Dr Tron therapy

I have been following, or rather attending, the latest therapy available in Brunei – the bioelectron potential therapy, with the brand name of Dr Tron. The place is in Serusop and people have been flocking like bees to their hive. Per day, this place could be treating up to 1,200 people and the best thing is it’s for free, hence the number of people.

Dr Tron claims to cure all sort of pains – back pain, stiff shoulders and even gastritis, locally known as dugal. All you have to do is just sit on a chair with the bioelectron pad on it for twenty minutes. That’s all. If you are the last group (they closes at 7pm), you may be allowed to stay on longer. Each session of twenty minutes can treat up to eighty people the most.

Oh yes, to kill the boredom of just sitting down (like me, I can’t sit still for a minute) the staff there would ramble and make jokes but on a serious note, they would inform especially for the newbies, on what (or who) Dr Tron is and how does it work.

Dr Tron is actually a machine, like an ECG machine for the heart patients, passing electrons to the pad I mentioned but nope, you won’t get electrocuted. The electrons are the one treating the cells inside the body. So yes, no injection and no pills.

I have been searching online for more information but I couldn’t find any. Even the company who distribute the machine in Malaysia has no website but have been mentioned here and there for winning awards.
As I have only just started, I couldn’t say much now on how effective this therapy is. The walls of the ‘clinic’ are all pasted with testimonials of locals who have underwent (some still ongoing) the therapy. Most shouted how the therapy has improved their health after only a week’s treatment.

My mother introduced me to this and she has been lobbying for all of her 12 children to go as well. Half of us (with our other halves) have started to go. Let me talk about my mom a bit. She is a-70+ woman, tall and in good health (alhamdullilah). She has been going for the treatment for the last two months or more and we couldn’t help noticing how clearer her complexion has become. She used to have those old age spots on her face and now they are almost gone.

For me, all I can share now is at this very moment, I am really dizzy, (I slept until 10.30am this morning). I have been told that this is one of the reactions I would be getting for the first few days of the treatment. Others are lethargy and increase in the pains. The staff there assured that this is normal (and I am going crazy here with my dizziness) but should be okay after a week.

So I will report back on this after a month from now Insya Allah as I am too dizzy to type now. Hope I made sense up there.

Personality test – What’s for dessert dear?

If all of the desserts listed below were sitting in front of you, which would you choose (sorry, you can only pick one!). Now don’t cheat on this one, go with the first dessert you choose!!! Trust me….this is very accurate. Pick your dessert, and then look to see what psychiatrists think about you.

Here are your choices:

1. Angel Food Cake

2. Brownies

3. Lemon Meringue Pie

4. Vanilla Cake With Chocolate Icing

5. Strawberry Short Cake

6. Chocolate on Chocolate

7. Ice Cream

8. Carrot Cake

Nope you can’t change your mind once you scroll down, so think carefully what your choice will be.

Now that you’ve made your choice this is what the research says about you..

SCROLL DOWN—

1 ANGEL FOOD CAKE — Sweet, loving, cuddly. You love all warm and fuzzy items A little nutty at times. Sometimes you need an ice cream cone at the end of the day. Others perceive you as being childlike and immature at times.

2. BROWNIES – - You are adventurous, love new ideas, and are a champion of underdogs and a slayer of dragons. When tempers flare up you whip out your saber. You are always the oddball with a unique sense of humor and direction. You tend to be very loyal.

3. LEMON MERINGUE — Smooth, sexy, & articulate with your hands, you are an excellent after-dinner speaker and a good teacher. But don’t try to walk and chew gum at the same time. A bit of a diva at times, but you have many friends.

4. VANILLA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING — Fun-loving, sassy, humorous, not very grounded in life; very indecisive and lack motivation. Everyone enjoys being around you, but you are a practical joker. Others should be cautious in making you mad. However, you are a friend for life.

5. STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE — Romantic, warm, loving. You care about other people, can be counted on in a pinch and expect the same in return. Intuitively keen. Can be very emotional.

6. CHOCOLATE ON CHOCOLATE — Sexy; always ready to give and receive. Very creative, adventurous, ambitious, and passionate. You can appear to have a cold exterior but are warm on the inside. Not afraid to take chances. Will not settle for anything average in life. Love to laugh.

7. ICE CREAM — You like sports, whether it be baseball, football, basketball, or soccer. If you could, you would like to participate, but you enjoy watching sports. You don’t like to give up the remote control. You tend to be self-centered and high maintenance.

8. CARROT CAKE — You are a very fun loving person, who likes to laugh. You are fun to be with. People like to hang out with you. You are a very warm hearted person and a little quirky at times. You have many loyal friends.

McDiplomas and McQualifications served

I happened to read a BBC report early this morning on qualifications offered by McDonald’s for A-level or advanced diploma standard training courses. Yup you heard me right. The Golden Arch will soon be issuing McDiplomas and McQualifications, as the UK press has nicknamed them, after McDonald’s became the first three UK firms to be approved the Level 3 courses (i.e. equivalent to A-level or advanced diploma level). The other two are airline Flybe and Network Rail.

Read more here. 

This link tells a story of a journalist who once worked at the fast food giant with details of famous people who once served Big Macs and others.

I agree that working at fast food outlets can give you stress. Just look at the staff working there and you can hear orders (with codes) shouted between the front-liners and the kitchen and yet, they still manage to smile as part of their customer services. Staff also has to endure long-hours on their feet and customers who grumbles.

So those O-level leavers can now start to think of applying to McD in the UK to obtain your A-level or advanced diploma as an option. Afterall they are recognised by the QCA (UK’s exams watchdog). Have to check with the MOE here first though, if you need that scholarship.

Brunei’s O and A levels 2007 results

O-level 2007 result

A-level 2007 result

Congrats to those who passed their exams. The Brunei Times today reported on it’s front page that early statistics show an improvement in results compared to the previous year.  The best A-level result is from a Maktab Duli student, Amilyn Quah Yen Sze, the report added, with six grade A’s in General paper, English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths. Wow!

The paper also said that the only student who took 12 O-level subjects was Andrew Koay Yi Jie from the Chung Hwa Middle School BSB with 11 grade A’s and one B. Double wow!

Up until now, I always remember that the Os are harder than the As. Of course.

Tips on…losing weight

I just put up a post on burger before this but now I am posting on how to lose weight…hehe, just feeling guilty a bit there. Hope these tips help:

- Crash diets never work or some work BUT only for a short time, hence the name crash diet.

- Breakfast is really the best meal of the day but don’t start with the heavyweights like noodles and rice. The best food to take will be diary products and fruits. If you consume these in big quantities, chances are you would skip lunch.

- Eat little but often. Don’t starve yourself or else you end up eating alot. Eating little will stop your crave for more.

- Cut down on caffeine. It boosts adrenaline which overrides the body’s need for food and confuses the digestive system.

- Don’t weigh yourself too often. The scale might give you an impression that you are not losing weight (actually loss of water) or for some gaining it (increase in muscle weight due exercise). The best thing to know if you are losing weight is to measure your waistline or give yourself that pinch test, around your tummy, thigh or arm.

- Once in awhile, treat yourself, not by food but things like maybe shoes, bags, or dress. Guys can upgrade their PS2 to PS3.

- Don’t forget that water therapy. Water cleanses the body, literally. It remove toxins and helps to bring in oxygen.

- Exercise! Yes, the best and fastest (and probably cheapest) way to lose weight is to exercise. People who exercise have that glow on their skin so, in the long run, this will decrease your visits for facial treatment.

I will add in more tips… I know everyone is not the same – the above might work for some but not for others. I am trying to as well, not that easy I tell you but the motivation is there – a pic of me in size 8; my original Levi’s jeans (I can’t fit in this now but once I do, I know I am losing weight); my family especially my other half (muahz) and the best thing is simply, just the thought of being in the pink of health.

Those adverts and promos on slimming treatments, pills or what-have-you are so ever inviting but I don’t think I want to risk myself, not that a risk-taker here. I would rather use the money to join health gyms. Everytime I walk in a gym, I can feel the chi; happy people who exercise give me that sense of happiness as well. Its contagious yes, so, if you feel demotivated or low or depressed, try walking in a gym. Just walk in and feel the air (hope people there wear deodarants).

Another thing I want to share here is this simple story. My friend is a busy man, always making up excuses of not having the time to exercise, so you can imagine the effect it has on his weight. Last year, he said to me that he was really scared because of his increasing weight. I motivated him with my ramblings, bla bla bla, do’t this, do that (like the above  ) but still he gained more weight. At last he knew the answer himself. As he really don’t have time to exercise, he has to reduce his food intake. After six months, he lost five kilos and he still go on. The point is to eat sensibly plus live moderately equals healthy livestyle. I still want to enjoy an icecream even if I am 80 (if I can reach that age). Insya Allah.

I do love it – Mc D Prosperity Burger

Yes, I had it! Mmmmm…..Nice. This is my sin (in the food category) but you can’t blame me as McDonald’s Prosperity Burger only comes once a year – during the Chinese New Year (hence the name Prosperity). So it may sound like that I am really looking forward to the Chinese New Year because of the burger, which is true. I think I am sharing this sentiment with the rest of the Prosperity Burger fans from around this region.

I was a bit dissapointed with the burger though as the taste was still as it has always been, its just that something else is missing when I was eating it. After awhile I realised that the wrap was splattered with the pepper sauce which meant that there were less sauce in the burger and the bun was somewhat, flat as it must have been still hot when it was wrapped.

Anyway, I love the food and the set, which came with the curly or twisted fries (still prefer the normal fries though) and the cold green tea (nice). In Brunei, the burger and set will come to an end at the end of this month and its not even Chinese New Year. I am confuse here. I needed some clarification from the staff but they didn’t know because they said it’s their management decision. Mmm look like, I will be back before the end of this month, which this Thursday

Below is part of a report from Bernama (Malaysian News Agency) on the burger:

The McDonald’s Prosperity Burger, available only in the Malaysian market for the past 10 years, would be now marketed in eight Asia Pacific countries, the managing director and McDonald’s Business Partner in Malaysia, Mohamed Shah Abdul Kadir said today.

In conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration, he said the Prosperity Burger would make its rounds again with Malaysians and other McDonald patrons in more than 2,200 of its fast food restaurants in the region, namely China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Korea, and the Philippines.

Additional note from me: …and has been around in Brunei for the past three years.

Where would you be having your CNY dinner?

My meal and I

My lunch:

Raspberry and yogurt

1 cup(s) yogurt, fat-free plain
1 cup(s) raspberries

Nutritional Info (Per serving):

Calories: 191, Saturated Fat: 0g, Sodium: 176mg, Dietary Fiber: 8g, Total Fat: 0.8g, Carbs: 32g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Protein: 9.5g Carb Choices: 1.5

My dinner:

Broccoli with Parmesan

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 15 mins

1/2 cup(s) broccoli
2 tablespoon cheese, low-sodium Parmesan

Preparation: Steam broccoli until bright green and slightly tender. Drain and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Nutritional Info (Per serving):

Calories: 72, Saturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 36mg, Dietary Fiber: 2.5g, Total Fat: 3.2g, Carbs: 5.3g, Cholesterol: 4mg, Protein: 5.5g Exchanges: Vegetable: 1, Fat: 1 Carb Choices: 0.5

My weekend treat (looking forward already)…

The annual-only-during-Gong-Xi-Fa-Chai Prosperity Burger at McDonald’s…yummy. What nutritional info? :p

[I will write about this particular burger]

The story of a father and his two sons

I can’t seem to get the following story out of my mind. Here goes….

There was once a powerful and very rich man who has two sons. It was obvious that he favoured the eldest from the youngest as, whatever he gave to the youngest, the eldest would get twice as much.

One day it was the youngest’s birthday. The father came to him and asked what he would like for his birthday.

The youngest asked, ‘What would you give me father?’

The father said, ‘Anything that you are asking for.’

The son was very happy to hear that only to find out that the father had not finish his sentence. The father continued, ‘But, you must remember, whatever that you wish for, your brother would be getting twice as much.’

With that, the son asked his father if he could first think about it, to which the father said yes. So, the youngest went to sleep with unhappy thoughts.

The next morning, he came up to his father and told him what he wish for. He asked for one of his eyes to be poked out of his head.

The end.

Petai – the legend

Yet another chain email that I received moons ago…..Up to you to believe this but I prefer jaring over petai if given an option between the two… Petai’s scientific name is Parkia speciosa but would anyone care? Petai (pic above) is a twisted cluster bean, yongchaak or stink bean and yes, has that stinky odour. The seeds of young petai are taken and bring to boil with water. Malays add in belacan or shrimp paste, ground chillies, onions and seasoning to cook it and taken with rice as sambal or side dish. Bon Appetit!

ADVICE FROM A UKM MEDICAL DOCTOR on PETAI

Little did you know …… after reading THIS, you’ll NEVER look at petai in the same way again!

Petai contains three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose. Combined with fibre, petai gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proved that just two servings of petai provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder petai is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes. But energy isn’t the only way petai can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.  

Depression:   According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND among people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating petai. This is because petai contains tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into   serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS(premenstrual syndrome):  Forget the pills – eat petai! The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anaemia:   High in iron, petai can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anaemia.

Blood Pressure:  This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the petai industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power :   200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school [di mana kan tu?] were helped through their exams this year by eating petai at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation:  High in fibre, including petai in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:   One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a petai milkshake, sweetened with honey. The petai calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and hydrates your system.

Heartburn:  Petai has a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating petai for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on petai between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of the petai skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves:   Petai is high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight:  Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.    

Ulcers:   Petai is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control:Many other cultures see petai as a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Holland, for example, pregnant women eat petai [banarkah nie? Ada org putih pandai makan patai kan?] to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) :   Petai can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.

Smoking:  Petai can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.  

Stress:   Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium petai snack.

Strokes:  According to research in “The New England Journal of Medicine, “eating petai as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%”.

Warts:   Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of petai and place it on the wart. Carefully hold the petai in place with a plaster or surgical tape!
 
So, as you can see, petai really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the   phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say,  “A Petai a day keeps the doctor away”.

PM Dr.Aminuddin AHK  
Dept.of Physiology
Medical faculty of UKM
Kuala Lumpur
Tel:6(03)40405157  
Fax:6(03)26939687 
[no email, otherwise I will contact this Dr directly to validate the authenticity of this chain email]  

Permission for any entertainment – a pre-requisite

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry when I heard the news that Bruneian residents need to apply for permit if they are to organise any form of entertainment even in their own private premises.

Weekend in Brunei is normally filled with all sort of wedding-related ceremonies – basuruh (fact-finding mission); batunang (engagement); basanding (newly-weds sitting on a special dais); etc. This is part of our Brunei way of life – family gathering. So you can imagine if one have to obtain permit as usually there are some form of entertainment which might either be a memukun or gambus or local band playing at a private function during a wedding ceremony. I imagine that our elders who love to do a badondang (poetry recital with the aid of rabanna) would also need one before they carry on with their generations-long tradition of entertainment.

I think it is too much of a hassle to obtain a permit if you are having an entertainment in your own private place. Maybe hotels and restaurants do have to but not private individuals. So, maybe a courtesy letter to the local authority such as the police would suffice to say that there would be some sort of entertainment at one’s house at so and so date and place. Period.

I just hope that the authority are not slow in giving out a permit as understandably, they must be receiving applications by hundreds every week.

Tokoh wartawan Melayu – Eminent Malay Journalists Award

Congrats to our two Bruneians – Awang Haji Ahmad Haji Arshad and Pengiran Fatimah binti Pengiran Haji Mohd Nor for winning the awards from Malaysia’s Berita Harian last night in KL.

Read the online news here.

Pengiran Fatimah is in fact the only woman recipient of the award. She is a journalist with the Information Department and has written articles for the weekly-Government newspaper, Pelita Brunei.

Haji Ahmad, as far as I know is a retired Government journalist and is one of Brunei’s prominent literary figures. He has been contributing to the development of literature in Brunei since 1959 and so far has published a book of poetry and short stories and another book on the social development and achievements of Brunei.

More on him from the Brunei Times report here.

The awards ceremony was organised by former journalists association of Malaysia’s Berita Harian to show appreciation for journalists who have contributed to the development of literature in the Malay archipelago in their respective countries.

Journalism in Brunei still has a long way to go. Most of the local journalists have other qualifications not related to journalism while many others just got involve in it because it’s their work. It is an interesting subject and wonder when it will be taught at UBD.

This afternoon while listening to the radio station, I heard that there would be RTB awards in various categories like (the usual suspects) – best actors and actresses and even the best news presenters. C’mmon RTB, what happen to the best journalists? News presenters just read the news and they are not even doing any research and reporting. Sometimes they even read very badly that I have to switch to other channels or even turn the radio off. I am rambling on again now…

Read my previous posts on journalism here and here.

Halal Hong Kong Yam-cha dim sum

Liverpool – Europe Capital of Culture 2008

 Anyone plans to travel to the UK this year? Yes? Don’t miss to visit Liverpool, the city accolade as the Europe Capital of Culture 2008.

Starting this weekend, the naming of the city as Europe’s Capital of Culture kicks off with The People’s Opening and the Liverpool – The Musical. The musical itself will be held at the state-of-the-art arena, ECHO Arena at Kings Dock which was specially created for the event.

Check out the yearlong, world-class festivities here.

Liverpool has beautiful countryside…

The story of Hijrah

What is Hijrah: Hijrah comes from the Arabic word meaning migration. It was the migration of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in 622 AD from Makkah to Yathrib (old name for Medinah) which saw the start of the spread of Islam civilization.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) went out from Makkah on the last Thursday of Safar, 622 AD or 1,429 years ago. He hid in the Thur Cave, an isolated place outside Makkah to avoid being detected by the Quraish, who have been trying to kill him. Hiding in the cave was the Prophet’s strategy where the Quraish thought that he went straight to Medinah. Prophet Muhammad went out of the cave after several weeks there in early Rabiul Awal.

The Hijrah calendar is use by many Muslim countries to determine the main events in Islam. It is based on the lunar calendar and has a total of 354 days annually.

Why Hijrah: Why was the event where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) made the hijrah selected as the start of the Muslim year? Why not either on the dates of his birth or death, the Isra’ Miraj or other significant Muslim events?

The answer: One of the reasons was that Hijrah is the milestone for Muslims. The starting point where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his friends spread Islam to the world.

Who started it: The second Khalifah Rashidin, Saidina Umar Al-Khatab (634-644 AD). One reference said that one Governor asked Saidina Umar on which year was his orders to the Governor. This gave Saidina Umar an idea to start a year which should be used for Muslims. At that time, there were a number of calendars used by the different Arab races such as the Elephant Year, the Persian calendar and the Romanian calendar. The names of the 12 months in the Hijrah year are either based on the season or events affecting the old Arab.

Muharram

Muharram is derived from the Arabic word haram. It is the first month of the Muslim calendar of Hijrah. In the old Arab days, it was forbidden to fight in this month as Muharram is one of the four holiest months in Islam (the other three are Zulkaedah, Zulhijjah and Rajab).

One of the most significant days in Muharram is Ashura. The religious significance of Ashura, as is relevant to Sunni Muslims who form the majority (85%) of Muslims, can be summarised from a report regarding Prophet Muhammed as follows:

” Prophet Muhammed arrived in Madinah and found the Jews observing fast on the day of ‘Ashura… They said: “It is the day of great (significance) when Allah delivered Moses and his people and drowned Pharaoh and his people, and Moses observed fast out of gratitude. And we also observe it.” Then Prophet Muhammed responded: “We have more right, and we have closer connection with Moses than you have”; so he observed fast and gave us orders to observe it.” [Reported by Ibn Abbas, Ref: Sahih Bukhari and Muslim]

The Shi’a believe the above hadith to be a fabrication by the Ummayads, after the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, as a part of their campaign to turn the 10th of Muharram into a day of rejoicing. These traditions are of the same genre as those which say that it was on the 10th of Muharram that Noah’s ark rested on Mount Ararat, the fire became cool and safe for Abraham, and Jesus ascended to the heaven. In the same category came the traditions exhorting the Muslims to treat ‘Ashura as a festival of joy, and to store one’s food-grain on this very day as it would increase one’s sustenance and bring the blessings of Allah to the household.

The day of Ashura also has the historical significance of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, which however took place well after the demise of Prophet Muhammed, and should not be confused with the religious significance of Ashura. However the Shia Muslim community attributes religious significances to the day of Ashura connected with this event.

So, the best practice to do in this month is to fast both either on the 9^th and tenth of Muharram (i.e. on the 18^th – Friday; and 19^th – Saturday of January 2008) OR the tenth and eleventh of Muharram ( Saturday and Sunday).

Selamat Tahun Baru Hijrah 1429

A new year message (in Malay) I received a few minutes after the new year from my sister, SA; the best one I received: Selamat Tahun Baru Hijrah. Semoga kita dapat berhijrah ke arah yang diredhai Allah swt. Muhasabah diri serta memperbaiki sebarang kekurangan supaya mendapat rahmat dariNya jua. Amin.

I still read the end and beginning of the year prayers. There is nothing wrong with a doa or prayer I believe. After all, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said a prayer is the Muslim’ weapon. I strongly believe that if we are sincere with our doa, Allah swt will listen to our prayers. I will talk about doa in my upcoming post.

I have searched everywhere and true, I couldn’t find any sunnah or teaching of the Prophet on the Doa Awal and Akhir tahun. One reply which I got from an ustaz on my own enquiries on these two prayers was that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) didn’t celebrate the new year Hijrah as it was only started after his death. But the ustaz said that there’s nothing wrong to pray for one owns well-being.

Read my very recent post on these prayers, which received over three hundred hits yesterday; Doa awal and akhir tahun, plus a comment from one Abdullah.

Brunei Darussalam celebrated the new year of Hijrah just a couple of hours ago where His Majesty The Sultan And Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam along with Their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince and Prince Abdul Malik joined His Majesty’s subjects at the awesome Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah in Kiarong to welcome the new year.

Hijrah awards were presented by His Majesty. The Tokoh Ugama award went to Pehin Ustaz Haji Hamid bin Bakal who received among them a cash of Br$20,000. The other two recipients for another award were Awang Haji Metussin bin Haji Timbang and Awang Haji Zainal @ Abu Bakar bin Idris who each received a Br$10,000 cash and others.

I hope that the spirit of the new year will bring in much betterness in life, in this world and the lifeafter, amin.  Migrating because of Allah is one of the keys to richness as Allah said in the Quran:

“Artinya : Barangsiapa berhijrah di jalan Allah, niscaya mereka mendapati di muka bumi ini tempat hijrah yang luas dan rizki yang banyak” [An-Nisaa : 100]

Laughter is the best medicine

Laughter is the best medicine. I agree. [Hence this latest category – Jokes]

Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) is known to joke around. One day in a gathering, he saw an old man among them. He began to preach and said: ‘In heaven there would be no old men, only young ones.’ Upon hearing this, the old man started to cry.

Prophet Muhammad then said: ‘Don’t worry old man. In heaven everyone would be of the same age, no one would be too young and none will be too old.’ With that, the old man smiled.

Sometimes when I am feeling down, I will think of a joke and even the lousiest one could put a smile on my face. Here are some as gathered from the ‘1,000 of the world’s funniest jokes’ book. Well, I am not going to post all 1,000; but some of them which I find are funny. Have a laugh guys … lots of LOLs…..

Piano Tuner: I’ve come to tune the piano.
Music Teacher: But we didn’t send for you.
Piano Tuner: No, the people who live across the street did!

Waiter, how long will my pizza be?
We don’t do long ones Sir, only round ones.

Doctor, I think I’m going to die!
Nonsense, that’s the last thing you’ll do!

Teacher: Where was the Queen crowned?
Gary: On her head?

Why did Snoopy resign? [Snoopy is my favorite cartoon, along with Garfield]
He didn’t want to work for Peanuts anymore!

This match won’t light!
That’s funny, it did this morning!

When do you stop at green and go at red?
When you’re eating a watermelon.

John kept pestering his parents to buy a video recorder but they said they couldn’t afford one. One day, John came home clutching a brand new video recorder.
‘Wherever did you get your money from to get that?’ asked his father. ‘It’s all right Dad,’ he replied. ‘I swapped the Tv for it.’

What do you get if you cross a werewolf with a hyena?
I don’t know but if it laughs I’ll join in.

First zombie: Do you still hold your girlfriend’s hand?
Second zombie: Yes, but I wish the rest of her would visit more often.

Waiter, this soup tastes funny.
Then why aren’t you laughing?

Dentist: Try to relax. I’ll pull that aching tooth in just five minutes.
Patient: How much will this cost?
Dentist: That will be £100.
Patient: That much for just five minutes’ work?
Dentist: Well, if you prefer, I can pull it very slowly.

Will put up some more later… shared jokes welcomed :p

The GROE – Brunei is currently leading

Yes! Brunei is still in the lead. Read my previous post on the Greatest Race on Earth. 

Check the result here.

You guys better make the environment pledges and vote for Brunei. You can also upload your personal picture in the World Mosaic page. I have done mine. Maybe you can spot your friends and even neighbours!

A quote from the website:

Every pledge made will make a difference to the environment and could benefit your selected country. Standard Chartered, working in partnership with WWF, will donate USD1 million to support vital environmental conservation projects which will benefit the three nations that generate the most pledges per capita by 8 February 2008*.

* Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division

So, common guys! Pledge and vote for Brunei. Brunei buliieeehhhhh kali ah….

10% service charge + +. Thank you!

I wouldn’t mind giving tips especially if the service is extra good. Especially if its being practised here in Brunei, not that I mind who or where, just as long as I found that the service is beyond expectations. Visitors to Brunei have been informed in many guidebooks that tipping is unnecessary here in the Abode of Peace. True. We don’t call it tip, we call them sedekah or the elders would say, to buy you a cup of coffee (not that you cant afford one, so don’t get offended when they do say like that).

Anyway, so how about our neighbouring countries? Singapore expects tips, in their hotels and restaurants. So do Thailand and the Philippines. In fact almost all of the ASEAN countries except the unique Brunei.

Who bring this culture here to our part of the world? The westerners I agree for they said that the ten- percent service charge is already included in the bill but that extra bucks or ringgit are for a better service provided by the personnel. In short, the unexpected.

Say for example in a hotel, you would expect the door boys to deliver your luggage to your room and in return, they expect some tips for that service. Me? It depend. I mean it is their job to bring up the luggage and why should I give them money unless they deliver the luggage before I arrive in my room and help me settle down like checking that everything in the room is in order.

During my first solo trip abroad, I didn’t know that I must tip a bellboy as tipping is not my culture. As I settled in my room, I was greeted by a bellboy with my luggage in tow and the biggest smile I have ever seen in this world. Not knowing what I should do with him, he stayed for a moment, just standing by the door grinning from ear to ear. After an uncomfortable moment, he asked if everything’s okay with the room and ANYTHING else that he can do for me.

Innocently I said no but thanked him for the luggage. His face dropped the very next moment and out he went. The next morning as I met my other collegues, one of them mentioned about a grinning bellboy and that reminded me of mine the day before. My colleague said that she just put a few dollars in an envelope to the boy. I told my friend what happened to me and they all laughed and said that’s very clever. Actually I didn’t know about tipping and felt sorry for the boy. So from then on, I make sure I have small amount with me as I arrive abroad for that extra service.

About a week ago while checking-in to a local hotel, my partner and I came across a very polite and nice bellboy. Yes we gave him some dollars just because he was nice (not that intrusive or rude) and we considered that as a sedekah or gift. The best part was he prayed for us in return. Nice! At the restaurant, the waiter was nice with a neat appearance but he wasn’t that good because he kept on forgetting our order and came back and forth to us (with a smile) but no orders. Others I noticed were either slow or rowdy while the waitresses were teasing each other as if to grab attention. Ewww… So, sorry no tip from us. 

Another example is my pedicurist. Boy, she really know how to swing her mood, maybe she is going to menopause soon or forever in a mood swing, I don’t know. If she is cheerful and sings while she is doing her work, she would easily win the word’s best pedicurist. That’s when I give her extra but at times, when she has a long and sour face, better not go to her or else you would see blood coming from your toes. Ouch!

So there you are, extra $$$ if you give me that extra OOHHH-OOOHs.

Mr Wabbit Exercises

Exercise is fun and never fails to keep that glow on your face. I once remember a quote (but forgot from which movie and by whom :p) about exercise. It says: “…She exercise! Exercise makes you happy. Happy people don’t kill their husbands!” …about a woman who was accused of killing her hubby. Oww…

So keep exercising to make yourself happy. Try these Mr Wabbit exercises. The image should be moving but it can’t here. For those who would like to see the animated exercises, email me. Happy exercising or Happy happying?

    
1st: Warming up …. round those tired shoulders, shake your arms and legs. Keep the room warm too and never ever exercise in an air-conditioned room. Please.
 
sam fu kap~~~~~~~~~
kap hei~~~~~~`
fu hei~~~~
 
 
2nd: Stretching….stretch long and beautiful, think of the graceful swan though I have never seen any of them doing a stretch. Have you?

pom cak cak pom cak cak…

 
3rd: the upper body exercise – just shake your assets. Dont have one, just shrug your shoulders. Serious.
 
 
4th: lower body exercise (sway to your left and back)
 
 
5th: lower body exercise (moving to right and back) Shakira would love to learn your drill Inul – that Indon female singer known for her, err, drilling. I read somewhere that hip-swinging movement and belly-dancing are good for your uterus (for the ladies). Maybe for the men too… 
 
6th: Head exercise – when a nod is the best gesture. Nod Nod Nod…

7th: whole body exercise – shake it all about…
 
money money come…
money money come…..

8th: Jumping exercise: The Pose is the key but remember to jump! Just jump and burn those calories. Fast!
 
 
9th: relax and breathe – burn more calories as you inhale and exhale and relax your mind as oxygen is transported to your brain.
 
Well done! Must follow all the steps ya…