50 years on...

Ownership...

Fête du Québec

Above are pictures of my Canadian biker chick friend Vanessa and her gang. Vanessa is an old friend from the early days of #Brunei on IRC. How she ended up in channel #Brunei I have no idea, but she did, and she won the hearts of many of us by being a regular on the channel. In fact, she was one of the early channel #Brunei operators.

I actually visited her when I was in Montreal for work. On her apartment wall, she had a list of frequently used Bruneian malay terms in the channel which she translated into French as a reference list which allowed her to carry out a conversation in Brunei malay with anyone on the channel! She actually came across as being Bruneian! Amazing stuff!

See you at the i-Center tomorrow nice and early! Good night...

Fête du Canada

Many thanks to the Canadian High Commission for inviting me to the Canada Day reception this afternoon. It's great to see so many Bruneians with links to Canada in one way or another, including yours truly, with mainly family and business links.

Academically however, my ties are stronger with Australia. Incidentally, the Brunei-Australia Alumni Association will be having its annual gala dinner this Saturday. Quite a number of members have not picked up their FREE tickets yet. So if you are a member, or you know of someone who is a member or oz alumni, please pass the word along.

Also, this Friday, the BEDB will be holding its follow-up to the teh tarik sessions. If you have a tech biz idea and are not sure what to do next, THIS IS YOUR EVENT. Dont miss it!

You did WHAT??

My friend Rags always sends me these really thoughtful emails. Below is an example:

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the basement ham-shack with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it:

I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind; he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whomever he was talking with something about a thousand marbles." I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say.

"Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It's too bad you missed your daughter's "dance recital" he continued. "Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities." And that's when he began to explain his theory of a "thousand marbles."

"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.

"Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, Tom, I'm getting to the important part.

It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail", he went on, "and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays." "I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear."

"Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight."

"Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time."

"It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is a 75 Year old Man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!"

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.

Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. "C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast." "What brought this on?" she asked with a smile. "Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles.....

SMARTER Brunei Car Boot Sale!

In a moment of inspiration, I re-did the original slide-show with
Tamyra Gray's version of "Dance with my father"...

SMARTER Brunei Car Boot Sale
Date: Sunday 1st July 2007
Place: Sengkurong Health Clinic
B$20.00 for a spot
Call 2661830 for details!

Bonza Outing Part 2

Bonza Outing Part 1

Today 25 years

Paul Potts, you ROCK!

This man is a mobile phone salesman from Port Talbot, South Wales

I'M ON THE LIST!

Old school photo manipulation... All analog... None of that adobe photoshop digital crap. This was taken circa 1977 (waaahhh THIRTY YEARS AGO!!!) in Penang, I think. You could choose which special effect you wanted and the photographer would ask you to pose accordingly.

For this airborne shot, I had to pose on a bench with my arms outstretched and legs up just so. It had to be precise as I remember the photographer constantly coming over to adjust my position.... As u can see, the result was nothing short of spectacular!! So real one!!! I really believed I could fly! Nathan Petrelli, eat your heart out!

Today, with sophisticated software like Photoshop, it took me less than 10 minutes to do what the photographer probably spent hours doing back then. Below is an example:

Build that sand castle boys...

Just a quick reminder for those who are interested to attend the BEDB THINK BIG Workshop next Friday to REGISTER EARLY! There are limited places (around 30 to 40) available for open invites, therefore applicants will be prioritised based on their demonstrated interest in developing their ideas and also considered on first come, first serve basis.

The Tower

From DST corporate website:

What began as a response to His Majesty's Government's call for the privatisation of the communication services in Brunei Darussalam has turned out to be one of the nation's success stories. Formed in April 1995, DataStream Technology Sdn Bhd (DST) has become a shining example of the Government's privatisation programme.

As one of the country's leading private enterprises, we affirm our continuing commitment to giving our customers the best communications products and services available. A keen understanding of our clients' needs enables our dynamic, proactive and dedicated personnel to deliver efficient, top quality service.

Our role as a network operator, service and entertainment provider for comunications, DST Group is fully committed to the process of nation building and the improvement of life in Brunei Darussalam.

As envisioned, we are today a dynamic and responsive organisation fully committed to meeting the needs of our country, our customers, our employees and shareholders.

anakbrunei SMS Quiz Grand Prize Winner

Congratulations once again to the anakbrunei SMS Quiz Grand Prize Winner,
Md Abdillah Hj Awg Damit (beaming chap on the left).
Enjoy the tunes on the MP3 player mate!

Reflecting at Sunset...

Life's Mirror
By Madeline Bridges

There are loyal hearts, there are spirits brave,
There are souls that are pure and true,
Then give the world the best you have,
And the best will come back to you.

Give love, and love to your life will flow,
A strength in your utmost need,
Have faith, and a score of hearts will show
Their faith in your word and deed.

Give truth, and your gift will be paid in kind;
And honor will honor meet;
And a smile that is sweet will surely find
A smile that is just as sweet.

Give pity and sorrow to those who mourn,
You will gather in flowers again
The scattered seeds from your thoughts outborne,
Though the sowing seemed but vain.

For life is the mirror of king and slave,
'Tis just what we are and do;
Then give to the world the best you have,
And the best will come back to you.

Happy Fathers' Day

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there. Especially to my dad:

A father and a dad are not the same:
One can be a dad and not a father,
Or one can be a father and not bother

To earn through love the more endearing name.
Some find fatherhood a bit too tame,
Leaving all the details to the mother,
Or dumping the sweet burden on another

Man with just a passing twinge of shame.
You have been our dad so many years
That you've become the landscape that is home,
The mountain that we look to from afar.

No matter where we go we're not alone,
For you remain within to still our fears
And be the word that tells us who we are...

Demure...

First word that came to mind when I saw this pic...

i-Centre not EYE-Centre!

Following from the success of the TEH TARIK SESSION, the BEDB is organizing a workshop for bright young sparks who registered their interest to be part of the i-Centre on Friday 29th June 2007 at the i-Centre in Anggerek Desa.

This'll be an opportunity for participants to learn the basics of writing a business-plan and I think there will be a session on Intellectual Property Rights as well among other topics.

The workshop is also open to those who missed out on the first session or were unsure whether to register during the first session. You will need to register FAST as limited seats will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis!

More details on the BEDB website.

See.Lee.Ya.Kway.Teow

Seria Kway Teow is a relatively new [edit: compared to Jing Chew hehe] institution in BSB which, as its name suggests, originated from my hometown, Seria.

I think the original stall in pasar malam Seria is no longer there as the pasar malam has been relocated to the new food court at the old seria market site. I have not visited that food court and so do not know if the kway teow stall has moved there as well. The one in BSB, for those who don't know, is located opposite Jing Chew.

Jolly good place to enjoy a breakfast of old school fried kway teow with beef and bull's eye on top washed down with a glass of milk tea :)

One Big Candle...

The ice-cream cakes at Makcik Bakeshop are really good. Price also very reasonable at B$11.90 for a 1 pound cake (after discount).

Today we tried the chocolate flavor and its just as good as the vanilla one we had for Nia's birthday, in chocolate of course. The birthday girl enjoyed her cake and so did everyone else!

Selamat Malam!

Happy Birthday Sponge Bob!!

Tuuuu nah yang sebalah kiri sekali ah... buffday nya ari ani!
Happy buffday Neesha! Hope you enjoy your movie party today! I Love You!

Irama Kitani... (SMS Quiz Grand Prize Winner)

I absolutely love our Bruneian traditional songs especially when performed by really good musicians like these gentlemen in RED. I found myself tapping my feet and humming along to their renditions of alus jua dindang, sungai berunai, and kampung ayer. Man I wish I could play like these boys...

Which brings me to the winner of the anakbrunei.org SMS Quiz grand prize, who comes from a family of musicians similar to the lads in RED. Congratulations to Md Abdillah Hj Awg Damit on being drawn as the winner of the MP3 player! I'll be in touch with you shortly with details on the prize-giving ceremony. Congratulations mate!

To all who participated in the SMS quiz, thank you so much for your support! And there will be more chances to win in the next round which I'm hoping to start in the new month :)

Thank you also to the sponsors of the SMS Quiz, Badin and Ropin of MVision Cinemas and Mach Telecommunications Systems. Terima kasih banyak2!

Not wallstreet...

Not quite the shrimp on the barbie...

Ok fess up all you aussie grads!

Did you know there exists a Brunei-Australia Alumni Association? and if you do, are you a member yet? If not, well, now is a good time to join! Cos we're having our annual gala dinner on 23rd June at i-Lotus restaurant.

MEMBERS get to come for free*! So if you're wanting to socialize and network with fellow aussie alumni, this is the time! You can sign up either during the Annual General Meeting on 22nd June or on the night itself.

Go on mate! It'll be a blast! Fair dinkum!

More from the streets of BSB...

Streets of BSB

Selamat Pengantin Baru...

Best wishes to
Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri
Pengiran Anak Puteri Hajah Majeedah Nuurul Bulqiah
and Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Khairul Khalil
Pengiran Syed Haji Jaafari,
on your wedding day!
From anakbrunei.org

SMS Quiz Week Four Winners

Congratulations once again to the anakbrunei SMS quiz
(powered by Mach Telecommunications Systems) week four winners!
Enjoy your movie courtesy of MVision Cinemas!

Sutong Tutok... (SMS Quiz Week Four Winners)

Dried barbecued squid which is available only during festive seasons...
So pungent yet so delicious...

CONGRATULATIONS to the three winners of the AnakBrunei SMS Quiz Week Four!

1. Dk Amal Muliati Pg Hj Jaludin
2. Julie Hartina Ismail
3. Noor Hafidah Hj Awang Damit

I will be in touch with you shortly to arrange a suitable place and time to pick up your tickets so I can SNAP your pic jua! Heheh!!

Stay tuned for the MYSTERY PRIZE DRAW winner shortly!

Sunset in the capital...

Went back again to BSB this evening with the home gang.
Caught this beautiful urban sunset...

Bah begambartah wang... (SMS Quiz Wk 4 Day 4)

ANAKBRUNEI SMS QUIZ Week Four Day Three Question:

How many tires does a Suzuki Swift have (this is a trick question)?

(a) 2
(b) 3
(c) 4
(d) 5

To answer, just type:

mtrv[space]anakbrunei[space]4[space][your answer ie. either a b c or d]

For example, if your answer is (a), you would type: mtrv anakbrunei 4 a and send to 8885555* GOOD LUCK and dont forget to answer the previous questions!!

Faces - Part 8 (SMS Quiz Wk 4 Day 3)

ANAKBRUNEI SMS QUIZ Week Four Day Three Question:

When does Ocean's 13 open at the Empire Cinema?

(a) Wednesday 6th June
(b) Thursday 7th June
(c) Friday 8th June
(d) Saturday 9th June

To answer, just type:

mtrv[space]anakbrunei[space]3[space][your answer ie. either a b c or d]

For example, if your answer is (a), you would type: mtrv anakbrunei 3 a and send to 8885555* GOOD LUCK and dont forget to answer the previous question!!

The Capers Caper... (SMS Quiz Wk 4 Day 2)

The all-you-can-eat deal at Capers ROCKS! Read the review here

ANAKBRUNEI SMS QUIZ Week Four Day Two Question:

Her Royal Highness Princess Hjh Majeedah Nuurul Bulqiah was born on March 16th,

(a) 1975
(b) 1976
(c) 1977
(d) 1978

To answer, just type:

mtrv[space]anakbrunei[space]2[space][your answer ie. either a b c or d]

For example, if your answer is (a), you would type: mtrv anakbrunei 2 a and send to 8885555* GOOD LUCK and dont forget to answer the previous question!!

Happy Birthday Nia!

A special birthday shout-out to my eldest daughter who's 11 today!
Happy birthday Kaka, I Love You.

BIG Gun... (SMS Quiz Wk 4 Day 1)

My, what a big gun...

ANAKBRUNEI SMS QUIZ Week Four Day One Question:

How many times was the cannon fired during the recent opening of Gendang Jaga-Jaga?
(a) 21
(b) 25
(c) 17
(d) 19

To answer, just type:

mtrv[space]anakbrunei[space]1[space][your answer ie. either a b c or d]

For example, if your answer is (a), you would type: mtrv anakbrunei 1 a and send to 8885555*

Each SMS to 888555 costs 50 cents

Cool Copter...

The rear wing of the Merlin EH101 taken yesterday at Bridex 2007 at ICC. The military version of the EH101 is powered by either three Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 turboshafts (UK, Japan, Denmark and Portugal), or three 1,491 kW General Electric CT7-6 turboshafts (Italy, Canada, Japan TMP). Engine inlet particle separator systems provide protection when operating in sandy environments.

Each engine is supplied by a separate self-sealing fuel tank using dual booster pumps. Each tank holds 1,074 litres of fuel. A fourth tank acts as a reservoir supply, topping up the main tanks during flight. A fifth transfer tank can be added to increase range, as can airborne refuelling. The engines power an 18.59 metre diameter five bladed main rotor. The rotor blades are constructed from carbon/glass with nomex honeycomb and rohacell foam, edged with titanium alloy. Computer control of the engines allows the EH101 to hover reliably in winds of over 80 km/h.

Cool bananas...

Armoured Dream...

I just love this baby... I would've ordered it...
but it didn't come with a coffee maker...

SMS Quiz Week Three Winners

Congratulations once again to the anakbrunei SMS quiz
(powered by Mach Telecommunications Systems) week three winners!
Enjoy your movie courtesy of MVision Cinemas!

Little Gringo... (SMS Quiz Wk 3 Winners)

CONGRATULATIONS to the three winners of the AnakBrunei SMS Quiz Week Three!

1. Mohd Mahdini Irwandy Hj Omarsidi
2. Jessica Lee
3. Ak Md Afiq bin Pg Azhar

I will be in touch with you shortly to arrange a suitable place and time to pick up your tickets so I can SNAP your pic jua! Heheh!

For the ones who did not win, don't worry there's next week's draw! So do keep trying! And don't forget, there's also the MYSTERY PRIZE draw next week!

Stay tuned for next weeks questions starting next Monday!