Pampering my body

I desperately need a massage a.s.a.p. I know I need one as my body is aching at the moment. That Dr Tron therapy I am under-going at the moment could be the culprit but I have been pre-warned on it’s side effect. More illness, lethargy and sleepiness would be experienced and the trick is to continue with the therapy. I will write more on Dr Tron as I have more information now.

Sometimes I wonder if we need to for isn’t that one of the tricks of the business? (My mom would disagree on these as she would say, Jangan buruk sangka or don’t think negative). It’s just that sometimes these businesses would say that you must come over and over again or continue with the medication and that we should only buy from them so they have a steady cash flow.

Anyway, have to book for an appointment soon. Appointments needed even with that well-known old woman at Berakas. My, she is always ever busy with her clients. Call her and don’t ever text her for she can’t read. She said if her grand-children are nearby, they would read that for her but usually, she is with her customers, like 12/7. Once or twice, I just ‘walk-in’ and though she accepted that mode, she discouraged me to do that. She is in very high demand and because of that I want to skip her this time. I don’t want her to massage me in a zip of time and rush off for her next client. I need a relaxing massage…uhhhh…if I can’t get an appointment, a self-reflexology will do for now.

Check this great reflexologist site.

Books and more books – love them.

Calling all bookworms, mamas & papas and those who have interest in books, publishers, workshops, discounts, offers or even fun!

Don’t forget to visit the Brunei Book Fair 2008 which starts today until 7th March at the ICC in Berakas. Opening time is 8.30am to 10pm. The organiser a.k.a. the Language and Literature Bureau has promised that this would be their best ever.

In this age of technology, printed books are being replaced by the likes of e-books. Publishers are long aware of this I’m sure. Personally for me, I still like to hold a book in my hand and carry it around. Still old-fashioned, I know.

It’s just sad to know that our young people nowadays prefer to play video games or hanging around endlessly without direction instead of reading a book. Please carry a book around.

And, here I go again, blaming parents for not instilling the love of reading among their children when they are small. Its never too late even if you have grown-up children already. Buy a bookrack or shelf and start buying useful books instead of collecting DVDs (and pirated at that, mcm pak haji jugak). Set a nice cosy corner for a family’s mini library. Set by examples and your children would follow them.

I remember when I was small, our house was full of books – religious books, encyclopedia, and medicinal books as well as my beloved fairy tales books. My elder brother (whom I always have endless fights with when we were small) is the greatest bookworm in the world that I know. He just love reading anything even labels on the inside of your shirt or that newspaper wrapper for nasi bungkus .  Come to think of it, I think I was actually copying whatever he was doing then as dad would praised whoever did any good behaviour and got rewarded; usually like the valuable twenty-cents. So that copying of behaviour became a habit to me, which is good in a way.

My mom, when reminiscing the past would told us, her children, that there was one time when one of our neighbours commented (I hope sincerely) that our house was full of books. To which my mom replied, ‘Biar tia banyak buku, banyak pengetahuan’ or let there be books everywhere so there would be more knowledge. Indeed!

Please check also those links below on this year’s book fair around the world that I could gather. Happy browsing!

Abu Dhabi Book Fair – 11th to 18th March.

Bangkok International Book Fair – 26th to 30th March at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.

Edinburgh Book Fair 2008 – 14th March to 15th March at The Assembly Room, George Street, Edinburgh (Admission is free)

Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair – 4th to 13th April at PWTC, Kuala Lumpur.

London Book Fair 2008 – 14th to 16th April at the Earls Court, London.

The University of New South Wales Book Fair – 24th to 27th April at the Roundhouse, UNSW, Anzac Parade, Kensington

Hong Kong Book Fair – 23rd to 29th July at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (I like the logo – check it out)

2008 Beijing International Book Fair – 1st to 4th September at Tianjin, China (I wish I can go)

Frankfurt Book Fair 2008 – 15th to 19th October.

Chelsea Book Fair 2008 – 7th to 8th November at the Chelsea Old Town Hall, King’s Road, London.

17th Annual Connecticut Children’s Book Fair – 8th to 9th November 2008 at the Rome Hall, South Campus Complex, University of Connecticut, Storrs. Nice…for children in mind.

Tasek Lama revisited

Teach your baby on health and fitness when they are young. Babies quickly absorb anything – good or bad, at an early age.

The act of balancing.
Balance your life. Water is a therapy.

How is life like a traffic jam? When you are in a rush, everything’s seem to move slowly.

Fountain of youth in food

The following is actually a report recommended for me on my diet. I have taken out some useful information and share it here with you all. Here’s to the world full of healthy population:

Back to basic: Eat the five basic food groups – grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and meats. Everyday!

Consume more than 23 grams of fiber per day on average.

Eat less than one serving of red meat like beef and lamb per week. Red meat is high in unwanted saturated fat and cholesterol.

A daily potassium intake of 3000 mg or more per day lowers your blood pressure, slows aging of your circulatory system, and prevents strokes. Some potassium-rich foods include: orange juice, potatoes, avocados, figs, bananas, lentils, soybeans, and whole grain breads and cereals.

Low dietary cholesterol intake reduces the aging of your arteries. Nice!

Consume a low amount of saturated fat. Saturated fats are found mainly in meat and dairy foods. Low amounts of saturated fat in a person’s diet can help prevent arterial and immune system aging. Noted.

Polyunsaturated fat helps prevent high blood pressure and possibly some cancers. You want to consume mostly polyunsaturated fat and keep saturated fat intake low. High saturated fat intake causes arterial aging. Most foods contain both polyunsaturated and saturated fats. Therefore, you may have a high intake of polyunsaturated fat as well as a high intake of saturated fat. If you have a high intake of saturated fat, try reducing your saturated fat intake without reducing your polyunsaturated fat intake. The best way to accomplish this balancing act is to adjust the proportion of polyunsaturated and saturated fats in your diet. Hmmm… bit confusing huh?

Nuts are not only a rich source of protein but also contain important nutrients and minerals that help regulate and lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Nuts are rich in vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, magnesium, zinc, copper, and selenium. Some seeds, including sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, also contain potassium and phosphorus. Both nuts and seeds have a lot of fiber as well. Nuts also contain specific proteins that are especially rich in arginine, an amino acid that may provide a heart-healthy benefit. Peanuts, walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts are good sources of arginine. So… Go Nuts!

Start taking multi-vitamins (especially for me). Food is your number one source of nutrients, but taking a multivitamin daily is the best way to cover any gaps in your nutrition profile. Even under the best eating behaviors, some individuals’ genetic variations make vitamin and mineral deficiencies possible. Anyone who has a hectic lifestyle, has a low-calorie intake, or cannot eat certain foods, such as dairy products, should consider a broad-spectrum multivitamin (like me).

Eat more foods that are rich in flavonoids. Flavonoids are natural antioxidants that boost your immune system and help fight cancer and infections. Flavonoid-rich foods include apples, strawberries, cranberry juice, broccoli, onions, lettuce, tea, tomatoes, and tomato products such as tomato juice, sauce, and paste.

Increase your vitamin intake. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that acts as an anti-aging agent. It slows the aging of your arteries, immune system, and nervous system. The best source of vitamin E is tablet or liquid supplementation.

Folic acid is a vitamin that helps reduce the level of homocysteine in the blood. Homocysteine is an amino acid that is thought to cause premature aging from heart disease and blood clots. Very important for pregnant women.

Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant. Taken at an optimal level, it can prevent cancer and slow down immune system and coronary artery aging. Since vitamin C is water soluble, it washes out of your body when you urinate. For this reason, it is important to portion out your vitamin C intake over the course of the day.

Build stronger bones and prevent fractures from falls by increasing the amount of calcium intake.

My dear RTB

I noticed that RTB news have change in format as of yesterday. Last night I was watching it’s Malay news. New background with revolving globe and scrolling brief news at the bottom screen. The station’s first weather girl also came on air (with tudong of course). I also noticed there were more news last night.

Hmmm… lets see. When did RTB start? 1975; and it was the first full color station in the region. Fast forward I don’t see why people want to watch it apart from the local news. Agree? I may sound harsh but sorry, this is the truth. Viewers have choice, the Malaysian’s ASTRO and the Indonesian satellite channels and I am sure RTB’s management is aware of this competition.

For the news, I agree that any Bruneian would like to watch the local news but that’s it. I enjoy watching reports with the journalists doing their ‘piece to cam’. I must say, the standard of journalism has increased over the years. I wish to see more issues to be reported though I do understand that these journalists are Government servants. I hope all local journalists would have the certified training, the least would be at diploma level.  

Now I am not sure if introducing the weather girl is a good ideas as it’s so out-dated. Interactive satellite images would be better in this age of ICT. I hope RTB would take my criticisms positively, else I wouldn’t care putting it here in my blog.   

Brunei day today

Hats off to the organizing committee of the 24^th National Day today and to the 17,000 participants. The fruit of their labor. Interesting. I hope to see more creativity in the performance next year please; different props maybe rather than the usual fans (which look like leafy veggies to me) and umbrellas.

I was watching the celebration live on Tv. I know its not the same feeling when you are watching events right in front of your very eyes. The air is not the same but today, I just couldn’t.

Anyway, I leave the pictures of the celebration to the professionals. I saw Reeda a.k.a. Anak Brunei with other photographers caught on the Tv camera so I recommend you guys to check superb pictures he took at his blog here.

I think the real finale was when His Majesty came unexpectedly to meet the young field performers. That was nice of His Majesty to do that. He was supposed to leave the ceremony but he passed his vehicle and went to the performers’ direction instead.

Arent the children so cute? I could see some of the caps’ sizes were too big for their small heads though. Awwww…… The Tv commentator said this was the first time primary students were involved in the 24 years history of the national day celebrations in line with the theme, Tunas Bangsa or the nation’s young. All through the years, secondary students were involved.

Ok so those residing in Brunei, tonight there will be a firework display at the Empire to celebrate the National Day and another one at the Pusar Ulak area. It’s not very often we see firework during National Day celebrations. So thanks to the sponsors of the firework.

Pre-National Day pics

An old man sit while watching workmen putting the final touches for the big day tomorrow.

The label says ‘Pegawai Berijazah’ meaning these seats are for officers who have graduated. From?

Picture taken at 6.16pm (near to sunset). In the background is the Islamic Bank of Brunei Darussalam.

This one was taken at 9.49pm. The text says ‘Tunas Bangsa’ both in Malay (romanize on your left and jawi on your right). Tunas Bangsa is this year’s national day theme meaning the nation’s young.

All pictures taken by yours truly. All rights reserved 2008.

National Day’s titah

It was a wake-up call by His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah The SUltan of Brunei when he delivered his titah in conjunction with Brunei’s 24^th National Day broadcast over RTB about four hours ago.

His Majesty expressed his concern on the rise of crime cases in the country. In his titah, His Majesty said that from the statistics, 732 arrests were made for the mis-use of drugs where 606 were male. Of the total arrests made, 664 were Malays, 27 Chinese and the rest of other races His Majesty said.

His Majesty also noted that last year there were 443 cases of theft, compared to 359 in the previous year. In all the crime cases, those aged19 to 35 were involved including 57 students.

Now what’s worrying is the involvement of youths in crime. What is going to happen to Brunei’s future if we have such youth now? I think we should look at the root. From time to time I have been talking on how important a family institution is. This is the root.

If parents have already taught their children on moral values from a young age, I am positive that these children will grow up stronger; in faith, in self-esteem and confidence. Come what may, they will definitely be easy to say no to undesirable elements. 

Wahai Tuhan kami, selamatkanlah kami dan keluarga kami daripada yang dilakukan oleh golongan yang jahat itu. Amin.

Happy 24th National Day Brunei – proud to be a Bruneian

Come Saturday, 23 February 2008 is the 24th National Day of Brunei Darussalam. Rehearsals for the traditional celebration at the Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar Ali Saifuddien is on-going as I type this. Today is the last day of rehearsal though.

Click here for the National Day website. Interesting!

Picking a university

Looking for a place to study can be daunting I agree (been there done that). It’s not like picking up the freshest fish in the market or the juiciest fruits at the stall or buying smoked salmon at the pasar malam.

You should consider the quality of education and your personal goal. Forget the weather. In this age of global warming I am not surprise if we would one day be able to experience sleet in Brunei. Anyway, more questions you should ask – Should you study locally? Overseas? What should you study? Finance? Scholarships? Can you work while you study? Visa? Those with families surely have more questions – your family, your amah or no amah? Luckily we have guides to give us options or alternative and counselling from our beloved career teachers. Then there are education fairs to attend to. Don’t be shy to ask questions, there are never stupid questions.

For those who would like to consider the UK as a destination, there’s the local British Council office at Yayasan who offer free counselling. Check the British Council website.

The Times Good University Guide, UK’s leading guide to higher education, ranks 113 UK universities according to eight criteria, including student satisfaction, research quality and degree results. I know this guide is also use by our Scholarships Unit at the Ministry of Education to assist them in awarding scholarships to applicants.

Click here to check the University Ranking Table. You can even compare two or more universities.

Here to see how the tables work to make the most of the guide.

For Australia, I managed to get this link from the Australian High Commission website.

For the US, please ask the US Embassy in Bandar.

Good luck with your studies!

Helpless babies

It’s just very sad to hear another baby being dumped. This time, in a plastic bag and left lying around on the ground in Madang. According to news report, a stall owner noticed a bag near the stall yesterday morning. Thinking it was either rubbish or someone has left their belongings, he ignored it until a couple of hours later when curiosity hit him.

The man decided to have a look at what’s inside. To the man’s horror, he found a motionless baby with hair and clear complexion. He quickly alerted his village head who later informed the police.

The area was cordoned off by the police when the police was checking on the body. They confirmed it was a baby boy. I watched the news last night and could see that the body was still in it’s curling position. As far as I know, only babies still in their mothers’ womb would be in that position? Please correct me here.

This fresh finding of dumped babies would surely stir the public’s concern on who would have been so heartless to do such a hideous crime? What would be the government’s action on this? How can we, as in the community, help to curb infanticides and other crimes to occur? Maybe it is time to install CCTV cameras in all corners of public places not only to stop infanticide but other crime as well. (Note: please do not install your camera in the public washrooms!)

In the UK last year, mothers were urged to drop their unwanted babies in hatches at hospitals though this has been argued that such act would encourage more baby dumping.

Read more here from the Times online.

Well, something must be done about infanticide and the time is now.

P/s. I was still upset and disturbed after watching the news last night that I had problems sleeping. (Lesson learn: don’t watch the Tv news near sleeping time).

The old wives’ tales with a grain of truth.

That fish is good for the brain:

The omega-3 fats in fish are vital to foetal brain development. Pregnant women may boost their child’s IQ by eating oily fish, but eating fish won’t improve intelligence once the brain is fully formed.

Ok, so babu-babu and mama-mama, eat those lauk rumahan goreng when you are pregnant.

That oysters are the food of love:

There’s no evidence that oysters can boost libido but they are very rich in zinc which can aid fertility. In men, a zinc deficiency can lead to a low sperm count, and low levels of zinc in women are associated with lower birth weigh babies.

That an apple a day keeps the doctor away:

Apples aren’t rich in vitamin C but they do provide flavonoids which are thought to prevent heart disease. They also contain pectin, a form of soluble fibre which helps stabilise blood sugar levels, maintaining steady energy levels.

Source: Aromatherapy and Natural Health.

Me, myself and I

[I thought I have published this last night a.k.a. Sunday evening and obviously did not]

I don’t want to bore you with my personal life but this week has been hectic for me, literally (and strangely managed some time to post here). Lets start with just today, Sunday.

Sunday to me is just like any other day in the week, i.e. waking up very early as if I have to do one thousand and one errands. One of my greatest wish for a perfect Sunday is to stay in bed all day long, still wearing my nighties although the sun is already on top of the head, having breakfast+lunch+tea (= bruncht?) in bed of course. But nope, that never ever happen in my entire life.

After watching the 9a.m. Brunei news, I pondered when I would achieve that dream? Maybe when I retire? Which brings me to my next question – when will I retire? Retirement age in Brunei is 55 and some employers would allow up to sixty if you are medically fit.

The thing with me is that I can’t sit still for a minute, as there must be something that I do. My mind would race if I should be doing other things at one particular time. For example, if I watch the news on Tv, I would focus on the news for the first ten minutes usually but after that my mind would wander off either to:

1/ the house – if the kitchen is in order; the garbage bin emptied, if I should iron the clothes or do the laundry, re-arrange the furniture?;

2/ my family – if the girls have done their homework or school projects, how was school that day, if I should buy more interactive books for my baby, google for healthy but definitely quick recipes;

3/ the country – if we would still be exempted from personal income tax until my retirement age, if school would still be free until university level, if it will be really easier to conduct business in five years time from now; when we would see the first Bruneian to be top in fields like sports, space, inventions and the likes (I should start nurturing my off-springs to achieve this then);

4/ the world – when we see real peace in parts of the world, how can I contribute to lessen the burden of people like those in Ethiopia, how can I save the Earth?

5/ the life-after- am I really prepare for it?

Oh my. Hubby said I think too much. See all these thoughts do take a lot of my time and sometimes it drains my energy. And I was just talking that space of time - ten minutes after watching the news.

So, nope, not this Sunday that I long for. I had an aerobic session with my family at Melabau Complex early morning. For those who like dangdut, that Indonesian beat similar to the Indian music, this work-out session is for you. Why not? The instructor was Indonesian and so we ‘gelek’ our hips (Shakira must envy us when we did the drill!) and shook our shoulders, even the men! Next, had a free Step demo by the owner of the nearby fitness studio. I like the studio, though a bit small. It has a contemporary decoration. Love the wallpaper. Will check it out again these few days.

Afternoon, I didn’t plan to go out but my girl was at The Mall with her cousins so had to pick her up. Turned out to be a family outing when everyone wanted to go to The Mall. The Mall was packed with people when we reached it and awashed with red and white balloons. Balloons! My baby loves them. Luckily most of the balloons were high up so we couldn’t grab any of them plus they were so huge. It was HSBC roadshow, no wonder it was red and white. As we rushed to go home as it was almost sunset, we could still hear the emcee announcing winners for this and that. I hope next time HSBC should be sensitive with the azan or the call for prayer. At least stop for five or ten minutes?

Night, after my baby has gone to her wonderful world of baby sleep, I was re-arranging the collection of DVDs in the cabinet. I stumbled across the ‘The Brothers Grimm’ starring Matt Damon and the late Heath Ledger and watch it while still thinking if there is anything better to do than watching the movie! I love the movie by the way.

Oh my, I have been rambling and typing this long and it’s just today? I haven’t talk about the rest of the week. See, life is hectic for me. Gtg!

Hottest island destinations

This year’s hottest island destinations list:

1. YAI NOI, THAILAND
2. PANTELLERIA, ITALY
3. MAMANUCA ARCHIPELAGO, FIJI
4. KANGAROO ISLAND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
5. NAOSHIMA, JAPAN
6. NORTH ARI ATOLL, THE MALDIVES
7. HVAR, CROATIA
8. SANTORINI, GREECE
9. HAMILTON ISLAND, QUEENSLAND
10. PHUKET, THAILAND

WHAT’S HOT IN ISLAND RESORTS IN 2009* A private infinity-edge plunge pool

* A private butler available 24/7

* An in-room espresso machine

* Full-size designer soap and shampoos

* A private yacht to explore the island

* Gourmet food (flown in from all over the world) and the ability to design your own menu

* Private chefs and in-room dining

Source: Travel+Leisure magazine.

Read the full list of the 25 hottest islands from the Travel+Leisure here.

The young and the reckless

Its good to hear that Lyndsay Lohan had time to reflect on earlier mistakes in life. In the March issue of Harper’s Bazaar magazine, it was said that she asked herself, ‘What was I thinking?’.

Read more on this report here.

I don’t have that much concern about Lyndsay as I don’t know her personally but the thing is every time I read about how a young person like Lyndsay and of course, Britney Spears and th likes spend their lives recklessly, I said, sayang or what a waste!

I know I was young before but not to the extent of wrecking your lives. Yes you are rich so you can afford such lifestyle, crashing cars; boozing, drugs and what-have-you but would you think money can buy everything?

Now where is that statistics that I came across where more Brunei students are involved in the mis-use of drug? The point I was trying to prove is that there is an increase of drug abusers in the country (will update it here) as stated in the report from the Narcotics Control Bureau.

The sad thing is that they are students and they are still young; they are our future generation. I can understand the situation that when you are young, you wanted to try everything especially one that is forbidden and illegal. There would be other reasons like peer or family pressure. I hope more awareness would be instilled in these young minds. Family is also important as this is where the root, good or bad, comes from.

Woman by John Lennon

 Woman I can hardly express,
My mixed emotion at my thoughtlessness,
After all I’m forever in your debt,
And woman I will try express,
My inner feelings and thankfulness,
For showing me the meaning of success,
oooh well, well,
oooh well, well,

Woman I know you understand
The little child inside the man,
Please remember my life is in your hands,
And woman hold me close to your heart,
However, distant don’t keep us apart,
After all it is written in the stars,
oooh well, well,
oooh well, well,

Woman please let me explain,
I never mean(t) to cause you sorrow or pain,
So let me tell you again and again and again,
I love you (yeah, yeah) now and forever,
I love you (yeah, yeah) now and forever,
I love you (yeah, yeah) now and forever,
I love you (yeah, yeah)….

Peanuts, missed.

Today in 2000 was the last day the comic strip Peanuts was printed. I have love Peanuts since I was young (okay much younger :p) when I started to read the Borneo Bulletin. I only have Garfield to look forward to everyday in the paper now. My other fav cartoon is Tintin, that forever young Belgian reporter and traveller, his dog, Snowy and his thousand, blistering barnacles Captain Haddock.

Image above and the following para are from the Free Dictionary:

Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000 (the day after Schulz’s death). The strip was one of the most popular and influential in the history of the medium, and was “arguably the longest story ever told by one human being,” according to Professor Robert Thompson of Syracuse University. At its peak, Peanuts ran in over 2,600 newspapers, with a readership of 355 million in 75 countries, and was translated into 21 languages. It helped to cement the four-panel gag strip as the standard in the United States. Reprints of the strip are still syndicated and run in many newspapers.

Read more here from The Free Dictionary.

SURKREW on your rails

I happened to click the Simpur Blogging Nation (sorry, been awhile, – loads of awhile) and straight away click its featured blog – SURKREW – a blog by and for roller-blading enthusiasts.  

I was thrilled and excited to read the blog as I could feel the passion of the blog’s author, err SURKREW (what a name!) and the pictures of his friends roller-bladding. They are basically doing it at any rails they can find, at the shopping malls, school, JP Playground (thank God) and even at the doorstep of the RIPAS Hospital.   

Any generous philanthropist out there to develop this sport?

St Valentine’s Day

14^th February is widely known all over the world as a Valentine Day. Valentine cards are the second largest card in quantity send around the world after the Christmas card.

Businesses rack in the day with special offers and promotions. It will be a field day for both business people and the police vice squads alike. Most Islamic countries banned the celebration. Saudi Arabia has ordered florists in the country not to sell any scarlet. Kuwaiti’s MPs have called their government to ban the day as it flout Islamic values and promote immorality.

Brunei through it’s State Mufti’s office has long published its view on the celebration in it’s Irsyad Hukum in February 2000. It started by saying that it’s normal for two people to fall in love and how Valentine’s Day has been associated with a day of love.

Muslims should not celebrate the day as it is a Christians’ celebration. Islam does not forbid Muslims to love as there is a classification of love in Islam – to God, to the Prophet and to all mankind. Young people are encouraged to put more effort to love God and His Prophet as this love is eternal.

Read more here. (Sorry it’s in Malay but I have taken most of its gist up there)

Valentine’s Day has spawned celebrations of love beyond western culture. In Japan and Korea, Valentine’s has become almost an obligation for women to give chocolates, known as giri-choco, to all of their co-workers. A reciprocal day on 14th of March known as White Day has emerged in recent times whereby men are supposed to thank those who remembered them on Valentine’s Day with white chocolate or marshmallows, hence white day. In Korea there is an additional Black Day, held the following month on the 14th of April, for less fortunate men who did not receive gifts on Valentine’s Day to gather together to eat Jajangmyun, Chinese style black noodles topped with a black sauce.

Background info on St Valentine:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/279285.stm

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=159

For me, everyday is a day for love…mushy mushy.

Safar – the second month in Islam

We are now entering the second month in the Islamic calendar - Safar (صفر) literally means ‘the void month’.

The origin of this word has two theories: the first says that when the pagan Arabs went on their looting expeditions they would leave their houses empty or ‘sifr’ meaning void. The second theory says that the word is derived form the Arabic word for yellow called ‘sufr’: as when it was first named it fell in the time of autumn, hence the derivation the word yellow as all the leaves at that time turned yellow. It is held to be the unluckiest month of the calendar, as in this month Prophet Adam a.s. was turned out of the Garden of Eden.

Among the superstitions of the Malays especially among the elders is that it is not advisable to get married in this month as the couple would be childless. There are also some who believe that by taking the ‘Safar bath’, one will be cleansed away of his or her sins. Of course these are untrue and unfounded.

Source: Pelita Brunei

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday sayang

Today is the birthday of my other half. (He is playing the Playstation now as I type this). We (as in me and the gang) would usually give him a suprise birthday treat but he said, please not this year.So here we are at home, it’s 2.40am now, doing nothing, just hanging around the house. He asked for it. Hehe. Jahat.

Sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, May Allah bless you sayang and all of us in this beautiful country with stronger faith and more health, wealth and happiness. Amin.

Love you as always, forever and ever babe.

Mini Scones

My guilt-free food for this week:

Chocolate Chip Mini Scones Quick Info:

Servings
Contains Wheat/Gluten
Contains Dairy
Vegetarian
Heart-Healthy
Diabetes-Friendly

Nutritional Info (Per serving):

Calories: 66, Saturated Fat: 1.5g, Sodium: 122mg, Dietary Fiber: 0.5g, Total Fat: 2.5g, Carbs: 10g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Protein: 1g Carb Choices: 0.5

Prep Time: 16 mins
Cook Time: 12 mins
Total Time: 28 mins

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon sugar, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• 2 cup(s) flour, self-rising
• 1/4 cup(s) butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup(s) chocolate chips, semisweet miniature
• 3/4 cup(s) buttermilk, low-fat
• cooking spray

Preparation1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in minichips. Add buttermilk, stirring just until moist.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4 to 5 times with floured hands. Pat dough out to 1/2-inch thickness; cut with a 11/2-inch round cutter. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Spray tops of scones lightly with cooking spray; sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

Yield: 28 servings (serving size: 1 scone).

E-mail? What e-mail?

One inspiring and motivating story for businessman-wannabes:

A man was out of job and was looking high and low for one. He was told that a big company located at the big building around the corner needed cleaners. 

He stepped inside the building and greeted a man with a tag ‘Supervisor’ politely. The supervisor was clearly very busy at his desk and didn’t even look at the man’s face. ‘I am very busy today, just leave your documents and an e-mail address and we will contact you.’

The man was puzzled as he had no idea what on earth is this ‘e-mail’. So with great humbleness he asked the supervisor only to be told off. ‘If you don’t have any e-mail, you can’t work here.’

So the man stepped outside feeling confused on what is this ‘e-mail’. He was frustrated because he desperately needed a job to feed his family. Clinching his only dollar left in his hand, he sat outside the big building and saw a kiosk across the street selling red, juicy tomatoes.

Looking at the note in his hand, his eyes raced to the kiosk, with the words of the supervisor still echoing in his head. ‘If you don’t have an email you can’t work here…e-mail…here…e-mail….can’t…no work’. (not in that order I think but you got it)

He thought, with that dollar he could get on a bus and return home but would see his hungry children. Or, he said to himself, he would use the money to buy those tomatoes but then that’s it.

Then as fate would have it, he got an idea. He decided to buy the tomatoes and sell them, making a small profit. So he knocked on the nearest house and asked if anyone would like to buy fresh tomatoes at two dollars. Sold!

He returned to the kiosk and bought another dollar worth of tomatoes and knocked on the next house. He kept on doing this until the day was over and he had managed to accumulate fifty dollars (and a very smelly body).

He returned home with food for his family but making sure he saved some so he could do his door-to-door tomatoes on the next day. After a year doing tomato-rounds, he managed to buy a second-hand motorcycle (so he wouldn’t smell that terrible, kidding).

After years on his bike (and less body odour – kidding again), he was able to open up a small shop, still selling tomatoes.

Many years went by and he was able to expand his business, buying a truck for his door-to-door delivery and even employed several staff. It wasn’t that long when his business was really doing well that he started to export tomatoes.

One journalist asked if he would like to share his rags-to-riches story to which he agreed. This journalist asked if she could send him an e-mail beforehand. The man told her, ‘What e-mail? If I do have an e-mail maybe I would still be working as a cleaner till today.’

Lunar New Year

Chinese New Year (Chinese: 春節, 春节, Chūnjíe; 農曆新年, 农历新年, Nónglì Xīnnián; or 過年, 过年, Guònián), also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It consists of a period of celebrations, starting on New Year’s Day, celebrated on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar, i.e. the day of the second new moon after the day on which the winter solstice occurs, unless there is an intercalary eleventh or twelfth month in the lead-up to the New Year-in such a case, the New Year falls on the day of the third new moon after the solstice. (The next time this occurs is in 2033.) The Chinese New Year period ends with the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the month.

Some Chinese believe that Nian (“Nyehn”) was a reptilian predator that could infiltrate houses silently like the infamous man-eating leopards of India. The Chinese soon learned that Nian was sensitive to loud noises, and they scared it away with explosions and fireworks.

The origin of the Lunar New Year Festival can be traced back thousands of years, involving a series of colorful legends and traditions. One of the most famous legends is Nian, an extremely cruel and ferocious beast that the ancients believed would devour people on New Year’s Eve. To keep Nian away, red-paper couplets are pasted on doors, torches are lit, and firecrackers are set off throughout the night, because Nian is said to fear the color red, the light of fire, and loud noises. Early the next morning, as feelings of triumph and renewal fill the air at successfully keeping Nian away for another year, the most popular greeting heard is “gong xi fa cai”, or “congratulations.”

The Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade.

The Reunion Dinner is held on New Year’s Eve where members of the family, near and far, get together for celebration. The New Year’s Eve dinner is very large and traditionally includes chicken. Fish is included, but not eaten up completely (and the remaining stored overnight), as the Chinese phrase “nian nian you yu”, or “every year there is fish/leftover”, is a homophone for phrases which could mean “be blessed every year” or “have profit every year”, since “yu” is also the pronunciation for “profit”.

New Year’s day is also celebrated within the family. Usually family members gather on the morning of New Year’s Day. It is at this gathering that red packets are given to unmarried members of the family. The age of the recipient is not material to receiving the packets. Married couples usually give out two red packets on the first new year after being married. This is because the wife presents one and the husband presents one. In subsequent years they may give one as a couple.

Red packets traditionally consisted of amounts which were considered multiples. Amounts like $2 (two piece of $1), or $20 were acceptable. Similarly “multiples” such as $1.10 and $2.20 were also acceptable. However, this is not strictly adhered to. The gift was originally a token amount but these days it is not uncommon to receive large sums in affluent families. In some families this tradition has evolved into the practice to substituting money-like instruments (stocks, bonds, unit trust) in place of large sums of cash.

Red packets are also given to unmarried visitors but the sums are often smaller than the packets given to family members or close friends.

Chinese horoscope – characters

People born in the year of the RAT are blessed with great personal charm. The Rat is adaptable, aggressive, and creative. Rat people are hard working, thrifty, and can save a lot of money. They are elegant by nature and strive for the better things in life. Bright and gregarious, rat’s intellectual versatility is not always immediately recognized. Rat people make good business people, accountants, and bankers.
Ideal Partner: Dragon and Monkey
Rat Years: 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008

The OX is quiet, steadfast, methodical and can tolerate difficulties. Ox people are hard working and down to earth. They are exceptionally clever and creative with their hands. In business, the ox often brings prosperity, not through entrepreneurial imagination and risk, but as a result of logical thought, resolute practicality, and honest endurance. Ox people should seek their fortune as a surgeon, dentist, architect, tailor, or technician.
Ideal Partner: Rat, Rooster, or Snake
Ox years: 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009

The TIGER is a born leader, fiercely competitive, and never afraid to fight. Tigers often get into difficult and hazardous situations because they live dangerously. Narrow-mindedness and suspiciousness are their greatest faults. Their career exemplifies them as deep thinkers and careful planners. Tigers are likely to succeed in sales, personnel management. They can be a good military leader, supervisors, teachers, firemen, or police officers.
Ideal Partner: Horse, Dragon, or Dog
Tiger Years: 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010

RABBIT people are happy, gifted, refined and ambitious. They also know how to draw others’ attention and are great mixers in any social gatherings. The typical Rabbit will be submissive, even humble, in a constant effort to avoid confrontations. Rabbit is an excellent judge of character, with an instinct for recognizing sincerity in others and an almost uncanny ability for sensing falsehood. Hare people make wonderful receptionists, publicists, stockbrokers, and pharmacists.
Ideal Partner: Ram, Dog, Boar
Rabbit years: 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011

The DRAGON symbolizes life, growth, and brings blessings of longevity, virtue and harmony. Dragon people are born extroverts, their opinions and ideas are worth listening to since their advice is usually the best. Elegant and with a good eye for spotting the latest trends, Dragon people are always to the forefront of the fashion scene. Blessed with rich imagination, the Dragon always comes up with exotic ideas for new ventures. a Dragon should choose a career as artist, doctor, or architect.
Ideal Partner: Rat, Monkey, Rooster
Dragon years: 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012

Those born under the sign of the SNAKE are romantic, passionate, charming and well informed. Snakes are intellectuals, philosophers, and deep thinkers. They strive to succeed in all that they do. The are extremely self-critical. Snake personalities often make their way to the top. They ensure that they are in the right place at the right time, which means when the right people are there as well. Snake people should seek their fortunes as professors, writers, philosophers, or psychiatrists.
Ideal Partner: Dragon, Dog
Snake years: 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013

HORSE year people are popular and hard workers. They have financially sound minds and are adept at handling money matters. Whether male or female, Horse personalities feel more comfortable in the company of their own kind. They are independent and self-willed individuals who never take advice. Horse people should choose a field as a dentist, financier, banker, or politician.
Ideal Partner: Tiger, Ram
Horse years: 1906, 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002

RAM people are elegant, charming, generous, wise and gentle. They are also pessimists, hesitant, and over-anxious worriers. Uncertainty causes the Ram people to seek guidance from others while their timidity prevents them from becoming great leaders. They are deeply religious and highly talented in the fields of art and music. Ram people should be good in the professions of gardening, actor, artist, entertainer, musician, or photography.
Ideal Partner: Boar, Horse
Ram Years: 1907, 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003

The MONKEYS are mischievous, vain, and clever. Their most prized traits are originality, creativity, and education. People adore Monkeys for their wit, high intelligence, and interest in world affairs. Older and wiser Monkeys are able to channel their energetic and rich imaginations into the solving of complex problems. Monkeys people can succeed in professions such as business, trade, law, stocks, industry and politics.
Ideal Partner: Dragon, Rat
Monkey Years: 1908, 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004

The ROOSTERS people are industrious, diligent, and devoted to work. They love to travel because of their courageous and adventurous spirit. They are deep thinkers, but can often be eccentric. They are not at all shy and prone to exaggerate and boast on all matters. Rooster people make good travel and public relation agents, dentists surgeons, cooks, or beauticians.
Ideal Partner: Ox, Snake
Rooster Years: 1909, 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005

People born in the year of the DOG are honest, loyal, and have a deep sense of duty. Their intelligence and industrious nature make them good leaders in the business world. The Dog people are usually steady workers, they can easily become both trusted and valued members of any community. Those people born in Dog years would make a superior industry leader, priest, educator, doctor, writer, or scientist.
Ideal Partner: Horse, Tiger
Dog Years: 1910, 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006

By nature, BOARS are peace loving, trustful, honest, and sincere. People born in the year of the Boar will be lucky and successful in handling money, business and academic matters. They have a deep desire for knowledge and are generally well informed. Boars are the finishers, they are the ones who put the last necessary touches to a project. Boars are suited to be doctors, bankers, businessmen, scientists and entertainers.
Ideal Partner: Rabbit, Ram
Boar Years: 1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007

My daily Brunei resources

I don’t know if any Bruneian who doesn’t know what is the Brunei Daily Resources. Check it out here.

Aptly named, the site has hundreds of topics on Brunei and am not surprised it has, up till this second, 297,554 visitors. The site is run by a senior Brunei Government Officer but he is not writing in about his work but more to issues or topics related to Brunei.

I have been his fan since he started his daily resources at http://www.bruneiresources.com/ and this one has 485,183 visitors.

So, in this age of e-information, I commended the Brunei Daily Resources as your source of information on Brunei.  

Gong Xi Fa Chai

I got an SMS from my Chinese friend for the Lunar New Year celebration this weekend at his place. My, time really fly so fast. It was only last year he did the same to me, I mean, inviting me for the celebration. My in-laws will also be busy with the festivity starting tomorrow evening with the big family dinner.

I love Chinese food. I love shark’s fin soup but have to stop loving it because of animal rights. Anyway, not wanting to spoil the air, I like Yee Sang and Dim Sum too. Using the chop sticks to eat has never been a problem to me as I have mastered it during my childhood.

My neighbours were Chinese, a fourth generation originally from China they claimed. In fact, they rented the building which belong to my family as a shop house. They ran a grocery store and lived on the first floor. Two or three houses away were Chinese too, whom we called the Shanghai family because they came from Shanghai. They sold timber and yes, I grew up with timber dusts in my lungs.

So I grew up with the Chinese and I think, children in our village got mixed up with who influenced whom for there were other races too – Indians, Dusun and of course Malays.

I learned a lot of Chinese way of life since I was small. I think when you are small, you would just consume anything and everything, good or bad. So my Chinese neighbour taught me how to use the chop sticks and in return I taught them how to use the Malay version, the chandas for that mouth-watery Ambuyat.

I also love the lion dance, its just strange that the Malay word is ‘Tarian Naga’ so the English should be dragon dance and not lion. Anyway, when I was small, my Chinese neighbours would invited the lion dance troupe to their houses year in, year out. At first I was scared because of the loud music, tong tong tong tong! But as I grew up I began to like and even appreciate the culture. I surely did miss it when it was banned for many years from the streets.

The beginnings of the Chinese calendar can be traced back to the 14th century B.C.E. Legend has it that the Emperor Huangdi invented the calendar in 2637 B.C.E.

The Chinese calendar is based on exact astronomical observations of the longitude of the sun and the phases of the moon. This means that principles of modern science have had an impact on the Chinese calendar.

 The Chinese calendar does not use a continuous year count! They used a 60 year cycle and a system of regional years (starting with each emperor). Before the 1911 revolution, Sun Yat-sen wanted to establish a republican alternative to the imperial reign cycles. According to Chinese tradition, the first year of the Yellow Emperor was 2698 B.C.E., so he introduced a counting system based on this. Under this system, 2000 is year 4698. An alternative system is to start with the first historical record of the 60-day cycle from March 8, 2637 B.C.E. Based on this system, 2000 is year 4637.
The following are the Chinese New Year dates:

Chinese year	Zodiac animal	Gregorian calendar
4693	Boar	January 31, 1995
4694	Rat	February 19, 1996
4695	Ox	February 7, 1997
4696	Tiger	January 28, 1998
4697	Hare/Rabbit	February 16, 1999
4698	Dragon	February 5, 2000
4699	Snake	January 24, 2001
4700	Horse	February 12, 2002
4701	Ram/Sheep	February 1, 2003
4702	Monkey	January 22, 2004
4703	Rooster	February 9, 2005
4704	Dog	January 29, 2006
4705	Boar	February 18, 2007
4706	Rat	February 7, 2008
4707	Ox	January 26, 2009
4708	Tiger	February 10, 2010
4709	Hare/Rabbit	February 3, 2011
4710	Dragon	January 23, 2012
4711	Snake	February 10, 2013
4712	Horse	January 31, 2014
4713	Ram/Sheep	February 19, 2015
4714	Monkey	February 9, 2016
4715	Rooster	January 28, 2017
4716	Dog	February 16, 2018
4717	Boar	February 5, 2019
4718	Rat	January 25, 2020

This link gives you more info on the Chinese New Year Calendar.

Amah and day care matter

I previously have two posts regarding the subject. Please click here and here.

I have a number of comments and enquiries about this and I feel responsible for bringing it up. The number of searches to my site on the subject also proves that there are people out there who are looking for either an amah or a day care centre and this number is not small. Like on Sunday, there were 52 searches out of 130 made on my site for both amah and day care.

One sent me an e-mail saying that finding a good and reliable amah is not easy and I agree. The sender recommended me one amah, saying that this amah speaks reasonably good English (for easy communication) and is basically very good at handling children.

The sender gave me the contact details. So, I met this amah but found out that she is on a social visit pass. I don’t want to run into the law and caught hiring someone on a visit pass.

I told my husband that the popular search made in my blog is about amah or day care. He joked that maybe I should get a discount from the day cares that I recommended or become an agent for manpower. He he. Maybe I would do that if it is viable for the market and there would be profit coming in. But seriously, I am doing this sincerely. I know how difficult it is to find a good agent or a day care. Been there, done that, have gone through all. And nope, I don’t expect anything in return as well, God deals with this.