anakbrunei

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 !

... 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

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 ...

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 :)

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.

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 ...

What was your weekend like?

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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.

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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 ...