anakbrunei

Today's topic is inspired by the young people at Koperasi Belia Kitani or KBK. The objective of KBK is to provide employment opportunities for youth, to nurture youth entrepreneurs, to instill a sense of ownership among the youth and shareholders, and to establish reputable corporate governance (both) internally and with other supporting agenc(ies). In case you're curious about the pictures, read more at Brunei Restaurant Review , Your definitive guide to eating out in Brunei.

I'm in a retrospective mood today ... Below is a piece I wrote for Asia-inc in 2002. Four years on , we are still struggling to address the same challenges that I outlined. It seems to me that the ICT industry in Brunei is bleeding slowly to death (some are already dead) from this paralysis caused by analysis. I wish I could be as candid as my friend Pat when it comes to giving my two cents about these things but that's not my style, so I just leave it at that :) In the wake of the financial crisis of 1997 and the plummeting price of oil at that time, His Majesty's government set up the Brunei Darussalam Economic Council to review the economy and to suggest ways to strengthen it. In the Council's report, a central theme was the need for Brunei to diversify its economy away from its traditional dependence on oil and gas. Amongst the elements recommended to help diversify the economy was the development of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry. T...

This photo was taken during a trip to KK a few years ago. It was a very significant trip because that was the first time just me and the girls went on vacation together... The missus stayed home nursing little Nina who had just been born at the time... While I checked in, I told the girls to wait at the lobby area. I saw them sitting together like this, and zoomed in for a shot. I've submitted this photo to JPG Magazine to appear in their next issue. If you think it should be in the mag, click here . Incidentally, voting closes in THREE days! (Hint hint!) Please and thank you :)

Definition of plaudit . It's great to see that due recognition is given to private schools at the highest levels. I hope the cry for overhead bridges in the vicinity of private schools will be heard as well at the highest levels...

Pablo asked me the other day why I registered the domain anakbrunei.org and I replied it was part of branding strategy. But what is branding strategy? Heheh to tell you the truth I'm also not sure but Pablo cleared it up somewhat in his post . I never saw it that way but it does make sense. Now I know...

Tonight, we had a home cooked dinner to celebrate my parents' 39th Wedding Anniversary which falls tomorrow. My sis made the lovely asparagus and the superlicious tiramisu while I made the fetuccini, baked chicken with herbs & garlic, and for the kids, mac n cheese :) Roasted asparagus spears with rosemary & cherry tomatoes rolled in beef bacon Spinach fetuccini with sauteed portobello mushrooms, roasted peppers, and zuchini Superlicious Tiramisu topped with chocolate shavings

My full review of the family promo meal at Sanur Indonesian Restaurant as heard on the Jenny M show @ KristalFM today: Tahu telor: What can I say? Perfecto! Gusto! Making tahu telor is an artform I reckon, and the chef at Sanur's got it down pat. Always delicious and always hits the spot! Ayam Goreng Bumbu: I think this was the highlight of the meal (cos the tahu telur was foregone conclusion). Very nicely marinated chicken fried to perfection. Was good by itself. Inda payah becacah lagi. Kids absolutely loved it cos it wasn't too spicy. Mental note: next time order double serve heheheh! Sambal Udang: The Sambal prawns were different to what you normally get in other indonesian restaurants. Usually the prawns are cooked in the sambal but here its what appears to be pre-boiled prawns served with sambal on top. Perhaps its to keep the prawns fresh. I like the sambal.. a lot! Beef Rendang: Rendang is one of Sanur signature dishes and its definitely got that indonesian flavor...

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. The family and I will be heading off to Sanur tonight to try out their 1st anniversary promo . Tune in to the Jenny M show on Kristal FM tomorrow at lunch time to hear my full review of tonight's dinner ;)

Related pictures

Been reading with great interest Mr BR's pieces on Brunei Malay wedding gear and Mamalobeng's Power of Underwear eheheh (funny girl that one!) and the one thing that comes to mind is which is culture, which is religion and where do we draw the line? Do we as a society adopt the practices of our ancestors when it suits us eventhough it goes against religion? Why have lavish weddings when some of us clearly cannot afford them? Why throw a perfectly good pair of underwear on the roof to prevent rain when it's clearly God's will that it rains? I'm sure there's numerous fatwas from the state mufti on this issue so I won't go into them. To me, its all about our world-view and how it shapes the way we conduct our daily activities from weddings to funerals. A world-view provides us with a structure of reality; it defines, classifies, and orders the "real" in the universe, in our world, and in our society. A world-view embodies man's most general co...

Bapa kepada Raja adalah syariat ajaran Rasul Ibu kepada Raja adalah adat dan undang-undang Saudara kepada Raja adalah segala Menteri Besar dan Kecil Anak kepada Raja adalah segala rakyat jelata Bahawa Raja itu bagaikan tiada bapa, ibu dan anak Tidak diutamakan oleh Raja kepentingan lain melainkan rakyat jelata. Malah ungka siamang di hutan jua adalah di bawah jagaan Raja Menjalankan pemerintahan dengan adil Memelihara agama - menjamin keamanan Menunaikan kewajipan dengan penuh iltizam Jika Raja gagal menjunjung kebenaran ini Maka hancur musnahlah negara...

AnakBrunei@Blogspot now has a brand spanking new address and its: http://www.anakbrunei.org

Kids, today's topic was inspired by Sassy Monroe . I just love the way bahasa Indonesia sounds when used in an ICT context. Its so c o l o r f u l don't you think? Ketika anda kali pertama mengenal komputer, tentunya kebanyakan dari anda memakai operating system Windows. Tidak peduli apakah operating system tersebut bajakan atau orisinal , pokoknya yang ada dalam benak anda adalah sebuah komputer hanya bisa berjalan dengan operating system Windows. Begitu juga ketika anda ingin melakukan surfing Internet, anda tentu memerlukan sebuah web browsing yang bisa digunakan untuk menjelajah dunia maya secara cepat dan nyaman . Dalam hal ini, Windows yang anda kenal tersebut hanya meyediakan Internet Explorer atau IE sebagai web browser standar ketika anda melakukan instalasi Windows ke dalam komputer anda. Dengan begitu, tentunya anda hanya mengenal IE saja sebagai satu-satunya web browser pada saat itu. Kemudian beberapa tahun belakangan ini banyak bermunculan komunitas open source ...

I really enjoyed reading Jack's post on Brunei businesses going bust . Absolutely agree that its not all gloom and doom and its just a matter of time before the economy starts pumping again with all those projects slated for the 9th RKN . My only concern is this, what do we do before then? Aside from jostling for position with arms (and mouths) wide-open, ready for the giant JPKE to award those "mega-projects"? Anyway, thats boring stuff. I was more excited by the suggestion that Brunei become a retirement village for the rich (and famous?). I like that idea, and I think it can work! Not only as retirement village but also as a residential base for executives from multi-national companies, it would be ideal. With all ASEAN capitals within a short flying distance , these executives could telecommute daily and fly to and from meetings as and when. In return, they would get a safe, tax-free, and clean environment to bring up their families. Sweet...

My full review of Casino Royale as heard on the Jenny M Show on Kristal FM this morning: Daniel Craig is definitely a Bond for the ladies ‘Ard as, on the outside, but soft as on the inside Similar to his character XXXX in Layer Cake, or Dennis Waterman’s character Terry in that British gangster series “Minder”. At some points he actually reminded me of Bruce Willis in DieHard! Pecs similar to mine… if seen in certain light lah Still cannot beat Sean Connery in my book Highlights: Vertigo inducing chase in Madagascarian construction site The sarcastic exchange when he first meets Vesper Lynd (ooo ladies love it don’t they?) The “Stephanie Broadchest” line made me chuckle The poker game was intriguing but still can’t figure out Texas Hold’em Poker The scenery was gorgeous esp. Bahamas and Montenegro… WOW Lowlights: The Pout.. gets annoying after a while Bit slow esp. the bits where he’s playing lovey dovey with Vespa. Felt like I was watching Gone with the Wind at one stage… The ladie...

I took these pics (with my K750i) in front of PDS School in Jangsak. Some parents have taken it upon themselves to risk their children's and their own lives every single day by parking on the opposite side of the road facing the school and crossing the dual carriageway to pick up their kids. I get very upset when parents do this because it just takes one slip of footing and then tragedy strikes... In some countries this is called jay-walking and is prosecutable offence. I seriously hope the authorities will consider building an overhead bridge in the area so that parents and children will be able to cross safely to their other side of the road. How much is the price of one life compared to the cost of building an overhead bridge?

My full review of the Lamb Shank Briyani @ Sheraton as heard @ The Jenny M Show on Kristal FM this morning: It was HUGE! Big serve perfect for hearty appetites! The lamb was tender and juicy. The sauce was great, just nice and not too spicy. It was served on the side which was good so you can use as much or as little as you like. I loved the acar! Very refreshing n tangy and goes very well with the meat (the yellow stuff was mango? If it was, nice twist, me likey). The eggs were the way I like em with my briyani, hard-boiled and deep fried. The rice, I'm not sure if it was basmathi rice but it felt a bit heavy and slightly oily. Taste-wise, it was nyamannn though! One tiny complaint I have though... The pappadums were not drained properly and still had some oil on them, but they were crispy so I close one eye lah... Overall, a very substantial and satisfying meal served along with Sheraton's signature first class service! My Rating: Two thumbs up from me! If you haven't...

Apparently there are 500 IT related jobs up for grabs over the short to medium term. So the quest for IT-skilled workers has begun and government ministries are recruiting in earnest. I can't help but wonder if we will be able to recruit that many people in such a short time. Even if we did, would skill or talent be the primary criteria? Update: I like Amieheidi's honest description of what she is and isn't good at. Such a talented girl that one =)

Finally, Richard's been acquitted . I do not know the man, nor have I ever met him, but my heart goes out to him for having had to endure two years of incarceration waiting for the court to find him innocent.... Good on ya Richard, and here's to hoping you can pick up your life where you left off two years ago. Update: I nodded in agreement when I read Borgkingkong's take on the verdict. Our thoughts should also be with the family and loved ones of the three innocent victims.

Was just reading Fei's piece in BT on information being key to good governance . I couldn't agree more. I'm sure a lot has been discussed and debated about this in EROPA and other similar forums . I imagine a government so transparent we could actually track the progress of our interactions with the government e.g. applications for business licenses, visas, passports, and even citizenship... all at one click of the mouse button... Pipe dream? Perhaps... Btw, Fei , if you're reading this, I tried unsuccessfully to put a comment on your latest post earlier today. Am not a liveid nor livejournal user hence anonymous was the only alternative... but cannot post leh... Oh, and thanks Rano for booking that 50mm 1.8 II for me heheh! Much appreciated bro!

This is a continuation of my series on the Gadong Wet Market . A chef's paradise...

Over the last two Sundays, we happened to be in the car listening to DJ Dean's show when he opened up the Sheraton Lamb Shank Briyani quiz. On both occasions, we happened to get through on the phone and give the correct answer! What are the odds of that eh? Anyway, tonight, we redeemed our winnings and went for a night out with the rugrats. The missus and I had the Lamb Shank Briyani and the rugrats had the buffet... Tune in to Kristal FM next Monday between 10am-2pm on the Jenny M show when I'll be calling in to give my full review of tonight's dinner :) Ya, I also scratched my head when I read the headline "Synergy Panacea To Beat Pandemic" on today's paper...