HAJI K PERSONALISED ZONE

Membaca Doa Arwah

2010-11-21T23:03:00.002+08:00

Alhamdulillah pada hari Ahad 21/11/2010, selesai sudah majlis membaca tahlil dan doa arwah bagi memperingati ayahanda Allahyarham Mohamad bin Mahali yang telah kembali kerahmatullah pada sekitar tahun 1963.

Walaupun majlis diadakan secara kecil-kecilan dengan dihadiri oleh keluarga terdekat sahaja, tetapi syukur alhamdulillah majlis berjalan dengan lancar dan bermakna. Semoga doa yang disampaikan oleh ahli keluarga yang hadir termasuk anak2 dan cucu2 beliau akan selamat sampai keatas roh beliau. Amin.

Kami sekeluarga juga sempat menziarahi pusara beliau di Tanah Perkuboran Sugan di Pekan Tutong dan sempat membacakan Surah Yaasin dan doa tahlil seada nya. Mudah2an Allah memberikan rahmat keatas ayahanda dan menempatkan beliau bersama orang2 yang beriman serta selamat di alam barzah. Amin.

Selamat Menunaikan Ibadah Haji

2010-10-24T16:28:00.002+08:00

Selamat menunaikan ibadah haji kepada semua bakal2 jemaah haji dari Negara Brunei Darussalam yang akan menunaikan fardhu pada tahun 2010 ini, khas nya kepada saudara-mara dan rakan-rakan yang dihormati:

1) Haji Roslan Bungso
2) Rahmat
3) Abd Rahim Md Noor
4) Bayu
5) Noor Hadi
6) Hjh Zaleha
7) Cikgu Haji Mohammad b. Rajab
8) Cikgu Fatimah
9) Pg Haris

Semoga pergi dengan selamat, dimudahkan segala urusan dan pulang dengan mendapat haji yang mabrur. Amin...

New Ministerial Line Up

2010-05-31T08:22:00.004+08:00

CABINET MINISTERS, DEPUTY MINISTERS, EXECUTIVE PERMANENT SECRETARIES AND DEPUTY PERMANENT SECRETARIES

Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Minister of Finance
His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Saadul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam

Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office
His Royal Highness Prince Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince

Second Minister of Finance at the Prime Minister's Office
Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Haji Abd Rahman bin Haji Ibrahim

Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister's Office
Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Wahab bin Juned

Permanent Secretaries at Prime Minister's Office
Tuan Haji Abd Aziz bin Orang Kaya Maharaja Lela Haji Md Yusof
Tuan Haji Murni bin Haji Mohamad
Tuan Sa Bali bin Abbas
Tuan Haji Omar bin Haji Abd Rahman
Pengiran Haji Abd Harris bin Pengiran Haji Shahbudin
Tuan Md Lutfi bin Abdullah

Deputy Permanent Secretaries at Prime Minister's Office
Tuan Haji Ismail bin POKPS DP Hj Hashim (Energy)
Dr. Haji Affendy bin Pehin Dato Haji Abidin
Tuan Haji Abd Mutalib bin Pehin Dato Haji Yusof
Tuan Haji Mahrub bin Haji Murni

Deputy Minister of Defence
Dato Paduka Haji Mustappha bin Haji Sirat

Permanent Secretay at Ministry of Defence
Tuan Haji Saifulbahri bin Haji Mansor

Deputy Permanent Secretaries at Ministry of Defence
Tuan Haji Mohd Sahrip bin Othman
Colonel Pengiran Dato Paduka Hj Azmansham bin Pengiran Hj Mohamed

Deputy Minister of Finance
Tuan Haji Bahrin bin Abdullah

Permanent Secretaries at Ministry of Finance
Tuan Haji Mohd Roselan bin Haji Mohd Daud
Tuan Haji Hisham bin Haji Hanifah

Deputy Permanent Secretaries at Ministry of Finance
Tuan Haji Mohd Rosli bin Haji Sabtu
Tuan Yusof bin Haji Abd Rahman
Tuan Yahya bin Haji Idris

Minister of Foreign Affairs
His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Saadul Khairi Waddien

Second Minister of Foreign Affairs
Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Dewa Dato Seri Setia Lim Jock Seng

Permanent Secretaries at Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Othman bin Pengiran Haji Patra
Dato Paduka Haji Shofry bin Haji Abdul Ghafor
Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi
Datin Paduka Hajah Maimunah binti Dato Paduka Haji Elias
Tuan Haji Irywan bin Pehin Dato Haji Yusof

Deputy Permanent Secretaries at Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Dato Paduka Haji Mohamed Noor bin Haji Jeludin
Pengiran Datin Paduka Hajah Masrainah bte Pengiran Haji Ahmad
Tuan Haji Nazmi bin Haji Muhammad
Pengiran Dato Paduka Hj Yunus bin Pengiran Hj Mahmud

Minister of Education
Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong

Deputy Minister of Education
Dato Seri Setia Haji Yusof bin Haji Ismail

Permanent Secretaries at Ministry of Education
Datin Paduka Hajah Apsah binti Haji Majid
Tuan Haji Daud bin Haji Mahmud

Deputy Permanent Secretaries at Ministry of Education
Tuan Haji Suhaila bin Haji Abd Karim
Dr. Haji Junaidi bin Haji Abd Rahman

Minister of Health
Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Mohd Yussof

Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Health
Dato Paduka Haji Abd Salam bin Momin

Deputy Permanent Secretaries at Ministry of Health
Dr Datin Paduka Dr. Hajah Intan binti Haji Salleh
Tuan Haji Rosli bin Haji Mustafa

Minister of Development
Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman

Deputy Minister of Development
Dato Paduka Haji Ali bin Haji Apong

Permanent Secretaries at Ministry of Development
Tuan Haji Mohd Rozan bin Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yunos
Dato Paduka Haji Rashid bin Haji Abd Rahman

Deputy Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Development
Tuan Haji Md Zin bin Haji Salleh

Minister of Communications
Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdullah bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar

Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Communications
Tuan Haji Alaihuddin bin Pehin Orang Kaya Digadong Haji Taha

Deputy Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Communications
Tuan Haji Mahmud bin Haji Daud

Minister of Industry and Primary Resources
Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Yahya bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar

Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources
Puan Hajah Suriyah binti Haji Umar
Dr Haji Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah

Deputy Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources
Pengiran Hajah Mariana binti Pengiran Dipa Negara Pengiran Haji Abd Momin

Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister's Office
Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Singamanteri Col (L) Dato Seri Paduka Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar

Minister of Religious Affairs
Yang Mulia Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohammad bin Pengiran Haji Abd Rahman

Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs
Pengiran Haji Bahrom bin Pengiran Haji Bahar

Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Religious Affairs
Tuan Haji Md Mahdi bin Pehin Dato Haji Abd Rahman

Deputy Permanent Secretaries at Ministry of Religious Affairs
vacant

Minister of Home Affairs
Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Othman

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs
Pehin Dato Laila Major General (R) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Halbi bin Hj Md Yusof

Permanent Secretaries at Ministry of Home Affairs
Tuan Mawardi bin Haji Abdullah
Tuan Haji Md Abdoh bin DSS Hj Abd Salam
Dato Paduka Haji Abd Majid bin Mangarshah

Deputy Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Home Affairs

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports
Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Lela Diraja Dato Paduka Haji Hazair bin Haji Abdullah

Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports
Datin Hajah Adina bte Haji Osman

Permanent Secretaries at Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports
Dato Paduka Haji Jemat bin Haji Ampal
Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Hamid bin Haji Jaafar

Deputy Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports
vacant - Tuan Haji Mohammad bin Haji Abd Rahman (Acting)

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Ambassador-at-Large
Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Anak Puteri Hajah Masna binti Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Saadul Khairi Waddien

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MINISTERIAL RANK
Chief Justice
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Kifrawi bin Dato Paduka Haji Kifli

State Mufti
Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Abdul Aziz bin Juned

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CONSTITUTIONAL APPOINTMENTS

Attorney General
Datin Paduka Hajah Hayati binti Pehin Orang Kaya Shahbandar Dato Seri Paduka Haji Mohd Salleh
[Note: This is now a Ministerial position]

State Mufti
Yang Berhormat Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Abdul Aziz bin Juned
[Note: This is now a Ministerial position]

Chairman of Public Service Commission
(vacant)

Auditor General
Tuan Haji Mahadi bin Haji Ibrahim

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JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS

Syariah Court

Chief Justice of the Syariah Court
Yang Berhormat Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Yahya bin Haji Awang Ibrahim

Syariah Appeal Judges
Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman

Syariah High Court Judges
Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Seri Utama Dato Paduka Seri Utama Dato Paduka Seri Setia Haji Awang Salim bin Haji Besar
Dato Paduka Haji Metussin bin Haji Baki

Civil Court

President of the Court of Appeal

Chief Justice
Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Kifrawi bin Dato Paduka Haji Kifli

High Court Judges and Judicial Commissioners
Dato Paduka Steven Chong
Dato Paduka Hairolarni bin Haji Abd Majid

Intermediate Court Judges
Ms. Lim Siew Yen

New Minister Appointments (Taken from The Brunei Times)

2010-05-31T07:09:00.003+08:00

Credit to The Brunei Times. I just want to post it here for future reference, in case I them them. I am doing this so that I do not have to search the archives in The Brunei Times website in the future. Rgds and good luck to the new ministers and their deputies.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

HIS Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam yesterday announced the reshuffle and new appointments within the Council of Cabinet Ministers, including Brunei's first female deputy minister since the Sultanate introduced the Cabinet style system of government in 1984.

As the royal address was broadcast through state television and radio for the nation to hear, His Majesty announced that he will retain the posts of Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Minister of Finance.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah will also remain Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office.

His Majesty's brother, His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah also retains the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia Hj Abu Bakar Hj Apong was moved from his post as Communications Minister to Minister of Education.

Former Home Affairs Minister Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Adanan Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Hj Mohd Yusof has been named as the new Minister of Health.

On the other hand, the former Health Minister Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman has been appointed as the new Minister of Development.

The former Development Minister, Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdullah Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar, is now the Minister of Communications.

Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar, Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Dato Seri Setia Hj Abd Rahman Hj Ibrahim and Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Dewa Dato Seri Setia Lim Jock Seng will remain as Industry and Primary Resources Minister, Second Minister of Finance and Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade respectively.

His Majesty also announced the promotion of several deputy ministers.

Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Paduka Hj Mohammad Yasmin Hj Umar was promoted from being the Deputy Minister of Defence to Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister's Office.

Deputy Minister of Education Pg Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Mohammad Pg Hj Abdul Rahman has assumed the post of Minister of Religious Affairs.

The post of Minister of Home Affairs is now seated by Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Hj Badaruddin Pengarah Dato Paduka Hj Othman, former deputy minister of Religious Affairs.

Deputy Minister of Health Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Paduka Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah is now Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.

The new Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister's Office is Dato Paduka Hj Abd Wahab Juned, who previously was the chairman of the Public Service Commission.

Dato Paduka Hj Mustappa Hj Sirat has been promoted from his post as the First Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence to Deputy Minister of Defence.

Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance Hj Bahrin Abdullah is now the Deputy Minister of Finance.

The former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Religious Affairs Dato Seri Setia Hj Yusoff Hj Ismail has become the Deputy Minister of Education.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance Dato Paduka Hj Ali Apong has been appointed as Deputy Minister of Development.

Former Deputy Permanent Secretary Pg Hj Bahrom Pg Hj Bahar now assumes the post of Deputy Minister of Development.

Former Royal Brunei Armed Forces Commander and recently Brunei's High Commissioner to Malaysia Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Halbi Hj Md Yusof is now the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs.

Datin Hjh Adina Othman, the former Director of Community Development Department, becomes the first woman deputy minister, assuming her new post at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.

His Majesty said that these appointments were effective as of yesterday and the officials would serve their new posts for a period of five years.

The monarch also announced that the posts of State Mufti and Attorney General, also as of yesterday, are now considered ministerial ranks.

Former Minister of Energy Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Dewa Major General (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Hj Mohammad Hj Daud, former Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Jawatan Luar Pekerja Raja Dato Seri Utama Dr Ustaz Hj Mohd Zain Hj Serudin, former Minister of Education Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Hj Abdul Rahman Dato Setia Hj Mohamed Taib and former Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Pehin Orang Kaya Setia Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Ahmad Hj Jumat were not re-appointed. His Majesty thanked them for their service and contributions.

The Brunei Times

Excellent Exam Results

2010-02-07T23:30:00.002+08:00

Starting from PSR, whereby Syiqeen excelled with 5A to become one of the only 2 pupils in Pertama School to get this excellent result. Then, it was followed by Zureen who succeed in getting the express mode of SPN21 education with 2 years in lower secondary and 2 years in upper secondary. Another excellent result was again secured by Zureen, who beated her brother personal best of aggregate 6 in SSSRU when she got aggregate 5, the minimum one could get in this exam.

Last Friday, 5/2/2010 the A, AS and O levels results were released. Congratulations to Alai Iqah, Fatin and Hamiz who excelled in their O level exams.

Wish you all the best of education to become the future leaders of Brunei. Amin.

Wonderful Weekend

2010-01-25T20:39:00.003+08:00

Took a day leave on Friday and went to the border to pay for my Astro. At the same time, I managed to open up an account with one of the banks there.

On Saturday morning, I received a text from a friend inviting for breakfast at Restaurant Puteh, which I gladly accepted. Spent the morning until 11.00am at the restaurant.

On Sunday morning, went to the informal or santai gathering at Aminah Arif restaurant with the Gangs. We discussed and talked about a lot of subjects including tshirt designs and eventually stayed there until about 1pm...

At 8.00pm, I received another invitation from Dr Sunarto for another different presentation...

Today, went to the border again for a business trip. Took the opportunity to activate my internet banking facility.

Hope everythings goes well and I like the motto of Together we achieve great success. Amin...

January 2010

2010-01-09T15:29:00.002+08:00

It has been 9 days into the new year 2010.

The inaugural family gathering was held on 1st Jan 2010 at Sg Tilong. The day was filled with lots of fun and foods. The kids really enjoyed the Train-theme bouncer. There were plenty of food to go round the whole day. The grand finale was the significant cutting of birthday cakes by 8 members of the family who celebrated their birthdays in the month of December. A similar event will be planned next year.

Last week, I also made contact with my first-cousins in Kota Kinabalu and Labuan via Facebook. This was followed by lengthy online chit-chat via Yahoo Messenger. It was really a pleasant surprise to get in touch with them again. It truly shows that Internet does not have any boundaries, and we could feel our closeness again. Thank to Allah for this wonderful gift. Now, we can keep in touch of each other activities.

Yesterday, we also welcome 13 new members of iDHL. Although I was unable to personally greet them one by one, I hope to meet up with everyone soon. Wish them good luck and greater success.

On the same token, I wish all success to all my families, colleagues and friends out there. Amin...

Penilaian Sekolah Rendah 2009

2009-11-15T17:46:00.003+08:00

Alhamdulillah, I received the wonderful SMS news about the PSR result while having my lunch with a friend. Quickly, I forwarded the message to my wife, who conveyed the message to Syiqeen.

And the reply was: "Mana hadiah ku?" LoL...

Anyway, congratulations to everyone who passed the exam, especially Syiqeen, Babu Fiqah, ND, Nazwa, Fatin and the rest.

Now, we are anxiously waiting for the result of RAKIS programme. Wish her luck!

Al-Fatihah

2009-11-03T20:29:00.002+08:00

The family would like to convey our heartfelt condolences to the family of Allahyarham Haji Ranek bin Meludin, who passed away yesterday 2nd November 2009 @ around 6.30pm.

Semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat keatas roh beliau. Amin.

Alfatihah...

Multiple Celebrations

2009-07-11T18:53:00.002+08:00

The family of PHM organised a multiple-celebrations gathering on 27/6/2009 jointly organised by Pg Rosmawati and Pg Azman, with full support from the rest of the families.

There were lots of games and prizes won by members of the family. There were plenty of foods and drinks for the whole night. It was an enjoyable function and on behalf of the main organisers, I would like to thank the families for their moral supports and physical presence at the event.

Another similar event might be organised in October.

Grand Prize winner of DVD Player

Winner of Family Game

Outstanding winner of the night

Meeting Good Friends Again

2009-05-30T15:46:00.008+08:00

We finally met up with Mr and Mrs Kumar on 23rd May 2009, when they came over for a brief farewell visit to Brunei. We knew they have been extremely busy meeting a lot of friends and ex-colleagues for the past 3 days. We were quite happy when they accepted our offer to meet up for lunch.

After lunch, I drove them to Brunei International Airport. Their flight to Kuala Lumpur was around 8.30pm.

While at the airport, Mr Kumar met another friend. Mr Alen offered to bring us to the Airport Restaurant, which we gladly accepted. We spent almost 2 hours at the restaurant. I learned a lot of things about Brunei from these two gentlemen. Different views give different perspectives of Brunei. Something we don't learn from books.

My wife and Mrs Jai Kumar spent their good times in another separate table next to us.

Time flies so fast and it was time for our guests to check-in. We took some photos before leaving the restaurant.

With Mr Alen

After working in Brunei for more than 30 years, both of them left Brunei in September last year to live a retired life in Kuala Lumpur. Good luck to both of you. Enjoy your time visiting all the nice places of the world and keep in touch wherever you are. Send us postcards when you travels. We will meet up again some other times.

In the meantime, we are also eagerly waiting for the arrival of our son next week. He will be coming home for the summer holiday.

Tasha's Birthday Celebration

2009-05-26T19:23:00.003+08:00

The family attended a birthday celebration for Alai Tasha at Serikandi Cafe and Restaurant in Kiulap on 17th May 2009. She is 4 years old and will be a big sister soon.

May all your wishes come true

Teteh and Tasha

The 3 beautiful girls

Annual Oratory Competition

2009-04-18T11:58:00.006+08:00

The annual National Oratory Competition was held on Wednesday, 15th April 2009. I have decided to post an entry on this competition because of the extensive involvements of Sekolah Menengah Muda Hashim. The participants from the school have been selected to proceed to the Final stages for the past 3 consecutive years, which is quite an achievement.

In this post, I am going to extract some of the articles from The Brunei Times and Borneo Bulletin, which will served as a note to us in case the original articles from BT and BB go to archive.

Here it goes...

The 3rd Information Department and BELTA Oratory Competition 2009 was held yesterday at the Dewan Raya RTB in the capital.[Source: Borneo Bulletin]

EIGHT upper secondary students were able to inform, entertain and persuade an audience yesterday through public speaking during the finals of an oratory competition held at Radio Television Brunei (RTB) headquarters. [Source: The Brunei Times]

During the qualifying rounds, 31 government and non-government schools battled it out at the Information Department.

At the competition, students voiced out their thoughts and opinions based on the themes stated, which included nationalism, youth development and Brunei's life.

Out of the 31 schools, eight schools made it to the finals, namely Menglait Secondary School, Muda Hashim Secondary School, Sayyidina Ali Secondary School, Chung Ching Middle School, Chung Hua Middle School, KB, Chung Hwa Middle School, BSB, Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Secondary School and St James' School. [Source: Borneo Bulletin]

The oratory competition was organised by the Information Department and the Brunei English Language Teachers' Association (BELTA) for the third time in conjunction with the country's National Day Silver Jubilee celebrations, as part of an annual event. [Source: The Brunei Times]

The guest of honour was the Deputy Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Dato Paduka Awang Hj Hamdillah Hj Abd Wahab. Also present at the event were the Director of the Information Department, Dr Muhammad Hadi Muhammad Melayong and the High Commissioner of Malaysia to Brunei Darussalam, Dato Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari. [Source: Borneo Bulletin]

Themed "Stand up and Speak out", the upper secondary students were able to expose an audience of younger students to the conventions of public speaking.

In his opening remarks, Director of Information Dr Muhd Hadi Muhd Melayong said: "I am pleased to mention that the competition continues to grow in strength each year." He added that there has definitely been visible improvements in the students' performances, as seen during the earlier rounds. [Source: The Brunei Times]

The champion of this year's competition was Louisa Lo Mei Hwa from Chung Hwa Middle School, BSB with the topic 'National honour is national property of the greatest value'. She walked away with the Champion Trophy donated by the Minister of Education, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Rahman bin Dato Setia Hj Mohamed Taib, book prizes, a cash prize and a certificate of participation sponsored by MacMillan Publishers UK. [Source: Borneo Bulletin]

"I am so surprised that I won because this was definitely unexpected. I only had less than a week to prepare for the finals," she said to The Brunei Times. [Source: The Brunei Times]

"I was motivated to enter the competition by my English teacher and have been practising hard for the competition with my coach, Christine Sullovan. My family, teachers and friends have been a great support to me during my journey to the finals.

"I think the oratory competition is very important as it helps in public speaking and boosts one's confidence. For those who wish to enter these kinds of public speaking competitions, I would like to say go for it and practise a lot, get your pronunciations right and do your best." [Source: Borneo Bulletin]

Speaking on the importance of participating in an oratory competition, the winner said that it is really important as it helps students portray their public speaking skills which will help in boosting their confidence. [Source: The Brunei Times]

Coming in second was Dayang Nur Syazana Hj Awg Md Fauzi from St James' School with the topic, 'The Importance of wisdom and maturity in the lives of youths today', followed by Dayang Nuraini Abd Zabar from Chung Hua Middle School, KB in third place with the topic, 'How Brunei youths can help eradicate the culture of wastage'. [Source: Borneo Bulletin]

"Oratory competitions are really important today to showcase and build up public speaking skills. However, youths in the country are very much shy natured and therefore, by speaking at these competitions, we can inspire them to overcome their shyness," said Nur Syazana.

She added: "We should encourage them by saying it's alright to speak in front of people and hopefully someday, they will be able to follow our footsteps."

Both winners received $150 and $100 respectively, as well as a certificate of participation and books for their schools. Louisa Lo took home the prestigious Pehin Abd Rahman Taib Trophy for winning the competition. [Source: The Brunei Times]

This year's competition also saw the presentations of two invited orators from Malaysia, Andrew Ghanananthan and Norliza Md Yamin. They are part of a Malaysian delegation comprising two observers and an accompanying officer.

They are in the country under the Memorandum of Understanding in the field of Information between the government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and the government of Malaysia.

Among the objectives of the competition are to instil in the young generation, particularly the students, a sense of love for the Sultan, race, religion and nation through oratory or public speaking, to serve as a platform for students to be able to speak before an audience and to expose an audience of younger students to the conventions of public speaking.

It is the hope of the organisers of the competition that these groups of students will take the experience and what they have learned and apply it accordingly in their future endeavours. [Source: Borneo Bulletin]

On hand to present the prizes to the winners was Deputy Minister of Industry and Primary Resources Dato Paduka Hj Hamdillah Hj Abd Wahab.

He said: "The urgency shown by the Department of Information and Belta in turning such a simple but challenging idea into reality with the basic ambition to provide yet another platform for our young generations has reflected the burning desires and seriousness of all parties concerned."

He added: "I encourage students to build up trust, confidence and comfort to stand up, speak out and speak out with passion." [Source: The Brunei Times]

Below are the original links to the national newspaper, with some photos.
Link to The Brunei Times article

Creative Design 1

2009-04-15T21:40:00.004+08:00

Today, I am going to share the creative design created by Syiqeen during the first term school holiday.

ROARRRRRR

and, this is a close up photo of the mask. Check out the ribbon...

Check out again later for more creative design

Pameran Adat Istiadat Diraja Brunei

2009-04-12T18:38:00.002+08:00

The exhibition was held at International Convention Centre Berakas. We made a stop there last week, just to check out what the exhibition was all about.

The exhibition was held in conjunction with the launching of a special book on Royal Ceremonies titled "Adat Istiadat Diraja Brunei Cerucuk Identiti Brunei". The objectives of the exhibition were to give an exposure and understanding of the Royal Ceremonies with the intention to inculcate deep respect and love to the Sultan and the country.

Unfortunately, the book was sold out on the 2nd day of the exhibition. I made a reservation and they promised to give us a call. I am still waiting if they will ever call.

At the door entrance...

Royal Flags

A Special Thank

2009-04-11T16:08:00.005+08:00

Photos taken on 9th April 2009. Thank you everyone for the greetings. Thank you to my family for a wonderful dinner. No words can describe how much they meant to me.

I love the food...

Corn Soup as our starter

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Butter Prawn

Mixed Vege...

Varieties of drinks. This one is Watermelon Shake.

Someone's favourite. Hehee...

Lastly, this photo was taken when we were back home.

Cakes

I Am Thankful

2009-04-10T22:19:00.004+08:00

It was supposed to be a quiet day. Something which would just come and go quickly... True enough, Thursday came and I was busy with quite a number of meetings for the whole day. In fact, I spend about 7 hours in various meeting rooms on that day.

I received a number of birthday greetings from various sources throughout the day. Despite a busy day, I managed to spend some spare time to reply and respond to some of their greetings. Thank you everyone. May Allah bless all of you too.

In the evening, we had a quiet dinner, eating out at one of our regular restaurants. The food was excellent, perfect for the whole family. *Nanti tah post photos* Back at home, we continue with cutting of birthday cakes.

Friday was another busy day at the office because one of my staff had an MC. I have to take care of something important and urgent, which need my attention. After making a few phone calls to KL, I decided that the problem has to wait until Monday. Escalating the problem to USA was not possible because of our time difference. I was also told that today is Good Friday, which probably means most of US companies are already on long weekend.

Back to the birthday greetings, I continued to receive more greetings today.

As if my staff were not satisfied with their greetings, they also planned a surprise birthday cake. Late in the morning, while I was busy searching for phone numbers, I heard someone coming to my desk. I saw one of my staff holding a cake and all of sudden there was a whole group of friends and colleagues singing the birthday song. Haha... how embarrassing!...

Anyway, I am thankful and grateful to Allah for giving me a good family, a bunch of good friends and colleagues, the meaningful health I had now which reminded me of how ageing my body is.

I wished my family, friends and colleagues will continue to have good health and wealth. May Allah bless you all. Amin!

Brawn GP Mercedes won AGAIN

2009-04-05T21:16:00.003+08:00

Let me write on Formula 1 again this time around because it seemed this could be a surprising year for Formula 1.

Another pleasant surprise by Jenson Button this year on his Brawn GP Mercedes. He won at Sepang Circuit, Malaysia on 5th April 2009, his 2nd win on the 2nd race of the season.

The race, itself, was very dramatic due to weather changes. Visibility was zero when the rain fell heavily. It was eventually stopped after lap 31 upon requests from the drivers.

Full reports on the Malaysian race here ...

Brawn GP Mercedes

2009-03-31T19:31:00.002+08:00

The first Formula 1 race for 2009 started in Australia last Sunday. Surprisingly it was won by Brawn GP Mercedes, a team which has just been formed and made its first appearance in Australia.

No photo here. If you need more information, click on my sidebar.

Thank you.

The Health Promotion Centre

2009-03-23T23:10:00.005+08:00

Just a quick post. The "easter" school holiday or known in Brunei as the "First term" holiday has just started. As one of the activities of KNK, the family made a visit to the Health Promotion Centre at Jalan Commonwealth, Berakas.

It was really fun and enjoyable. We managed to spent 2 and a half hours inside the centre because it closed the day at 4.30pm.

Big Teeth above is one of the major attractions

KNK = Kenali Negara Kitani = Know Your Country Better?

Trademark

2009-03-15T21:30:00.003+08:00

A trademark or trade mark, identified by the symbols ™ (not yet registered) and ® (registered), or mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization or other legal entity to identify that the products and/or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source of origin, and to distinguish its products or services from those of other entities. A trademark is a type of intellectual property, and typically a name, word, phrase, logo, symbol, design, image, or a combination of these elements.

The owner of a registered trademark may commence legal proceedings for trademark infringement to prevent unauthorized use of that trademark. However, registration is not required. The owner of a common law trademark may also file suit, but an unregistered mark may be protectable only within the geographical area within which it has been used or in geographical areas into which it may be reasonably expected to expand.

[extracted from Wikipedia]

TelBru

Shell Helix

I love the way they hide the S and C characters in the logo

Hello Kitty has an interesting history behind its name

Bowling Tournament

2009-03-09T21:17:00.004+08:00

The annual bowling tournament was organised by Sekolah Menengah Muda Hashim Tutong. It was held on Sunday 1st March 2009 and participated by most of the Secondary Schools in the Country.

Book Carnival Brunei 2009

2009-03-07T12:48:00.004+08:00

In conjunction with the Silver Jubilee of Brunei's National Day, the annual Book Carnival/Festival/Fair was held between 27th Feb to 8th Mar. The event was officially opened by Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport.

The family went there on 1st Mar 2009. It was a very good outing. We bought quite a number of interesting books, got quite a number of bargains (discounts kali ah.. hehe) and met a number of interesting people.

With Author Norhayati Berahim

Cross Country for RBAF Cadets

2009-03-05T20:13:00.007+08:00

The Cross Country competition for National Army Cadets took place at Sekolah Menengah Muda Hashim Tutong on 27th February 2009.

Some 150 army cadets from UBD and 19 secondary schools and colleges in the country joined the competition, organised by the Department of Co-Curriculum Education at the Ministry of Education and Royal Brunei Armed Forces.

Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah emerged as the champion in the Universiti Brunei Darussalam Female Singles Category. HRH Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah completed the four-kilometre event in 28 minutes and 20 seconds.

For UBD Male Singles Category, Amirul Shahezul claimed the top spot with his time of 34 min and 27 sec.

The champion for Secondary Schools and Colleges Male Singles Category was Abdul Malik Awang Hidup from Sekolah Menengah Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Mentiri with his time of 27 min and 13 sec.

In the Special Group Category for Secondary Schools and Colleges, the first place went to Sekolah Menengah PIHM Serasa.

On hand to present trophies to the winners was the Principal of Sekolah Menengah Muda Hashim Tutong, as the Guest of Honour, Cikgu Hadion Lim Beng Guan.

Warm-up aerobics session

HRH Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah

Arrival of the Guest of Honour

Start of the Cross Country Competition

Photo taken after the competition

Birthday Celebrations

2009-03-03T18:26:00.005+08:00

Haji-K and family would like to wish happy birthday to the following members of the Md Yassin-Hjh Saliah family, who celebrated their birthdays in February.

Hjh Atie

Hami

Teacher Mizah. Forgot to take a propa photo...

Arifin, daddy si Syasya (I only have the picture of his daughter).

wishing everyone great success

peace and out

Recital of Zikir to Commemorate Prophet Birthday

2009-02-28T21:31:00.005+08:00

Alhamdulillah, Negara Brunei Darussalam started the nightly recital of the "Zikir Maulidur Rasul" on 25th February 2009. The event marked the beginning of the nation-wide celebration to commemorate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him), our beloved Guidance and Leader. The annual event will be held for 12 consecutive nights.

Members of The Balai Ibadah Kampung Sengkarai were no exception. "Zikir Maulidur Rasul" is one of the activities they have continued to organise every year. I have the opportunity to join one of their nightly events so far. The event was held at the residence of Imam of the Religious Hall himself.

Back in 1980s, I was one of the active members of the Zikir team in my village. This particular event reminded me of the many invitations we attended during that time. I still remember all the special attentions given by every hosts, who invited us to perform Zikir in their functions. What a special honour!!!

Lets all make this NEGARA ZIKIR a reality.

Negara Brunei Darussalam 25th National Day Anniversary

2009-02-24T09:33:00.002+08:00

Let me start with warm wishes for greater success to all citizens of Negara Brunei Darussalam. It has been 25 years since we celebrated our first celebration back in 1984. 1984 was the year I left Brunei to further my study in UK, and how time flies so fast.

The 25th National Day carries the theme "Kedewasaan Bernegara" or Maturity of a Nation. Lets all be mature and become responsible citizens. Every small actions and simple touches you made in whatever you are doing are contributing to the building of a mature Brunei society. So, my humble advise is for everyone at all levels of the society to do everything to the best of their ability and capability they have in their body and mind. Or maybe stretch it a little bit and contribute something good to the nation.

Congratulations everyone. Syukur dengan nikmat Allah keatas Negara Brunei Darussalam. Alhamdullilah.

KDYMM Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan dan Yang Di Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam.

YTM Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah

One of the Government agencies

One of the schools - our future leaders

One of the Private agencies - BLNG

Flood and Landslide Recovery

2009-02-11T09:52:00.006+08:00

The weather has been very kind lately.

Hopefully the sunny days will help to reduce the impacts to those who are currently suffering from the recent tragedy. Some places are still flooded for up to 1 meter (3 feet) or more. So, the water level is still considered high and risky.

The same goes to those who are suffering from landslides. Lets hope the weather will be "right" for us here in Brunei. I mean "right" weather = Not too hot, not too heavy rain.

I am sure there are some learnings picked up by the relevant authorities from this unexpected disaster. "Pusat Khidmat Bersepadu" was created in some places so that assistances can be given immediately to the victims. I was hoping for the National Disaster Management Center to have its own 3 digit hotline number rather than sharing a 3 digit hotline number with the Fire and Rescue unit. Although NDMC is under the custodianship of Fire and Rescue Unit, the scope, membership and magnitude of NDMC problems differ quite tremendously.

I am also hoping the Ministry of Development will pull their acts together and react to resolving problems as quickly as possible. The PWD (Water) did quite a number of excellent initiatives which deserves our admiration, e.g. putting extra water distribution points, introducing plastic-container water supplies, etc. However, the PWD (Roadwork) needs a wake-up call. The potholes are too many to be ignored. I have seen and heard a few cars have suffered severe damages because of these potholes. Luckily, there are no casualties yet but PWD (Roadwork) should not wait for that to happen before they react. Right?

The Department of Electrical Services, I think, will have the biggest challenges of all. It is not as simple as replacing the electrical towers or poles. The DES must give due consideration to make sure there is no risk of future landslide which could affect these tall structures!

Anyway, well done to all the relevant authorities and keep up the good work. The country needs all of us to work together and take responsibility.

I leave you with some photos of the landslide in Sg Liang.

Electrical pole(s) leaning towards the BSB - KB main road

Coconut trees are known to withstand heavy storm and hurricane. But, these unlucky trees failed to withstand landslide

This is the house behind the coconut trees shown above. Pity to the owner and occupants of the house.

Dare to Break the Rules

2009-02-09T23:37:00.002+08:00

Found this at stranges-world.blog. Would you dare to break the rules? Anyway, I just want to remind all the drivers out there to drive safely.

RED SIGN MEANS STOP

I am not sure if it is already on trial in Japan tho

Heavy Rain, Floods and Landslides. Is this the wake up call?

2009-02-07T10:42:00.005+08:00

Brunei is experiencing heavy flooding in a number of low-lying places. Those who think they are safe living high up on hills should think twice now too. With the continuous rain falling everyday, some hills are also experiencing sand movements and landslides.

Who could deny the wills of Allah, The Almighty. We could make up thousands of scientific reasons to explain the current tragedy. It is time we look back at our belief and think if this is a reflection or warning from Allah of the things we did in the past.

Most Bruneians tend to look for ways to make easy money and then spend them unwisely. Trusted people becoming dishonest and forgetful of their obligations when they see a lot of money in their hands. Some even try to take some money which do not belong to them (e.g. Al-Gharimin money cases?) Please remember: As easy as the money came, it was easier for Allah to take them away again.

Some Government agencies tend to be complacent when it comes to approval of development permits. In addition, they failed to monitor the execution of major projects in the country. In some cases, the building/widening of roads are left to the mercy of unskilled contractors. How many times do we see potholes, leaks and cracks in our roads even if the road is less than 3 months old?

Some contractors tend to take short-cuts. Some even deliver their projects without meeting the minimum standard of quality expected from them. This is not limited to projects awarded by the Government agencies. The same goes true to contracts being awarded by private sector or individuals.

I pose the question to everyone to think if the tragedy we are experiencing now are caused by our dishonesty and complacent behaviour? Have we ALL improve our sense of responsibility in the past 2 weeks? Are we ALL learning from these past mistakes, or did the tragedy only touch the hearts of a few caring citizens? Are we ALL pulling our act together now? What will be our long term plans or will the problems disappear as fast as the water level receded? Allahu Akbar.

traffic jam on my way back from office

landslides being covered with sheets of canvas

risky???

CNY House Visit

2009-01-27T22:26:00.002+08:00

the fish pond

the fish

Gong Xi Fa Cai

2009-01-24T07:41:00.003+08:00

The family would like to wish Gong Xi Fa Cai to all our chinese friends, colleagues and business partners, both in Brunei and outside Brunei. Enjoy your festive celebration and forget us not.

We would also like to wish HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Farah Diana Anuar, who will be celebrating her 25th Birthday on Sunday. We wish you success in your career. I also envy my 2 Bruneian friends who will be joining her in this year celebrations at Putrajaya. Hope both of you enjoy the trip and have a good time with FDA and the rest of her fans.

Lastly, congratulations to Barrack Obama, the 44th President of USA, who has started his 4-years Presidential term on 20/01/2009.

Xperia SE

2009-01-14T21:32:00.006+08:00

Got this Xperia SE today. Gonna check out what it can do. I am new to Sony so I am not sure if I will hold on to it and get hooked or passed it along.

Actually, my friend punya friend accidentally (ia kan Sib?) bought the Xperia SE last month because he was too excited and kira love at first sight with the gadget lah... Tapi, once he started using it, he realised that all the buttons are different from Nokia. Kes culture shock lah tu... Being too lazy to learn the buttons and controls, the phone went back to the box. Behabuk dalam kotak.

One day, my friend ni asked me if I am interested to buy the Xperia SE. After much bargaining, we agreed to a "certain" price. A few days later, the phone was passed to me. Masa passing the phone to me at the office, another friend saw the phone and told me that his daughter would love to have it too. The phone is already in my hand. Tapi, it also looks likely that Sony handphones are not in my blood yet. (Sorry Sony Ericsson). Aleen mau pulang, tapi he is too far away, which means the phone will be wasted for the next 6 months. Behabuk dalam kotak tia lagi karang. (Sorry Leen. Wait for next rezeki ja!!) So, I am thinking of selling it to somebody. Priority goes to family members, relatives and close friends. Willing to hold on to it until 22/1/2009.

The phone is so damn good. I love it. The kids love it. However, I am confused with the keys and controls between Nokia and Sony. I am still keeping my other Nokia. So, kira payah jua tu and sometimes confused when changing from phone to phone.

The photos of the phone below.

End of 2008

2009-01-11T19:14:00.003+08:00

Happy Hijrah 1430 to all muslims in the world.

Happy New Year 2009 to everyone out there.

The academic year 2009 in Brunei has just started, which also meant it was the end of the school holidays. Hope you guys have a memorable holidays and vacations. It was a good time to unwind after a successful 2008.

Apart from the occassional shopping trips and some exciting days out at the cinema, the family decided to stay home and enjoyed the company of each other. There were so many things we did without leaving the house and it was a cetainly a fun and memorable holiday for all.

Some of the games we played during the holidays.

Congkak is a version of an Egyption game called "MANCALA", which was believed to have been introduced by the Egyption traders to the many parts of Africa, West Asia, India and Sri Lanka. Mancala was also brought to the shores of the America by the West African slaves during early colonization periods. It reached the East Asia some few hundreds years ago by the Arabian or Indian Traders plying the spice route.

Sudoku, the game which makes you play on and on. You must enjoy working with numbers in order to enjoy this game.

We bought and played waterguns around the house. Picure above are The Super Splash and The Double Splash. We also have Purple Dream, Zorro, Red Berry and Blue Berry waterguns (not in pic).

Back from Haj

2008-12-25T19:50:00.004+08:00

Tangah Haji Hamzah and Bu Hajah Ruhaneh returned from Haj on 18/12/2008.

We joined the rest of the family to welcome both of them home. It was a last minute decision and I managed to get permission and time to leave the office early. Since the flight was slightly delayed, we felt that we have enough time to go all the way to the airport and meet them there.

Then, we followed the group home to Kg Masin and joined them for the zikir and prayer. We wish both of them Haji Mabrur, haj which is fully accepted by Allah. Amin.

The only photo I managed to capture at the airport. It was crowded and too emotional

Group photo while waiting for them, who stopped over at the nearby mosque

My darlings...

I love this photo...

Reciting the prayer before entering the house...

Reciting the prayer, with guidance from Uda Imam Haji Hamaffi...

Tangah Haji Hamzah b. Haji Suhaimi

Bu Hajah Ruhaneh bt. Md Yassin

Inside the house before my camera ran out of battery

Kami sekeluarga mendoakan semoga mendapat haji yang mabrur. Amin.

You'll Never Walk Alone

2008-12-16T19:42:00.003+08:00

Sharing some photos all the way from Liverpool.

PMB Result

2008-12-10T19:17:00.003+08:00

PMB 2008
Congratulations to Nabil and Fauzi.

NABIL SUHAIRRIDHWAN BIN AWANG P B.M/1 ENG/2 PUI/1 HIS/2 GEO/1 MAT/1 SCI/1 CMP/2
MUHAMAD FAUZI BIN HAMZAH P B.M/6 ENG/4 PUI/9 HIS/8 GEO/5 MAT/5 SCI/6 COM/9

Butterfly Performance

2008-12-06T14:32:00.003+08:00

Sekolah Pertama Tutong held its end of 2008 year with a Gala event held at Seri Kenangan Hall, Civic Centre on 29th Nov 2008. This year, the event was held to honour the top academic performers of the school and display some stage performances by students of the school.

The guest of honour for the event was the Assistant District Officer.

Primary 3 students performed a song titled "Butterfly". One of my daughters were selected as one of the 2 butterflies. They flew around the stage in their beautiful wings while the rest of the class sang the "Butterfly" song.

Making a grand butterfly entrance...

Spreading her beautiful wings...

Flying happily around the stage...

Nureen and Lela...

The two beautiful butterflies...

Happy 8th Birthday

2008-11-24T20:38:00.002+08:00

22nd November 2008.
Happy Birthday to Nureen
Study Hard and be a Good Girl.

birthday cake and presents...

8 years old...

blowing the candles...

We would also like to wish happy birthday to bro Hj Hamzah, who celebrated his birthday on the same day as Nureen

Special Happpy Birthday

2008-11-18T20:02:00.003+08:00

14th November 2008.
Happy Birthday to beloved wife
Thank you for being a good partner, someone who is always very supportive and patience. You made wonderful colours in my life and you are the best mother for my 4 beautiful children..

The cake from Mum's Bakery. I really hate that branch in Tutong. See how bad the handwriting is...

The ice cream cake from Le Apple. Nicer than the above rite?...

The Blackforest cake from Le Apple. Nice looking and obviously very tasty...meleleh-leleh coklat nya ah...

Happy Birthday...

photo session...

HSM 3

2008-10-28T22:58:00.003+08:00

We watched High School Musical 3 at Qlap Mall last Sunday 27/10.

she met them all...

syiqeen n nureen...

to be continue...

On the loose

2008-10-25T15:21:00.003+08:00

Continuation of our jamming nite photographs...

the other drummer

another drummer... semua jua kan di cuba!!! hahaa

and, the youngest drummer of the night

the lead singer... wakil kementerian ni...

the guitarist ready to perform on stage...

me and the host...kedapatan tia...

Hari Raya Jamming Time

2008-10-15T22:25:00.002+08:00

Sampat lagi kami jamming masa hari raya ah... It was definitely fun... siukkk... A definitely special thank you to the host, who lead us in and let us loose...

the drummer

the lead singers

back up singer. still in learning mode

then we swapped instruments and more pictures will come later....

Hari Raya #1

2008-10-12T20:53:00.003+08:00

Some photos taken during Hari Raya celebrations this year. Taken on 1st day. These are for the viewing pleasure of Fazl.een in Liverpool.

ibu

zur.een

asyiq.een

nur.een

them being hyper...

ntah.. bhapa kah durang ne

Happy 10th Birthday

2008-10-09T21:07:00.002+08:00

Happy Birthday to ASYIQEEN
Dengan doa semoga menjadi anak yg rajin dan pintar. Amin..

Oreo Cake

birthday gal...

Hari Raya Open House 2008

2008-10-06T11:49:00.010+08:00

We had our kinda Openhouse last Sunday, 5/10. It was decided at short notice. Partly, because Alai Hafiz will be going back to Oz at midnite the same day and he told us that he has not seen our new house since we moved in about 3 years ago. Also, the families from Sg Tilong wanted to come over before the school starts on Monday.

The guests started to arrive at around 12:30 noon. Our neighbours led by Cikgu Hadion came with his family, bro-in-law, sis-in-laws, nephews and nieces.

Next to arrive was the family from Keriam Nini Hjh Zaini, Usu Enai and family. Nini seemed to be so energetic this year. Maybe the strengths came from her two beloved cucu in UK - Hafiz and DD - who have been in Liverpool and Bristol for the past 2 years.

This was followed by the arrival of Usu Hj Omar and his family from Beribi. Then, Nini Hj Bagol came with his big family which included families of Babu Ayang, Tangah Hj Matnor, Babu Zaiton, Babu Jubaidah, Babu Aisah and Babu Anna.

Then, the guests started to stream in numbers. Good work by Zureen, who has to run here and there to entertain and serve the guests.

Next to arrive were Tangah Hj Hamzah from Kg Masin, Pa Man and family from Kg Menglait, Suni from Kg Penanjong, Bro Pg Tajuddin & family from Manggis, Sis Amoy & family from Terunjing, Bro Muslim & family from BSB, Bro Jo & family from Sg Buloh, Bro Pg Hassanuddin & family including my Mom from Rimba, Shahbudin from Penanjong, Bro Ak Ajizam and fiance from Kg Sg Tilong, Cuzzen Rafaie and wife from Masin, Uda Imam Hj Hamaffi & family, friends from BSM - Edy, Ya Ching and Roshni.

Then, we have a break. I think that time was around 6.30pm already. Next to arrive were Bro Pg Hamadi & family from Madang, Sis Sadiah and her family after dropping off Azmi at JIS and on their way back to Lumut, Bro Pg Zaidi & family from Gadong, Bro Tamin & family from Mulaut.

I hope I did not miss any names. Thank you all for dropping by. Unfortunately, we did not capture any photos to share with you.

Rumah102 uploaded some of their photos while visiting our house. click here

On the same day, Fazleen and friends also went to Manchester to visit a few of their friends there. click here for some of their photos in Hafiz's blog.

Cakes for Hari Raya 2008

2008-10-04T09:09:00.007+08:00

As usual we prepared our own cakes this year because the family enjoyed the atmosphere of working together while mixing and baking the cakes. This year, our "Kek Batik" remained as the family's favourite and our signature cake. If you wanna know how good the "Kek Batik" is, well... you have to come over and taste it yourself.

We also tried to bake a few "kek lapis". We were glad this year's "kek lapis" turned out to be better than last year. Improved dah, I think. The new receipe book really helped and of course we get a few tips from our mentor in Sg Tilong. Thanks to her. Like in previous years, me and my spontaneous imagination created my own recipies, designs and colours. This year, we made the Double Oreo Cake, Oreo Plus Cake and for those health-conscious visitors we have prepared the "Kek Lapis Oat". Menjadi plang, tapi nyaman atau inda... its for you to grade. kalau inda nyaman, diam-diam saja... hahaaa

this cake with Selamat Hari Raya wordings made its way to Liverpool

Our signature Cake

Kek Lapis Double Oreo

Kek Lapis Oreo Plus

Kek Lapis Sarawak, Kek Batik and Kek Lapis Oreo Plus

served and ready for you... come over lah...

Kek Lapis Oat, our first try... will try to improve on the texture...

more cakes...

Brunei's Youngest Undergraduate ?

2008-09-29T12:51:00.005+08:00

Today 29/9/2008 Fazleen will be 17years 3months and 5days. And today will be the day when he will start his degree course at University of Liverpool, UK. Did he set a new history for Brunei? Is he the youngest Bruneian ever to step into a University? Let me know if there are much younger Bruneian than him to start a degree course so that I can change the title of the post accordingly. tq.

On his behalf, we would like to convey our utmost appreciations and special thanks to all the families in Sg Tilong and Tutong, all the teachers and friends in Sekolah Rendah IQRA, Sekolah Pertama Tutong, Sekolah Menengah Muda Hashim Tutong, Jerudong International School and Sekolah Ugama PAP Norain Tutong. All of you have contributed in one way or more to shape him and make him what he is today.

Lastly, the families and friends would like to wish him the very best of luck in his study.

We are proud of your achievements. Keep up the good work.

Bon Voyage & Good Luck

2008-09-26T20:17:00.009+08:00

Congratulations and good luck to everyone who have flown off for their further studies recently.

Dk Hafizah went back to London on 17th September. Amalina and Adilah left on 19th September. Pg Azman left on 20th September. And, Fazleen left on 24th September. Hope I could post some of the photos taken during their departures in my later posts [can't promise tho].

For the time being, here are the photos taken during Fazleen's departure on 24th September. [Load of thanks to musique'a'holique for the great shots]. Let me also take this opportunity to convey our sincere appreciation and special thank you to all our dearest families and friends, who have given him the support and encouragement and seeing him off at the airport. Hope you enjoyed the food too. We love you all.

more photos at musique'a'holique

Visit to Billionth Barrel Monument

2008-09-07T19:52:00.003+08:00

My daughter had a school trip to Oil and Gas Discovery Centre (OGDC) in Seria. On the way to OGDC, they stopped over at the One Billionth Barrel Monument, and took some photographs.

One Billionth Barrel Monument was established to commemorate the production of one billion barrels from Seria Oilfield, the oldest oilfield in Brunei. The site was chosen because of the historical evidence of the early production of oil in Brunei at that particular site. Eversince that day, crude oil had been flowing from this oilfield until today. Although most of the current oil production comes from offshore fields, Seria Oilfield remains as one of the important production fields in Brunei.

Farewell & Good Luck

2008-09-03T20:27:00.002+08:00

Good luck to both of you.

We would like to convey the best of wishes to Mr and Mrs Kumar, who have now retired happily. Mr Kumar has been working at Pharmacy Department at PMMPHAMB Hospital. Mrs Jai Kumar has worked as an Education Officer at Sekolah Menengah Muda Hashim Tutong.

We were grateful that both of you accepted our offer to join the family for a high-tea session at one of the leading hotels in Gadong. We hoped you have enjoyed the food. We certainly have a good time with you.

We wish you excellent health, prosperity, peaceful life and lots of enjoyment. Do come and visit us when you are free. We will try to catch up with each other when time permits. Enjoy your retirements!

Selamat Menunaikan Ibadah Puasa

2008-09-02T09:02:00.005+08:00

SALAM RAMADHAN KAREEM...

KAMI SEKELUARGA TERLEBIH DAHULU MEMOHON MAAF jika ada berbuat kesalahan yang tidak disedari, baik yang di sengaja maupun yang tidak di sengaja, semoga kami dan abiskita semua dapat menjalani ibadah puasa dengan khusyuk, diberkati dan dirahmati Allah. Amin.

Oreo Ice Cream Cake

Pesta Rakyat 2008 Part 5

2008-08-30T15:53:00.005+08:00

This will be the last post of the photos taken during the Pesta Rakyat 2008 at Tutong town in conjunction with the birthday of His Majesty The Sultan dan Yang Dipertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam.

This event used the table tennis ball and was open to ladies only. It was interesting to see the various styles and methods used to win the competition.

Pesta Rakyat 2008 Part 4

2008-08-29T22:20:00.003+08:00

The performance was so charming and entertaining.

Pesta Rakyat 2008 Part 3

2008-08-21T18:32:00.004+08:00

BALANCING THE TAKRAW event organised by Mukim Tanjong Maya. I wonder if SEPAK TAKRAW will ever be included in Olympics since it is already an event in SEA Games?

In this particular event, the team has to balance the ball and keep it off the ground. A player must hit the ball once and pass it to the next player. He can hit the ball using any part of his body except using his hand. The team with the most hits win the game.

Pesta Rakyat 2008 Part 2

2008-08-14T10:03:00.003+08:00

This is Part 2 of our outing at the Perayaan Pesta Rakyat Daerah Tutong 2008 on 10th August 2008. The Tarik Kalat event was organised by Mukim Telisai. The unique rule for this event is that the team members body must face away from the opponent. There were a few costly mistakes made by some teams, whereby some members of the team faced the wrong way and these teams were penalised even if they won the match. It was one of the exciting and longest events of the day.

Pesta Rakyat 2008 Part 1

2008-08-10T22:36:00.003+08:00

This is Part 1 of our outing at the Perayaan Pesta Rakyat Daerah Tutong 2008 on 10th August 2008. More exciting photographs coming soon...

Minister of Development, as Guest of Honour, at Mukim Tanjong Maya booth

Minister of Development with participants from Mukim Rambai

Minister of Development at Jabatan Penjara booth

Minister of Development taking a closer look at the exhibits

Congratulations for passing your GO/FR exam

2008-08-02T17:37:00.003+08:00

My wife SMSed me informing the result of the recent examinations has been released. It was good news that she and her sister both passed the two exams on their first trials. I was told that both exams are quite difficult to pass through. It was pretty obvious if we looked at the overall result. There are quite a number candidates who failed one or both papers.

Congratulations ladies for passing your General Order (GO) and Financial Regulations (FR) examinations, which you took in June 2008.

On the way, home I stopped by the bakery and found this nice cake to celebrate my wife success.

Congratulations for Passing Your Exam

Early Morning Beauty

2008-07-25T23:07:00.005+08:00

Alhamdulillah... Thank You Allah for this beautiful life... Nothing much I want to share in this post.

Just a reminder that the last day for submission of photos for the Photographic Competition 2008 in conjunction with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaullah's 62nd Birthday Celebrations has been pushed to 31st July 2008. Good luck to everyone.

I would also like to convey my personal greetings and congratulations to Yang Arif Dato Paduka Awg Hairol Arni bin Haji Abd Majid and of course to my dear sister Datin Elinda as one of the recipients of Darjah Paduka Mahkota Brunei Darjah Kedua from His Majesty The Sultan dan Yang DiPertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam. Keep up the good work.

One photo I wanted to share today although it is not related to the articles above. As I was warming up my car's engine this morning, I saw this and grabbed the camera...

Breast Cancer Awareness

2008-07-24T17:37:00.002+08:00

Today, I received an email from a close friend regarding breast cancer awareness and after reading through it I thought of sharing it with all of you out there. I have also surf the internet to find out the truth of the content in the email. I will post here both sides of the judgement as extracted from internet and let you decide which action to take... to follow it or to ignore it?

Here is the First Extract. This one was copied from http://www.vif.com/users/triomed/breast.htm

Some time ago, I attended a Breast Cancer Awareness seminar put on by Terry Birk with support from Dan Sullivan. During the Q&A period, I asked why the most common (and what seemed to be deadliest) area for Breast Cancer was near the arm pit. My question could not be answered at that time.

This email was just sent to me, and I find it interesting that my question has been answered. I challenge you all to re-think your everyday use of a product that could ultimately lead to a terminal illness. Precaution? I certainly hope so. A friend forwarded this to me. I showed it to a friend going through chemotherapy and she said she learned this fact in a support group recently. I wish I had known it 14 years ago. I just got information from a health seminar that I would like to share.

The leading cause of breast cancer is the use of anti-perspirant. A Concentration of toxins that leads to cell mutations: a.k.a. CANCER. Yes, ANTI-PERSPIRANT. Most of the products out there are an anti-perspirant/deodorant combination so go home and check your labels. Deodorant is fine, anti-perspirant is not. Here's why: The human body has a few areas that it uses to purge toxins; behind the knees, behind the ears, groin area, and armpits. The toxins are purged in the form of perspiration. Anti-perspirant, as the name clearly indicates, prevents you from perspiring, thereby inhibiting the body from purging toxins from below the armpits. These toxins do not just magically disappear. Instead, the body deposits them in the lymph nodes below the arms since it cannot sweat them out. Nearly all breast cancer tumors occur in the upper outside quadrant of the breast area. This is precisely where the lymph nodes are located.

Additionally, men are less likely (but not completely exempt) to develop breast cancer prompted by anti-perspirant usage because most of the anti-perspirant product is caught in their hair and is not directly applied to the skin. Women who apply anti-perspirant right after shaving increase the risk further because shaving causes almost imperceptible nicks in the skin which give the chemicals entrance into the body from the armpit area.

PLEASE pass this along to anyone you care about. Breast Cancer is becoming frighteningly common. This awareness may save lives. If you are skeptical about these findings, I urge you to do some research for yourself. You will arrive at the same conclusions, I assure you. Thank you.

Katrina Scott
Asst. Director of Sports Marketing
Univ. Maryland

End of First Extract.

On the other hand, I found some objections to the above finding. I call this as the Second Extract, which I copied from http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/antiperspirant.html

Breast cancer remains one of the top killers for women, but there is still a lot we don't know about the disease. What we do know, however is that this misleading and unintelligent warning letter has little basis in reality.

If you do, as the letter says, "some research for yourself," you will undoubtedly find that this letter doesn't stand up to scrutiny. This warning is very similar to the warning about shampoo causing cancer that was circulating about the same time. Here are some specific problems with this one:

No published medical research has suggested, let alone proved, that antiperspirant use is a risk factor for, much less the leading cause of, cancer. The leading risk factors for breast cancer are gender, age and family history of the disease.
Lymph nodes clear some toxins from the body. But, they are not released through sweating. There is no evidence that ingredients in antiperpirants is toxic or causes DNA damage.

About half of breast cancer cases (not "nearly all" as the letter claims) occur in the upper outer quadrant because that's where the bulk of breast tissue is. The focus of cases in this area has nothing to do with the lymph nodes.

Men are about 100 times less likely to develop breast cancer because they have about 100 times less breast tissue.

Razor nicks may increase the risk of infection, but not cancer.

The American Cancer Society recommends yearly mammograms for women over the age of 40 as the most effective defense against cancer. BreakTheChain.org recommends against relying on anonymous, randomly forwarded chain letters for mecial advice.

End of Second Extract.

As I said earlier, its up to your judgement to decide what you want to do after reading this post. I just hope you have a happy and enjoyable life. May Allah bless us all.

Bingka

2008-07-21T22:32:00.006+08:00

One fine day while I was bloghopping around, I came across a receipe to make bingka. I am not sure what its called in English but I am sure its not "Pudding". Anyway, I showed the receipe to the kids and told them that I wanted to try it over the weekend.

Apparently, one of my daughters got excited and told her school friends about the plan. Later that day, she asked me if she could invite some of her friends to come over on Sunday.

So, on Sunday (20/7) afternoon, two of my daughter's friends came over. In fact, one of them brought along a receipe book, which she borrowed from her father. But, I told them I have only bought the ingredients for bingka.

We started this interesting activity at around 2.30pm. They helped each other to prepare the ingredients and I helped them to run the mixer machine and the hot oven.

By around 5.00pm, I took it out of the oven, nicely cooked and ready to be served. We had our bingka and ice cream for high afternoon tea.

Enjoyable? Of course, it was.

preparing the ingredients...

one of the COOKS...

pouring the mixture into the baking tray...

the result...

i almost forgot to take the photo until most of them were eaten up...

ps. I do not know why the top portion becomes harder. But, the kids enjoy that part of the cake.

Bon voyage

2008-07-19T16:18:00.002+08:00

The family hopes you have a good trip and will arrive safely. I know that sooner or later, I will have to let you travel on your own. Hope you will enjoy your time there.

the new travel information screens at the airport, sponsored by BSP

notice that the word BRUNEI is in 3D

pose with teteh...

have a safe journey...

Awards of Academic Excellence

2008-07-15T08:38:00.005+08:00

The family had a little ceremony to present the awards of academic excellence based on Mid Year Examinations.

Actually, I was pleasantly surprised to see the improvements in their results, that I decided to give them a different surprise. So, without anyone knowing, I went for a buying spree and then bought some paper-backs to wrap the items nicely. I hid the presents in a secret room, waiting for the right day to come.

One day, I told everyone to dress up. Then, we gathered in the living room. The guest of honour for the little ceremony was none other than Cikgu Dk.

It was a joyous occassion, full of smiles and thankful to Allah. Yeah, I love my family so much.

excellent improvements with 4 distinctions...

achieved excellent result as the top student in her class...

excellent results on her 1st 6-months in secondary school...

proudly showing off her presents...

time to unwrap the presents...

enjoying the fruit of her hardworks...

he received a special gift too - a one night stay at a posh hotel in Gadong...

Baking Cookies

2008-07-13T16:38:00.005+08:00

They were excited to bake their own home-made cookies. So, one day I made their wishes come true.

Although tired after coming back from office, I mixed some dough for them. Is it called dough or is it called cookie mixture? Whatever la ah... Well, its the instant-type plang tu. It says on the instruction box to add butter and egg. Initially, I thought I could use the simple mixer - pakai tangan (using manual mixer), but I was wrong. I ended up using the big Kenwood mixer.

The 3 girls were eager to help. Each of them took turns to mix the dough and then I gave each one of them a tray to put their cookies on.

the mixture...

must give full concentration...

use 2 spoons, if necessary...

made speedily by the 7 years old. hentam saja lah..

in the oven...

its yummy, daddy...

Happy Birthday

2008-06-28T08:55:00.002+08:00

Happy Birthday to Fazleen and Zureen, who celebrated their birthdays on 24/6 and 26/6 respectively.

birthday cake...

special appearance from special singer...

close your eyes, make a wish...

satu kali lagi, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you...

special happy birthday wishes from your family and friends...

cakes, cakes and more cakes... enjoy!!

Road Safety - The Opportunist

2008-06-18T18:28:00.002+08:00

Continuation from my previous post on road safety. This time I am going to focus on the Opportunist group of drivers.

Some of these drivers tend to come out of the junction all of sudden. Have you ever experience the situation whereby a car suddenly comes of a junction right ahead of you and move in the same direction in front of you but moving at relatively slow speed than you? It was painly slow that you have to put on your brake to avoid an accident. Then, you realise there is an empty road behind you!!! The driver could have chosen to wait until you have passed through. Ain't it ironic?

I have seen some Opportunist drivers who drive along a one-way street in the wrong direction, or take short-cuts where they are not suppose to.

Have you notice any other Opportunist drivers around you?

Anyway, I wish you all safe journeys. Please drive safely and be considerate to other users of the road.

Road Safety - The Lazy Driver

2008-06-03T18:29:00.005+08:00

In this post, I just want to share some of my views on the safety aspects of driving on Brunei roads.

First of all, the need to keep a safe distance from the car in front of us. Some drivers tend to tailgate behind us as if they are going to swallow our car. These type of drivers tend to push their cars as close to our car as possible. The general rule is to keep the distance between cars according to the speed we are driving. The faster we drive, the further the distance should be.

Secondly, Bruneian drivers MUST be educated to use the signal lights ALL the time. I am sorry to say that some Bruneian drivers are too lazy to use their signal lights when they move from one lane to the other. While cruising on the outer lane, we are sometimes caught by surprise by some drivers who switch to our lane as if we do not exist at all. It is common knowledge that it only takes a little effort to switch on the signal light. However, this little effort can mean a life and death situation for other drivers. I politely urge all drivers including myself to make full use of the signal lights and show respect to other drivers.

One of the common sights I noticed when using the "big" roundabout in Kiulap is the selfishness of some drivers who abuse the use of the outer lane. The outer lane MUST only be used if the driver wishes to go out at the next EXIT. It should not be used as a quick way to enter the roundabout and switch to the inner lane(s) later. This is a simple rule which a lot of drivers tend to ignore and violate.

There are much more behaviours that we saw everyday. Will try to post them when I have the time to write them down.

In the meantime, I wish you all a safe journey in which ever direction you drive to.

The Make Up

2008-05-27T22:51:00.002+08:00

The Salmon

2008-05-15T17:35:00.006+08:00

If there is anyone out there who knows the name and location of a good restaurant in Brunei which serve mostly seafood dishes, please let me know. By the way, make sure the restaurant is certified as Halal. Thank you for your kind info.

The picture below was taken on Qatar Airways last year.

i love salmon...

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T14:57:00.004+08:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in this world, especially to the two very special mothers in my life.

First of all to my beloved mother, who gave me the life I am living now. Only Allah can understand how much you mean to me. Maybe its just faith that made our life so difficult to understand nowadays. Me and my wife have done so much to fulfill your dreams and helped you to lift all the burdens you have carried most of your life. We strived to make you the happiest person on earth because we know this is the only gift we can offer to you. Anyway, thank you for the love you have given to my family.

Secondly, to my beloved wife, the mother to all my kids. I love you so much. Thank you for loving me and the kids. You have been so understanding and patient with all of us. You have been kind enough to endure our behaviors despite your busy days and nights with your school works. Once again, thank you for your special love.

Love you all,
Haji K

mau juaa...

2008-05-03T09:29:00.003+08:00

I do not want to write long stories because I just want you all to enjoy the food I am serving in front of you today.

let the fun begins...

still not enough for everyone... hmm...

Defensive Driving

2008-04-29T21:30:00.002+08:00

The traffic jam going to work is becoming an everyday routine I have to go through. It gave me the opportunity to use the camera while waiting for the queue to move forward.

Here are some signboards, which are particularly unique in Brunei. I am glad someone has made a wise decision to put these up along the roads in Brunei. They serve as a good reminder to all the drivers out there to behave while on the wheel.

Butterfly or Rama Rama

2008-04-22T21:58:00.003+08:00

Captured this photo at the veranda. It was taken using my handphone, hence the quality of the photo. Initially, I thought it was just a piece of leaf blown by the winds. Upon close inspection, it was a butterfly sitting quietly... enjoying the early morning weather.

nice... no?

Also dedicated to Nadia AF6 fans out there. Nadia will be singing Ella's Rama-Rama song this weekend. Yeah, you know who you are... he he hee

Do you know...

2008-04-15T21:40:00.004+08:00

Received this interesting article via e-mail but I am not sure where the exact location of this river is. Does anyone out there know where it is? Please shed some lights into the truth of this story because I am really interested to know more about it.

These rivers flow together and their nature came to be known in the starting of 20th century. ALLAH (SWT) mentioned the nature of these two rivers in Holy Quran around 1400 years back.

These two rivers flow together and finally settle down into the Ocean. The taste of one river is extreamly sweet whereas the taste of the other river is extreamly opposite (that is bitter) but they never mix. There is nothing in between these rivers which could stop them from mixing togther but they don't. Obviously, this is the will & order of ALLAH (SWT).

imaginary line drawn to show the distinction

how it actually look likes

my Shake

2008-03-30T22:01:00.003+08:00

nyaman ih!...

whats your favourite drink???...

A Good 63 Start

2008-03-17T22:21:00.004+08:00

A few fast sequence of successes happened over the weekend. I wanted to call it the Good 63 Start because it happened on the weekend of 16/3.

The 1st success was the crowning of Raja Lawak 2008 Malaysia, which went to Ahmad Nabil Ahamad aka NABIL on Friday 14/3. I have followed the last few series of this season and I must admit NABIL was very good. So cool and delivered his punch lines beautifully. Congratulations to Nabil for winning this year crown.

The 2nd success that I would like to note here is the 1st win by McLaren Mercedes at 2008 Formula 1 event in Australia last Sunday. I hope it was the beginning and a sign of the future crowning of the Youngest Formula 1 Champion Driver in F1 history in the not too distant future. Good luck to Lewis Hamilton for the good start and lets see if he could grab the F1 Youngest Crown, which he lost last year by just 1 point. Till we meet again for the 2nd race of the year in Sepang Kuala Lumpur.

Last Saturday also saw the beginning of Akademi Fantasia 6, which started with Tirai Akademi Fantasia. Among the surprises this year included the selection of a 45 year old grandmom as one of the students, the sister of Siti Nurhaliza also as one of the students, the selection of Sarimah Ibrahim who will jointly co-host this season series with AC Mizal to replace Aznil Nawawi.

Next achievement is something that is very close to home. Brunei is still the leading contender for the Race For A Living Planet organised by Standard Chartered Bank. (Updated on 18/3/2008: The environmental challenge has officially been closed. The final result will be published on 4th April 2008). The 3 top countries for the RFALP will share the US$1million prize. Congratulations to all the Bruneians who has contributed to this success. I hope the money will be put into good use for the benefit of our environment and eco-tourism industry. Also, lets maintain our pledges and aim to live in a comfortable planet. Lets start with reducing the water wastages from our tap, especially when we brush our teeth - do not let the tap running while we brush our teeth. Such small matters will lead to greater savings.

Last Sunday 16/3, I also attended a workshop at UBD which I hope will change my world forever. It was a good beginning and lets pray for my success. But the number 63 meant a lot that day (my birthyear which coincide with the date of the day and some good signal from the same number). Enough said about it now and lets move on.

Last but not least, on behalf of the whole family, we would like convery our special congratulations to all the birthday celebrants this weekend. Hope you had some good blasts with families and friend.

Win B$500

2008-03-09T14:09:00.005+08:00

Do you want to win B$500.00 (Brunei Dollar Five Hundreds Only)? Have you ever hear about THE GREATEST RACE ON EARTH? Read on...

The Greatest Race on Earth (GROE) is open to any team of four runners. Each person runs one of the four marathons in Nairobi, Singapore, Mumbai and Hong Kong. The teams with the fastest aggregate time get a chance to share a prize pool of just over US$1 million. Brunei was represented by Roslani Awang Hidop (Nairobi - 31st out of 36), Zulkifle Liman (Singapore - 26th out of 33), Sefli Anak Ahar (Mumbai - 25th out of 35) and Md Rudiin Takong (Hong Kong - 30th out of 35). Overall, Brunei is on the 31st position of GROE.

The other exciting part of GROE is the Race for A Living Planet. This is an environmental challenge where Standard Chartered has partnered up with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) to provide US$1 million to the top three countries who acquire the most environmental pledges per capita. The funding will go towards the winning country's environmental conservation projects and is part of Standard Chartered Bank's global commitment to the environment in the Race for A Living Planet, which is linked to the GROE marathon series, a press release from Standard Chartered Bank stated.

And, guess what? As of today, Brunei is still the leader of the Race for A Living Planet, followed by Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the rest.

On 25th February, Standard Chartered Bank Brunei launched a contest open to all members of the public in BRUNEI to encourage all individuals above the age of 18 to pledge for their country and raise the awareness on environmental concerns. The first individual who submitted 500 pledges would be awarded a B$500 My Dream Savings Account. The second and third individual who submitted 500 pledges would be awarded B$100 each and the first 10 individuals who submitted 50 pledges would receive B$50 each.

So why wait... click on link below... and win big money...

and look for this link...

Netball Tournament

2008-03-01T16:04:00.002+08:00

The netball tournament for primary schools in Tutong district was held on Saturday, 1st March 2008.

Asyiqeen was one of the ten selected players out of 20 participants from Sekolah Pertama Tutong. She played in Centre position.

Today is the 70th Birthday of my mother-in-law. On behalf of the rest of the family, we wish her good health and happiness.

excitements at the goal post...

Playing in CENTRE position...

NBD 24th National Day 2008

2008-02-24T16:31:00.003+08:00

Brunei Darussalam celebrated its 24th National Day on 23/2/2008. The highlight of the day was the nationwide National Day Parade celebration held at Taman Haji Omar Ali Saifudieen in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital itself.

I did not go the Taman because I have to send and pick up my daughter, who has to attend her netball training at her school. However, Fazleen was there to snap up some photos.

The Principal of SMMHT with his team...

The students of SMMHT...

Officers of DSTcom...

The National Day Parade participants proudly waving the national flags...

Majlis Takmir

2008-02-22T21:32:00.004+08:00

21/2/2008. Thursday evening, I got an invitation to the meeting for Majlis Takmir Balai Ibadat Kampung Sengkarai, Tutong. The meeting was held to elect several positions to assist the Imam to manage and organise various activities of the Balai Ibadat. It was also an avenue for the member of the committee and villagers to raise concerns and issues relevant to the Balai Ibadat. There were 11 positions opened for elections and I ended up being elected to be in charge of Computer and IT activities.

So I am opening this topic to all my dear readers to contribute and help me to think of something useful for the community... I am thinking of doing something that we can start small at Balai Ibadat level and let it grow slowly to district level over time. If you have any ideas on what IT activities which could be useful for the community in general, you may put your ideas and comments below or write them on the shout-box. May I thank you in advance for the thought given to this request.

On a separate topic, I have added a new info on my website. This info will shows the daily prayer times for Brunei Darussalam. So, if at any time of day you need to confirm the prayer times you may refer to my website... always remember haji-k.blogspot and prayer time.... semoga amal kitani akan diterima oleh Allah jua.

In the meantime, the family would like to congratulate lil Amirah and Bro Arifin on their birthdays today, 22/2/2008. May Allah blesses all of us, especially the birthday celebrants.

Purple waterfountain...

Fireworks Part 2

2008-02-16T21:24:00.003+08:00

On 16th February 2008, the guys living behind my house gave me another opportunity to capture some photos of fireworks.

fireworks close-up...

fireworks no 2...

fireworks no 3...

fireworks no 4...

Fireworks

2008-02-14T19:13:00.004+08:00

This is the first time I tried to capture some photos of fireworks. These photos were captured using Sony T20 and without tripod. The results were quite impressive although not very excellent.

fireworks...

nice...yes? ehehee...

there is always room for improvements...

breaking up fireworks...

Gelato

2008-02-13T19:37:00.003+08:00

This post is dedicated to all gelato-crazy fanatics out there. These are taken in one of the fastfood chains the Bandar Seri Begawan. We love it so much that we normally ordered two sets with different flavours. Oreo-filled gelato is the most popular and must order flavoured everytime we treated ourselves. Others flavours include nutella, tim-tam, chocolate, strawberry, etc. Hmm... I wonder when would be the next time we have such a treat again.

Before I post today's photos, we would like to wish a Happy Birthday to Miss Hamizah in Tutong. Hope you have a good dinner treat with your fiancee... :) Take good care of yourself and keep in touch always.

ggggelatoooooo...

so tasty and creamy...

3-in-1 flavours...

when one is not enough...

we really love them so much...

strawberry is one of my daughters favourite...

CNY 2008 Open House

2008-02-10T19:42:00.000+08:00

7th Feb 2008. CNY celebration this year greeted the Year of the Mickey Mouse. Started my day in front of the TV set. The uncles dropped by our house @ around 10.00am on their way to the nearby houses. Told them the open house will only start around 11.00am and we invited them in for breakfast.

We left the house @ around 11.00am in 3 cars and took a short drive to the neighbour houses. There are 6 houses here belonging to 6 brothers and sisters of the Kah Huat family. Luckily, they have all agreed to celebrate together and have only one open house instead. Here, we were greeted by the so very friendly hosts, their spouses and children. The food was nice too. I was told that the caterer was a retired muslim teacher from Kg Penanjong.

Next destination was Kg Rimba. The house is located around the Rimba Housing Resettlement area. It is a very nice and cosy neighbourhood, and the host told me that the area is mostly occupied by Senior Government officers. I like the house, especially the backyard garden. The nice waterfall, which I have always dream of having something similar. The "koi" fish pond. The huts. Well, basically the whole garden lah. He he he. The foods here were also delicious. The host kept the last surprise towards the end, when he invited us to his "music room". It was a room dedicated for enjoying the art of audio visual. The walls have been redesigned to absorbed the sounds from interfereing into the other rooms. Great Hi fi sets. Brilliant speakers. Big projector and pull down screen. He even put up some disco lights to add to the soft ambience of the room. He told me that the room was designed for party and watching movies. I jokingly told the host that all I need now are some pop-corns and good DVDs. Hahaha.

View from one of the huts...

The fish pond...

Deliciously inviting and waiting to be taken up...

Happy Chinese New Year

2008-02-06T20:46:00.000+08:00

Another new year will be coming tomorrow (7th Feb 2008). The Georgian New Year was celebrated on 1st Jan. The Hijrah New Year was celebrated on 9th Jan. This time around will be the new year in accordance to the Chinese calendar. For 2008, it will be a year of the Rat or now popularly known as the Year of the Mickey Mouse. A chinese friend told me that the Rat was the first animal to reach the island. I forgot to ask what island. And, I am not sure how true the story was.

Anyway, we would like to wish all our chinese readers, friends, associates and colleagues a healthy, wealthy and prosperous New Year. This year, we might be able to join our chinese friends who have invited us to their Open Houses - mudah2an jua sehat.

The Year of Mickey Mouse

Oranges are plentiful during CNY celebrations..

Gong Xi Fa Cai..

Newcomer

2008-02-03T14:35:00.000+08:00

As I mentioned in my previous article, we have a newcomer in the family. She was borned on 5th Dec 2007 in London UK. Here are some photos of cute lil Nurhafizah, who is now safely back home in Brunei.

eyes wide open...

sleepin...

Happy Birthdays

2008-02-01T19:11:00.000+08:00

31st January 2008. I know... I know... I know I am a day late, here. Something happened yesterday, and therefore I could not get online. Still, I would like to convey our special congratulations and best wishes to Bu Angah Hjh Shahrani, Bu Hajah Norain and Kak Dayang on this very special day of their lifes. May Allah bless you all.

If there are some birthdays which I have missed, please give me a shout. We may not be able to join you all in those celebrations, but our hearts will surely be there with you and the names will appear here... he he hee..

We also would like to wish a warm welcome back Bro Jo and family to Brunei, and brought back a new member in the family. A big warm welcome home.

In the mean time, lets enjoy this picture...

having a blasting party...

2007 Exam Results

2008-01-29T22:52:00.000+08:00

The GCE Cambridge O and A levels results finally came out on Monday, 28th January 2008. Congratulations to those who have passed the examinations and we wish you the best of luck in the next academic level. For those who did not manage to get good grades this time around, please do not get upset. The feeling of frustration will only be a temporary emotion expected from these type of small glitches in life.

Also, congratulations to those who have passed the Sijil Sekolah-Sekolah Rendah Ugama examination.

In the meantime, lets celebrate and enjoy some cool drinks...

take a break. enjoy some pearl coolers...

Happy Birthday Farah AF2

2008-01-26T11:22:00.002+08:00

Happy 23rd Birthday to Farah Diana Anuar on 25th January 2008. To our sweet princess, we hope that you will always remain in good health, keep improving the excellent work you have done in the entertainment industry and keep in touch. I will always remember the surprise phone call you made during my birthday last year. Unfortunately, we are unable to join you and the gangs during the birthday celebration held at Izzi Restaurant, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia recently. Perhaps next year or next next next next year...

picture taken in one of the many meetings we have both in KL and Brunei

Stopover in Dubai III

2008-01-20T10:57:00.002+08:00

Part Three.

Dubai... it is one of the transit destinations for passengers who fly from Brunei to London by Royal Brunei Airlines. It is a shopping haven for Bruneians who got the money and have exhausted the region's shopping cities, malls and complexes of Bangkok, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur.

In addition to some of us from this South East Asia region, Dubai is also a shopping haven for those who stay in the middle-east region (be them arabs or not) and yeah..yeah..yeah.. you do not have to tell me about those rich arabs too... ahaha. Some of them are so damn rich!.

Dubai.. it is possibly the fastest growing city in the world. Have you heard about Burj Al-Arab or The Palm Islands? The Palm Islands (Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali, and Palm Deira) are the largest artificial islands in the world. All of the islands are being built in the shape of a palm tree, with a central trunk and a crown with fronds. They are protected from the open sea by a crescent island that acts as a breakwater.

Unfortunately, I did not have the time to go for the sight-seeing. Maybe next time saja. So, no pictures of those places here. Perhaps, will try to stay in one of those hotels. Anyone who knows how much the room costs? Any generous sponsors out there? Give me a shout, if you are willing to sponsor my next trip.. :)

In the meantime, enjoy these pictures took in Dubai.

The Dubai International Airport view from the top

Its so big there is a hotel inside the airport

If you get lost, you can always use the Building's Directory

Thats if you could read the Directory.. hehe..

At the end of the day, its how you get your way around Dubai which matters...

Greetingz:

The whole family here would like to take this opportunity to wish sis Erni a happy birthday today.

Appointments, Transfer, Confirmation Of Officers

2008-01-18T22:36:00.000+08:00

I was pleasantly surprised to hear the recent announcement on the appointments of these very senior officers because some of them are quite familiar to me. My personal congratulations to all of them, especially to Pg Hj Haris and Dato Paduka Hj Abd Majid who have been promoted to the rank of full Permanent Secretaries. I have extracted the report below from The Brunei Times.

Bandar Seri Begawan - By Command of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the Prime Minister's Office released a press release on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 announcing the monarch's consent to the appointments, transfer and confirmation of the following four senior government officers.

Dato Paduka Hj Abdul Majid Mangarshah, the Director of. The Narcotics Control Bureau, under the Prime Minister's Office, has been appointed as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence.

Pengiran Abdul Haris Pengiran Hj Shahbudin, the Controller of Royal Customs and Excise of the Ministry of Finance have been appointed as the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Meanwhile, Pengiran Dato Paduka Hj Abdul Hamid Pengiran Hj Mohd Yassin,Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence has been transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Hj Erywan Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Hj Mohd Yusof, acting Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been confirmed in his post as the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the ministry.

The new appointments, transfer and confirmation of the aforementioned officers came into effect as of Thursday, January 17, 2008, the statement said.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

The whole family here would like to take this opportunity to wish Ak Emi a happy birthday today.

Stopover in Dubai

2008-01-16T23:13:00.000+08:00

Part Two.

These photos are randomly taken from inside the taxi.

The whole family here would like to take this opportunity to wish a Happy Birthday today to Raihana in Cairo and Ak Hazman in Kg Rimba.

Hijrah 1429

2008-01-10T22:13:00.000+08:00

9th January 2008. By sunset today, it marked the end of Hijrah Year 1428 and the beginning of a new year 1429 Hijrah.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a good year ahead. In the spirit of Hijrah, lets us improve ourself for the better. Small steps will gradually lead to bigger achievements.

Thank you to everyone who has sent their greetings and best wishes. My sincere apology to those I did not manage to reply.

I was so impressed by some of the new year text messages I received because some of them are so touching and so flattering. I do not want to lose them, so I put them here for the record and to share with the rest of you.

Ya Allah Ya Rahman Ya Rahim, sempena tahun baru yang penuh berkah ini, mudah2an dengan izin dan redhaMU, saudara2 ku ini dan keluarga akan sentiasa mendapat ketenangan iman, sihat walafiat yang berpanjangan, murah rezeki yang berterusan, rahmat dan berkat yang berkekalan. Amin3 Ya Rabbal Alamin...

Assalamualaikum Tuan, selamat menyambut tahun baru 1429 Hijrah. Semoga Allah melimpahkan rahmatnya, memberkati, meluaskan & memurahkan rezeki Tuan sekeluarga.

Ketenangan ada dalam iman, Bahagia ada dalam redha, Sihat ada dalam solat, Damai ada dalam zikrullah, maka harmoni lah jiwa. Selamat Tahun Baru Hijrah 1429.

Assalamualaikum, Selamat tahun baru Hijrah 1429, semoga semua amalan kebaikan akan diberkati oleh Allah. Amin Yarobal alaamin.

Di ucapkan selamat menyambut tahun baru hijrah untuk kita sekeluarga dan di doakan semoga hidup tani semua sentiasa di cucuri rahmat dan hidayah Allah Taala jua. Amin!

Selamat Tahun 1429. Ya Allah, rahmatilah penerima sms ini dan keluarganya. Sihatkan ia, panjangkan umurnya dan murahkan rezekinya. Ampuni dosanya dan berkatilah amalanya sepanjang tahun yang telah dilalui. Semoga ditahun 1429 ini akan meningkatkan lagi keberkatannya.

Manusia sering terlupa. Harus diberi peringatan: Hijrah kita tanpa unta, tanpa perlu berjalan di tengah panas membara, tanpa dikejar musuh durjana, tapi hijrah untuk besarkan Tuhan dan bermanja dengan Pencipta Maha Agung. Berhijrah lah ketingkat yang lebih baik dari kelmarin. Selamat menyambut Maal Hijrah.

Dear all, we wish you, your family and your friends "SELAMAT TAHUN BARU HIJRAH 1429" may all your wish come true.

Satu dua kucing berlari, mana sama unta berjangut merah, selamat menyambut tahun baru hijrah...

Salam Maal Hijrah 1429. Semoga mendapat:
Muharram yang Baik,
Safar yang Bersejarah,
Rabiulawal yang Indah,
Rabiulakhir yang Bahagia,
Jamadilawal yang Mulia,
Jamadilakhir yang Riang,
Rejab yang Bermakna,
Syaaban yang Aman,
Ramadhan yang Berkat,
Syawal yang Rahmat,
Zulkaedah yang Sempurna,
Zulhijjah yang Mabrur.
Amin Ya Rabbal Alamin.

Hijrah segala nya. Selamat sejahtera to all. Selamat Tahun Baru.

Selamat Tahun Baru Hijrah. Semoga semua jadi lebih baik lagi.

Selamat menyambut tahun baru Hijrah 1429, semoga tahun ini akan lebih bermakna, dikurniakan segala kebaikan & kemakmuran, bertambah keimanan & ketaqwaan. Dijauhi dari segala bala & kejahatan. Amin Yarabbilalamin!

Ma'al Hijrah 1429, Insha Allah, dengan berkat doa diawal tahun yang penuh keberkatan, dengan kesungguhan dan takwa kejujuran yang berterusan, kejayaan akan mendekati kita.

Makna tahun baru adalah Kehidupan baru, Evolusi Baru, Wawasan baru, Idea baru dan Semangat baru. Selamat Menyambut Tahun Baru Hijrah 1429. Semoga Tahun ini membuka lembaran baru dalam kehidupan kitani. Buang yang keruh ambil yang jernih.

Iman & takwa sahabat setia, letaknya dihati, jiwa & minda. Doa & usaha sebagai senjata, bekalan untukmu hidup berjaya, kerana Allah membelamu walau dimana berada. Salam Maal Hijrah 1429.

Wish you all the best. May Allah blessed us all and make sure we are guided to the right path. Amiin YaRabbal Alaamin...

Stopover in Dubai

2008-01-04T22:45:00.000+08:00

Part One.

Welcome to Dubai International Airport...

Queue Barrier...

This is a small group of the many...

Normally they have 2 type of escalators. But, I noticed that the most popular is this type. You can see the other one is almost empty...

End of Year 2007

2007-12-31T22:21:00.000+08:00

31st December 2007. Today is the end of the Calendar Year 2007.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the family, friends, colleagues and readers for everything which have happened this year. May Allah blessed us all and give us the courage, patience and strength to go through many successful years ahead.

Thank you to everyone who has sent their greetings and best wishes via this blog, e-mails, text messages or personally to me and my family. We wish you the same in return and lets hope the new year would be even better than the past.

Please join me to welcome the new year 2008.

Shisha aka Hookah

2007-12-30T14:19:00.000+08:00

The text below shall be used as information only. It is never my intentions to encourage all of you to take shisha. The photos which follow are some examples of shisha that I have came across.

Shisha or hookah is a single or multi-stemmed (often glass-based) water pipe device for smoking. It originates in India and has gained popularity, especially in the Arab World. A shisha is operated by water filteration and indirect heat. It can be used for smoking herbal fruits, i.e using dried pieces that have been in the sun for a number of days. That's why shisha sometimes smells nice, sweet and addictive.

Shisha comes from the Persian word shishe, which literally translated as glass and not bottle.

In the Arab world, social smoking is done with a single or double hose. When the smoker is finished, either the hose is placed back on the table signifying that it is free, or it is handed from one user to the next, folded back on itself so that the mouthpiece does not point at the person receiving it. (Stories tell Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar thought of it as an insult if the mouthpiece pointed at the person, but there are no official facts.) Another tradition is that the receiver taps or slaps the giver on the back of the hand while taking it as a sign of respect or friendship.

In cafés and restaurants, however, it is rare for each smoker not to order an individual shisha, as the price is generally low, ranging from $2 to $10.

Most cafés (called maqha— Arabic: مقهى, "coffeeshop") in the Middle East have shisha available. Cafés are very widespread, and are amongst the main social gathering places in the Arab world (similar to the status pubs have in the UK).

Listed here are the components of shisha.

Excluding grommets, a shisha is usually made of five components, four of which are essential for its operation

The bowl
Also known as the head of shisha, the bowl is a container, usually made out of clay or marble, that holds the tobacco and coal during the smoking session. It is covered in a small piece of tin foil and holes are made before the coal is placed on top.

Hose
The hose is a slender tube that allows the smoke to be drawn. The end is typically fitted with a metal or wooden mouthpiece.

Body, Gasket, Valve
The body of shisha is a hollow tube with a gasket at its bottom. The gasket itself has at least one opening for the hose. The gasket seals the connection of the body of the shisha with the water jar. The gasket may have one more opening with a valve in it for clearing the smoke from the water jar not via the hose. In some cases the gasket may contain openings for more than one hose.

Water jar
Placed at the bottom of the shisha, the water jar is a container which the smoke from the tobacco passes through before it reaches the hose. By passing through water, the smoke gains moisture. This makes inhaling the smoke of the shisha easier than a cigarette's. Also the water jar allegedly functions as a filter for the smoke. The level of the water has to be higher than the lowest point of the body's tube in order for the smoke to pass through it. Liquids other than water may be added, such as a strong mixture of alcohol,spirit and/or fruit juice.

The plate
The plate is usually just below the bowl and is used for "dead" coals from previous smoking sessions. It is not vital for the operation of the shisha.

Grommets
Grommets in a shisha are usually placed between the bowl and the body, the body's gasket and the water jar and between the body and the hose. The reason for the usage of grommets although not essential (the usage of paper or tape has become common) will help to seal the joints between the parts, therefore decreasing the amount of air coming in and maximizing the smoke breathed in.

How it operates

The jar at the bottom of the shisha is filled with water sufficient to submerge a few centimeters of the body tube, which is sealed tightly to it. Tobacco is placed inside the bowl at the top of the shisha and a burning charcoal is placed on top of the tobacco. Some cultures cover the bowl with perforated tin foil to separate the coal and the tobacco, which minimizes inhalation of coal ash with the smoke.

When one inhales via the hose, air is pulled through the coal and into the bowl. The air, hot from the charcoal, roasts, not burns, the tobacco, producing smoke. This smoke passes down through the body tube, which extends into the water in the jar. It bubbles up through the water and fills the top part of the jar, to which the hose is attached. When a smoker inhales from the hose, smoke passes into the lungs, and the change in pressure in the jar pulls more air through the charcoal, continuing the process.

The shisha's components must be sealed tightly with grommets, or air which does not flow through the coal will dilute the smoke.

As you may noticed, one has to inhale deeply in order for the get the smoke into the lungs. For this reason, some people believe shisha is more dangerous than cigarattes.

My final advise is for those who smoke to stop smoking. As far as shisha is concerned, do not try it. Not even once. Just enjoy the art side of shisha because some of them are really beautiful. Have a look at these.

Smoke and shisha is dangerous for your health...

They come in small sizes too...

These are sold in Dubai International Airport...

Just enjoy the artistic side of shisha. They are beautiful as decorations...

and, its only 78 Dirhams ...

Sightseeing in Muscat

2007-12-26T13:37:00.000+08:00

Despite the busy schedules in Muscat, we also took the opportunity to go around and visited many interesting places there.

Muscat is the capital and largest city in the Sultanate of Oman. The city has an estimated population of 600,000. Since the ascession of Sultan Qaboos bin Said as the Sultan of Oman, Muscat has seen a growth of infrastructural development and urbanisation. In general, the building in Muscat are generally low (rarely more than five story) and white.

Something important that I want to record here is the fact that six months before my trip there, (6th June 2007 to be exact) Muscat was hit by Cyclone Gonu causing extensive damage to properties and rendering electricity, telephone lines and international airport inoperable. Most of the major roads were washed away by the water. Some of the buildings were flooded up to the roof level. That was 6 months ago. Surprisingly, when I arrived in Muscat in December 2007, there is not even a single trace of the effects of the cyclone that can be seen with the naked eyes. Within a matter of only 6 months, the city of Muscat has rebuild itself and came back to its normal life, as if nothing disastrous happened. Yes, 6 months or less was what it took them to rebuild all over again. I wonder if we in Brunei could do that, if it does happen to us. Nauzubillah...

Anyway, I hope you will enjoy these photos.

The Palace where Sultan Qaboos receives most of his esteemed visitors...

A closer view of the Palace...

We also went to the Ruwi, in east Muscat...

The oldest part of the city, near the sea...

Matrah Souq...

Golds and more golds...

Souvenirs...

Posing at one of the dates tree...

The Food in Oman

2007-12-24T18:30:00.000+08:00

The story in Oman will not be complete if I do not put in the interesting photographs of the foods I found there.

Unlike in Brunei, where the staple food is rice, pitta bread is commonly found during Omani meals, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner.

My breakfast plate...

Hommous is another common dish served during breakfast, lunch or dinner. Nyaman ni!!...

My morning hommous served with almond nuts. If you want to know what Hommous is, just give me a call. Nyaman kali ah, buleeeh!!!...

Different kinds of bread...

This was served during breakfast and it did look different and interesting...

I have not seen this kind of stuffs served in this way in Brunei yet...

Still guessing what it is? Yes, its honey served in its natural beehive...

Friday afternoon in Oman

2007-12-21T20:18:00.000+08:00

The day we arrived Muscat was a Friday. For those, like me, who are not familiar with Oman, it was a surprise to find out that the weekends in Oman are on Thursdays and Fridays. I wonder if it is the same for the rest of the countries in the middle east? Anyway, there are many surprises and differences between Brunei and Oman that I noticed. I will try to mention some of these differences later.

Actually, the Grand Hyatt Hotel is located along a beautiful beach. Since the weather was nice, we went down to the beach and took a stroll along the beach and enjoyed the scenery. The temperature in Muscat at that time was around 25 degrees, and it was really a nice weather to be in. Another notable surprise is that the weather in Oman could get to as high as 49 degrees - thats VERY VERY VERY HOT. In fact, one of the Omanis jokingly told me that Oman has 3 seasons, i.e. Summer, Summerer and Summerest. He said that we have came during the "Summer" season. That is why the weather is nice. "Summerest" is when the temperature could reach as high as 49 degrees or even higher. Another close friend who is working in Oman told me that it is not a good idea to come during the "Summerest" season unless we want to see the dates (kurma) bearing the fruit. Date trees will only bear fruits when the temperature reaches those really really high. Enough said about the weather.

Since it was a weekend, the beach during that time was full of people. Some of the people were relaxing and picnicking with families. Some of them were playing football, volleyball (without the net), cycling, jogging or just strolling along the beach.

Another surpise. There are a lot of these in Muscat. This car is owned by one of those at the beach...

Hummer...

The weather is so nice that they do not need an umbrella at the beach. Just some chairs and companions to talk to... The guys at the background are playing beach football...

These guys are playing volleyball. Notice that there is no net in the middle...

Some of the lil ones about to enjoy riding their bikes...

Notice that hut on the right? Well, that is where they relax, drink and smoke shisha. The smell of shisha was so sweet and addictive...

The view of our hotel from the beach. Do you want to know the rate of my room? Its about B$800 per night. How's that compared to The Empire Hotel and Country Club? ...

Grand Hyatt Muscat Oman

2007-12-20T11:50:00.000+08:00

As I said in my previous post, my flight to Oman via Doha started from Kuala Lumpur at around 4.00 in the morning. Together with a newlyfound friend, a Malaysian who was on the way to Sudan, we boarded Qatar Airways (Al-Qatar) and I settled comfortably in my seat next to him. Yes, it was very comfortable because I could adjust the seat into a nice bed. I was so tired and slept most of the way from Kuala Lumpur to Doha.

It was an 8-hour flight from KL to Doha. As soon as I woke up, it was still early in the morning and most of the people were still sleeping. That was good because it meant I could spend more time at the washroom, without worrying someone waiting outside. About 15 minutes later, breakfast was served. Arrived Doha at around 7.00 in the morning. Boarded a bus, which took us to the arrival & transfer hall. As soon as we reached the transfer hall, I rushed to another gate for my next flight at 7.50am from Doha to Muscat. Bid farewell to my Malaysian friend and we went our separate ways.

Doha to Muscat was a short 1-hour flight using Qatar Airways.

Arrived safely at Muscat. I was pleasantly surprised to see some of the Bruneians working in Oman waiting for me at the arrival hall. The first person I met was Hajah Florinda (Haji Ismail's wife). Also present was Mohd Jair Japar and Norhasnida, both working in PDO Oman. Unfortunately, the handphone did not have any signal at the airport and I could not contact my actual host. After searching and asking around, we finally found Mr Ravi - the person who was supposed to take care of us while in Oman - and the 2 drivers from the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Mr Ravi told me that he actually saw me coming out of the arrival hall and as he was about to approach me he became confused when another person greeted me instead.

Then, we waited for another 30 minutes for the arrival of another flight from Dubai, which carried my other 3 colleagues from Brunei. Mr Yong came out first followed by Dr Peter. Yati came out last and it was because her baggage was lost in transit.

In Muscat, we stayed at the prestigious Grand Hyatt Hotel. It was a grand hotel almost similar to Brunei's own The Empire Hotel and Country Club.

The Grand Hyatt Hotel in Muscat...

View at the Poolside...

Another view of the poolside...

The view of the beach from the balcony in my room ...

The view of the poolside from the balcony...

The dining area...

The view of the other wing of the hotel from the balcony...

The poolside view

Me at Grand Hyatt Hotel