anakbrunei.org

Faces from ITB

2011-04-19T10:33:00.000+08:00

Migration Complete...

2007-09-14T16:48:00.000+08:00

If you recall, sometime ago, I was toying with the idea of migrating to the wordpress platform. Today, that idea becomes a reality. The migration to wordpress is complete and all posts from today onwards will be at http://anakbrunei.org Do bear with me for the next couple of weeks while I figure out the ins and outs of wordpress hehe.

This site will remain visible for archive purposes. Thank you and see you over at the new pad!

Hadrah

2007-09-14T04:23:00.000+08:00

... In the past, hadrah was only performed during weddings, but now it is performed in open events, to greet honoured guests and more significantly to signal the arrival of His Majesty in various events...

... Brunei youths nowadays have done well in preserving the heritage and have even enhanced it. Back then, competition involved only beating of drums and chanting. But now performances are choreographed to make it more attractive and interesting...

... hadrah could be further promoted in Brunei if there is a national association of hadrah set up. "We have a national team for silat and gasing (top spinning), but not for hadrah. We cannot just rely on mukim and schools to promote the activity, it has to be done at a national level...

-- The Brunei Times

Off to Stanford we go!

2007-09-13T10:16:00.001+08:00

Yesterday while sending my old buddy Louis off at the airport, I met Charlene Bong and her family who were off to California where Charlene is due to begin her studies in Physics at Stanford University. Her dad (who's a fellow St.Margaret's Alumni) and I are friends and I could see the joy in his eyes when I spoke to him. I couldn't help feeling so proud of her for being the first Bruneian scholar to be awarded a scholarship to study in the US by Brunei Shell.

Her long list of accomplishments include representing Brunei in the Asian-Pacific Children Convention in Fukuoka, Japan in 2000, SEAMEO Maths Olympiad in Penang in 2005, and the International Physics Olympiad in Singapore in 2006.

Charlene was first featured in the Borneo Bulletin in 1989 for being the first baby to be conceived in Brunei through the IVF treatment. Charlene is one of the earliest IVF (test-tube) babies born in Borneo and her birth in December 1988 at Panaga Hospital was particularly significant at that time.

Taurean Mark III

2007-09-12T22:05:00.000+08:00

Congratulations Mr and Mrs T on the soft opening of your third Taurean outlet at The Arch, Gadong. The AB gang has a long history with them. Da missus has been supplying the Superlicious ® Home-Baked Brownie Cookies that comes with all hot beverages at Taurean since they opened nearly seven years ago and we're also all members of the Taurean gang since Mr & Mrs T, Da missus and I are all Taureans. Anyway, to Mr & Mrs T, congratulations once again!

Impressive architecture

Like a cosy living room eh?

Ingredients for a good mocktail

The smokers' room

If you haven't done so, do check out the new Taurean Cafe today! They're open till 1am so perfect place to lepak while waiting for sahur :)

Godspeed Old Buddy...

2007-09-12T07:23:00.000+08:00

Feels like your visit's been too short me old mate. But I understand the need to get back to your life in Vancouver. Its been a heck of a buzz having you around man! As always, when an old buddy visits from afar, its a catalyst for the ones who are nearby to get together. This is what my old buddy and neighbour Louis (the dude far left in the pic) had to say in my guest book:

5th September 2007: Truly a pleasure seeing you and your family during my visit. Its amazing that although its been 23 years, it felt like time has stood still picking up from where we left off. May the years ahead be filled with great joys and perpetual blessings. Your friend & always your neighbour! Louis.

Winning Eleven!

2007-09-11T23:21:00.000+08:00

Ramadhan at The Empire

2007-09-11T12:58:00.000+08:00

5th Brunei National Conference on Autism 2007

2007-09-11T06:31:00.000+08:00

I was too tied up to attend the conference last weekend but I caught the opening ceremony where they played a video which really touched me. I'll post it once I've uploaded a copy of it. From the Borneo Bulletin:

Bandar Seri Begawan - "Since 2004, 315 individuals have so far been diagnosed with autism in Brunei Darussalam, 50 were diagnosed last year, and 50 more up to June. This means that we have 1:150 autistic births, which is similar to USA.

"These are frightening statistics", said Malai Hj Abdullah bin Malai Hj Othman, President of Smarter Brunei, during the 5th Brunei National Conference on Autism 2007.

"Our present centres could not cope with these numbers and what happens to all the rest who are not registered with Smarter? What future do they have and what will become of our children in the future?"

He spoke of the everyday plight of bringing up a child who is autistic. "Every day activities that we take for granted like brushing teeth is such a battle. Now imagine every little bit of life skills need to be taught in detail and repeatable. It is time-consuming and draining us mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially as well."

He appealed to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Health to provide assistance and support so that the development of the children so far does not falter. Financial aid is needed to cater for the educational support and management of the centre. The need for a bigger building is also needed to accommodate the growing children, especially those approaching their teenage years, not to mention other assistance such as continuous service support to lighten the burden of families with autistic children, he said.

The opening ceremony yesterday was officiated by Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Dewa Major General (R) Dato Seri Pahlawan Hj Awg Mohammad bin Hj Daud, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.

He said that the negative perceptions concerning Smarter will decrease once its genuine aim and desire of its establishment is realised. He said that Smarter should be given untarnished appreciation in its efforts to lighten the burden of the families with autistic children, and that relevant authorities should give assistance and support in realising the objectives of the association.

The guest of honour viewed the exhibition, which showcased the psychology of autism, how it affects children, books related to autism, and the indoor and outdoor activities organised by Smarter especially for the children.

A paper from Deanne Michaels and Jonathan Yendall on "Paper 7 - Strategies Towards Advocating an Autism Friendly Society" (Support Sytem of US, UK, Canada and Singapore) was presented yesterday.

A parental experience presentation was done by Haslimawati bte Suhaili. Other speakers included Rose Clark, Debbie Smith, and Carlin Lee.

-- by Zasika Musdi

Lunching with the seniors...

2007-09-10T23:11:00.000+08:00

My weekend...

2007-09-09T23:08:00.000+08:00

What was your weekend like?

Free Paintball!

2007-09-08T07:15:00.000+08:00

Brought to you by davidcheok.com

Congratulations Mr & Mrs Keaseberry!

2007-09-08T07:03:00.000+08:00

The oldest of friends, the best of times...

2007-09-07T17:27:00.000+08:00

The boys and I have been friends since primary school. Thats more than thirty years of friendship. We've all followed our own paths. This gathering was brought on by a visit from one of us who has not been back to Brunei for nearly 20 years.

These cakes came from the moon?

2007-09-06T18:41:00.000+08:00

Empire Hotel's exquisite mooncake promo runs until 25th September. 7 different flavours to choose from. B$8 per piece with an option of beautiful gift box sets of 4 Mooncakes. Call 2418888 ext 7666 to order!

Paintball (Hopping) Mad in Brunei!

2007-09-05T12:15:00.000+08:00

From wikipedia:

Paintball is a sport in which participants eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with paintballs (spherical gelatin capsules containing primarily polyethylene glycol, other non-toxic and water-soluble substances, and dye) shot from a compressed-gas-powered "marker".

Insurance statistics show that paintball is one of the safest sports in existence, even more so than tennis.

A game of paintball usually involves two opposing teams seeking to eliminate all of the other team's players or to complete an objective, such as retrieving a flag, eliminating a specific player, or other paintball variations. An average, non-professional game of paintball usually lasts around five minutes to half an hour. Since its inception, paintball has drawn a crowd of both casual and serious players.

From here:

Paintball is currently illegal in Brunei, as the markers are considered firearms under Brunei law. There are paintball games, though, affairs held on private land with markers carefully brought into the country. Team Southern Cobra is working to change the laws. Comprised of players in Brunei and their teammates abroad at medical school in Cardiff, UK, the team lobbies the Brunei government while building a hardcore following of student players in Cardiff.

Last Sunday, in the midst of a paintball tournament held on private premises (of which quite a few had already been conducted), the authorities raided the place, and confiscated more than B$60,000.00 worth of gear. This came as a complete shock to everyone as thus far, the authorities had been silent. Speaking to Brunei's paintball heavyweight, Panglima Manggis, I learnt that there is so far no word from the authorities on when and if all the expensive equipment would be returned.

I've never tried paintball, but it looks like a bonza sport, and its very fast and intense physically. It should give the old ticker a good workout! I really do hope the authorities will consider legalizing this harmless sport so that I can give it a go!

PDS Schools ECA Day 2007

2007-09-04T19:51:00.000+08:00

The Brunei Cup 2007 Experience

2007-09-04T06:51:00.000+08:00

Learnt a lot, photography-wise, over the Brunei Cup season. It's tough shooting fast motion sports especially when lighting is low and all you have is a 24-70mm 2.8 lens. Made do, and here are the results:

HSBC 60th Anniversary Road Show

2007-09-04T01:22:00.000+08:00

Bazaar Amal Pusat Ehsan 2007

2007-09-03T07:03:00.001+08:00

LG Sakers Champions 2007

2007-09-02T23:43:00.000+08:00

Get latest updates from the official site!

Early Mornin' Stroll...

2007-09-02T11:22:00.001+08:00

One Bonza Weekend!

2007-09-02T06:38:00.000+08:00

Brunei Cup 2007 - Series 5

2007-09-02T00:16:00.000+08:00

AB featured on akadnikah.com

2007-09-01T12:15:00.000+08:00

My sincere thanks goes to the folks at akadnikah.com for featuring me on their monthly focus column. Thank you indeed for the kind words and I aspire to become better and better at this passion of mine, primarily for myself, but if others derive a sense of satisfaction from my work, then that is a truly welcome bonus. This is the Bruneilicious philosophy. It is and shall continue to be my service philosophy for this budding new media and photography venture of mine :)

Brunei Cup 2007 - Series 4

2007-09-01T06:03:00.000+08:00

Get latest updates from the official site!

Brunei Cup 2007 - Series 3

2007-08-31T23:35:00.001+08:00

Get latest updates from the official site!

Brunei Cup 2007 - Series 2

2007-08-31T16:39:00.000+08:00

Brunei Cup 2007 - Series 1

2007-08-31T07:38:00.001+08:00

To all Malaysian viewers, friends, and relatives, SELAMAT HARI MERDEKA ke 50!

The 2007 Brunei Open Kicks Off (or is it Tees Off?)

2007-08-30T06:56:00.000+08:00

I never really did understand the thrill in whacking a small ball some distance with a club and going after it to whack it some more, and finally getting it into a hole in the middle of nowhere. I still don't get the game of golf, but I'm a tiny minority among the millions if not billions of golfers and golfing-fans out there.

Anyway, if I did in fact take up the game, I don't think I'd be anywhere near winning the really handsome prize of US$300,000.00 for the Brunei Open which starts today. I don't really know much about golf and who the big contenders are, but here's wishing them all the best in the tournament and may the best whacker get the most balls in the holes with the least possible number of whacks!

Of lemons, endeavours, and... SPLAT?

2007-08-29T07:09:00.000+08:00

I attended a small gathering at the Australian High Commissioner's residence yesterday evening to welcome Tony Davis, a Sydney-based writer and editor who has worked in newspapers, magazines and publishing during a 25-year career, and to bid farewell to a young Bruneian, Ang Chui Boon, who is leaving today for a 4 month stint in Canberra under the Australian government's Endeavour programme.

The Endeavour Program is an internationally competitive, merit-based scholarship program that forms part of the Australian Government's $1.4 billion Australian Scholarships initiative. The Endeavour Program brings leading researchers, executives and students to Australia to undertake short or long term study, research and professional development in a broad range of disciplines and enables Australians to do the same abroad.

According to Dave, the scholarship applications are pretty straightforward, and he encouraged more Bruneians to apply for it. Applications are closed for this year, but if you're keen to apply, mark July 2008 in your calendars as thats when it opens again.

Tony gave us an amusing insight into his career as a fiction writer, from his failed maiden effort at writing a literary masterpiece as a nine year old, to his days at the Sydney Morning Herald writing for the Cars section, to the fascinating research he had to do for his latest book, Splat! The madness and magnificence of the world’s most dangerous sports.

Tony's gonna be in town for a few days, so I'm hoping to take him to Jing Chew for some teh tarik and roti kuning kawin before he leaves heheh!

What comes after two?

2007-08-29T06:54:00.000+08:00

Signed, sealed, delivered...

2007-08-28T23:10:00.000+08:00

How bout that huh? A menu from celebrity chef Bobby Chinn's restaurant in Hanoi signed by the man himself! Many thanks to the Shimster for getting Bobby to sign the menu and for bringing it back to Brunei safe and sound! You da man! Oh, and Bobby, if you're reading this, thanks muchly! When you come to Brunei, I'll buy you breakfast at Jing Chew!

iCentre - Angel Investment Workshop

2007-08-28T06:38:00.000+08:00

Special Birthday Wishes to Mdm Che!
"A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age."
From AB & the J'ville Gang!

The Angel Investment Workshop which was held at the i-Center yesterday afternoon offered a very interesting insight into the mechanisms and modalities involved in technology investing both from an investor and an investee perspective.

Professor Wong Poh Kam from NUS Entrepreneurship Center gave us some insight on angel investing trends and approaches in Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries. He also spoke about a regional angel investor network called BANSEA or Business Angels Network South East Asia.

Dr Michael Lutz, co-inventor of the PC-Fax, which I remember making very full use of during the APEC2000 preparations for sending out faxes to all the APEC member economies, then shared his experiences with angel investing in the US through a network called The Tech Coast Angels.

I learnt the difference between venture capitalists and angel investors. The latter typically invest in companies that are at the very early stages of development, which means it is a very high risk investment. The amounts invested are generally quite small, ranging from B$250 to 750k divided between a few individual investors. The returns (if any, hehe!) can be expected between 5 to 10 years time. More info here.

The i-Center director, Kwok Leong took the opportunity to announce that the first batch of incubatees for the i-Center had been selected and they would be occupying the center very soon. Congratulations to the selected incubatees, and for those who weren't selected, keep going! Try other avenues! Don't give up!

Radiance...

2007-08-27T22:13:00.001+08:00

Faces from K&S Wedding Banquet

2007-08-27T07:27:00.000+08:00

Happy Birthday to the BIL, Mimmie. From AB and the gang at J'ville.

Here's the slideshow I put together as the backdrop for the banquet:

Brunei Adventure Race Teaser

2007-08-26T17:38:00.000+08:00

The Brunei Adventure Race 2007 mini teaser this morning was a resounding success. Over 80 people turned up to try out the race and I think they got what they came for... ADRENALINE! It was totally action-packed from start to finish!

Age was definitely not a factor this morning cos a team of 40 somethings actually beat many of the other younger teams to grab fifth place! Congratulations to the BAR 2007 team on a job very very well-done! I can't wait for the actual race in November!! Much more pics here.

K&S - A New Journey

2007-08-26T00:01:00.000+08:00

Congratulations to K&S on your wedding. From anakbrunei.org

Sapphira Cake House

2007-08-25T06:42:00.000+08:00

Went walkabout yesterday at Kiulap while waiting for my students to turn up. Came across Sapphira Cake House which I'd been meaning to visit since it opened two weeks ago. The trays were empty when I got there, which means sales must be brisk. The lovely young lady at the counter informed me that a new batch of kueh would be ready in about an hour. She took me on a tour of the shop, and introduced me to Mdm Sapphira herself, who happens to be Mdm Tiff's sister, which means they're related to the Don Diegos. Small world.

I loved the classic decor and ambience of the place, esp the funky looking office, with its black and red color scheme. I had to rush off as it was time for class, and when I returned 2 hours later, I was too late, cos the trays were empty again! I shall return again hopefully when the trays are full. Thanks to Suzie and her mum for showing me around. See ya soon!

To publicize or not to publicize?

2007-08-24T05:56:00.001+08:00

Yesterday, while attending an IT seminar di sebuah hotel terkemuka di Jerudong (cewah!), I was asked very politely not to take photographs, by the MD of a pretty well-known IT firm. When I asked him why? He said it was a closed seminar for invited guests only. Fair dinkum, I obliged with very little argument. Their function, their prerogative. End of story.

BUT it got me thinking... is there an underlying factor that is reducing these once publicity hungry IT firms to paranoia of the public eye? Or maybe its the competitors' eyes they are worried about? I wonder what was the real reason behind the need to minimize publicity for what obviously would have been a great information sharing session for the tech community on optimizing IT infrastructure, which would have benefited from some publicity on the web? I guess I'll never really know...

The upside of this is that I got to meet two great people from the technology partner company, one of the biggest IT companies in the world, which, ironically has no problem with publicity heheh. Good morning Ashlee and Nazeroll, it was great meeting both of you yesterday. Hope to see more of you in Brunei!

Here's a heck of a better pic than I could ever have taken at yesterday's seminar... Beautiful Aneeza and ~~company~~ her sister. I bumped into them at the IHPE recently.

Secret Weapon

2007-08-23T06:52:00.000+08:00

Baiduri bank concluded a very successful expo over the last week with a lucky draw finale at the mall. The top prize was a huge plasma TV which was won by Pg Abd Rahman. I wouldn't mind hanging one of those on MY living room wall heheh.

Anyway, I discovered the secret weapon which Jason uses to take all those awesome pictures which you see in the Borneo Bulletin. And it wasn't a Canon EOS5D like I thought... it was a NOKIA CAMERA PHONE! Spot the gangsta...

Spot the blogger...

KNK does MTSSR

2007-08-22T17:25:00.000+08:00

From The Brunei Times:

Some 150 students under the three hospitality courses available at the college, namely tourism, catering and accommodation, attended the talk, which was facilitated by Mohd Jeffrey Hj Mohd Sunny Lai, tourism officer for marketing and promotion.

The talk centred around educating the students on the potential of the tourism industry, employment opportunities in the industry and the concept of visiting places of interest and enjoying tourism activities in their own country.

Tourism officer Pengiran Izudin Alias Pengiran Hj Ismail, spoke at liberty about the sultanate's diverse ecosystems with its pristine rainforests and accessible nature reserves, such as the Ulu Temburong National Park.

Pengiran Izudin Abas also spoke about how the students can play a role in increasing the tourism industry in the sultanate.

The next speaker was a graduate of the technical college, making him the college's success story. Mohd Iswandi Ma'aruf, director of operations at the Orchid Garden Hotel, educated the students on another aspect of tourism, the hotel industry.

Aside from the ample employment opportunities available within the hotel industry, overcoming pressure of dealing with customers and clients with difficult personalities and attitudes everyday is most challenging, according to Mohd Iswandi.

Nor Daud Durai, Business Development Manager of Pan Bright Travel, told the students on how Brunei is getting increasingly popular with overseas clients, whether as a stopover destination or for a week-long stay. He urged the students to not only think of the tourism industry in terms of architecture and ecotourism but in homes as well.

According to Nor Daud Durai those in the travel industry will have a lot of opportunities to join other industries, such as the hotel industry.

The final speaker, Joanna Hj Osman, race director for Brunei Adventure Race 2007, commented on the fact that members of the public would pay a large amount of money to travel and yet, have not visited their country's own Belalong or Tasek Merimbun.

"We have a lot of local expertise here in Brunei," she said. "We just don't know about it."

Joanna proceeded to talk about the upcoming adventure race that will be held throughout November this year.

She urged the students to participate as the race will take participants through some of the country's most beautiful sceneries. Before you can promote your country, you must know your country, Joanna said.

She also advised the students to research and put forth all their fresh ideas and put together a proposal.

"The authorities are very receptive to ideas."

Among present at the talk was Pengiran Azmanishah Pengiran Hj Abdul Rahman, marketing and promotions officer at the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources.

Kenali Negara Kitani

2007-08-21T16:20:00.000+08:00

KNK or "Kenali Negara Kitani" means "Get to know your own country". Catchy title and I like it. This campaign spearheaded by Tourism Brunei aims to create an awareness among all Bruneian residents that the tourism industry has great importance as an economic activity for Brunei, and that enjoying tourism activities in the country is a worthy and interesting proposition.

Through KNK, Brunei Tourism hopes to see more locals taking time to explore and discover the local wonders, involving themselves in many sporting and leisure activities on offer, sampling regional delicacies and purchasing more local products and crafts.

Brunei Tourism's drive in promoting the KNK domestic tourism concept will encourage the public to use the services of local professional service providers to enjoy extraordinary activities and to visit "off the beaten track" attractions.

Gadong walkabout...

2007-08-20T18:21:00.000+08:00

The BAR team in action. Thats nuar in the foreground. Nice meeting you dude!

Rice-cookers and hairdryers. Not quite a man's best friends.

I think I need one of these for my poor back...

A fellow blogger enjoying her ice-cream

After a private photoshoot yesterday afternoon, I hit Gadong centerpoint to visit the intrepid team at the Brunei Adventure Race roadshow at Coffeezone. They looked pretty busy and the response was good according to a buddy of mine who was also involved in BAR. I learned that adventure racing is the latest sporting craze worldwide which involves multiple disciplines like orienteering, mountain biking, paddling, and climbing. There will be a mini-race this Sunday 26th August at the Jerudong Park Playground. I'm so looking forward to covering that!

IHPE 2007 Launching - Part 3

2007-08-20T06:35:00.000+08:00

"Guest" Photographer

2007-08-19T20:41:00.001+08:00

A local award-winning photographer was playing with my camera this morning,
and these are the pics that I found when I got home...

Ekspedisi Berbasikal 2007

2007-08-19T11:18:00.001+08:00

IHPE 2007 Launching - Part 2

2007-08-19T07:04:00.001+08:00

More faces from the launching ceremony yesterday

IHPE 2007 Launching - Part 1

2007-08-18T22:25:00.000+08:00

His Majesty consented to launch the 2nd International Halal Products Expo at the ICC this morning. He then proceeded to visit the participating booths in the expo hall. The exhibitors looked pretty well chuffed to welcome His Majesty to their booths! The expo was supposed to end tomorrow but I think its been extended for two more days. So come on down to the ICC to check out more than a hundred booths offering wholesome halal goodies! More pics to come.

Cutlery

2007-08-18T06:47:00.000+08:00

From http://www.silvercutlery.co.uk:

Cutlery in its most basic form has been with us since Stone Age man ceased to tear his food with tooth and nail. The earliest cutting tools discovered by archaeologists date back to 500,000 BC when flint, slate and bone were all in use. A closer relative of today’s cutlery is a metal knife which is known to have been in use in 2000 BC. Every modern knife is a direct descendant of these early tools.

Spoons have a more recent history – little use was found for them in prehistoric times, but the discovery of fire meant that early man had to find some way to get hot food and liquids into his mouth. The forerunner of the spoon was probably the sea shell. The earliest example of a spoon as we know it is a clay piece dated at 5000 BC.

The fork came later. Anglo-Saxon forks have been found - dating back to the 9th century - but these tended to be little more than a skewer, sometimes with two prongs.. There is no reference to forks – as we know them - being used at the English table until the 17th century.

More recent history. In medieval England eating was mostly with fingers, cutting meat with a communal knife and at times using a spoon. A complementary place setting of matching knife, fork and spoon for each diner originated in renaissance Italy and developed in mid-17th century France at a time when art, craft and domestic sophistication signified political power.

(Not so) Early morning at the Mall

2007-08-17T11:59:00.001+08:00

Finally used the breakfast voucher from Rizqun International which I won from Tina two weeks ago. I was greeted (without any greeting) by a bored, expressionless service staff who just took my voucher and told me to sit. The spread was pretty typical for hotel breakfast buffets. I thought the nasi lemak was pretty good, especially the rendang chicken. I topped it off with a glass of orange juice and a tub of healthy yoghurt.

As I exited the Rizqun Coffeehouse, the atrium of the mall was buzzing with people setting up for the second day of Baiduri Expo 2007. Quite a number of Baiduri booths offering everything from financial planning services, retail loans, credit cards and much more. And it looks like they have lots of fun activities planned for the next few days! More about the expo at the gangsta's site.

There were booths selling tech gear which is always the first thing that comes up on my radar. Everything from plasma TVs to the latest home theatre systems were on offer. Good prices too! I was in a rush this morning but I will pop in again later today or tomorrow to have a closer look.

Tôi thích đến Việt Nam một ngày nào đó...

2007-08-17T06:15:00.000+08:00

Pics taken during the Vietnam - Brunei Darussalam Business Networking Lunch organised by BEDB yesterday. The guest of honor was visiting Vietnamese Prime Minister, His Excellency Mr Nguyen Tan Dung.

Spot da gangsta...

Bonza Outdoor Reception IHPE2007

2007-08-16T06:58:00.000+08:00

Hats off to the organizers of last night's welcoming reception for the participants of the 2nd International Halal Products Expo which was held at the courtyard of Kompleks Yayasan SHHB in the capital. The ambience was fantastic with backdrop of the beautiful SOAS III mosque on one side, and Kampong Ayer on the other. The Halal spread was awesome, with ambuyat, soto, nasi lemak, and other local cuisine on offer! What a wonderful start for our foreign guests who have come to this blessed nation of ours to partake in the annual exposition.

All systems go... IHPE 2007

2007-08-15T18:37:00.000+08:00

BEDB Luncheon with Petronas CEO

2007-08-15T07:01:00.000+08:00

CNET Pay Day :)

2007-08-14T19:44:00.000+08:00

Pay check came in the mail today...
A happy camper is what I am :)

Mr Linderman pays us a visit...

2007-08-14T06:56:00.000+08:00

What was Mr Linderman doing in Brunei? Why was he at the Orient Express Concert? Are YOU on the LIST?

From Wikipedia:

Mr. Linderman is a reputed mobster who has ties to several of the main characters. He is an avid chef and collector of art and antiquities, and is revealed to have the ability to heal living things in the Heroes graphic novel series "War Buddies" and the episode ".07%". In person, he is persuasive, gentle and unfailingly polite. However, he has no qualms about extortion or assassination. He is even willing to allow the deaths of several million people in order to safeguard the human race.

In the graphic novel "War Buddies", it is revealed that Linderman served with the Petrellis' father in Vietnam, where the two were the only survivors of a mission to destroy a target called Au Co. Upon arriving at the target, Linderman healing a wounded Petrelli en-route, the pair discover an area of farmland with vast amounts of vegetation. They destroy the farm, which they surmise is being used to feed Viet Cong troops. They then realise that Au Co is actually the name of a young girl with the ability to make crops grow at an accelerated rate. Petrelli shoots Au Co, and prevents a horrified Linderman from healing her, a fact which at first leads Linderman to have utmost disdain for Petrelli. Years later, however, Linderman meets Petrelli again, and tells him that he now understands that sacrifices sometimes have to be made for the greater good.

In "Six Months Ago", Nathan Petrelli and his brother Peter discuss their father's connection to Linderman, and agree not to interfere with or expose that relationship, in spite of Nathan's political aspirations. After an incident where Nathan is driven off the road by a mysterious truck, which he believes to have been sent by Linderman, Nathan and Peter decide to instead report their father's relationship. When their father dies shortly before they are scheduled to testify against him, the brothers decide to end their mission to expose Linderman.

Happy Birthday Mr K!

2007-08-13T07:04:00.000+08:00

Pics from Mr K's not-so-surprise Birthday Party last week.
The surprisers were out-flanked by the surprisee!

Smarter Talent Show 2007

2007-08-12T11:19:00.000+08:00

The Don's Back!

2007-08-12T07:23:00.000+08:00

After the Acanto Milano experience at Spaghettini, I bumped into my intrepid traveler buddy, Don Gurewitz who is back in Brunei after about two weeks in Sarawak. It was a brief meeting and I've yet to catch up with him on his travels. I think Jan Shim and co have already done so when they picked Don up from Miri a few days ago.

What's a shma?

2007-08-11T16:56:00.000+08:00

Syarikat Haji Metali dan Anak2 had been around for a long time and is a well known institution in Brunei, especially for their cendol. Even His Majesty himself tried the delighful sweet green dessert when he visited SHMA in Serusop during one of his visits around the area some time ago.

For me however, SHMA will always be the place where I go for a serve of Nasi Goreng Beef Steak, a delicious combination of fried rice with slices of beautifully tender beef with a dark, tangy, savoury sauce.

Yesterday, SHMA marked another milestone by opening a branch in the busy Gadong area, adjacent to Super Kleen and a couple of doors down from that other institution, CAM or CA Mohamed. The place is cosy with simple, clean decor. I liked that they had separate areas for smokers and non-smokers.

Just the kind of place to drop in for a quick teh tarik or cendol, or perhaps a nasi goreng beefsteak (didn't spot it on the menu though)? Certainly an alternative to CAM after some f'oo was smoking away at the next table to mine the other day.

Acanto Milano

2007-08-11T08:11:00.001+08:00

More here, here, and here.

What is outsourcing?

2007-08-10T11:56:00.000+08:00

After yesterday's Forum on Outsourcing, I've decided to open up a new outsourcing business. Presenting, AB.org CCOCSC Sdn Bhd (Child-bearing and Child-rearing Outsourcing and Consulting Services Company)! Leave all your child-bearing and rearing needs to our team of experienced personnel!

With packages ranging from the basic 9 month term delivery all the way to 21 year full service package which includes child bearing, child rearing, education and tutoring, mentoring, psych development, and religious and moral upbringing. Now thats what you call turn-key outsourcing! Our service level agreements are second to none in the industry! We deliver what YOU want! And with minimum downtime!

Imagine! No need to go through the pains of pregnancy! No need to put up with sleepless nights feeding and changing the baby! No need to tutor them through basic education! No need for that nervous breakdown as your child turns into a rebellious teenager. No more having to worry about who they hang out with and where they go! You can leave all that to us while you FOCUS on your CORE COMPETENCY, i.e. MAKING MONEY (to pay us!)

Before you know it, your child is all grown up with a first class education and a cushy job in hand. How cool is that eh?? And how much for all this you ask?? Well, as they say... if you have to ask, then you can't afford it! Call us TODAY on 1-800-TURNKEYKIDS!

Projectunes: Unplugged

2007-08-08T12:43:00.000+08:00

Following my earlier post, I finally got to interview the folks behind one of Brunei's most progressive and creative music production outfits, Projectunes early this week. Formed by Adi Rani and Diana a few years ago, Projectunes now produces a number of extremely talented young artists, Azeem, NJ (who sadly was out of town on that day), Feez Madea, and of course, Adi Rani, and Diana.

The first thing that came to mind when they turned up for the interview was, "Gee, what a nice bunch of kids." But beyond the chummy exterior was a group of seriously talented and committed young individuals who have a burning desire to stand up and be recognized by the world! And when you listen to the g-funk stylings of Azeem's "Just Believe" and "Home", and the pop musings of Adi Rani's "Bila Berdua" and "Satu", and the masterful "mixtering" behind NJ's "Bliss", you somehow know... these kids are gonna make it fo'sho... the only question is WHEN? Don't believe me? Take a listen to their stuff here and here and tell me otherwise!

We talked candidly about how there's so much talent in Brunei that gets wasted because its virtually impossible to make a living as an artiste in Brunei. How local talent get short-changed compared to their counterparts from abroad who are brought in to perform at public and private events for ten or more times the amount that locals are being paid. How there's a strong need for unity among local musicians and artists to come together and help grow the fledgling music industry. How the two little turtles who live with them need a bigger aquarium cos they keep climbing out of the present one!

Terima kasih Adi (and Jill), Diana, Azeem, and Feez for hangin out and chatting with me. Lets do it again some time! In the mean time, keep up the good fight and stay true to your vision! Stay tuned for the comic version of this interview! Cool bananas...

Met a doe

2007-08-08T07:06:00.000+08:00

Another guest blogger gives a candid account of a meal at Matadoe Restaurant and Cafe in Mata2 Gadong:

Having been to Matadoe at least a dozen times, I headed there today for lunch with 5 others fully expecting to enjoy my food as I had my heart set on the signature Matadoe spicy fried rice. Service was competent enough by a waiter who seemed to be new. We ordered 2 sets of the abovementioned dish, American Fried Rice, Wet Fried Kway Teow with beef, Lasagna and Baked Macaroni.

Read the rest of this review here.

Rockin with the Orient Express!

2007-08-07T06:21:00.000+08:00

What a rockin thumpin night! The boys from Orient Express brought the house down last night beginning with two traditional songs, Tudung Dulang and Tipa, all the way through to masterful renditions of I shot to sheriff and Superstition. The highlight for me however was when they performed Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing... gila kaliiii...

When I'm sad, she comes to me,
With a thousand smiles she gives to me free.
It's alright, she says it's alright,
Take anything you want from me,
Anything.
Fly on little wing...

More pictures from last night

Marco cucinerà!

2007-08-06T22:15:00.000+08:00

The Empire Hotel & Country Club will be hosting an Italian inspired food festival in August 2007 in association with the world famous Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan. The food festival, taking part from 9 to 23 August, will see The Empire Hotel & Country Club along with Chef Marco Ghezzi serve up a nightly A La Carte menu in the Spaghettini restaurant featuring specially created dishes based on classic Italian recipes and traditional style cooking.

The A La Carte Menu has been specially designed for this Italian Food Festival promotion to showcase some of Italy’s best loved traditional family inspired recipes and ingredients and will include dishes such as “Purpitielli” octopus with potato salad, Risotto with herbs, prawns and courgette blossoms, Spaghetti with Clams and Pizza dell’ Ortolana, eggplants, courgettes, tomatoes and sweet pepper.

The Hotel Principe di Savoia, overlooking Piazza della Repubblica in the centre of Milan was originally opened in 1927 and has recently launched an innovative new veranda and restaurant, the Acanto. To coincide with the Italian food festival being held at The Empire Hotel and Country Club, The Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan is offering guests who dine at the Spaghettini restaurant the chance to win a 4 night stay in Milan to experience the new restaurant first hand.

The Empire Hotel and Country Clubs Spaghettini restaurant is a traditional Italian tratorria serving authentic provincial cuisine from the streets of Rome, winding alleys of Naples and waterways of Venice. The restaurant also provides an exquisite private room for special occasions.

Early bookings are highly recommended for the event, through +673 241 8888 or email dining@theempirehotel.com

Smarter Yoga

2007-08-06T06:53:00.000+08:00

The SMARTER Yoga Flow session organised by the woman and co was an awesome success. The response was so good, they had to change the venue due to space constraint. Hats off to everyone who attended and donated so generously to the SMARTER fund. I'm certain they'll put the money to good use.

The Beatz...

2007-08-05T07:03:00.000+08:00

The Beatz performing at the Law Society Soirée earlier this year... colorful band with an excellent repertoire of songs from evergreens to the most recent rockin' tunes.

Rain...

2007-08-04T06:51:00.001+08:00

Stay tuned for my interview with the folks at Projectunes which
hopefully will take place later today. Cool bananas!

The Ladder of Inference

2007-08-03T06:30:00.000+08:00

Have you ever been accused of “putting 2 and 2 together and making 5”, meaning that the other person thinks you have jumped to the wrong conclusion? Or even vice versa?

In today’s fast-moving world, we are always under pressure to act now, rather than spend time reasoning things through and thinking about the true facts. Not only can this lead us to a wrong conclusion, but it can also cause conflict with other people, who may have drawn quite different conclusions on the same matter.

I was on the receiving end of this equation some time ago which affected both my friendship and business relationship with someone whom I thought would be a friend for life. Unfortunately, its a sad reality that business can get in the way of good friendships.

Pity though, cos I'd taken a real shine to this very decent chap who was in the same age-group and on the same wavelength as me (I thought), and came across as being very mature in his thinking, but I guess he went so far up the Ladder of Inference that before he knew it, there was no turning back...

Ah well... c'est la vie...

Sumbangsih Mulia Visited

2007-08-02T06:57:00.000+08:00

Through a series of circumstances, I found myself visiting the Sumbangsih Mulia SME center yesterday, partly to collect my prize for the MOKAM quiz, and partly to satisfy my own curiosity about the center. The building is situated on an open lot of land between ROBCO and Premier Motors (the Ford dealership) in Beribi Auto City. It looks like an oversized house with no rooms, just open space inside. Behind it is what looks like a super-sized garage.

The ground floor of the air-conditioned interior houses over 20 small stalls offering anything from small trinkets to woven handicrafts, to traditional textiles, to local cakes and biscuits, while the upper floor had around 4 or 5 mini shops/cubicles which offered mostly traditional woven cloth and dressmaking services.

The super-sized garage is actually where the food-stalls are located. I think there were over 40 stalls offering all kinds of food from soto to satay to nasi biryani. There was no fish and chip stall which kinda reminded me of what I said in this post. I did not have time to try out the food there but will surely return to try it out soon. For those who have not visited the center, why not drop by and check out the goodies on sale and sample the food while you're there?

Thanks once again to HKH and MOKAM for the lovely gift. Little Nina really enjoyed the prawn puffs!

I'm hooked on Comic Life!!

2007-08-01T06:22:00.000+08:00

Black Gold...

2007-07-31T06:31:00.000+08:00

FPV or Ford Performance Vehicles' 40th Anniversary GT monster. Black Gold bootie-shaking BOSS 290 5.4 litre Quad-Cam 32 valve V8 driven muscle-car dream on wheels. Premier Motors! Can you just bring one in for the heck of it PLEASE!

Need a temporary distraction from the testosterone rush... tks to GoD's GiFT! for the following "too good not to re-post" post:

Words women use.

"Fine"

This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

"Five Minutes"

If she is getting dressed, this is half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given 5 more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

"Nothing"

This is the calm before the storm. This means "something" and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with "nothing" usually end in "fine".

"Go Ahead"

This is a dare, not permission, DON'T DO IT!

"Loud Sigh"

Although not actually a word, the loud sigh is often misunderstood by men. A Loud Sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over "Nothing".

"That's Okay"

This is one of the most dangerous statements that a woman can make to a man. "That's okay" means that she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

"Thanks"

This is the least used of all words in the female vocabulary. If a woman is thanking you. Do not question it, just say you're welcome and back out of the room slowly.

The MOD Experience - Part Two

2007-07-30T17:37:00.000+08:00

Continuation of the original post.

Smile!

2007-07-30T06:42:00.000+08:00

Good morning everyone! Have a wonderful week ahead!
Don't forget to SMILE!

Flip-it Sunday @ JC

2007-07-29T11:40:00.000+08:00

Today's JC session welcomed the arrival of our flip-it jumbos, a cool flash accessory which as can be seen from the pics above, makes a big difference in the way photos will turn out using the speedlight. I think it diffuses light more efficiently than the Lightsphere, but then thats just me. The morning was spent playing with the new toy... Nice.... very nice... Tks hjzul for organizing the group buy!

Oh, and I met a friend of Jan's, Colin Quek, who walked up and introduced himself. Nice to meet you dude, and I'm sure I'll run into you at the office! I like your pics btw! Heheh!

Hey F'oo!!

2007-07-28T07:23:00.000+08:00

What is it with drivers who insist on going round the roundabout
as if they're negotiating a hairpin at Sepang??
Making up for lack of performance in other areas??

Btw, I need yr full name for the anakbrunei.org email accounts :)
Oh, and did I mention that its a GOOGLE hosted email account
with a 2GB mailbox?

Crystal Duck Anyone?

2007-07-27T07:15:00.000+08:00

Kamayan is an interesting word in Tagalog. It can mean eat with hands, but it also means having fun as its more literal meaning is shaking hands or getting acquainted. I'm not sure if the current owners knew this before they took over Seri Kamayan Restaurant all those years ago. The Gadong branch was one of my favorite haunts pre-1997 and I suspect it was a favorite of many others as the place seemed to be always packed whenever I went.

I hadn't been to Seri Kamayan in years and last night da missus and I were invited to dinner at their remaining branch at Utama Bowling. The restaurant overlooks the bowling alley which means you can watch the bowlers in action while you eat :) The food we ordered was based on the recommendation of the staff and it did not disappoint! It was a bonza meal enjoyed in great company. What more could one ask for? Read the full review of the meal here.

Check out my other reviews:

Streets of BSB on His Majesty's Birthday - Part 2

2007-07-26T06:22:00.000+08:00

DestinASIAn: BIMP-EAGA

2007-07-25T06:44:00.000+08:00

The 4th BIMP-EAGA Joint Tourism Development Cluster Meeting took place last week with the objective of introducing a value-chain approach to BIMP-EAGA tourism stakeholders, the mapping of BIMP-EAGA tourism value chain and analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; to understand the roles and requirements in tourism development and develop an action plan based on the principal of the value-chain approach.

Click!

2007-07-24T20:16:00.001+08:00

The Smiths had no children and decided to use a proxy father to start their family. On the day the proxy father was to arrive, Mr. Jacobs kissed his wife and said "I'm off to work, Lydia. The guy should be here soon."

Shortly after that, a door-to-door baby photographer happened to drop by hoping to make a sale. Mrs. Jacobs answered the door. "Good morning, ma'am. You don't know me, but I've come to..." "Oh yes, I know why you're here. Harry told me you'd be coming soon." "He did? But I..." "Come right in! No use wasting time ." "Very well, then."

The photographer took out his briefcase and sat down. "As you may already know, I've made a specialty of babies." "Good, I'm glad," said Mrs. Jacobs. "That's just what Harry and I were looking for."

"I usually like to try two in the bathtub, one on the couch and perhaps a couple on the bed," said the photographer. "The living room floor is fun too...you can really spread out." "Bathtub? Living room floor? No wonder it never worked for Harry and me." "Well, ma'am, none of us can guarantee a perfect one every time, but if we try several different positions and I shoot from six or seven different angles, I think you'll be quite pleased with the results."

"I certainly hope we can get this over with quickly," Mrs. Jacobs gasped nervously. "Ma'am, in my line of work a man must take his time. I'd like to be in and out in five minutes, but you'd be disappointed with that, I'm sure." "Don't I know!" said Mrs. Jacobs.

The photographer pulled out a portfolio of his pictures. "This one was done on top of a bus in downtown London," he said, showing Mrs. Jacobs the picture. "Oh my God!" exclaimed Mrs. Jacobs, tugging on her handkerchief.

"And these twins turned out exceptionally well when you consider the fact that their mother was so difficult to work with." He showed Mrs. Jacobs another picture. "She was difficult?" questioned Mrs. Jacobs. "Extremely," said the photographer. "I finally had to take her to Hyde Park to get the job done right. People were crowding around, four and five deep, just to get a good look." "Four and five deep!" Mrs. Jacobs was amazed. "Yes," said the photographer. "And for more than three hours, too. The mother was constantly squealing and yelling. I could hardly concentrate. Then, it started getting dark and I had to rush my shots. Finally, when the squirrels started nibbling on my equipment. I just packed it all in."

Mrs. Jacobs leaned forward. 'You mean the squirrels actually chewed on your, um... equipment?" "Yes, ma'am. Thank God, no real damage was done.

Well, we'll get to work as soon as I set up my tripod."

"Tripod?" Mrs. Jacobs looked extremely worried now.

"Of course. I need to use a tripod to rest my Canon on. It's much to big for me to hold while I'm getting ready for action. Ma'am... ma'am... good God, she's fainted!"

Skali Lagi...

2007-07-23T07:06:00.000+08:00

This here is my new friend whom I had the pleasure of meeting last week amid his busy schedule. Tengku Farith Rithauddeen, or TF for short, is Group CEO and Co-Founder of SKALI, an Internet Data Centre operator, and web applications and e-business consultancy which has set up a Lab in the BEDB's i-Center to transfer its technology and know-how to local bright sparks.

During our brief chat about what SKALI's plans are for their lab, TF outlined SKALI's technopreneurship program called SNAP, which stands for "SKALI Netpreneurs Acceleration Program", a program to facilitate the local ICT Industry by providing the necessary support structure.

I think this sort of mentorship program will do well to augment the efforts of BEDB and the i-Center in nurturing and growing our local bright sparks so that they can compete in the global market.

The other thing we spoke about was TF's book, Skali Lagi, which I've been listening to (yes, it comes in audio format which TF was kind enough to give me a CD of hehe) over the weekend. I was totally inspired by TF's candid reflections about his experiences, many of which mirror my own, about the last ten years or so. About the ups and downs of the dotcom boom, about how close he came to bankcruptcy, about how painful rejection and defeat can be, about how costly wrong decisions in technology can be.

I look forward to meeting TF again and sharing and learning more from our experiences. Hopefully, I will be inspired to gear up again and come out punching and give the IT industry another go!

A projectile called Projectunes

2007-07-22T16:39:00.001+08:00

Came across a very well written article on Projectunes in today's paper. Out of curiosity, I visited the site. Phooaaarr! I must admit I've been really out of touch with the local music scene, so these kids just blew me away! From a humble home studio in the bedroom of one Adi Rani, they have produced some fabulous stuff! Our local talents just continue to amaze me!

I especially liked Azeem's track, Home. Kinda gives that G-Funk vibe with a real Bruneian flavour in the lyrics. Addictive stuff. I remember wondering to myself while listening to the G-Funk sounds of WarrenG driving around in Perth (where I met this member of projectunes) many years ago, "When are we gonna have a Bruneian version of this?". I shall wonder no more...

Hats off to the team at Projectunes and keep up the good fight! I wanna see you guys get to the top!

The MOD Experience

2007-07-21T18:30:00.001+08:00

The gang and I braved the typhoon tail last night and gathered at the newly opened MOD Cafe on Jalan Jerudong last night. The crowd at the restaurant was testament to the fact that Bruneians will brave almost anything for a 50% discount on their meal! The place was jam-packed and parking was almost impossible. Good thing da sista made reservations earlier.

As we settled in to our table, a quick gaze around gave me the sense that we were in for a loooong night. Tables were left uncleared, people were left standing at the front counter, and eventually turned away for lack of reservations. The service staff, including the owner, were clearly out of their element and unprepared for the hungry hordes coming in for their half-priced feast! Some of the customers even walked out in a huff when the wait for their orders proved unbearable (kalau omputih nda pulang batah tu rasanya menunggu 'sal bisdia panjang becerita heheh!).

Perhaps it would not be fair to judge the service at this juncture seeing as it was their first night and they clearly under-estimated the amount of customers. Although I must say, the waiter who served our table, a sprightly indonesian chap, was very cool under-pressure and did very well considering the circumstances, so hats off to him!

The food... now that, thankfully, was a totally different story. It was fantastic! Every dish that eventually arrived was perfect taste-wise from the home-made fishcakes to the seafood tomyum to the mango fish to the glass noodles with prawns. But the highlight of the night had to be the deep fried fish-maw with squid and prawns. It was outstanding! The fish maw went really well with the slices of onion and parsley complemented by the tang of the lime juice... mmmm....

... to be continued...

Check out my other reviews:

Happy 2nd Birthday!

2007-07-20T18:57:00.001+08:00

It's Saffron's 2nd Anniversary and A and F kindly invited me to celebrate with them during their weekend high-tea buffet which included the marvellous chocolate fountain where you get to coat your choice of fruits and pastry in luxurious chocolate before you eat it! In addition to the chocolate fountain, there were also various local delicacies. Yummmmz!

Below are the current Saffron promos:

Breakfast Happy Hour
Monday to Thursday
9.30am - 10.30am
Bottomless cups of coffee

High Tea Buffet
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
3pm - 6pm
Selected sweets and savouries and a chocolate fountain

Tea Time Happy Hour
4:30pm - 5:30pm
50% off Cakes

Throughout the promo period, Baiduri Platinum Visa cardholders and diners paying cash will get a 20 per cent off on the total dining bill.

Gilang Gemilang

2007-07-19T23:05:00.001+08:00

Pics taken at the Gemilang Photography lecture earlier tonight in Tutong where Don was invited to give a talk. Guest of honour was the Assistant District Officer of Tutong. Good turnout of Gemilang members and the night included a slideshow of pictures taken by members this morning during His Majesty's bersama rakyat in Tutong, and also slideshows by some of the more prominent members of Gemilang like Ahim Rani, Haranadi Buntar and Adi Putera. It was an interesting night of sharing of pictures and experiences. Cool bananas!

Lunch at the Skodons

2007-07-18T18:13:00.000+08:00

Many thanks to the US Ambassador and Mrs Skodon for inviting us over for lunch today. It was a lovely meal and the company was superb. This dude was there, and so was this dude. But the lunch was hosted for this dude. More about the food here.

Serenity...

2007-07-17T12:18:00.001+08:00

“Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm”

Streets of BSB on His Majesty's Birthday

2007-07-16T18:30:00.001+08:00

Faces - Part 9

2007-07-15T20:29:00.001+08:00

Wine me, Dine me... (Arriving with Yannick Alléno)

2007-07-15T14:20:00.001+08:00

Outstanding French cuisine by an outstanding French chef. Everyone arrived at least once! The words are here and here. More pics are here, and here.

Wassup Machaaa!

2007-07-14T06:50:00.000+08:00

This here is Rajoo (not his real name) the bro wif da flow. I call him machaa (tamil for brutha). He da man cuz without him the roti kawin and the seama kway teow don't get served! Keep it real machaaa!

For those going to the Phantom of the Opera Gala Dinner tonight at Pantai, see ya all there and don't forget to wear your best smile cos you might get snapped by anakbrunei!

Abstract by Nia

2007-07-13T18:48:00.000+08:00

Kid's got a good eye for colour don't you think?

All set for Sunday...

2007-07-13T06:26:00.000+08:00

Pics from the media briefing at the Information Department yesterday morning. This year, the info dept received over 200 media pass applicants! Its gonna be a battle to get in the right positions for good shots! But its good fun at the same time! See ya at the padang!

Bonza Dinner!

2007-07-12T06:54:00.000+08:00

What a great turnout we had for the Brunei-Australia Alumni Association Annual Dinner at the end of last month!

Bonza food, bonza entertainment, and especially bonza people! Quite a number of new members signed up on the night which was a good sign. Congratulations to the winners of the lucky draw prizes which included tickets to Perth and Singapore!

I know there's more of you Aussie undergrads/grads/postgrads out there and I think the BAAA is a great way to network with your fellow aussie alumni so that we can keep the ties with our Australian friends strong. More about the BAAA here.

Le Meurice Afternoon Tea at The Empire

2007-07-11T07:12:00.000+08:00

Today's post was submitted by my first ever guest contributor, Da Sista. I will be happy to receive more guest contributions from readers on all Brunei related topics from today onwards. So if you're itchin to have your say on something, but can't be bothered to set up a site, then by all means, send it to me! (fine print applies here heheh!)

Hope the pics will be useful, inda lagi ku pandai mengambil fancy2 shots. The best I could do...hehe!

My plate had slices of lemon cake and carrot cake (under it) which were absolutely divine! The brown eclair was called Chocolate Caroline (yummy!), green cake was Green Tea Financier (really really good!) and the last was a Strawbberry Tart. There were also scones with apple bits made by the Le Meurice pastry chefs served with cream, strawberry jam and blueberry jam, and finger sandwiches with different fillings - smoked salmon, cheese and chicken. Kanyang eh - macam dinner bah!

For drinks L had the Meurice signature regular hot chocolate (really thick stuff which needs to be thinned with milk). Other hot choc flavours available were orange and cinnamon. I had the African Autumn tea which was caffeine free and had a fruity flavour.

All in all, really good value for $19.50 to try authentic French pastries - at Le Meurice itself this would cost more than 20 Euros per person. FYI a New Year's Eve Menu starts at 350 Euros per person!!! Really eyewatering!

Best place in the whole wide world...

2007-07-10T22:13:00.000+08:00

In mummy's warm embrace...

Mustang Sally

2007-07-09T12:27:00.000+08:00

Why is it that people insist on chatting among themselves or worse still, chatting on the phone when they are in a room full of people trying to listen to a speaker delivering his/her presentation?

This morning, I sat in on a very interesting seminar on cooperatives conducted by one of the speakers from Malaysia. What she delivered, I felt, was very pertinent to the audience, which was made up of heads and senior position holders of the various cooperatives in Brunei. Sadly, some of these individuals could be seen (and heard!) chatting on the phone and amongst themselves... sigh...

Yesterday, I attended Don Gurewitz's travel lecture along with quite a number of other local photogs. It was a great afternoon. Don took us on a journey through Asia, Africa, and India in a space of two hours. Siok. Macam National Geographic, tapi LIVE. Don is a really engaging speaker and I for one was fascinated with his travel stories and pics, but especially his stories. The stories gave meaning and context to his pictures.

Unfortunately, I think there were some in the audience who probably had the wrong expectations or something. They were chatting among themselves and busy taking pics of Don's slides! Kinda pissed me off these chaps...

For those who missed him this time round, he will be giving another talk in Tutong this weekend I think. Stay tuned for details.

50 years on... Part 2

2007-07-08T22:56:00.000+08:00