at Food Arena last night

Filterworks experiencing Sungkai at Shabulicious

A fan of shabu-shabu and you know there have been many restaurants that offer hot pot stuff. Shabulicious now have three branches – one at Batu Bersurat and the other at Delima. But hey, I have yet to try the other branch at Food Arena, Seri Q-Lap Mall, so it was the first time that I dined in at Shabulicious at Food Arena.

What can you expect? They provide different kinds of Set Meals (refer to poster) to your liking during the month of Ramadhan. I opted for the ala carte since I don’t really eat that much. But for those who choose to have ala carte, Shabulicious offer 10% discount only during Ramadhan. And guess what? You can also take advantage of BIBD promotion (up to 30% on Tuesdays). So there will be one more Tuesday left to enjoy the 30% discount should Hari Raya falls on a Tuesday. I could be wrong.

Visit their branches Shabulicious Delima Square and Shabulicious Restaurant, Batu Bersurat, Gadong and dial their hotlines: 233 8333 / 875 0076 (Delima) 245 2000 / 888 2100 (Batu Bersurat) and 223 2022 / 729 2577 Food Arena.

Ramadhan Set Meals

$42.80 for 4 pax | $68.50 for 6pax

10% discount ala carte – Dine in and take away

Tel: 233 8333 (Delima) | 245 2000 (Batu Bersurat) | 223 2022 Food Arena

We ordered for 6 pax as part of the Ramadhan Sungkai Feast Family Menu

Taken from the ala carte menu

Giranda teriyaki.. yummm

1 small economy set as part of the 6 pax meal

Once it’s cooked, it’s all good and tasty

Reminds me of a Korean dish where we have to mix around

Filterworks at work last night

Quite a good crowd last evening but the outlet at Batu Bersurat was a full house

Smile guys!!

I must have noodles in my shabu-shabu 😀

and these two are a must..

Check out the BIBD promotion

Ramadhan Set Meals

$42.80 for 4 pax | $68.50 for 6pax

10% discount ala carte – Dine in and take away

Tel: 233 8333 (Delima) | 245 2000 (Batu Bersurat) | 223 2022 Food Arena

 

Download SnapFeed app on your smartphones and check out the latest deals in Brunei, their new loyalty program and also check out the new movie listings.

 

Team America

Having the luxury of the time to catch Captain America: Civil War three times, I have to admit that the replay value hasn’t bore me just yet. This is how I am amazed with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and how Disney has made it such a lovable franchise ever since they bought over the franchise.

The movie is slated to be a big box office machine. Having already raking in USD 75 million on Friday alone, it will reach in the region of USD 175 to USD 190 million tops. It’s unlikely to touch the USD 200 million region which many predicted it would be. Now the question is will it have the legs to break the USD 350 million mark in the months to come. The previous movie, Captain America: Winter Solider, made USD 259 million. It’s no surprise that Civil War will surpassed that in just two weeks. We shall wait and see.

Here’s just another short review of my version of Civil War.

First thing’s first. I love the movie. It’s quite a rare feat that I would watch a movie for the third time. Even a fourth viewing is a possibility. I’ve already caught it three times in a space of 9 days so no harm done for the next viewing, right?

Now, what I love about Civil War?

1) This is a movie that Batman V Superman wanted to be. The lame battle or war that the DC characters recently had was just simply $#%^@~#. The plot just got too tangled in the web and there was no way out of it. Purely messy. As for Civil War, the premise and the build up were solid from start to finish and furthermore, it was able to create a situation where you as the audience would have to choose between Team Cap or Team Ironman. As for Batman V Superman, the delivery of their rivalry lacked substance and desire for the audience to be involved in.

2) How do you handle so many characters in a two and a half hour movie? And none of the characters were not put to waste. That I have to salute the Russo brothers for pulling a great feat which Joss Whedan did for The Avengers. Some of the characters had shorter screen time but it was enough to make us feel interested in their characters. As for Doomsday or even Lex Luthor, not so much. Something Zack Synder lacked.

3) I have to applaud for their ingenuity of the action sequences in Civil War. The airport scene still leaves me mesmerized and I could just watch over and over again. My only problem is the less usage of Vision during the fight scenes *little spoiler alert* but other than that, the airport scene is perhaps the best superhero action scene of all time and many producers and directors will have a hard time to top this feat.

4) The introduction of Black Panther and Spider-Man. I had reservations on their characters when I watched the trailer. Why? Panther is a low key superhero in Marvel while we have gotten bored with many renditions of Spider-Man. However, these were not the cases for both Panther and Spider-Man. I won’t spoil much but man, they both will have a bright future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

That are just the gist of what I thought of Civil War. There are many talking points for the final installment of Captain America. So who’s your favourite character? Mine’s definitely Spider-Man. Verdict: 8.5-9/10

Podcast review of Captain America: Civil War with regular co-host Del Goh

Tom Holland as Spider-Man and he suits the role

My blogger friend from Singapore – Tiffany Yong gave it 5 stars. Read more of her review by clicking the image.

Caught the premiere show at The Mall Cineplex two Thursday ago

Both Farhan and Stuart read the wrong memo during the premiere of Captain America: Civil War

 

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.

 

Podcast review of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with Jason Rumpus on the popcorn panel

 

Her Royal Highness Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah is currently in Singapore, competing for Divas in the ORA Gryphons Fast Pitch Softball Tournament 2016. Image courtesy of Yusri Adanan of The Brunei Times.

Team Divas during a training session. Click image to enlarge.

Divas (women softball team) will be representing Brunei at the ORA Gryphons Fast Pitch Softball Tournament 2016 in Singapore today.

Among those who will be lacing up for Divas at the eight-team tournament is Her Royal Highness Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah.

Apart from Divas and a Japanese team based in Singapore, the rest of competition at the Raffles Institution Softball Field will be made up of Singaporean teams.

“This will be our first time competing outside Borneo so we would like to see where we stand among the other teams in the region,” said Divas team manager Sofiah Isa during the club’s friendly match against Gunners at the Jerudong Sports Complex yesterday.

“We have never played in this tournament before so it will be hard to tell how the competition is going to be.

“We have been preparing for this tournament since January under our new coach from the Philippines, Gedda Español Valencia.

“We’ve also played a number of friendly matches over the past month… We played Honey Beez from Miri and (local clubs) Chikara and Pasadena as we are trying to get as much game practice before we leave.

“The team is made up of some new players and existing senior players, and myself and Gedda will also be competing as players at this tournament,” added Sofia

HRH Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bulqiah, Pg Anak Haffezah Syukrina PAH Hassanudin Al-Haj, Ivy Abad Carlos, Nimpa Villafranca Baral, Nur Hafizah Hj Abdul Sidek, Amalina Hj Abd Karim, Wan Hannah Hj Abdul Karim, Wan Syaza Hj Abdul Karim, Nur Amanina Amirah Hj Hasnani, Radin Noryoul Afiqah Ibnu Abdullah, Wan Rahmani Hj Suhaili, Dk Hjh Halyanoor Azamah Pg Hj Chuchu, Vanessa Pang Li Thuan, Hjh Adina Hj Mohd Aliddin, Athiyyah As’ad Mohd Jaafar and Siti Marlina Hj Marsal complete the 18-player squad.
The club’s coaches, Maj (Rtd) Wan Mohd Tambrin Shah and Mohammad Alli Hj Othman, are part of the squad who are now in Singapore.

Divas face ORA Gryphons on Friday and follow that up with two more matches against River Valley High School and Cudas.

They will meet Raffles Institution, Maiko Japan and Mudball the following day before closing their group stage campaign with a match against Wolvens on Sunday. Text by Ak Fauzi Pg Salleh of The Brunei Times.

The 10 team tournament over the weekend

 

The newly launched Hyundai Creta

The review test of the Hyundai Creta by Autocar India

I heard of the latest Hyundai Creta when I saw the advert in the local newspaper. Hence, I contacted Setia Motors, distributor of Hyundai, for some details of the newly anticipated launch of the Creta and wow, I was amazed by the price tag of the Creta (not even in the region of BND 30,000). Another model that caught my eye is the newest Hyundai Tuscon model. But today I’m gonna focus on the Creta.

Greta marks Hyundai Motor’s entry in the growing sub-compact SUV segment with strong product offering and hence boosting Hyundai Motor’s product line up. I’m so happy to witness the newest model being launched earlier this morning. Did you know that all the first batch of Creta are all being booked? That really shows that the Creta is already a huge hit way before the launch.

At the same time during the launch, Setia Motors feted three first owners of the Creta with a Vivo smartphone. Nicceeeeee!!

Unveiling the Creta were Mr. James Chin, General Manager of Setia Motors Sdn Bhd, Hj Irwan bin Lamit, Managing Director of BIBA At-Tamwil Berhad, Haji Ali Matussin, Sales Manager of Baiduri Finance and Hj Osman bin Hj Md Jair, Managing Director of Insurans Islam TAIB.

James Chin, General Manager of Setia Motors Sdn Bhd and Hj Ali Matussin, Sales Manager of Baiduri Finance unveiling the Hyundai Creta

Hj Osman bin Hj Md Jair, Managing Director of Insurans Islam TAIB and Hj Irwan bin Lamit, Managing Director of BIBA At-Tamwil Berhad unveiling the Hyundai Creta

The red Hyundai Creta looks good

Smile for the camera guys 😀

Creta Specs

Engine – 1.6 Gamma Duat CVVT Petrol Engine (Diesel coming soon)

Exterior
Front Projection Headlamps with static bending light
Rear camera display with dynamic parking guide
Rear parking censor
17” allow wheels
70% transparency tinted glass

Interior
Bluetooth handsfree
5” LCD Touch Screen AM/FM Radio with MP3
Supervision cluster
USB & AUX
Rear air-condition ventilation
Steering wheel remote control

Safety

Up to 6 airbags
Electronic stability control
Antilock braking system
hill-start assist control

Performance

1.6 litre petrol engine with 123 ps at 6400/rpm
6-speed auto transmission or manual transmission
low noise vibration and harshness level
low coefficient of drag

As I said before, Creta is already a huge hit after many customers have pre-booked the compact SUV. Creta is one of the toughest and strongest SUVs in its segment. It is designed with a strong body shell that denotes high structural strength and sturdiness. The high body rigidity is designed for enhanced structural safety and improved durability.

Do drop by Setia Motors showroom in Beribi if you are interested to test drive the new Creta. Who knows you might be one of the proud owners of the Creta.

Nadzri does what he does best – being a great host/emcee – to kick off the event

One of the first buyers of the Hyundai Creta and she earned herself a Vivo smartphone

Another recipient of the Vivo smartphone

Setia Motors management with representatives from Baiduri Bank, BIBD At-Tamwil and Insurans Islam TAIB

 

Associates of Concepts Computer holding $10 vouchers where you can earn when you purchase above $30 in a single receipt and only valid during every end of the month. In this case, 27th March to 30th March.

As an ongoing thank you for their customers, Concepts Computer will be giving away $10 dollar vouchers for every purchase above $30 (in a single receipt) made during March’s end of month celebrations. During every end of month (27th till 30th), Concepts Computer will open up their showroom from 9 am to 9pm, to accommodate and serve their customers better. And this month, customers making a purchase during this period will be eligible for $10 vouchers.

When asked regarding the month end celebrations and the voucher give-away, Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer, said, “The IT Retail business in Brunei Darussalam is more challenging nowadays, with savvy consumers using online sources to make purchasing decisions, brick and mortar IT retailers need to focus more on providing better services for customers.” He continued, “Retailers will need to be more creative, more innovative and offer better range of products to respond to consumers, which is why we are thankful for our loyal and regular customers, and we want to keep them happy by providing these vouchers.”

Also present during the event, Zul Abdul Rahman, Marketing Executive at Concepts Computer added, “We are giving away $10 vouchers during the month-end (27th till 30th), with every purchase of $30 on a single receipt.” Zul added, “These vouchers are only valid for their next purchases made with Concepts Computers and will be valid for 30 days.” He continued, “We would hope that our customers understand that this is one way for us to show our appreciation for their loyalty and patronage.”

For more information regarding the month-end celebrations (on-going from 27th to 30th of every month) and the eligibility of receiving the give-away $10 vouchers, or any other enquiries regarding Concepts Computer and their range of products, please call 2233551, 2233552 or 2233553, or visit your nearest Concepts Computer retail outlet.

This is a popular item at Concepts Computer especially among teachers

Some of the gadgets

Affordable notebooks at Concepts Computer

A portable hotspot for you

You can even claim EASI cards with the vouchers. Quite handy

 

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.

 

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam (3rd R) speaking with Captain Sharifah Czarena Surainy Syed Hashim (L), as former Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Dermot Mannion (2nd L) and Deputy Chief Operating Officer Captain Khalidkhan Hj Asmakhan (2nd R) look. It was His Majesty’s visit to the newly refurbished Brunei International Airport last year. Image courtesy of Zaim Kasmat of The Brunei Times.

Mr. Dermot Mannion have served in Royal Brunei Airlines for 5 years and he has definitely shifted the play field of Royal Brunei Airlines through restructuring and rebranding. It’s sad to know that he won’t be continuing his journey in Royal Brunei Airlines. Image courtesy of breakingnewstravel.com

After five years of service as Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines (RB), Mr. Dermot Mannion has announced he will shortly depart from Brunei, on completion of his term of office. The Board of RB has expressed gratitude to Mr. Mannion for his service and in particular, has commended the successful completion of the restructuring and rebranding of RB in recent years.

Mr. Mannion will now be succeeded in the capacity of CEO by Mr. Karam Chand who was previously Chief Commercial and Planning Officer at RB. Mr. Chand holds an MSc in Air Transport Management from Cranfield University and has over twenty years’ experience at various flag carrier airlines and Virgin Australia.

Stated Mr. Mannion: ‘I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Board and to our staff for their loyalty and support during my tenure at RB. I would also like to congratulate Karam on his appointment and I extend my sincere best wishes to him and to RB for the future.’

Mr Chand stated “I am honoured and humbled by the appointment and for the trust and faith the Board has placed in me. We have tremendous opportunities ahead of us and with the strong legacy left by Dermot we are in a good position to fly the flag higher. I am grateful to Dermot for his support and guidance over the last three and half years. We wish him well in whatever he chooses as his next challenge”. Text courtesy of Royal Brunei Airlines.

Dermot with the winners of the talent competition for the in-house employees of RB last December. A very much loved leader in the company.

Dermot congratulating Sabre (formerly known as Abacus) for their 25 years in service last September. He even sang a number for the audience.

Dermot with the chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines, YB Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin bin Abdullah, during the signing agreement for the new Airbus A320neo aircraft. The signing took place in May 2014.

What I feel: It’s truly sad to know that a capable leader such as Mr. Dermot is leaving Brunei and our national air carrier Royal Brunei Airlines. So far he is the longest service leader compared to the past few CEOs of Royal Brunei Airlines. I have had a few dialogues with him and I am amazed by his humble character. I’m pretty sure that the senior management and the associates of the company will miss his company. He has turned RB into one of the strong brands in the country and guess what? Even their online presence is strong on social media as they were being recognized last year for being in the social trend.

I remember when Royal Brunei had to restructure which involved cutting cost here and there. It was a pretty challenging period for RB then and I was thinking to myself if RB will have the resilience to climb back up. Slowly it did and thanks to Dermot and his team as well as the chairmanship of YB Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin. It’s a great reminder for those who doesn’t have a vision, do follow those who have and Dermot is one of them. Thank you for your contribution to the Brunei economy and the community. I wish you the best in your future journey.

Dermot at the launching of the rebranded Royal Skies in September 2014.

The launching of the Dreamliner B787 back in October 2013. It suddenly became a reality that the Dreamliner is physically in Brunei Darussalam.

Dermot launching the Dreamliner service to Kuala Lumpur at Vistana Hotel back in May 2013

Dermot played an important role in rebranding the image and corporate culture of Royal Brunei Airlines. One of them is the logo.

He also saw a potential in signing superstar Wu Chun as the brand ambassador for Royal Brunei Airlines. The dividends have surely paid off.

One of the core values that Royal Brunei Airlines incorporated in their rebranding process – “Happyness”

The new uniforms of the cabin crew of Royal Brunei Airlines.

 

Standard Chartered Bank Brunei officially announced the launch of the Standard Chartered Cup 2016 indoor football tournament yesterday at a press conference at their Priority Banking Centre in Gadong. The Standard Chartered Cup 2016 in a local 5 aside indoor football tournament (futsal) and the tournament is planned to kick off in early April.

Marilyn Graeme, Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing said:

“Standard Chartered Bank has been the main sponsor for Liverpool FC since 2009 and together the partnership has greatly benefitted both parties. The SC Cup tournament will give teams the opportunity of a once-in-a-lifetime experience to win a trip to Anfield to watch a home game in executive box seats as well as receive a coaching session with an LFC Legend at the LFC Academy.

The SC Cup aims not only to engage the large football loving community here as well as Liverpool FC fans in Brunei, we also look forward to contributing towards a charitable cause through 100 percent donation of the registration fees that will be collected. We would like to thank our generous partners, Royal Brunei as well as the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports and the National Football Association for their kind support.”

Last year, Standard Chartered hosted SC Trophy which saw winning team, Matahari FC, winning the local tournament to represent Brunei in the regional stage against Malaysia and Thailand. Press release from SCB Brunei.

NFABD Futsal standing committee chairman Rosdin Hj Abd Aziz, SCB Brunei Head of Corporate Affairs Marilyn Graeme and NFABD Fustal standing committee deputy chairman Bujang Hj Japar during the press conference at the SCB’s Priority Banking Centre in Gadong yesterday

Marilyn delivering some exciting news for football fans

The local media during the press conference

Matahari FC team members – winners of the Standard Chartered Trophy 2015 local tournament in February 2015 – received their kits from CEO of SCB. Rino Donosepoetro. They represented Brunei in the regional tournament but failed to win the tournament. The winner then won the trip to Anfield. This time round the winners of the Standard Chartered Cup 2016 indoor football tournament in Brunei will guarantee a passage straight to Anfield. Awesome news!!! Image courtesy of SCB Facebook Page.

SC Cup 2016 Local tournament

The local tournament will see 24 teams participating. It will kick off on 4 April with the finals taking place on 9 April. Teams can register for a place by visiting Standard Chartered’s Brunei’s website at www.sc.com/bn. Participants must be Brunei citizens or permanent residents, be over 18 years of age and not be professional or semi-professional players. Each registered team cannot have more than two (2) players who are also participating in the 2015/2016 national futsal leagues.

The grand prize

All seven (7) team members of the winning team from the Tournament will receive flights (return economy class) to and from Brunei Darussalam to the United Kingdom, transfers during the itinerary, accommodation for the duration of the trip, tickets to a Liverpool FC match at Anfield, training session at the Liverpool FC Academy (itinerary subject to change depending on final confirmation of flights and activities and availability). Participants should be able to travel to the United Kingdom between 4 May to 9 May 2016 in order to receive the grand prize.

The closing date for registrations is 25 March. To find out more about the Standard Chartered Cup, visit www.sc.com/bn or follow the bank’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/StandardCharteredBN. Press release from SCB Brunei.

What I think:  This is an awesome opportunity whether you are not a Liverpool supporter or not. Just to be sponsored all the way to the UK and experience a Premier League club are chances of a lifetime. Thanks to Standard Chartered Bank and Royal Brunei Airlines with the support of the MCYS and NFABD, this is made possible for the residents of Brunei Darussalam. The other great news is that the winners of the futsal team don’t have to play other winning countries to get that passage to Anfield. Just as long as you win the Standard Chartered Cup 2016 indoor football tournament, seven of you will earn the right to fly to the UK. Should the winning team couldn’t fly, then the runners-up will be given the opportunity.

 

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.

 

Mr Dermot Mannion, Deputy Chairman of Brunei Darussalam with Her Excellency Datin Paduka Malai Hjh Halimah Malai Hj Yussof during the ribbon cutting ceremony

Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) the national carrier of the Sultanate of Brunei has launched its newly refurbished and rebranded office in Manila’s Makati City, Philippines on 13th October 2015. Present to launch as guest of honor was Her Excellency Datin Paduka Malai Hjh Halimah Malai Hj Yussof. Also present were RB’s Deputy Chairman, Mr Dermot Mannion, the Secretary of the Department of Tourism, Philippines, Mr Ramon Jimenez; and Mr Carmelo Arcilla, the Executive Director of Civil Aeronautics Board, Philippines; and Mr Mark Lapid, former governor of Pampangga and COO of Tieza.

The event was attended by media and travel trade professionals and it provided RB with an opportunity to showcase new heritage inspired uniforms to be proudly worn by customer service staff in Manila. The warm spectrum of uniform colours ranging from olive to morning sky and fresh mint, together with the new vibrant office layout is all designed to reflect the friendly and welcoming nature of the people of Brunei Darussalam and the RB brand.

RB’s very successful makeover has received international recognition in the 2014 Global Rebrand 100 Awards. Manila is the latest stop on the rebranding journey which is being rolled out across the entire RB network.

Mr Dermot Mannion with the team from Royal Brunei Airlines’ Manila office

RB commenced scheduled services to Manila on 01st May 1977 with a frequency of two flights in a week, and now 38 later, RB’s service to Manila has increased to a daily service.

RB also took the opportunity at the relaunch event to introduce the new Philippines General Sales Agent (GSA) ; Avia-Rh Inc.

Joanne Sarmiento, General Manager for Avia-RH Inc: “We are proud to be a part of the Royal Brunei family and we are committed to building their market in the Philippines, contributing to the growing tourism market in Asia Pacific and connecting Filipinos to destinations around the world with Royal Brunei.”

Dermot Mannion, Deputy Chairman of RB said “We are delighted to mark the launch of our rebranding in Manila with the appointment of Avia-RH Inc as GSA. These days RB has a very good product to sell and passengers from Philippines will also enjoy the newly refurbished terminal facilities at Brunei International Airport. We look forward to working with the Avia-RH team to make RB the preferred choice to all the destinations that we serve”.

KFC’s new item, only for a limited time

Del Goh, Vice-President of KFC Brunei, doing some quality control before the photo shoot :p

Savour the flavour of KFC’s latest addition to the menu, Potato Wrapped Prawns.

Available only for a limited time, and priced at $5.60, the crunchy snack consists of five pieces of the succulent crustacean wrapped in thin and crispy potatoes.

For those who prefer something more filling, opt for the set meal, which consists of two pieces of KFC’s fried chicken (either original or spicy), three pieces of the Potato Wrapped Prawns along with a regular-sized carbonated drink for only $8.50.

In a press statement, Vice-president of KFC Brunei Del Goh said, “We are glad to be able to provide our customers with this succulent crunch where everyone of all ages can savour the hand-wrapped crispy prawns everywhere and anywhere they want.”

The new snack is available at all KFC branches in the sultanate including the newly-opened Fast Food outlet in Tutong starting today while stocks last. KFC has branches in three districts of the sultanate: Brunei-Muara, Tutong and Belait. Text courtesy of Raghadah Agus of The Brunei Times.

KFC’s Potato Wrapped Prawns and they are pretty good

The photo shoot moment

KFC’s team posing with the newly promoted item.

Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar, Minister of Industry and Primary Resources as the guest of honour with the winners of the Brunei Darussalam Motorcross Challenge 2015. Image taken by Hj Mohd Ali of The Brunei Times.

The other winners of the Brunei Darussalam Motorcross Challenge 2015. Image taken by Hj Mohd Ali of The Brunei Times.

Indonesians Ariandi and Pedro Wuner kept their titles as the fastest riders in the Brunei Darussalam Motocross Challenge 2015 after dominating this year’s Motocross Open category.

Ariandi was crowned champion of the off-road motorcycle race again yesterday in Sungai Besar, Tutong, winning a cash prize of $500 and a trophy. His compatriot, Pedro, received $400 in cash prize and a trophy for securing second place.

“I’m satisfied with my performance despite recovering from a leg injury. It was a competitive race as the other riders were very good,” said Pedro, who was also the first runner-up in 2011.

Meanwhile, the sultanate’s Abdul Rahman Hj Harith walked away with $300 in cash prize and a trophy for landing in third place. The up and coming rider also emerged as the winner of the 125 Expert category, earning a cash prize of $150 and a trophy.

Joseph Woon of Sabah, Malaysia conquered the Veteran Open category, collecting $150 in cash prize and a trophy.

Locals Mohd Ahyar Mohd Yahya, Mohd Hamlenoor Abdul Rahman and Muhd Ali Hanafiah Lamiah grabbed first place in the 125 Novice Open, Minicross Open and Motocross Brunei Open categories respectively. Each winner scored $150 in cash prize and a trophy.

Muhd Ali Hanafiah said he was grateful for the opportunity to compete as he withdrew from the previous competition due to shoulder injuries he sustained during practice.

Liyana Zakaria, the first female rider. Image taken by Hj Mohd Ali of The Brunei Times.

The Brunei Darussalam Motocross Challenge 2015 also featured its first female rider, Liyana Zakaria. Although the 24-year-old amateur came seventh out of nine places in the Motocross Brunei Open, she intended to garner the experience towards improving her performance in future races.

“It was awesome, but it was awkward as it was male-dominated. Chances of winning this time around were slim as the other riders had way more experience than me,” she explained.
Liyana took up off-road motorcycle racing a couple of months ago after dabbling in the street bike racing scene, but her lack of experience did not stop her from competing. She hoped her participation would empower other women in Brunei to try motocross racing.

“There needs to be a platform for women who want to try motocross racing. My advice for aspiring female riders would be to learn from those who are experienced,” she said.
The United Youth Voluntary Movement (GPPS), organiser of the Brunei Darussalam Motocross Challenge 2015, also called on the wider public to support off-road motorcycle racing in a bid to further develop the calibre of local riders.

GPPS chairman Abdul Khalid Abdul Latip said such competitions provided an avenue to strengthen ties between local and international motocross riders.

He believed that participation in motocross racing could help to broaden the minds of the youth through motorcycle engineering, raise awareness about bike safety as well as teach riders to be tolerant and responsible.

Abdul Khalid added the competition also enabled local vendors to earn income by selling food and drinks to the spectators.

Present as the guest of honour was Minister of Industry and Primary Resources Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar. Also in attendance was Tutong District Officer Wardi Hj Mohd Ali alongside other officials.

The minister handed over prizes and trophies to the winners as well as certificates to all the participating riders.

A total of 31 riders representing Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia competed in this year’s competition in conjunction with the 69th birthday of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. You can check out more photos here taken by Forest Han Photography. Text courtesy of Rabiatul Kamit of The Brunei Times and images courtesy of The Brunei Times and @foresthan

The Brunei Darussalam Motorcross Challenge 2015. Image taken by @foresthan

The Brunei Darussalam Motorcross Challenge 2015. Image taken by @foresthan

The Brunei Darussalam Motorcross Challenge 2015. Image taken by @foresthan

The Brunei Darussalam Motorcross Challenge 2015. Image taken by @foresthan

The Brunei Darussalam Motorcross Challenge 2015. Image taken by @foresthan

Fun Bee Park is once again inviting the members of the public to its Sunday Brunch Buffet. October specials will be the very first Seafood Buffet on 18th October, Sunday, from 10am till 12pm. Tickets selling for only B$5 per person for a free flow of steamed white rice, glass noodles and local yellow noodles. Desserts come for a free flow as diners could enjoy making their own ABC and Ice Kacang, a platter of seasonal fruit cuts; children corner for Chocolate Fondue. Fruit drinks will be served to the diners all throughout the brunch.

Fresh vegetables in plates will be sold at $2 which contains sweet corn, mushrooms, Pak Choi, bean sprouts, and carrots while there will be homemade balls in plates to be sold at $2 which includes fish balls, prawn balls, mushroom balls, sausages, and crab meat sticks. Egg will be sold at 50 cents per piece. Fresh seafood such as fish head, prawns, crabs, local whole fishes, and squids will be sold from $2 – $5 per plate only.

Diners got to experience mix and match their chosen seafood meats and veggies to the soup of their choice. Available soups such as Chicken Soup, Seafood Soup, and Tom Yam Soup will be available at the kitchen. Sauces were made personally to enhance the flavors of the soup. Bali Sauce, Belacan sauce, and Satay sauce were few of the choices at the condiment’s corner.

Aside from the Seafood Buffet, Fun Bee Park also invites the public especially working individuals who were tied up with works and have no chance to prepare their meal to participate in their very first “Salad in a Glass Class”. Class will be held at Fun Bee Park on October 24th, Saturday from 10am till 12pm. Entry fee is B$10 per person and attendees will be advised to bring their own 500ml tall mason glass along with them. For those who ran out of mason glass on hand, Fun Bee Park is selling their 500ml tall wide mouth mason glass for only B$4.

Fun Bee Park is introducing their first healthy salad recipe: Creamy Ham and Green which is mix of lettuce, toasted bread slices, beef / chicken ham, boiled egg, cherry tomatoes and Japanese cucumber. The salad in a glass is a new technique of stacking up meat, veggies, and others into a mason glass with the special dressing and is always ready to eat option.

Attendees of the salad class will prepare their own salad items including washing and cutting into desired sizes, and most especially, to prepare the salad dressing to perfect the taste.
Once every month, Fun Bee Park will be introducing different salad recipes as well as its dressings. For more information and reservation, please call 2457729 / 7178232 or visit them at A6/A7, Ground Floor, Sempurna Complex, Batu Bersurat, Gadong. Text courtesy of Fun Bee Park.

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Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Amal Jefriah (left) recently attended Laksamana College of Business (LCB) graduation ceremony for her son’s (Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Muhammad Abdul Razaaq bin Pengiran Sura Negara Pengiran Anak Haji Muhammad Bey Muntassir) graduation from the University Foundation Course programme. Image courtesy of Dean Kassim.

Laksamana College of Business (LCB) held a graduation ceremony for 620 students who successfully completed their courses in business, hospitality and computing last Friday.

The ceremony was held at the Songket Ballroom, The Rizqun International Hotel.
In his welcome speech, the Minister of Education, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong, highlighted the importance of equipping oneself with necessary skills for a bright future and to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.

“His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam in his titah during last year’s Teacher’s Day and 100 Years of Formal Education celebration, has mentioned Brunei Darussalam’s capacity nowadays as a human capital provider rather than a financial donor, through the provision of local English teachers to neighbouring countries, for example.

YAM Pengiran Anak Muhammad Abdul Razaaq receiving his certificate from Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong, Minister of Education

The Minister with his welcoming remarks

David Campbell, British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam, giving a few words

Siti Kamaliah binti Haji Awang Damit receiving her certificate

Some of the courses fro next year’s intake

“We have been dependent on the oil and gas industry since 1929. Alhamdulillah, it has provided us with much prosperity and opportunity since then. However, it is time to grow and expand the economy; strengthen the current niche industries, and build new sustainable ones to last for more centuries to come and to ensure our economic sustainability. Therefore, the higher education sector’s support is vital to develop talents to reinforce and build up these industries,” the minister said.

Also present during the graduation ceremony were Pehin Orang Kaya Ratna Setia Dato Setia Haji Awang Abdul Hapidz bin Pehin Orang Kaya Laksamana Haji Abdul Razak and Haji Suhaimei bin Awang Haji Besar, Directors of LCB; Ian Pirie, Principal and Director of LCB/Kensington College; David Campbell, British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam; Dr Chris Haslam, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, University of Chester, UK; Dr David Balsamo, Dean of Social Science University of Chester and Garfield Southall, Associate Dean, Faculty of Science and Engineering.

The graduation ceremony began with a recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah by Awang Haji Azis @ Abdul Aziz bin Haji Mohd Yassin, a Mosque Affairs Officer from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, followed by other welcoming speeches by Ian Pirie and Dr Chris Haslam.

The graduated students were then presented with certificates and a few selected students gave speeches on their experiences at LCB.

Established in Brunei as a business course provider, LCB is a subsidiary of Kensington College of Business (KCB) in London. Text courtesy of Fizah HAB of Borneo Bulletin and images courtesy of Dean Kassim of Borneo Bulletin.

You can check out their comprehensive website here for the courses and also follow them on their Facebook Page.

Good luck all of you. Do us proud 😀

They are currently in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – the band of Waht?! and D-1 with soloists Lim Ao (guitarist) and Brigette Ang (vocalist) who recently won in the competition hosted by Expression Music Brunei in association with Trinity London College. They are accompanied by Lily Chiam, founder and music director of Expression Music Brunei and the music instructors from Expression Music and also Chiam Su Lee, Trinity College London’s Brunei Representative.

All the young musicians will compete in the Regional Semi-Finals of the Asean “Be our Rock & Pop Soul” Music Competition which begins tonight (6th September). They departed to Vietnam last Friday.

It’s good to see our youngsters competing in the regional level as they will give more exposure and confidence on our local talents. Let’s hope for the best to all the performers. I have seen them performed a few weeks’ ago and I was totally impressed. On another note, I had to forgo the Vietnam trip with them as I have other commitments. Perhaps next year 😀

Lily Chiam, founder and music director of Expression Music Brunei, with all the musicians and singers who will represent Brunei in the Regional Semi-Finals of the Asean “Be our Rock & Pop Soul” Music Competition at Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. The event begins tonight (Sunday).

The musicians being interviewed by The Brunei Times

Free style posing for the camera

Loving their logos to represent the band

Group photo with the music instructors

The night that the Lim Ao wooed the judges with his solo guitar performance. He was also industrious in finding sponsors for the team. Awesome lad!!

Representing the D-1 band

Waht?! band will also represent Brunei in the semi-finals

Taken during the previous competition where D-1 won in the band category

D-1 had their sound check and practice session at Saigon Opera House, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Waht?! band also their practice session. Good luck to all of you.

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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.

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This is it!! Jati Transport is having a Mercedes-Benz Star Weekend Promo and you can enjoy an exceptional Raya offer this weekend only. Drop by their Beribi showroom and refreshments are also provided. Did you know the trademark car used in Jurassic World is Mercedes-Benz? 😀

Dato Paduka Hj Jamain Hj Julaihi, Permanent Secretary (Downstream and Power) at the Prime Minister’s Office witnessing a signing between a scholar and Yves Grosjean, General Manager of Total E&P Borneo BV

Total E&P Borneo BV awarded scholarships to three students to pursue further studies in engineering at prestigious institutions in France.

Mohammad Hazri Hj Mohd of Duli Pengiran Muda Al-Muhtadee Billah College (Maktab Duli), Hazel Lim Sheau Shiuan and Goh Jing Shun from Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College (Maktab Sains) signed a contract with the Total Education Scholarship Scheme at a ceremony held at the Brunei Hotel. The event was attended by Permanent Secretary (Downstream and Power) at the Prime Minister’s Office Dato Paduka Hj Jamain Hj Julaihi.

Mohammad Hazri will pursue study in chemical engineering, while Lim and Goh undertake mechanical engineering. The scholarship awarded includes a six-year higher education course, with postgraduate studies, before they are offered work experience with French oil firm Total.
Total E&P Borneo BV General Manager Yves Grosjean said the students will undergo their foundation programme at L’Institut Universitaire de Technologie before pursuing their undergraduate studies at top universities in France.

The scholarship scheme was Total’s contractual commitment through the production sharing agreement with PetroleumBRUNEI.

Group photo with the scholars. Good luck in your journey as a student in France

 

Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar, Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, gracing the launch of the ASEAN Consumer Fair 2015. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

The long-awaited ASEAN Consumer Fair 2015 was launched yesterday, and features more than 400 booths dedicated to selling a variety of goods, which is just in time for those who are preparing for the upcoming months of Ramadhan and Syawal.

Held at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Berakas, the fair was launched by the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources (MIPR) Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar.

The opening ceremony of the five-day fair began with a prayer followed by a speech by Executive Director of organiser D’Sunlit Sdn Bhd, Dato Paduka Hj Danial Hj Hanafiah, who pointed out the overwhelming participation from both local and overseas exhibitors at the ASEAN themed fair.

“I hope that even more local small-medium enterprises (SMEs) will take the opportunity to showcase their products to both local and international markets,” he added.

Present as well were government officials, Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) dignitaries, event partners and participants of the ASEAN Consumer Fair.

Aside from products from the nation and the region such as the many handicrafts and food which can be found at the Thai Grand Fair, visitors can look forward to products from China, Iran and other countries among others.

For those looking for activities, there is a wide range of fun contests and games to participate in with chances to win prizes. This includes activities organised by Malar Setia Sdn Bhd, Kingston Beverage & Creamery Sdn Bhd and DST.

The ASEAN Consumer Fair 2015 will run until Sunday, from 10am to 10pm except for Friday, where it closes from noon to 2pm for the Friday prayer.

A complimentary shuttle bus service will also run from the parking lot of Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium to the venue of the fair. For further details, visit www.bruneiconsumerfair.com and D’Sunlit’s Facebook page at ‘sunlitbrunei’. Text by Ikhwan Salleh of The Brunei Times.

Relentless Entertainment during the launch

Guest of honour at Concepts Computer booth, another regular IT company at Consumer Fair. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

Hui Chiet of Red Bull Brunei explaining to the Minister. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

Some of the activities from Kingston Creamery & Beverage booth

Ivy, Madaline and Hui Chiet

Relentless Entertainment also participating and raising funds for their WCOPA trip. They have been doing many fund raiser events and I salute you guys. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

Check out Vivo at CF. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

The Thai pavilion

Durian galore. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

At DST booth. Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

Image courtesy of Fazizul Haqimie.

The Mini KindyKare area for children

 

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The monthly winners of the Multi Tier Savings Account – Get Rewarded from Your Savings promotion at Baiduri Bank. Image courtesy of Baiduri Bank.

To encourage customers to save more, Baiduri Finance launched a savings promotion in January with attractive cash prizes to be won monthly.

At a prize presentation event held at the company’s head office in Sumbangsih Bahagia, Beribi this afternoon, four lucky customers were elated after being picked as winners in the second monthly draw.

The Multi Tier Savings Account – Get Rewarded from Your Savings promotion offers customers who deposited fresh funds of B$5,000 into their new or existing Multi Tier Savings Account (MTSA) a chance to win monthly cash prizes and be in the running to win the grand prize of B$50,000.

Md Shahidullah bin Md Mafizuddin, Jong Boon Nee, Cheong Huat Joo and Wu Siew Poh were rewarded with B$4,000, B$3,000, B$2,000 and B$1,000 respectively. These amounts will be credited into the winners’ existing MTSA as part of the promotion’s objective to further grow customers’ savings. They are the second batch of winners to receive cash savings from the Multi Tier Savings Account Deposit Promotion.

On hand to present the prizes to the winners was Hj Mohd Rayme bin Hj Bakri, Marketing Manager at Baiduri Finance Berhad. “We are now in the third month of the promotion,” he said, adding, “This promo will end in June, so there’s still time to get lucky and win big in our upcoming draws”.

Baiduri Finance’s MTSA is intended to provide accountholders with worthy interest gains within a short period of time. Requiring only B$50 for account creation, savers can earn interest rates of up to 0.65% flat rate per annum, and ease of managing their accounts through Baiduri Personal i-Banking, and all Baiduri Bank branches. MTSA customers will receive Baiduri VISA Debit cards upon account opening and can perform banking transactions via all Baiduri ATMs and CDMs nationwide.

Information on the MTSA promotion is available on www.baiduri.com or customers can contact the Baiduri Call Centre at 2449666.

 

Pre game photo of Matahari FC against TOT United. Image courtesy of Standard Chartered Brunei.

TOT United of Malaysia emerged as the winners of the Standard Chartered Trophy Regional Tournament held in Kuala Lumpur held last Saturday 28 March 2015. The winners managed to best their counterparts, PTT GC of Thailand and Matahari FC of Brunei Darussalam and will go on to compete in the Standard Chartered Trophy Finals Tournament, held in Liverpool Football Club’s Homeground, Anfield this coming May.

Marilyn Graeme, Head of Corporate Affairs said:

“We’re extremely delighted to have been able to leverage on our partnership with Liverpool FC to give our local talents and rising futsal stars an opportunity like this to gain exposure outside of Brunei to push themselves and test their skills on a regional amateur level. Well done to Matahari FC and we hope they will continue to shine on in their future futsal challenges.”

The Standard Chartered Trophy Brunei Local Tournament was held on 16, 17, 20 and 21 of February. The tournament saw 24 teams compete for the chance to represent Brunei in the upcoming regional tournament. During the closing ceremony of the tournament, a mock cheque of BND2400 was handed over to JAPEM on behalf of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports for the Humanitarian Fund of the Malaysian Flood Disaster. The funds were raised from registration fees collected from the participating teams, 100% of which was donated.

19 countries have been globally selected to run the local qualifying tournaments and select winning teams. The winning teams will then advance to the regional stages to compete against other countries. The winning teams from the regional stage of the SC Trophy will then go on to the finals, held at Anfield Stadium in the United Kingdom. This is the fourth year that the Standard Chartered Trophy tournament has been organised and this season sees Vietnam defending their title from last season.

The Standard Chartered Trophy Brunei 2015 was supported by The Ministry of Culture Youth & Sports and endorsed by the National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam.

To find out more about the Standard Chartered Trophy follow the bank’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/StandardCharteredBN.

Pre game photo of Matahari FC against PTT GC. Image courtesy of Standard Chartered Brunei.

CEO Standard Chartered Malaysia giving out tokens to the players. Image courtesy of Standard Chartered Brunei.

Group photo of the Bruneian, Thai and Malaysian Teams at the post-tournament dinner. Image courtesy of Standard Chartered Brunei.

 

I can’t find a proper mask. But not to worry, the air quality is still considered good according to today’s paper.

This is one of the hottest times in Brunei and it’s no surprise that forest fire will happen. However, I didn’t expect it to create such a nuisance because of the haze factor. We all keep hoping for rain to reduce the density of the haze. I also would like to salute our brave fire fighters who are doing their best to get rid of the fire. It’s never an easy task especially in the forest as it is difficult for the fire brigades to access the source of the fire in the middle of the forest.

So do take extra measures or even wear a mask if possible. Frankly speaking, I hardly see people wearing mask. Maybe the level of haze is still considered low (the PSI reading has ok so far) but sometimes precaution is much better approach. I can still smell the scent of smoke once I stepped out of my home. I live in Beribi but the source of the fire that I know is either near UBD area and Jerudong. So you can tell how damaging a forest fire can do.

Keep up the good work especially those in the Fire and Rescue Department.

Keep up the good job, firefighters. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

The smoke last week around KB area. Image courtesy of @marul69

 

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Mr Alex Liew, Sales Manager of Digi-Mark Enterprise (left) with Jonathan Bong, Senior Marketing Manager, KFC (B) Sdn Bhd (center) during the launch of the promotion last week

Coinciding with the Dino Expo that’s currently happening in the Sultanate, KFC is offering a special Limited collectibles Dinosaur Egg toy and introducing a special Dino Meal Combo at it’s outlets.

The dinosaur egg toy comes in few variations of different colours and can transform into different types of dinosaurs. Customers can purchase the Dinosaur Egg toy for only B$1 with any chicken purchase at any KFC outlets in Brunei. Although a children’s toy, many adults might find the toy interesting as it’s similar to those sold in the market decades ago. “Just as chickens and eggs relates to KFC, the dinosaur egg toy will relate to many adult’s youthful times” says Jonathan Bong, Senior Marketing Manager, KFC (B) Sdn Bhd.

Wanting something more than the Dinosaur Egg toy, customers can also try out the Dino Meal Combo. The meal combo consist of one piece of chicken, three pieces of the crispy prawn along with a portion of the fragrant Colonel Chicken Rice, one regular serving of the fresh coleslaw, a regular-sized Revive drink and one dinosaur egg toy, all for only $6.80. “More than 500 million years ago, giant prawn-like creatures called anomalocaridid used to roam the world so it’s only fitting for the occasion that we have to include our new product (crispy prawn) into this prehistoric Dino Meal Combo”, added Bong.

Present for the product launching is Mr Alex Liew, Sales Manager of Digi-Mark Enterprise, representing the joint venture companies of Digi-Mark Enterprise, A.T.P.D Sdn Bhd, Explorer and Weicom Enterprise who brought in the ASEAN largest Dino Expo to Brunei.

As the official food and beverage provider for the ASEAN Largest Dino Expo, KFC will be present at restaurant section of the Bridex Hall to serve the dining needs of visitors during the whole event from 7th March to 12th April 2015. As an added bonus, every one Dino Park ticket purchased since 20th January 2015 onwards are entitled to received one B$3.50 KFC coupon that can be used at any KFC outlets in Brunei for any purchase, valid until 30th April 2015. Customers that have not received their KFC coupons will be given to them upon showing their Dino Park ticket at the info counter available at the Bridex Hall during the said event.

The Dinosaur Egg toy limited collectibles and KFC Dino Meal Combo will be available at all KFC outlets starting 7th March 2015 for a limited time only, while stock last.

The dinosaur egg toy comes in few variations of different colours and can transform into different types of dinosaurs. Customers can purchase the Dinosaur Egg toy for only B$1 with any chicken purchase at any KFC outlets in Brunei

 

Maria Grace Koh, a former student and now a vocal trainer at Brunei Symphony Music School.

Symphony Music, the sole authorized school in Brunei for Yamaha Music Education, now offers vocal classes conducted by Brunei-born international recording artist and song-writer – Maria Grace Koh. Better known under her stage name “Eia”, she has a wide wealth of experience performing locally and abroad. Many of you may have been familiar with her success, competing in World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in 2013 and 2014 in Hollywood, winning medals and her passion has always been music.

Did you know that Maria has her first formal training in music in Symphony Music School? She was only 3 years old when she enrolled in the Junior Music Course. She completed ABRSM Grade 8 Piano a few years later and that have planted her success to where she is now. It’s good to see Maria giving back to the community and also a gratitude gesture towards the Symphony Music School for developing her into an iconic musician in Brunei.

Maria will be conducting vocal classes covering a wide range of genres from contemporary pop to Broadway and Jazz. Each class will be conducted on a one-on-one basis and lessons will be structured according to the level the student would like to go, whether it is beginner, intermediate or professional level. A 30-minute class held four times a month cost $80.

The school also offers a wide range of music lessons, from piano to guitar and vocal lessons for all ages. For more information on registering for the new vocal class or just any other classes available at the school, please contact Symphony Music School at 2430573.

Anna Tang, a representative from TCY Motors, Maria Grace Koh with a representative from Symphony Music School and Mark Paren

 

A session being held at Aiko and Taro Playhouse for kids to learn and grow

What is happening to the younger kids in the past five years? I’m not referring to the unhealthier lifestyle (though it is still slightly related) but more into the culture of reading. With the age of indigo (the age of information) setting in, there’s no denying the fact that technology has become a stumbling block for children to actually read. Instead they are more attracted to the gadgets such as tablets or even spending more time watching cartoons. This has become a challenging factor for parents as they want children to be educated and have fun too. So there’s a way to balance things out and one of the places that I would recommend is Aiko and Taro Playhouse.

One of the best time for children to learn something new is from the age of 4 to 6 because that’s how our right brain works in stimulating activities. If you want your children to be skilled at something, for instance learning English or Chinese or even making Origami, this is the best age group and you will know never that it will become a habit and in a long run, become part of their lives. Same applies to reading or taking up educational activities such as art or music. I planned to educate my future children on the essence of reading to prepare themselves for primary and secondary classes because I want the best for my future children.

The owner of Aiko and Taro Playhouse, JC Yong, is passionate on encourage children to explore educational activities in a fun environment. His daughter has been groomed through early reading by using simple exercises consistently until she was able to absorb and learn more. Yong is proud to share that her daughter is able to read novels at a very young age and by reading, it can open many doors of opportunities especially subjects that students learn in classes.

Yong believes in his theory of the “Feel Concept” – to Feed, to Expose, to Encourage and to Lead. First step is to Feed knowledge to the kids and once they absorb that, then the next step is to Expose them to arts and music to see if they have interest. When we are kids, it’s always important to Encourage to express freely as well and don’t forget to Lead them to the culture of reading.

Aiko and Taro Playhouse has wide range of books and kids can learn around 300 books per year once they grasp the techniques of reading.

I highly recommend to parents who want their children to be exposed to educational activities especially pre-nursery stage and you will never know what interests can be unlocked from your children. You can call 8727 898 and it’s located opposite Aneka Rasa Restaurant at Unit 4, 1st Floor Block C, Bangunan BPD Hj Md Yusof, Kg Kiulap. You can also follow them on their Facebook Page and instagram @aikoandtaro for updates.

An educational activities for the kids

Learning at the same time

Plenty of story books to catch interest of the kids

Do get the FEEL. Do click image to enter Facebook Page.

The map

 

Enuf said. Good one, Pizza Hut Brunei. Double the smiles.