Two more weeks to go. You have two more weeks to SMS for your chosen one, among the 12 BIBD Wish award nominees and who knows that one of them will be granted with a BND 1,000,000 wish. Even I'm pretty nervous to know the outcome of the first BIBD Wish Campaign. 30% of the result will be based on SMS while 70% of the result will be from the judges.
The BIBD management with the advice of BIBD Shariah Body have selected a panel of eight judges to conduct the interview. To ensure continuous impartiality, the panel are experts from fields of business, legal, academia, shariah and also media and information.
The nominees will be graded on four main criteria:
a) Their current financial state – which aspect of their life requires assistance?
b) Transformational role of savings in the nominees’ life – How will savings change their current situation?
c) The Nominee’s future plans – is their wish sustainable? How will it work towards their dream?
d) Inclusiveness of the Wish – Does it affect their loved ones or others?
The main objective of the “Wish Campaign” has always been to promote a culture of savings in Brunei Darussalam. Nurturing and developing this culture will take time and hopefully with the whole hearted continuous support of the Bruneians endeavor to realize the sincerity of savings, this will materialize.
The public is encouraged to select the nominee whom they think is most deserving, based on the wish-maker's current financial state, whether the wish-maker has shown the transformational role of savings in their life, and whether the wish is sustainable and inclusive.
Each person can submit their selection only once, through online (www.bibdwish.com) or SMS. Additional nominations will not be counted but will still be charged. Proceeds from the SMS charges will be donated to a charity that BIBD selects. To nominate through SMS, members of the public can text BIBDWISH
Still 80% off target. In a few weeks' time, nine (young at heart) adventurous men will take on a task on a 120 KM trek to the Nepalese Himalayas and this is not an easy task at all. They have to climb at least 3,000 metres in elevation to the Base Camp of Mount Everest. So what's the actual purpose? Well, these guys are pretty active in trekking and now they are turning their adventure into a charitable one.
They are raising funds under the banner of Everest Trekking Amal, a registered charity initiative supported by the Community Development Department (JAPEM), Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the Brunei Chess Federation. The money collected will be donated for the purpose of constructing new homes for Brunei's poor and unfortunate families. Their target is to raise BND 50,000 and the entire donation will be used for charity.
So guys, you can event donate the money online and it's secured.. You can click here to see more details for the "Everest Trekking Amal". So far, they have collect almost BND 9,000 and their target is BND 50,000. So I pledged the public to help these guys for their cause and the corporate companies/agencies are more than welcome to show your support for these 9 adventurous men.
Keep it up, guys and I know some of them personally. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to interview you guys one day..
Guangzhou dishes at Li Gong. The Empire Hotel & Country Club’s signature Chinese restaurant, Li Gong, is offering scrumptious dishes with selections of rich flavors and delightful colors to tempt your palates. To ensure no individual misses the opportunity of tasting these delectable dishes, this promotion will run each month featuring 10 authentic Chinese cuisines from China - Guangzhou, Sichuan, Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Dalian, Hainan, Fujian, Shandong and Mongolian.
This offer starts this month from 16 to 31 March and will continue on every last 2 weeks of each month. March will feature Guangzhou, Cantonese Cuisine. Cantonese Cuisines is known for its excellent food, with different flavors and styles, by using diverse and delicate materials, exotic spices and various cooking skills. Cantonese cuisine, as epitome of Chinese food culture, is a mixture of tradition and modern, east and west.
Lined up this month on Cantonese cuisine special menus include succulent wok-fried beef ribs eye in black pepper sauce and fresh garoupa fish with two way style (sautéed fish fillet & crispy belly with salted pepper).
Upcoming offer at Li Gong features Sichuan cuisine. For reservations or further enquiries please call 241 8888.
Superfriends in KK Day 2. Everyone had a peaceful sleep after an hour mini-warm up at Shananigan's. On a sad note, the crowd has toned down because of new places popping up. They didn't have to pay for cover charge at all compared to last year. Furthermore, the live band performances didn't live up to their expectations. Burita preferred to the old band while it was Bambi's first time so she wouldn't know what it was like then.
The SFs woke up a bit late while Randy was already up by 7am, busy with his blog updates. Jonathan joined them for lunch at Fish & Co. at 1Borneo Hypermall. It was a first time experience for many of them. John Cena was afraid to eat a lot because of the fear of "Number 2". Well, that's what he said - "The more he eats, the frequent the deposit." LOL.. Too much detail.
Yesterday they were more focusing on shopping (and window shopping) for their island trip which will be today (Friday). Bambi, Godmother and Papi bought some clothing for the beach while Godfather was so sweet to ring his mom to say that they are all doing fine in KK. Randy was content because he finally got his Xpax 3G to work on his iPhone for his Twitter updates (follow @ranoadidas).
The remainder of the SFs arrived at 7pm at the hotel and probably the happiest of the lot was Godmother because Mr. Payau managed to bring her beloved pillow from Brunei. Later that night, Andre treated us at Salut Seafood Restaurant. Randy was so evil to tweet Marco Polo a group picture of them dining and having fun without Marco Polo who's currently at Hull, the UK.
The SFs ended their night being entertained at IceBar @1Borneo.. Great music indeed and the masterpiece was really into the music LOL... More updates tomorrow.. I told you so ;)
The Circus Firemen. Ok, this is very interesting... I received this poster on email and I'm sure this event will bring in the crowd especially families and children. This is because the The Circus Firemen is in town and they are known for their hilarious and skilled acrobatic acts.
Guess what? They will be in the country performing from 19th March to 28th March every night (8pm and 9:15pm) at the Jerudong Park Playground Mini Amphitheatre. Entry into the performance area will be a standard, single ride ticket per person which will include the Circus Firemen Show, the Junior Bumper Car and the Orbiter rides.
The Circus Firemen consist of Idris Stanton (Matilda) and Joshua Phillips (Angus), who are both university graduates of performing arts. So if you have nothing to do during the school holidays, hint hint hint ;)
Great offer at Centrepoint Hotel. Hmmmm.. Of all the hotels, I have yet to visit any of the rooms at Centrepoint Hotel (even the older version). Now they have revamped the hotel with better fittings, designs and apparently it doesn't look like the old Centrepoint Hotel.
So during the upcoming school holidays, they are having a special promotion for a Deluxe Room for only BND100 from 19th March to 28th March. The Junior Suite Room is BND 130 and all is inclusive of a FREE BND10 meal voucher.
For more info, you can call 2430 430 or visit their website here.
Rano says "It's great to be back in KK". This is my second trip with my Superfriends (buddies).. All in all, there are about 12 of us so I guess we all are going with the flow here in KK. But I will still be updating my website from time to time.. I know my content hasn't been that great either.. or I'm just not putting that much effort because I'm enjoying my time too much LOL.
I recently finished my volunteering work for CV course last weekend and that was simply another great experience despite the aching feet. I got acquainted with many interesting people and they have touched my life, one way or another. It's amazing how you can learn of someone within a short span of time and connect quickly as if you've known them for some time. So I can't wait for May to be part of the "log" as a volunteer. Yes, you heard me, Linda *wink*
Oh yeah, the sad news I received two days ago is that I won't be heading to Germany after all. The German Embassy wrote to me saying that they had an oversubscription for the bloggin' workshop. So I'm sorry guys that I won't be covering anything from Berlin *Booohooo* I hope to get a few more international offers this year :) The KL F1 trip is still not confirmed as I've yet to receive any invitation but let's hope Tourism Malaysia will extend the invitation ;)
School holidays is coming up so I think the Gadong is gonna be packed as usual. And I'm sure that there will be tons of Bruneians heading to KK this weekend. I'm currently enjoying my trip with my "SFs" and I'm gonna make my weekend a memorable one. So guys, have a great day ahead.
Superfriends featuring Mr. RA (Randy). As usual, John Cena was late for checking-in at the Air Asia counter (sorry, MAS). Apparently, celebrity chef Bobby Chin was at the airport as well and Godmother had a picture opportunity with Bobby Chin whom was a tad serious. Probably he had too much in his mind.. Their flight was pretty short, less than half an hour.
However, everything didn't go as planned especially for Bambi whose luggage didn't show up on at the baggage claim area. So they were stuck in the airport for an hour or so to figure out where her luggage went. So whose to blame? The airline or the baggage handler in Brunei? So it was another reason to start shopping at One Borneo after we checked in Grand Borneo, formerly known as Mercure Hotel.
Randy didn't shop at all but he was more concerned about getting a local Malaysian line to update his Twitter on his iPhone. None of them shopped much either apart from Bambi who was shopping for her necessities because of her missing luggage. Did you know she was already having bad thoughts about her luggage during the flight? hmmmm..
Since they were shopping pretty late, most of the food at the fast food outlet ran out of food.. Sushi King, Chicken Rice Shop.. So McDonald's and KFC were their saviour though the latter ran out of chicken after our takeaway order. Godfather was enticed by Oawa (electrical appliance store) to sign up some form because he willingly accepted the free gift from Oawa and he ended up talking to them for quite some time LOL.
Before midnight, they headed off to catch some live band in town.. But it was only for a good one hour or so because the place shut at 1am.. but the Superfriends managed to surprise Burita on his birthday on midnight. Yes, he was a bit shy as he was brought to the stage area and he blew the candles. Papi, Masterpiece and Godfather were pretty energetic during the live band performances.. I guess it's a warm for the weekend ahead.
Overall, a great start to the trip.. More updates from the Superfriends soon.M
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BIBD offers debt solution. Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam just launched its new financial solution known as the "BIBD Credit Card Care Program" or the 3CP to help Bruneians solve their credit card issues. Did you know that there's at least BND 350 million owing to the bank?
So how does the 3CP actually work? According to Javed Ahmad, the Acting Managing Director of BIBD, he said that instead of having a few CCs to settle (by an individual), BIBD will consolidate that debts to one account and this debt can be settled over a period of three years. The great thing is that you will be able to save around BND 14,000 if you have a debt of BND 40,000, for instance. So instead of paying more, you'll be paying less.. Cool, huh?
The "One Solution" drive boasts another benefit as the individuals will only pay 5.75 % Annual Percentage Rate. Javed is confident that this program will benefit their customers and they don't have to resort to lucky draw gimmicks to satisfy their customers. He admitted that BIBD is not even making any money out this but more of providing solutions for the benefit of the country. The most important for BIBD is focusing on long-term relationship with their customers.
So I suggest customers to grab this opportunity as it's the best credit care solution to date.. I have to admit that I was one of them before but I'm clean from my CC debts and it is surely an uphill battle for me for quite some time. BIBD's initiative is a great program and I do hope that most of them will be debt free in less than 4 years or so from now.
So apply at your nearest BIBD Branch today for the 3CP or call 223 8181. BIBD cares ;)
Buy Red *winks*. From the management of FES Retro - Hello People!! Have you visited FES Retro [dubbed as the RED shop] yet? If you have not done so, FES Retro has exclusively compiled all the merchandised items available for your viewing (To be posted soon).
As seen below, some fans & supporters are taking their time to take photos at FES Retro. You can also join in the fun and have your photos taken and posted up on FB and Ranoadidas!
FES Retro has been very active in bringing in the official and authentic merchandise items for Manchester United, Arsenal & Liverpool FC, and subject to demand.
BTW, the ticket for Live Match Gathering 'MUFC vs LFC' on 21Mar10 is currently available at FES Retro which is organised by Manchester United Supporters Club (Brunei). The event will be held at Safari Bistro, Kg Kiulap. Tiket price: Member - BND13.00 (Adult) and BND6.00 (Kids-aged 6-10yrs), Non-member - BND15.00 (Adult) and BND7.00 (Kids).
FES Retro is located at Simpang 210, Jalan Kg Lambak - next to the famous Casbah London Kebab. The shop business hours (NEW) are from 10am to 6pm and 7.30pm till 10pm. To know more about FES Retro, simply go to www.fes-retro.blogspot.com or look us up on facebook under FES Retro today.
Wu Chun woo-ed P2F singers. Last Sunday, the P2F singers have the opportunity to mingle with the Wu Chun for 2010 at Fitness Zone. The idea of the visit is to promote our youths to stay away from negative activities (such as drugs). I don't think I need to explain who Wu Chun is and he has been a great ambassador for Brunei and role model for the youth.
The celebrity also gave some pointers to the P2F stars who will be performing this weekend. I won't be able to cover the first concert as I will be outstation for a while. Talking about P2F, Wu Chun likes the idea of P2F, to nurture local talents and for them to be successful in the entertainment industry.
The previous audition had 400 participants and in the end, only 18 are shortlisted. The first live concert will be held at RTB Sungai Akar at 8pm on March 20th and the first prize will get a brand new Toyota Avanza. The concert is open for the public though there are limited seats (first come, first serve). The concert will be screened live on RTB2 every Saturday at 8pm. Images by James Kon
JIS Music Showcase. Ok, I didn't manage to catch the JIS Music Showcase which was another sold out event. I couldn't relieve my duties as a "log" then. So Maria and Joan, sorry for missing out your gig.. I'm sure there's always a next year.. Right, right? Anyway, I'm glad that one of my friends were there to capture the moments on camera. Thanks Chee. I wonder if they do sell the video of this event.. Do let me know because I heard it was a blast.. Thanks also to Erwani for helping out my invitation and I'm deeply sorry that I couldn't excuse myself to attend the concert. Well done to all the people involved :) Images below are taken by Chee.
The BGIC VIII Update. The pictures below are taken during the Sunday session at the International Convention Centre. The event kicked off last Friday with the official opening the following day, officiated by the Royal Patron of ISB BGIC VIII, HRH Princess Sarah. David Taylor, the Executive Principal of ISB, was very pleased to know of the local participants from different local schools.
This year, the Borneo Global Issues Conference, hit its maximum in terms of participants. David said previously that they had no alternative but to turn down some local schools because of the limited capacity. He was also happy with this year's BGIC as students are becoming more interactive during the discussions among the delegates. Though not all are actively involved in the discussion, there is definitely an increase of involvement from the delegates. The quality of the topics discussed has also improved and it has gone deeper than just touching on the surface level.
Last Sunday, a group of students did a surprise drill (terrorism and epidemic) during the conference. The idea, as David Taylor said, was for the delegates to think out of the box in real life situation and the delegates did great on the crisis drill. This year's BGIC has some pretty good gimmicks that weren't introduced last year. More pictures to come for the BGIC VIII.
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Children are our future. Yesterday HRH Princess Sarah, the Royal Patron for BGIC, officiated the opening of the ISB BGIC VIII at the International Convention Centre and the theme for this year's BGIC is "The Rights of Children" and this is such a timely campaign to raise this issue. Keynote speaker Kate McAlpine, the Director of Roho Ltd, is an activist who helps to defend the rights of the children especially in Tanzania.
HRH Princess Sarah pointed out that our local culture and family values play an important role for children and their upbringing. She emphasised that education is a must with a basic health care and a safe environment. HRH is very much aware that not all is smooth sailing for some cases around the world. The issue of child abuse is not just a national issue in their respective countries but an international concern as well.
Kate mentioned that it's important for us to invest our time with children because they are the future of tomorrow. The small little things that we do can have a phenomenal impact on children. She addressed the alarming situation and her role is make sure that the rights of children are recognised and protected.
The ISB BGIC VIII was attended by 300 students, compromising of local and international schools. The event will conclude today and I'm sure the students had some fun during the forum. I shall be posting more coverage on the actual forum soon. As for the now, the pictures below are taken from the opening ceremony of the BGIC VIII.
Rano says today feels like a brand new day and sometimes I keep reminding myself that it should be a brand new day and that's how we move forward and not get dragged by the past or the yesterdays. Firstly, my apologies for not bloggin' yesterday.. I did my content for the blog half way but my heart was somewhere else - fulfilling the needs of others.
The past three days I've been busy with the "self-awareness" course also known as CV. I'm already a graduate and it doesn't mean you know it all. I'm still at the beginning of the learning process and everyday I have all these thoughts in my head just like Clovis who likes to keep asking questions regardless of his abundant knowledge about life. Anyway, that's one reason why I haven't focus on my updates on my blog and I wasn't able to attend any of the coverage invitations during the weekends (Songket Wedding showcase, F1 Bahrain live telecast at Jati Transport showroom, Wu Chun's appearance at Fitness Zone, Twinkle-Twinkle launch, bits of BGIC) and I even neglected my Twitter too.
I realised the choices I made are what I choose to be and not because I was conditioned in any other way. But that doesn't mean I neglect my other obligations and to every problem, a solution is always there.
This week I will be heading off to KK with the "Superfriends" and that should be super fun and I can't wait to take some time off from work and other obligations. But you can expect that my blog will be updated for sure :) I don't even know how the name "Superfriends" ended up as the clique.. Before that whole "Superfriends" thingy, RA6 (clique) was the baby boomer. Then the group just grew while some slowly faded away. I was on hiatus for a year or two LOL but I'm glad I'm still a part of them.
So this week it's gonna be fun, fun, fun.... I'm loving forward for the trip and meeting up with the gang.. Ok, I think I've blabbered too much and I'm beginning to get off track.. Before I end, I want to dedicate my day to my mates whom I met last August - SS, WC and MK. You guys are simply amazing people and it was really fun to work with you guys last weekend.
