Posts Tagged ‘yasmine’
The highlight
Review of The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials with special guest Seng Yee
Summer prediction results and Top summer movies of 2015 with co-host Del Goh
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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 Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Dermot Mannion (2nd L) and Deputy Chief Operating Officer Captain Khalidkhan Hj Asmakhan (2nd R) look. His Majesty visited the newly renovated Brunei International Airport yesterday. He also took one of Royal Brunei Airlines’ Dreamliners for a spin. Image courtesy of Zaim Kasmat of The Brunei Times.
Minister of Communications Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdullah Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar (L) hands over the cash prize of $7,000 to Institut Teknologi Brunei student Nurulhidayati Hj Mohd Sani (C) for winning the Tertiary Project Category of the Brunei ICT Awards (BICTA) 2015. Well done, ITB!! As for the ICT Industry Category, the first place went to D5 Innovation with BND 10,000 cash prize. Image courtesy of Abdul Aziz Ismail of The Brunei Times.
For the first time ever, there is a chance I will be joining this competition. Just for fun. Never knew they will have one for adults. This will be interesting indeed. Any takers (adults)? *lol*
Cooking competition coming up at Hua Ho Manggis Mall in conjunction with Hua Ho Health Awareness Month
The King Burger from Peppermint Cafe. I love the home made beef patties.
Congratulations to Progresif Cellular on the opening of their Seria Branch at Panaga. Image courtesy of @progresif_cellular
Now you can pre-order a copy of Yasmine. Too bad there won’t be a blu-ray copy.
I am so proud of my mentee, Heidi Rahman, who stole the show as the Toastmaster of the Evening last Tuesday. My biggest milestone to date as a toastmaster – to see other members grow especially my mentees. Keep it up, lady!!
@baiduribank updates breaks the ritual by getting out of the box. Something different coming from a bank.
Lunch treat by Winnie Sia and it was the first time I dined at Seafood Palace at Tanjung Bunut. Not bad the portion. Couldn’t finish my spaghetti.
Happening this Sunday at Fun Bee Park.
Dilys Chai and Denise Chai, co-owners of Rack & Brew
One word: Impressive. Congratulations to Dilys Chai and Denise Chai on the opening of your new cafe, Rack & Brew. Love the deco, love the atmosphere and most of all, love the food too. The cakes are amazing too – my personal favourite is the Red Velvet Cake.
The cafe is located above Paddington House of Pancake (Gadong) and the area used to be a boutique store (Deseo) and now the boutique store is located on the 2nd floor, just above Rack & Brew. You can follow @rackandbrew on instagram for updates.
According to Borneo Bulletin, Dilys Chai revealed that Rack & Brew was part of her dissertation project back in the UK. Dilys had some sampling of her desserts at Hua Ho Manggis Mall and the responses were pretty good.
Rack & Brew operates from 11am to 10pm daily at Abdul Razak Complex in Gadong. I’m definitely dining there next time.
Liking the atmosphere here at Rack & Brew
Soft shell crab florentine
Roulette Wings
I love their home made kolo mer
Hui Chiet love his dish. Not sure what it’s called.
My companions for lunch
Caramel latte
Jolene’s first time and she likes the cakes
My personal favourite – Red Velvet Cake
They have munchies such as nachos
Group photo with the media and the co-owners. Image courtesy of Kazimah (2nd from right)
Thank Denise for hosting the other day
Curry Pasta is not bad as well
Cakes, cakes and more cakes
I have yet to try the curry puff
This area is always busy as more customers trying out.
Associates from Concepts Computer and Boustead Sdn Bhd (Suzuki) holding an ACER Iconia Tab 8W. For those interested to buy a Suzuki Celerio A+, it now comes with the Acer tablet but for a limited time only.
The MoU signing last Wednesday at Concepts Computer conference room
This is the first time that Concepts Computer collaborated with Boustead Sdn Bhd in a joint promotion. For those interested in purchasing a Suzuki Celerio A+ from Boustead, then you will be entitled to receive a brand new Acer Iconia Tab 8W (from Concepts Computer).
This is another way to reward their loyal customers by giving an instant gift and also boost the image of both Boustead and Concepts Computer.
Just like the Acer Iconia Tab 8W, the Suzuki Celerio A+ has quality, reliability, durability and most important, affordability.
To the Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer, this is a win-win situation for both companies and the joint promotion will be able also to attract new customers.
So what can you expect from a Suzuki Celerio A+? It has a 1.0 litre engine, comes in either MT or CVT, good storage space and also fuel efficient.
As for the Acer Iconia Tab 8W, it’s the top-selling tablet powered by Windows 8.1 and comes with Office 365 (one year subscription) and has a long battery life and one year warranty.
This promotion will start with immediate effect and is valid until December 31. Information about the latest joint promotion can be obtained at any Suzuki showroom or Concepts Computer showroom.
Suzuki will also be holding a roadshow at Citis Square from September 24 to 26, welcoming the public to stop by and try their luck with their ‘lucky dip’ activity.
Pao Jia Wan, Marketing Advisor of Concepts Computer, Vincent Pao, General Manager of Concepts Computer, James Wong, Branch Manager of Boustead Sdn Bhd and Alvin Kho, Marketing Manager of Boustead Sdn Bhd
The group photo shot with the Suzuki Celerio A+ and the Acer Iconia Tab 8W
Members of the media
Check out the Suzuki Celerio A+
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Crime doesn’t pay
Group photo with the guys during Azeez Jaafar’s Bedak-Bedak Mandi. It’s one of the first ceremonies for Azeez Jaafar and Nisaa Suresh’s wedding. Their next event will be the Nikah night this coming Thursday
Yes, I can’t wait to catch Fantastic Four. It’s more of a reboot and they have plenty of shows on Wednesday evening before the actual release on Thursday at The Mall Cineplex. The next few evenings will be very tight and busy for me with weddings coming up with toastmasters in the mix. Speaking of toastmasters, I will be the host (like an emcee) for tonight’s session at the Brunei Speakers’ Club and all are welcome at SEAMEO Voctech starting 7:30pm.
Birthday shouts to my buddies – Aminul, Saifol, Ning and Syazwana – the birthday celebrants earlier this month. I haven’t been up to dates with my greetings but sometimes being late has its perks because they tend to reply to your greetings 😀
I managed to sell of my old lego sets (unboxed ones) because I just lost interest. Sometimes you never know you can lose interest in something in matter of months. I can’t even find some of the old zombie mini-figures that I collected two years ago. So there goes my old collections of Lego but I’m looking forward to @indie95’s collection of Lego 😀 And thanks for buying my old stock of Lego too. Right now, my favourite Lego mini figure is Ant-Man and I know my Rulkie is not impressed *lol* I still love both of them.
I just subscribed to WWE Network on Kristal Astro. So far I am impressed as they are showing the classic shows and also personal interviews with former wrestlers. You will get more insight of what’s going on during those times. The only thing I’m upset is that it doesn’t show RAW live as I thought WWE Network would in the States. But we do get privileges of live feeds of Raw pre show and even Stone Cold podcast. Then again, I’m hoping for a Raw live event which supposed to be aired at 9am Tuesday.
Before I sign off, congratulations to Abang aka Ashadi Nasir and Rafidah on your new born baby last night. I’ve known Abang for quite some time and he’s always a bubbly person. It’s amazing how he now is married and with a healthy baby. All the best to both of you and enjoy the journey of parenthood.
Have a fantastic week, peeps!!
My old time friend from the era of e-circles back in 1999. Yes, our friendship goes way back. Congratulations 😀 You can follow our updates on their ceremonies with the hashtag #nowANforever2015
Group photo with the whole bunch and missing a few people. Taken after the Bedak-Bedak Mandi function.
You see it when you see it
Getting full attention to the max
So I’m trying different avenues of social media. If you want to get a live update of the Nikah event, it will be live on Periscope this coming Thursday evening. Just download Periscope app on your smartphone and follow @ranoadidas. You will be alerted once I do my broadcast.
A new born baby girl of Ashadi and Rafidah last night. Congratulations and I’m happy for you both 😀
The winner of last night’s table topics Naz who turned up as a guest and didn’t expect to be voted the best speaker.
My new toy paying attention during a toastmaster meeting last night at Inspiring Hall, UBD
He’s been following me around
The article has been read with different interpretation. What are your thoughts?
Too bad the match only last 34 seconds and she is still the champion with a 12-0 record
My iMac was being serviced as it needed my HDD to be replaced. Thankful to Apple Care to cover the expenses and I don’t even have to pay for service charge at AV Electronics.
My new pair making its way from Singapore.
My ray visits at Fauzi and Nana’s recently. Bumped into two retirees who were involved in the telco industry.
The CEO of Pondok Sari Wangi and CEO of Standard Chartered (Brunei) having a talk at my neighbour’s open house last weekend
Selfies at Darussalam Holdings open house at Royal Berkshire at Polo and Riding Club. Thanks for the invite.
My vain buddies at Mizan’s home
Sandwiched between two local celebrities 😀
Our inside joke. Let’s wait for the special edition, bro 😀
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The Scent
Head of student representatives Muhd Romulus bin Muhd Roland speaking on behalf of the scholars
Last year it was above 40. This year, Brunei Shell Joint Venture (BSJV) awarded 54 students for scholarship programs and it is also the first time that a few scholars will be sent to Germany in August to pursue Mechanical Engineering at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
The scholarship program has been one of the most sought program and they have been many applications as demands are increasing in these fields. In actual fact, around 234 people applied for this year’s program. Furthermore, there are many students who are taking such subjects and interests and it’s pretty evident on the increase numbers of intakes for this year’s edition. Forty students will be heading to the UK, two in the United States, two in Germany and ten in Brunei Darussalam.
Before being awarded, the scholars had to undergo a tough assessment set by BSJV. Did you know that BSJV have sent over 600 students and this is back dated from 1972. Amazing!! The scholars will also be given the opportunity to be placed for attachment during summer to gain more experience.
Present during the event were Azhar Hj Yahya, Commercial Director of Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) and the guest of honour Hjh Rosmawatty Hj Abd Mumin, Permanent Secretary (Upstream), Energy Department at the Prime Minister’s Office.
There was also tokens of appreciation to First Class Achievers and they are Lim Jong Hau, Han Wenxiu, Fiona Shim Siew Ying, Izzah Mardhiah Zulkipli and Farah Azyan binti Ali Umar Safri and they all received mini iPads :p
Congratulations to all the beneficiaries of the BSJV scholarship program and do make them proud and contribute back to the economy of Brunei 🙂
Azhar Hj Yahya, Commercial Director of Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) with the scholars
Students pursuing Masters
Students pursuing Masters
Fiona Shim receiving a token as a First Class Achiever
Lim Jong Hau receiving a token as a First Class Achiever
Han Wenxiu receiving a token as a First Class Achiever
Farah Azyan binti Ali Umar Safri receiving a token as a First Class Achiever
Izzah Mardhiah Zulkipli receiving a token as a First Class Achiever
Elizabeth Sim and her co-host Kevin Lo interviewing Chris Woo at Timeout with Liz last weekend
I missed the first show of Timeout with Liz and I didn’t realise it has been a year already. Good job on Elizabeth Sim to keep the show going despite the challenges that she has to go through over the period. Venue has always been a problem and it looks she has found a proper setting for her show. Last weekend she had two special guests – Chris Woo and Bridgette Ang as well as Joanna Kwan. There was also a food demo by Hip and Healthy during the 3rd segment of the show.
Overall the energy was great and so was the turn out. Great to see Zainal Bostaman and Joanne Tan to be involved in the show as well as Liz’ co-host Kevin Lo.I would like to congratulate Elizabeth on her one year anniversary of her show and things can only get better from here. I’m looking forward to your future shows this year and let’s start the 2nd year with a bang.
Chris Woo sharing his experience as a toastmaster and his world championship final experience
All of them have something in common. There are all WCOPA Brunei representatives
Joanna Kwan doing the Asian thing
Joanne Tan helping out with the show. Good to see you again.
Bridgette Ang, another WCOPA participant and I love her vocals
Zainal setting the tone of the evening
The ever charismatic Zainal
Such a great turn out last weekend
The couple behind Hip and Healthy
Liyana Yus and Nadiah posed with a fan last week at the DST event
As part of DST’s “Ihsan Kasih” community program, over 30 orphans accompanied by their parents and guardians from the Tutong District between the ages of 8 and 17 were treated to movie outing to watch Brunei’s local film “Yasmine: The Movie” as well as have the opportunity to meet and greet the stars from the local Brunei film “Yasmine”.
The outing began with a welcoming reception at Dewan Kemasyarkatan in Tutong town by DST’s “Ihsan Kasih” volunteers where the children accompanied by their guardians were provided bus shuttle return transportation to the cinema in Empire Hotel & Country Club in Jerudong. At the cinema, the orphans were greeted by DST “Ihsan Kasih” volunteers.
DST also treated the children with a free popcorn and drink before they were ushered to their seats in the cinema joined by the stars themselves.
According to Elixsurian Hj Busu, Manager of Group Corporate Communications on the Ihsan Kasih initiative with Orphans, “DST have been proactive in arranging activities for orphans from fun futsal tournaments in Brunei-Muara district, educational trips to places like the Oil and Gas Discovery Centre (OGDC) in Seria, Belait District, and now a movie outing to the cinema. We are glad that we have the means and opportunity to give the orphans in Tutong a movie outing as currently Tutong does not have its own resident cineplex. At the same time, DST have the opportunity to share the enjoyable experience with the children and get to know them better”.
He also adds his positive views on the chosen film for the outing, “Feedback from many local viewers have recommended Yasmine as a movie that is universal for all ages as it also comes with various life lessons that can be learned. Also, as the movie is produced by our own local talents, it is also a means to inspiring the orphan children to believe that anything they dream of can be possible. We are fortunate that the director and actresses have taken their personal time to meet the children and to get to know them during this short time.”
After the movie the children were given the opportunity to an exclusive surprise meet and greet photo session with the stars from “Yasmine: The Movie”- Liyana Yus, Nadia Wahid, the movie director from Origin films, Siti Kamaluddin. The visit ended with DST providing DST “Ihsan Kasih” goodies to the children before their departure back to Tutong.
Also invited to the movie outing were DST’s corporate and premium clients as a token of appreciation for their loyalty and support to DST’s products and services throughout the years.
“Ihsan Kasih” is DST’s community program aimed to gather DSTians for voluntary work and to do beautiful things out of love, to help the less fortunate Bruneian, orphans and special needs community.
A great turn out from the DST event last Friday
Radin Sufri of DST with the crew of Origin Films and the stars of Yasmine
Photo opportunity with the stars
Siti Kamaluddin appreciating DST and the audience
The screening of Yasmine
A great turn out last Friday
Gotcha Liyana :p
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Disconnect to connect
Visit the Jati Transport (Mercedes-Benz) showroom from 10am to 6pm to view the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Our podcast review of Yasmine the movie with my special guest Seng Yee. This podcast has reached more than 700 listeners. Do catch Yasmine at your local cinemas and it has been a great response from the public.
Top up tia. Click image to enter website.
The closing date is soon!! Hurry!!!
Awesome. To know that Fitflop is now available in Brunei Darussalam. You can purchase them at Hua Ho Manggis and Hua Ho Yayasan. Two days ago, the Fitflop brand was launched at the Emperor’s Court. Present during the launch were British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam David Campbell, Fitflop General Manager for APAC (Asia-Pacific) Juergen Strafe, Director McGill and Fitflop distributor in Brunei Darussalam and Manager of Hua Ho Manggis, Soon Tiong Lau.
I know my mom loves to buy Fitflop and also buying for her family and friends especially from Singapore. So what’s good about Fitflop? It has style and it has comfort. Every pair biomechanically engineered with their legendary, pressure-diffusing, shock-absorbing MICROWOBBLEBOARD midsole technology which makes a lot of difference. Their previous SS14 collection have been doing marvelous with sales increased over 50% and now with the new collection, it’s bound to do better.
So peeps, do visit Hua Ho Manggis and Hua Ho Yayasan for the latest collection pairs of Fitflop. By the way, Fitflop only carries women’s line for now.
Juergen Strafe, Fitflop General Manager for APAC (Asia-Pacific) posing with a Fitflop sandal
British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam David Campbell with invited guests during the launch
McGill and Juergen Strafe
Group photo with the Hua Ho Manggis management
Get a pair of Fitflop 😀
Soon Tiong mingling with the guests
Now available at Concepts Computer
BIBD’s Wealth Management Unit Officer, Rozielawati bti Hj Jamil, conducting the financial talk to civil servants
Early this week, BIBD’s Wealth Management Unit (WMU) today, as part of its goal to help the public understand their finances and manage it wisely, held a briefing to around 50 new officers and staff of the departments under the Ministry of Development.
The talk was held at the Indera Pahlawan Hall of the Ministry, and was delivered by BIBD’s WMU Officer, Rozielawati bti Hj Jamil. She began by giving a brief introduction of what Financial Planning is and asked the audiences about their monthly spending pattern. After sharing a few tips and personal experiences, she emphasized the importance of understanding the difference between ‘wants’ and ‘needs’. An example of ‘needs’, is giving priority to purchasing groceries and household necessities while shopping; as a result, it may help us to save money from buying items that are not urgently required.
She also introduced another tool in financial planning i.e investment and advises the audience not to invest without understanding and analyzing the investment products first, or putting ‘all eggs in one basket’, meaning not diversifying the investment into different portfolios; which can help generate different returns depending on their future plans such as for retirement, financing children education and getting a dream home.
She also highlighted not to be a victim of the Ponzi scheme, an investment of unknown source, or any investment products from companies that are not registered with Brunei’s central bank regulatory, the Authority Monetary of Brunei Darussalam.
For further information relating to the Wealth Management Unit, interested members of the public may contact them directly at wmu@bibd.com.bn or call the BIBD Contact Centre at +6732 2238 181.
Group photo after the seminar
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On or Off?
Our podcast review of Yasmine the movie with my special guest Seng Yee. This podcast has reached more than 400 listeners in just 3 days. Do catch Yasmine at your local cinemas and it has been a great response from the public.
Acer Liquid Smartphones
Sales at Icon Design Store
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Click image to enter Citroën Brunei
Chris Woo accepting the 1st place in the semi-finals of the Toastmasters International Speech contest at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Chris will compete in the finals against 8 finalists tomorrow (Saturday).
In less than a year, he took our club to another level with his International Speech Contest. Victories after victories, he made it all the way to the semi-finals of the Toastmasters International Speech Contest where he was pitted against 90 contestants, vying for the championship. This year, the event is held for the first time ever outside North America and it is currently being held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
The stakes were pretty high. As I mentioned before, I had listen to his speech before and he still have to deliver the same speech as that was part of the rules and regulations for every semi-finalists. Chris Woo had to win on the national level, then he went to KK to win on the same speech before heading to Surabaya to win the title of District 87 International Speech Champion which was the ticket for the entry of the Toastmasters International Speech Contest semi-finals stage.
Of course, the stakes were high. He was drawn into Speech 9 where he was pitted against 9 other awesome speakers. Chris was lucky no.7 and wow, I just amazed how he can still draw a stronger vibe than before despite being the same speech about his mother. I was slightly concerned because two or three of other speakers were just as entertaining and captivating. Of course, they must be. They are champions in their respective districts. Ok, for those who don’t understand the word district, well.. it’s just an area where the countries are being listed in that particular district. So in our case, Brunei shared the same district as East Malaysia and Indonesia.
Anyway, what an awesome delivery, Chris!! I knew you nailed it. My neighbours sitting next to me were talking about the speaker from Brunei and our prediction was right. Chris stole the show. The crowd loved it. Our Brunei supporters were equally vibrant and over-excited when Chris Woo’s name was mentioned as the winner of the semi-final contest for Speech 9. The victory meant that Chris will be competing in the finals against 8 other finalists this Saturday (tomorrow).
Honestly, I just so proud that our own member from Brunei Speakers’ Club has made to the finals and founder of Brunei Speakers’ Club, Clovis Lai was the over the moon with the result as he was hugging every one from Brunei and toastmasters from District 87. But wow, Clovis has so much energy that it made him look younger :p I am so glad that I made it on this trip and witnessed a world class performance from toastmaster Chris Woo. The other part that I’m glad was being back as a member of toastmasters in Brunei Speakers’ Club and it boils down to the vibrancy and the new energy that the executive committee and members have brought in into the club. I thanked Seng Yee for the push as well as the other members and of course, my dearest friends who came and supported my first speech ever two weeks ago.
The journey has begun and I’m proud to be on that path in inspiring myself and others.
Chris Woo with other semi-finalists on the stage. The 2nd and 3rd place won’t be competing in the finals
The other contestants were amazing and to see Chris excelled was just purely awesome!!
District K (Brunei, East Malaysia and Indonesia) toastmasters celebrating Chris’ achievement
District K (Brunei, East Malaysia and Indonesia) toastmasters celebrating Chris’ achievement
Chris became man of the hour(s)
Chris Woo with the toastmasters from Brunei who came to support him in KL
Selfies with Chris and Liz
Will this be me in 5 years’ time? *lol*
Click image to learn more about SCB Facebook Scanvenger Hunt 2014
Hey guys, it’s the moment to reveal what I teased you about! Standard Chartered Bank Brunei are launching their first Facebook Scavenger Hunt! It’s a chance for you to take on a virtual adventure and win Apple products and other fun prizes! All you have to do is click on the link and it will direct you to all the information you would need to find out how to win! Good luck hunters!
Happening today and tomorrow (Saturday) as Maju Motors hosting open house and do have a look at the new Volkswagen Tiguan TSI at the Maju Motors Showroom.
The management team of Bruniehalal during the open house recently
BruneiHalal held a Hari Raya open house event at its Jerudong office recently where it shared the joys and celebration of the festive month with its invited guests.
The event, which was the third of its kind organised by the company since its establishment in 2009, saw management and its associates in a laid back atmosphere outside the working environment.
“We have invited our stakeholders, officials from the government sector, Royal Brunei Catering, smaller vendors who have partnered to sell our products and even our neighbours Brunei Gas Carriers,” said Brand Marketing Executive Melline Jaini.
The BruneiHalal brand currently has more than 30 products under its belt, which includes a frozen range and Indian cuisine products.
BruneiHalal was established by the government to run commercial simply to provide halal food and drinks to the world.
“Lately we are reminding ourselves of our focus in Brunei to the local market as well. That’s why our product range has expanded we have over 30 products and in the UK, it is getting traction as well and that one is focusing on the meats,” said Melline.
For more information on BruneiHalal and its product, you can visit brunei-halal.com
Text courtesy of Zatty Joanda of The Brunei Times.
Invited guests during the open house
Goodies from BruneiHalal
Invited guests during the open house. Image courtesy of Cristalina.
Invited guests during the open house
Invited guests during the open house
Well, Brunei might be out of the picture but I believe this will be a great final between Vietnam and Myanmar in the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2014. Fantastic prizes to be won as well as the first prize will be EPL tickets for two to catch Arsenal vs Manchester United.
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Go team Brunei
Our podcast review of Yasmine the movie with my special guest Seng Yee. Find out what is my best scene of the movie. Yasmine will be officially be released on 21st August 2014.
Register now!! Click image to enter.
In conjunction with Royal Brunei Airlines’ 40th Annivesary, Royal Brunei (RB) will be organizing a charity race for the public called the Great Race. The Great Race will take place on Sunday 19th October 2014.
RB has appointed Green Brunei and Brunei Paralympics to be the beneficiaries for the Great Race 2014. The proceeds from The Great Race 2014 will assist Green Brunei to move forward with the Mangrove Rehabilitation Project along the Sungai Damuna at Kg Bengkurong and likewise, Brunei Paralympics with their activities.
In a statement from Aji Puteh, RB Head of Corporate Services cum Chairman of RB: The Great Race, “RB is very pleased to organized the Great Race as an anchor event for RB’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. The appointment of Green Brunei and Brunei Paralympic as the beneficiaries from the proceeds of the Great Race is a way for the airline to give back to the community in terms of support for green and health sports initiatives. It is hoped that The Great Race will be a different experience from other marathons as it is a marathon that challenges and is tailored with an aviation concept.”
RB has appointed Armtrix Enterprise as the Event Manager for the Great Race. Interested participants are able to register RB: The Great Race at thegreatrace.com.bn from today onwards until 19th September 2014 at 11pm. Good luck, peeps and well done for RB for this initiative. This is something different coming from aviation.
Have you got your tickets?
Team Brunei achieved a higher medal count compared to last year with 38 medals overall. They collected 12 gold medals, 13 silver medals and 13 bronze medals. The biggest winner was Shian Li Esther Chiam who is just 15 years old. She won the Junior Grand World Champion Instrumental Award and also collecting 6 six gold medals along the way.
Her younger sister Eden Chiam earned an Industry Award and also earned one gold medal, two silver medals and two bronze medals and she only had weeks to prepare for the event. So that’s not pretty bad for an achievement. I have mentioned previously in my post how team Brunei has made it big at WCOPA finals in Los Angeles, considering they only sent 9 representatives as compared to the aplenty from different countries. Having 5 semi-finalists and 3 finalists are considered “over-achievements” as they are plenty of talents out there worldwide.
Maria Grace Koh and Joanna Kwan will also be the highlights of the night. Both were the finalists of the WCOPA event. Maria also known as Eia is no stranger in the music scene and she has vastly improved and it was no doubt she made to the finals where millions witnessed her performance. Joanna, a first timer in WCOPA, also impressed with her 1 minute performance in the finals and I’ve seen her acting before in local drama plays. Just even received a scholarship for acting in the States.
Another vocalist that caught my attention is Ruby Chong who earned herself two medals and an Industry Award. I have seen her singing at JIS Music Showcase and she’s just amazing!!! Another performer for this Saturday’s event is Bridget Ang who earned two medals. The other performers this weekend are Norhidayat Hj Ahim, a P2F winner, who earned 5 medals and Adi Daini who bagged 3 medals.
This is an impressive line up but sadly Elizabeth won’t be performing since she’s currently in KL for the Toastmasters International Convention 2014. Do follow @officialwcopabrunei on instagram for updates.
Brunei team brought it some medals from this year’s competition and the highest tally so far. Amazing!!!
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Toastmasters Convention today
Our podcast review of Yasmine the movie with my special guest Seng Yee. Find out what is my best scene of the movie. Yasmine will be officially be released on 21st August 2014.
Chris W.H. Woo, a member of Brunei Speakers’ Club, will represent Brunei in the World Championship of Public Speaking. Good luck, buddy!
Chris W.H. Woo, a Senior Lecturer at Universiti Brunei Darussalam will represent the Toastmaster’s District 87 (Brunei, Indonesia and East Malaysia) in the World Championship of Public Speaking. The competition will be held from 20th to 23rd August at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Chris Woo snatched the coveted trophy and title of District 87 International Speech Champion in Surabaya on the 11th May 2014.
When asked how he feels about the upcoming competition, Woo says, “It’s been a psychologically grueling few months for me. Never a week goes by that I don’t think about the competition. But I am very lucky to have so many supportive Toastmaster friends and, honestly, the Brunei Speaker’s Club has become a family to me. I don’t know what will happen at the World Championship. There are so many variables to the judging and success of a speech. But what I do know with certainty is that I will give it my absolute best.”
After emerging as Champion from The Brunei Speakers’ Club, and subsequently Area K6 (Brunei), Woo went on to defeat some of the best speakers in Brunei, East Malaysia and Indonesia. As a representative for District 87, Woo will be pitting his skills against the best speakers in the world.
“Chris is dedicated, he is committed, and he has now achieved so much. He inspires all our members in Brunei to realize our potential,” says Hazwan Kamarulzaman, President of The Brunei Speakers’ Club. His sentiments are shared by Ruey Chong-Narcis, the Area Governor of Area K6 (Brunei), “‘Since it’s inception by the grace of His Majesty 16 years ago, this is the first time that Brunei is representing the district in the World Championship of Public Speaking. We are extremely proud as it shows the quality and support that each Toastmaster gives their fellow members. Together with 14 other Toastmasters from Brunei, we will be there to proudly represent Brunei and cheering Chris as he takes his rightful place up on centre-stage.’
Some of the toastmasters from Brunei Speakers’ Club are currently in Kuala Lumpur for the convention and also to support Chris Woo. Last night we had the privilege to attend one of the toastmasters club in KL and we were at Maxis Toastmasters Club and met a number of toastmasters around the world. Awesome!!
We registered our names so we can get ourselves some goodies from the club
I volunteered myself to be the Timer for last evening’s meeting at Maxis Toastmaster Club. Great experience!
Distinguished Toastmaster Richard Cummins from Houston, Texas, Seng Yee, Zul (from Labuan) and our area-governor Ruey Narcis
Having a few words with the most passionate toastmaster from Brunei and an awesome role model for Brunei Speakers’ Club. His passion never dies.
Proud that Ling Ling won best table topics of the evening
Some of the books for sale at Toastmasters Convention at KLCC
The Word of the Day
It rained yesterday at Kuala Lumpur. It’s great to be back. I have been there since Sunday.
It’s that time of the year again as students will be scouting and sourcing for their respective courses and university of choice for their future studies in the UK. Twenty-eight universities and colleges from the United Kingdom will be participating in the third UK Education Fair on August 20 (today) at Members Grill & Lounge, The Empire Hotel and Country Club.
The event, which is organised by the British Universities Brunei Association (BUBA) and coordinated by the universities, will be held from 2pm to 7pm.
The institutions participating in the event include University of Aberdeen, University of Bradford, Cardiff University, University College London, University of East Anglia, University of Essex, University of Hull, University of Kent and Writtle College.
”The fair is aimed at students who are considering studying in the UK in September 2015 but also presents a final opportunity for any students still looking for a place for September 2014 entry to speak with university representatives,” said a statement issued by the British High Commission.
Students are also advised to bring copies of qualifications and transcript when they come to the fair, it added.
So do drop by the Members Grlll & Lounge from 2pm to 7pm later. Good luck in hunting for your future education. For more info, you can click here.
Butra Home Concept (BHC) Magazine is now under a new direction handled by Mixmediaworx
Butra Home Concept Magazine will now turn its pages under Mixmediaworx – the local based creative agency, retaining its focus on home improvement and lifestyle for Brunei. I remember this magazine being under the direction of Catalyst and now the creativity and publishing duties were given to Mixmediaworx.
Mixmediaworx promises to continue the magazine’s monthly tradition as part of Butra HeidelbergCement’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) in promoting local home lifestyle and industries.
Mixmediaworx’s executive director Azlan Ahmad shared that the magazine will still continue its current direction in line with Butra HeidelbergCement’s CSR aims with a few improvements and additions to the content and design of the two year old publication.
“We are very happy to continue this great initiative by Butra HeidelbergCement and will improve whatever needed for the magazine to stay relevant to the nation. We have outlined a few fresh ideas in promoting the magazine and created sustainable strategy to make sure it remains a preferred platform for the related industries.”
The BHC is part of Butra HeidelbergCement’s Building a Nation campaign, emphasizing on the contributions made towards the development of the nation. It invokes collaboration and cooperation amongst the Sultanate to inspire change, challenge convention and to make a difference: their unique approach towards nationwide progress while encouraging the sense of forward thinking to the community.
The next BHC issue will continue to be distributed soon with the theme “A New Hope” highlighing some of the CSR initiatives carried out by Butra HeidelbergCement as well as contributions by the new editorial team by the magazines.
Mixmediaworx also announced that BHC will be available as digital copies on iOS via the App store , and android users can expect their integration for the magazine soon.
Stuart Lee, Project Director of BHC Magazine with Amir Noor, editor of BHC Magazine during the press conference at Radisson Hotel
Hamdi Metussin, Creative Director of Mixmediaworx
Amir Noor sharing a few things about BHC’s new direction
Mei asking some questions from the floor
So close yet so far. Brunei Darussalam just missed out by one goal to reach the semi-finals. Today is the line-up for today’s matches in the semi-finals of the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2014. No tickets required and it’s free as well.
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Brunei miss the cut
Our podcast review of Yasmine the movie with my special guest Seng Yee. Find out what is my best scene of the movie.
The media and bloggers heading to Singapore for the test drive organised by Volkswagen Singapore earlier this month
That’s the beauty of driving Volkswagen. You will be spoilt for choices on what model to buy. A few months ago, I test drove the Volkswagen GTI and it is an awesome car indeed. Recently I test drive other models of Volkswagen (Golf Polo 1.2 and 1.4, Tiguan TSI and Golf R) in Singapore. Maybe the right word for that is “sakai” because it was my first experience driving on Singapore roads 😀 It seemed like an unexpected bucket list and I thank you Volkswagen Singapore for making that opportunity a reality.
Today I’m gonna share my experience of driving the new Volkswagen Tiguan TSI. If you know of the Touareg series, then Tiguan has similar design and features. Actually when I drove this particular car, I already have thoughts on replacing my 11-year old car 😀 The Tiguan TSI is almost a perfect SUV car for my liking and it’s also one practical car which is also ideal for my profession. I currently drive an SUV so it would make sense if my next car will be an SUV.
So what are the impressive factors about the Volkswagen Tiguan?
Firstly, the drawing factor for me is that the fact that it is an SUV. I actually don’t mind driving a saloon car but it’s always a bonus if I drive an SUV. Hence, among all the cars that I drove from Volkswagen, the new Tiguan caught my eye. The size is not as big as the Touareg and that’s how I preferred it to be. If you are opting for a mid-size range SUV, this is my recommendation.
Secondly, I’m always concerned about safety measures when it comes to driving. I know my close friends will find me annoying because I drive with caution sometimes. I’m not a fast driver per se but I still make sure that my car is in fine condition on the road. The plus points about the Tiguan is that safety level of this particular model. This Tiguan series have been named the SUV as its “Top Safety Pick” by New Car Assessment Program. For the record, this evaluation covers extensive measures in the areas of active and passive safety. There is so much that I can blabber on especially the multiple airbags and the seatbelt force limiters but I think you will get the gist of my hints about the safety.
Thirdly, the drive factor. Of course, I didn’t really drive full force like I did with the Golf R *lol* The latest Tiguan driving experience was simply worth the drive. It makes my current SUV feel so inferior but then again, it’s an 11-year old car. I drove this among the hills of Singapore and it was just amazing the power it has for the size of the car. It makes me want to test drive the Tiguan TSI once more in Brunei. The handling was also great during the curves of the hills and it felt that I was bonded with the Tiguan for such a long time, considering it was my first drive on the Tiguan.
Fourthly, the price of Volkswagen Tiguan TSI. I won’t reveal the price as yet but wow, I’m amazed how a quality European brand can make produce such an affordable price and I can guarantee you that this model will be a big hit in Brunei considering that it kinda caters to different markets such as the young crowd and also families. Of course, my category is the young one for sure :p
The Volkswagen Tiguan TSI will be launched this Friday so stay tune for updates on that. I highly recommend you to drop by Maju Motors showroom at Telanai this Friday and guess what? They will be having an open house also for the public on that day.
A few Volkswagen cars that I managed to test drive
The Tiguan TSI that I test drove in Singapore
My companions – Dionne of Volkswagen Singapore and Nasroul of The Brunei Times
This is an awesome car – Volkswagen Tiguan TSI
The other models that we had to test drive
Now available at Sin Hup Huat Company
Chairman and Co-Partner of the TEDxGadong team Abd Malik Omar (C), Shavez Cheema (L) one of the inspiring speakers and the rest of the team posing for a picture after the press conference recently. Image taken by Nadzri Zailani of The Brunei Times.
A group of youths have banded together to bring in the first TEDx conference in Brunei titled ‘TEDxGadong’ to help inspire youths of the nation in making a difference.
During a press conference at a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf branch in the capital, the TEDxGadong team spoke to The Brunei Times about hosting the first ever TEDx in Brunei at the SEAMEO VOCTECH Building in Gadong on August 24, 2014.
With a team comprising mostly volunteer youths between ages 18 and 22, the chairman and co-partner of the group Abd Malik Omar said that they hope when other youths see them bring in the TEDx brand, they would be inspired.
“TEDx is about unearthing and exploring new ideas so it’s about time that we had our own TEDx conference. Despite us having the lack of resource and most of us being students, we still managed to do it. Showing that where there is a will there is a way,” said Abd Malik.
TED means Technology, Entertainment and Design, which is a non-profit organisation devoted to ideas worth spreading. TED has encompassed the corners of the world spreading ideas and bringing innovation leaders together to inspire the young and old, according to a statement by TEDxGadong.
TEDx is a programme for local and self-organised events, where the x stands for the independently organised TED events.
For the first TEDx conference in Brunei, there will only be 100 tickets for the event ranging from $5 to $20 which will be available for the public on Thursday August 21 at the Core, Universiti Brunei Darussalam Residential College.
Eight local speakers which includes Delwin Keasberry, Denny Ambuyart and Keeran Janin will be speaking about separate topics, and there will also be mystery speakers which will only be announced during the event itself.
“The speakers we chose have the ideas, energy and passion to be able to share their story with the audience. Their passionate about what they do and their contribution to the economy. For us it’s not a matter of age, it’s a matter of ideas,” added the Chairman.
According to the Chairman, helping to inspire the youth is a way for them to actively contribute to His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s aim for Vision 2035 as they believe that the youths are the future.
The Chairman added that “through the TEDx event, we may not be able to change the world, but if we can make a one per cent difference to the society we live in, then we have to.” Text courtesy of Nadzri Zailani of The Brunei Times.
The official poster of TEDxGadong
Apparently the tickets are fully booked
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BMO
Our podcast review of Yasmine the movie with my special guest Seng Yee. Find out what is my best scene of the movie.
Acer Liquid Smartphones
Sales at Icon Design Store
Click image to enter Peugeot Brunei’s website
Click image to enter Citroën Brunei
Click image to learn more about SCB Facebook Scanvenger Hunt 2014
Hey guys, it’s the moment to reveal what I teased you about! Standard Chartered Bank Brunei are launching their first Facebook Scavenger Hunt! It’s a chance for you to take on a virtual adventure and win Apple products and other fun prizes! All you have to do is click on the link and it will direct you to all the information you would need to find out how to win! Good luck hunters!
Catch Brunei tonight against Malaysia and it looks like Brunei must win by 2 goals to go through to the semi-finals
It’s a tall order but I believe Brunei can do it. Adi Said and Hendra will be so important for this match against Malaysia tonight in the group stage of the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2014. It’s the final game of the group stage and Brunei need at least to win by two goals to guarantee themselves in the semi-finals.
Adi Said and Hendra are both familiar with Malaysia as most of them represent Harimau Muda in the S•League and they know what it is like to face the Malaysia U-21 team. Brunei recently drew with Vietnam 2-2 last Friday and it could have been worst for Brunei if they didn’t earn any points at all against Vietnam. The hero that game was Adi Said who clawed Brunei back twice with two excellent goals.
It seems that Brunei will have to work their game play around Adi who is the game changer. It will be tough if Adi won’t be playing for Brunei and the head coach will have to come up with Plan B to gain maximum points against Malaysia tonight.
It’s a free entrance match with no tickets involved. So do come early to get the best seats in town. I’m pretty sure it will be a packed house because we want as many supporters as possible to give that needed much support for Brunei to beat Malaysia. To beat Malaysia is a tall order because they are undefeated and not only Brunei has to beat them but with a 2 goal cushion.
Brunei needs you – the 12th man
Want to catch another Mexican wave?
A familiar face among the fans during Brunei vs Vietnam match
A sea of yellow 😀
Merchandise from Arin’s Enterprise
HBT merchandise from Aewon
HBT merchandise from Armtrix Enterprise
Brunei toastmasters representatives from Brunei Speakers Club, Oil Town Talkers and Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club recently at a Toastmasters Leadership training at Kota Kinabalu. Image courtesy of Brunei Speakers Club.
Organised for Toastmasters clubs of District 87 which consists of Brunei Darussalam, East Malaysia, and Indonesia, the Bruneian delegates, comprising members from Brunei Speakers’ Club, Oil Town Talkers, and the Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club along with their Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts gained knowledge in leadership skills, and in identifying and achieving goals.
Toastmasters clubs are non-profit, educational organisations that provide opportunities for members to learn, develop, and enhance leadership and public speaking skills in encouraging and supportive environment.
Every club wants to offer the best quality environment for their members, so that everyone can learn and thrive. Through this session, members learned how to implement effective key performance indicators to enhance an organization’s performance. In addition, executive member from each club also shared experiences and perspectives on their organisation success plan.
Allen Ang, president of Oil Town Talkers said in the session, “We do not focus on membership growth in terms of numbers, we are more concerned with helping individual member grow and achieve their personal goals. That is why we cater tour individual members’ needs.”
He included nurturing successful individuals through productive mentor and mentee relationships are characteristics of a successful leader. Successful Toastmasters know that mentoring is a crucial element in developing skills through the Toastmasters program. In Brunei, different clubs work together to help each other to grow.
Last year, Stuart Lee from the Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club made history when he won the Toastmasters humorous speech contest in District 87. This year, Chris Woo from Brunei Advanced Speakers’ Club, after winning the International Speech category in the division and district level, will also be the first to represent Brunei and District 87 to compete against the best speakers in the world at Toastmasters International Convention which will take place in August in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Today, members of the public can continue to learn and develop leadership and public speaking skills in Brunei Darussalam’s Toastmasters clubs. Further information can be found at www.bruneispeakersclub.com
Allen Ang, the President of Oil Town Talkers (Otters), at the Leadership Training
The faces of our own toastmasters from Brunei
Get your Logitech peripherals at Concepts Computer. Call 223 3551/2/3
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Be like Water
Nadiah Wahid, Siti Kamaluddin and Liyana Yus at the Gala Night Premiere of Yasmine at The Times Cineplex @ The Empire last night
What an interesting night!! For the first time in Brunei, I experienced what it is like to be in a movie premiere. Well, this is the Brunei version and I hope there will be more when we have more locally produced featured film from Brunei Darussalam. Of course, with the right sponsors and support, such gala night premiere will be easier to pull off. This is just the closest thing that we can experience to how other regional countries would do and even so more in Hollywood.
Origin Films the producers of Yasmine the movie have been creating major waves in Brunei Darussalam and outside Brunei. Yasmine recently won an award in Switzerland as it won the Best Asian Film in the Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival 2014. The crew have been busy promoting the movie through the local schools and also being featured in talk shows and on radio. Perhaps the viral effect of Yasmine the movie was the actual Yasmine Pose on social media which gave more branding awareness on Yasmine to the public.
I believe the marketing campaign struck the right chord and it was evident last night on the impact it created during the Gala Night or what we call the Premiere of Yasmine. Hundreds of people showed up during the event and it was a very much engaging crowd who showed much enthusiasm on our locally produced movie. The preview screenings for Yasmine today in both The Mall Cineplex and Times Cineplex are almost filled up and I’m pretty sure once it opens this Thursday, it will be a box office hit in Brunei.
I’m quite happy that Yasmine will also be screening in Indonesia and Singapore starting on the 21st of August. I’m not too sure about the other international release dates for now but whatever it is, the three markets mentioned show how much impact Yasmine has made, coming from Brunei alone. Indonesia is a huge market and that could potentially draw more box office revenue alone and hopefully recover the costs of the movie alone.
It was great to see other international celebrities who attended the Gala Night but the show belonged to the trio ladies – Siti Kamaluddin the director, Liyana Yus the main lead actor and Nadiah Wadih the supporting actress in Yasmine. Congratulations to Origin Films on making this into a reality and with the positive buzz that it has been receiving, Yasmine is a sure hit among the locals. More review on Yasmine the movie next week and of course, an episode of The Popcorn Panel (podcast).
The official trailer for Yasmine
Liyana looking gorgeous in her dress done by IKAT Indonesia @ikat_ind
Siti Kamaluddin expressed her thanks to the sponsors and supporters who believed in this project
Such a crowd last night
Waiting the arrival of the trio of the main event 😀
With the associates of BEDB and also those behind the BEDB LEAP grant which helped to fund some of Yasmine’s movie
Representing Kristal FM, the official radio for Yasmine
Coey, Ben and Wendy at the Gala Night
My regular special guest of The Popcorn Panel, Seng Yee
Happy to see my social media buddies at the Gala Night too
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