Mercedes-Benz merchandise on sale. Hey guys.. Do grab this chance as Jati Transport Sdn Bhd is having a special sale of their merchandise such as pen, caps, t-shirts, key chains and many more and you can find them at the showroom at Beribi. Some of the selected items are discounted from 30% up to 70% and that's a very good deal for you to take advantage of.
Rano says "Today's the best day of your life" and make that your intention everyday when you wake up.. Well, I didn't say it when I was awake but at least I felt energised and it's 5:50 am.. It's difficult to spare some time for blogging especially when my mentor Linda is in town. I've never missed her sessions since August 2009 but I will eventually next week since I will be outstation. Anyway, welcome back to Brunei, Linda..
It was a funny moment yesterday because I was given a task to translate for the class.. Yes, translate... from English to Malay.. I'm pretty sure that my peers know me very well how bad my Malay is. Of course, I should be ashamed of myself for not speaking Malay fluently. My years in Australia (since high school) have kinda affected my mother tongue and I doubt I will even stand a chance to work in the government sector.
Anyway, yesterday was a great experience which only last 5 minutes LOL.. Even Rozana and I (combined) had trouble translating to the class and I kept spoiling Rozana's momentum.. We had our Google Translator on standby and we even had our notes prepared on certain words that will definitely popped out in the class.. But I can tell you that I learnt quite a lot within the short space of time. So is anyone willing to help me brush up my Malay? LOL...
To my readers, I would like to address that I won't be blogging much today and there might be a chance I won't be posting anything tomorrow.. Well, that depends if I have the time to do so because the class takes up almost 15 hours daily. Hence you noticed why I only did a one-liner for the pictures :)
This morning I will be covering the ISB BGIC VIII and I can't wait for that either. As for tonight, if time permits, I also want to catch the JIS Music Showcase (a sold out gig). That should be a blast and I wish Maria, Joan and the rest, good luck and I hope to catch a glimpse of your performances :)
Guys, have a great Saturday and Sunday and stay positive.. If you're feeling down, you can always count on Mr. RA to lift you up ;)
Awareness and education still lacking. Few days ago, I paid a visit to Kg Ayer with a group of UBD students on their assignment study on water pollution in Kg. Ayer. I never really learnt what goes behind the scene when it comes to cleaning the water village. During the two hour visit, I noticed how the rubbish are piling up underneath the foundation of the water village.
Anyway, I won't spoil much details as yet because due to some sensitive issues that needed some attention before I start posting incorrect information to the readers. I'll just post some pictures for you guys to see the development in helping out the rubbish issue in Kg Ayer.
I would like to thank the students (Qeelz and friends) for inviting me for their research. It was an educational boat ride indeed :)
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Rano says today I'm supposed to do some coverage on the LegCo session which is happening right now at the Legislative Council. I'm not too sure how the public can participate in the forum but it will be nice if they could come up with a way for the public to get involved. I believe topics such as the credit cards will be raised as it has affected consumer spending behaviour and of course, the economy.
This weekend, as I've mentioned earlier, I will be pretty tied up as I'm volunteering for logistics and assisting a course. So I have to turn down almost all invitations for coverage but I will be attending the opening of ISB Borneo Global Issues Conference VIII at the International Convention Centre.
So did you guys read of my post on the preferred local photographers in Brunei Darussalam? Interesting results I must say and a few of my friends asked if who are my favourite photographers. Ok, if I were to choose three photographers for my wedding *LOL*, it will be Jan Shim, David Cheok and a toss of a coin between Ahim Rani of Candid Syndrome Brunei and Jason Ong. So there you go, peeps.. I've given my honest answer ;) There were some notable mentions that didn't make the top ten in terms of votes and they are Wafiy M and Aiman Besar who both had a few votes too.
Speaking of photography, sometimes I wish I dedicate some time on my photography. I never shoot in RAW or I never do much post-processing on my pictures. Is there a workshop on editing photos? Or is anyone who are experienced in this field willing to teach me? LOL.
Oh yeah, I have yet to do my review on my Ayam Penyet outing.. Maybe I will post it this weekend and you can see if my reviews are spot on or not. People asked me if I'm sick of it yet and yes, at one stage I was because I had like 8 Ayam Penyet in 4 days LOL. All in all, I had 12 Ayam Penyet to date and I think it's about time I do my posting. However, I still want to try the Ayam Penyet at Ahad's Burger and apparently, the KB-ians are raving about it.. So yes, I will make a trip there one day :)
Anyway, guys, don't expect much coverage this weekend because of my hectic schedule and do enjoy your weekend and love yourself more :D It's amazing how it can uplift you without you realising it ;)
Below are some shots of today's news and I wish I'm at the LegCo right now.. But now I'm catching it live on RTB 1 and as @TareqM said, "It should be an interesting LegCo this year." I hope to cover the session next week and update you guys on the topics that are being discussed.
One more month to go. RA Twitter Competition: follow @ranoadidas on Twitter and participate in the "Question of the Day" and you can stand a chance to win iPhone 3Gs, PSP-Go handheld and Lacie 500 Gig Hard Drive. The twitter competition will be ongoinguntil 15th April 2010. So every three to four days,"Question of the Day" will be posted on http://www.twitter.com/ranoadidas and all you have to do is participate by mentioning @ranoadidas as you answer the respective questions.
So far the responses have been great and it's good to know that my Internet users are active in Twitter. Some even find Facebook annoying and prefer to spend more time on Twitter. Yes, yes... I'm confident that Twitter will be on par as Facebook or even more addictive in the near future.
So today's Question of the Day is pretty easy but you still need to do some homework or some sort.. Well, it ain't that hard anyway.. With the power of Google, you can get your answer for today's Question of the Day and this is the first time that you need to get the answer correctly for QOTD.
Then all you have to do is mention @ranoadidas and give your answer and you stand a chance to win an iPhone 3Gs. And guess what, you will also stand a chance to win 3 Mercedes key chains and 5 invitation tickets to catch F1 Live Broadcasting at Gadong Showroom this Sunday evening. The prizes for the Mercedes-Benz merchandise are sponsored by Jati Transport Sdn Bhd. The QOTD for this round ends Friday midnight.
Twinkle-Twinkle products. There will be a showcase this Saturday at the Polo and Riding Club Poolside to showcase the some bling-bling casing for Blackberry and Nokia E71 and E63. They are also bringing in Kenneth Jane Lane accessories (click here. For more info, you can contact Watiey 867 7370.
Asah Mata Workshop. I attended a worked hosted by Ahim Rani of Candid Syndrome Brunei and the facilitated by Saiful Nang of Candid Syndrome and it's such a great workshop to start off with. The idea of the workshop is for the participants to understand the concept of "Photo Essay" and wow, it's not that easy to create one.
No matter how good your photos are but if it doesn't relate to the concept or topic of the essay, then the photos are useless. Saiful Nang and Ahim Rani gave some pointers and constructive criticism on some of the assignments given to the participants. Around 50 photographers signed up for the 2-day workshop and I believed many benefited from it as well. I hope to see more photography workshop in Brunei.
Win Cash Reward$. “B-Mobile’s Loyalty program is organising a new ‘Flash & win Cash’ Campaign from this 1st March -31st May 2010. This campaign is aimed at creating more awareness of B-Mobile’s Loyalty Program in which B-Mobile customers (both postpaid & prepaid) can enjoy great savings when they spend at over 70 of B-Mobile’s participating merchants. Each month for 3 months, B-Mobile will be giving away BND$500 cash for those who purchase & dine by using the Loyalty Club Card or flashing the SMS Rewards (type ‘Rewards’ and send it to 38383 for prepaid user). Some of the merchants in conjunction with this ‘Flash & Win Cash’ Campaign are also coming up with better offers/promos than the usual offer for the next 3 months.
There are QAF Eurokars, LJ Tuition School, Sin Hup Huat & Max Centre, Rizqun International Hotel, Laniege, The Centrepoint Hotel, Century Travel, Abdul Razak Apartment, Underten, Shopilicious Zone, Ideal Cafe & Grill, Baklasia, MS Titanstar: Aussino, Paloma, Pick & Mix Chocolate Paradise, Dewi Martha Tilaar, Cheezbox, Gripps Cafe, QQestore, QQ Mobile Shop, Eyewear Optical Co., Twinkles Jewellery, Rainforest Gallery, J.L Jewellery, Deseo , Classic Touch House ware and Gifts and Pro Auto K.
For a full list of the other merchants (click here). Any b.club member that spends at any of the listed merchants will be given a voucher in which they have to fill in and attach with their receipt of spending and that will be pulled into a draw for the cash prize. Winners will only be announced in June 2010. For more info visit www.b.mobile.com.bn/rewardclub or call B-Mobile’s call centre177.”
Rano says "Good Morning, #brunei" and man, I had a late night last night... business didn't go as planned last night LOL and I caught up with a few mates after a great badminton workout.. Yesterday I had no single coverage at all so I had an impromptu lunch with @nis8886 and @mallyabs (thanks for the treat, cuzzies) at ET cafe.
I spent a fortune (well, I think it's expensive) on my replacement battery for my Macbook Pro (the previous edition) but at least it juiced up my notebook life to more than 4 hours.. My old one would only last me less than 2 hours and it really annoys me. Then again, I can't blame the notebook since I treat it like my notebook. Sometimes I have the urge to invest in the new MacBook Pro but nah.... maybe I'll wait for the next generation ;)
This weekend I will be busy "logging" for a CV course so I won't be covering much event apart from the opening of the ISB Borneo Global Issues Conference VIII. I won't be able to the attend the Songket Wedding launch and even JIS Music Concert Showcase (Sorry Maria and I wanted to catch your Glee version too *boohoo*). But don't worry, I hope to get someone to cover for me while I'm busy..
Anyway, I've booked my flight for KK trip featuring the SuperFriends Getaway Part II which will kick off next week. Now that I can't wait and simply just be with my buddies and just be the REAL old me... Sometimes I miss the "joker" in me and I've never seen myself as the serious guy though my appearance in public suggests otherwise.. But deep inside, I'm a naughty little kid who's full of pranks and sometimes I don't even know my limits LOL. But KK, we're gonna bring some loving to you soon.. Woohooo.
Yesterday, I found an interesting fact that yesterday that the only six people including the Deputy Ministers that took the jab on the first day but the number improved to 16 yesterday at the Indoor Stadium. Is this because of the lack of awareness or is the public still skeptical about it? The temporary suspension of the vaccination could have harm the confidence of the public for some reason. I could be wrong but with the 3 deputy ministers taking the vaccination, I'm pretty sure the vaccines are 100% safe. However, it's still pretty sad that the numbers are deeply disappointing as compared to the long queues few weeks ago.
But seriously, don't be scared of the needles. I'm pretty sure they are safe. Anyway, I found some interesting facts that I won't disclose. I'm not too sure if this issue will be brought up to the upcoming LegCo and plus H1N1 hasn't really been a big issue as many have treated it as a common flu.
Answer a question, win BND 50. So.... would you like to win BN 50 by simply answering a question?? Well, there's a catch.. You stand a chance to win it and plus you need to add yourself as a fan of HSBC-Brunei Fan page on Facebook.
10 winners will be awarded with BND 50 and you have today until 24th March 2010 to answer. So click on the image below to join HSBC-Brunei fan page. Good luck, guys!!
DC, AR dominate votes. So, now you guys know who had the most votes for the preferred local photographer. As for most of the "Question of the Day", there's no right or wrong answer. It's your choice and everyone's entitled to their opinion, right? It doesn't mean that they have to the best but it's the people that you may have worked with previously and the great communication between the photographers and the clients.
I have received lots of responses but not as much as the Twitter vs Facebook QOTD. But it was still great enough to determine who stands to be the most preferred photographer.. Those who answered are also eligible for the lucky draw as part of my RA Twitter competition where you stand a chance to win an iPhone 3GS or a PSP-Go handheld or a Lacie 500 GIG hard drive. Thank you once again for your participation and guys, it's not too late to follow @ranoadidas on Twitter.. my followers have steadily increased every single day and that's good news..
Below are the votes received for the photographers and congratulations to David Cheok, Ahim Rani and Jason Ong to make the top three of the lot. Like I said, the votes doesn't determine their level of skills or professionalism in their field but by the preference by the voters. I ended with 16 votes but I don't count myself in the ranks because I don't see myself in that field but more of a straightforward photographer for the sake of blogging *LOL*
1) David Cheok - 46 votes
2) Ahim Rani of Candid Syndrome Brunei - 39 votes
3) Jason Ong of Masamichi Studio - 30 votes
4) Jan Shim - 26 votes
5) Reeda Malik of Anak Brunei - 16 votes
6) Mobil Studio (Khaliq/Kurapak) - 15 votes
7) Hitam Putih - 15 votes
8) Pause by Bald -14 votes
9) Flo - 13 votes
10) Devin Kho - 12 votes
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Mercedes-Benz merchandise on sale. Hey guys.. Do grab this chance as Jati Transport Sdn Bhd is having a special sale of their merchandise such as pen, caps, t-shirts, key chains and many more and you can find them at the showroom at Beribi. Some of the selected items are discounted from 30% up to 70% and that's a very good deal for you to take advantage of.
The new 2010 Tucson launched. Last Friday, the all-new 2010 Hyundai Tucson was officially launched at Setia Motors Showroom at Beribi. YAM Pg Anak hj Abdul Ghaffar was the guest of honour and he unveiled the new 2010 Tucson for the visitors to catch a glimpse of the Tucson.
Good news is that for anyone who buys the Tucson, he or she is also eligible for the lucky draw which runs until 15th June 2010. The all-new Tucson, which also known as ix35, is the latest version of Hyundai's compact CUV. Its design is based on the Hyundai ix-ONIC concept that is characterised by a sleek and sporty overall look created by fluid lines and sculpted styling.
Designed at Hyundai's European Studio in Frankfurt, Germany and assembled in Korea, the all-new Tucson is expected to be no less of a record seller than the previous version, 2,600 of which are on Brunei roads. Images below by Prime Media.
The ISB BGIC VIII coming soon. Just a few more days to go and the much anticipated ISB BGIC VIII will kick off this weekend. For those who are not aware, BGIC stands for Borneo Global Issues Conference. The conference will be held at the International Convention Centre as usual. This year, there will be 22 schools participating, six overseas and sixteen local schools, totaling to over 300 participants, the highest number so far for BGIC.
Lately International School of Brunei (ISB) has been hosting training session for the local schools to get grips with the do's and don'ts and the sessions also helped them to familiarise and polish up before the actual event. It is great to see our local schools participating in this event and the number of schools involved have increased over the years. I've even seen some comments on Twitter where former delegates were praising about the idea of being in BGIC and how they missed being a part of it.
The Keynote speaker for this year's ISB BGIC VIII is Kate McAlpine, a children's rights activist and researcher, which is tuned with this year's theme, "The Rights of Children" in conjunction with the United Nation's 20th anniversary of The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
In 1997 Kate founded Mkombozi, an NGO which works with over 1,000 street children and youth. It is now one of the most renowned child rights organisations in Tanzania, winning the STARS Award in 2008 for the most effective child protection agency in Africa. She is currently coordinating a new initiative, the Caucus for Children’s Rights, which is a network of organisations and individuals who are committed to advancing rights, welfare, protection, and empowerment of children and youth in Tanzania.
HSBC is the main sponsor of this student-managed conference this year, which is also generously supported by MIPR and BLNG. The Conference will be held at the ICC from 12 - 15 March 2010.
Some of the general topics that will be discussed during this year's BGIC are such as tourism in Borneo, the growing problem of orphans and abandoned children, improving the lives of children who are slum dwellers, human trafficking and protecting children from exploitation.
I will be covering the opening ceremony of the ISB BGIC VIII this Saturday and I would like to wish all the participants and the organisers the best of luck. I believe this year's BGIC will be awesome ;) Keep the great work, lads..
Guys, what say you? There have been rumours going around about the "re-shuffling" that might take place sooner or later on the Cabinets of our Government. I can't confirmed on that yet but normally, our Cabinets undergo reshuffling every five years. So if it does, it will be interesting to see who will be running the show in the near future.
Anyway, my buddy Anak Brunei recently ran a survey on our "Ministries" to see how efficient, effective and also the level of friendliness the Ministries are. So if you want to participate in the survey, you can click here. There will be an upcoming LegCo which will take place soon. So let's see what are the topics raised in this year's LegCo.
Recap from Brumanch Talentime. Ok, I don't have much information on BruManch Talentime that happened last February in the UK. However, Norfadilah Mahamud emailed me some pictures of one of the performances by a certain group (Syukri Jumin, Norfadilah Mahamud, Siti Munirah Hamzah, Mizah Rashid, Amal Ibrahim, Siti Asmah Ali, Syazmin Saprudin, and Farah Hamid). It's a "Cur Pisang" performance and all the students are from Hull.
The best singing group went to The Plum Duos - Syukri Jumion and Syazmin Saprudin. Their performance was a medley of seven songs. I don't have their pictures but you can view their video on youtube below. Images below are by Alif H Besar and thanks to Norfadilah for the update.
Bigelow, Bullock bigger winners. I watched the Oscars yesterday and it was great to finally see a woman director bagging the Oscars for once. The ironic thing was Katherine Bigelow, the Director for the low-budget "The Hurt Locker", was in the same category as Best Director with ex-husband James Cameron for "The Avatar". Now that's something for an achievement and the day also marked "Women's International Day".
Sandra Bullock also won the "Best Leading Female Actor" for her role in the Blindside (highly recommended). The funny thing was she also earned a Razzies Award for the Worst Female Actor for her role in "All About Steve". So technically she becomes the first lady to win both an Oscar and a Razzies award at the same time. I've not seen "All About Steve" but I heard it was a dud.. So I wouldn't want to invest my $2.50 to buy that particular movie LOL.
I do recommend you to watch the "The Hurt Locker" because it's a very tensed movie and I can see why it won the Best Picture as well, beating the likes of District 9, Avatar, Precious and many more. I caught this movie in the plane, on my way to Japan last year, and it's not a movie for all of you because some might find it boring to an extent. But I did like it and I wished I've watched it on the big screen. "The Hurt Locker" won 6 Oscars while the over-rated "The Avatar" snatched three Oscars including Best Cinematography.
A win for "The Best Picture" for "The Avatar" would have boost more revenue for the James Cameron's epic movie. It has already raked in USD 720 million in North America alone, surpassing Titanic's USD 600 million. The movie is still showing though Alice in Wonderland has stole the thunder in 3D cinemas with an impressive haul of USD 116 million in its opening weekend. It was the best 3D opening compared to The Avatar that opened at USD 78 million. Though that won't be a reflection that it will beat Avatar overall because USD 720 million is a huge task to overtake.
Anyway, in our local cinemas, I do highly recommend you to catch "My Name is Khan" and from what I heard, the cinema is still packed with patrons, even after three weeks of screening.. This really shows how damn good this movie is and I do have to warn you that the movie is 2 hrs 30 mins long. But surprisingly, there is no bollywood dance or whatsoever. The theme is very good and it has a good morale to the story as well. That's it from me for my movie updates..
Bunut outlet rules in Cheesy Tower Bites Competition. Last week, there was a competition among Pizza Hut branches on the Cheesy Tower Bites. The Pizza Hut Bunut Branch was the winner overall with 91 points. Second place went to Pizza Hut Jalan Sultan and third place went to Pizza Hut Tutong Branch. Around 10 outlets took part in the competition.
This competition has become a regular feature in Olive Tree Company for Pizza Hut's way of motivating its staff and also when there are new innovative products produced by Pizza Hut (Brunei). I will be covering their annual event dinner this Monday evening.. So expect some coverage on RA.. So guys, what's your favourite pizza at Pizza Hut? :) Images below taken by James Kon.
