International Religious Freedom Report 2009 ~ Brunei

The US Embassy in Brunei has released the International Religious Report 2009. Of interest, there is a Brunei report starting off with what the Brunei’s Constitution states on religion: “The religion of Brunei Darussalam shall be the Muslim religion according to the Shafi’i sect of that religion: Provided that all other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony by the person professing them in any part of Brunei Darussalam.”

I am picking up stats and info from the report. During the reporting period from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009:

• Brunei’s population is 380,000. The population includes -
  197,260 (or almost 52%) are Muslims;
  16,215 (4%) are Buddhists (Buddhism is the second largest religious belief in Brunei);
  6,884 (1.8%) Christians;
  712 (0.2%) are Roman Catholics;
  242 (0.06%) Hindus;
  72 (0.02%) Baha’is;
  34 (0.009%) atheists;
  40 (0.01%) Taoists;
  33 (0.008%) Sikhs;
  7 (0.001%) Nasrani;
  53 (0.013%) of other religious groups; and
  16,916 (4.45%) did not state their religious preference.
• There are 101 mosques and Muslim prayer halls, seven Christian churches, three Chinese temples, and one Hindu temple officially registered in the country.
• The following religious holidays as national holidays: Chinese New Year, Christmas Day, Hari Raya Aidil Fitri (Eid ul-Fitr), Hari Raya Aidil Adha (Eid ul-Adha), First Day of Ramadhan (Ramadan), First Day of the Muharram (Islamic Calendar), Isra Mikraj (Isra Me’raj), the Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday, and Nuzul Al-Quraan (Revelation of the Quran).
• Several religious groups were banned that are considered deviant, including Al-Arqam, Abdul Razak Mohammad, Al-Ma’unah, Saihoni Taispan, the Baha’i faith, Tariqat Mufarridiyyah, Silat Lintau, and Qadiyaniah.
• There were 54 khalwat (close proximity between sexes) cases.
• 369 conversions to Islam.

The report said that the Brunei Government categorizes Catholics as distinct from other Christians. There is also an indigenous population that adheres to traditional beliefs, although they often convert either to Islam or Christianity.

Seeing is Believing Fund Raising Event

Disclaimer: Please note that I didn’t get anything for putting up this poster. This is entirely done due to the main cause of this event. Please do come along and experience a little of the many challenges face by the visually-impaired.

Fri, 6 November 2009 @ Hua Ho Manggis. Be part of the Seeing is Believing Charity Fund.

Lessons in life series: marriage cases

I hope I am not being hit by marriage counsellors because of this post but this can be a fact of life. Just take the humorous side of it yeah. P/S: Dont let this deter you from getting married.

#CASE 1

Getting married is like going to a restaurant with friends. You order what you want, then when you see what the other fellow has, you wish you had ordered that.

#CASE 2

At the cocktail party, one woman said to another, “Aren’t you wearing your wedding ring on the wrong finger??” The other replied, “Yes, I am. I married the wrong man.”

#CASE 3

Before a man is married, he is incomplete. Then when he is married, he is finished.

#CASE 4

Marriage is an institution in which a man losses his bachelor’s degree and the woman gets her master’s status.

#CASE 5

A little boy asked his father, “Daddy, how much does it cost to get married??” And the father replied, “I don’t know son, I’m still paying for it.”

#CASE 6

Young son : “Is it true, Dad, I heard that in some parts of Africa, a man doesn’t know his wife until he marries her?”

Dad : “That happens in most countries son.”

#CASE 7

Then there was a man who said, “I never knew what real happiness was until I got married, and then it was too late.”

#CASE 8

A happy marriage is a matter of give and take; the husband gives and the wife takes

#CASE 9

When a newly married man looks happy, we know why. But when a ten-year married man looks happy, we wonder why. Affair ?

#CASE 10

In the first year of marriage, the man speaks and the woman listens. In the second year, the woman speaks and the man listens. In the third year, they both speak and the neighbors listen.

#CASE 11

After a quarrel, a wife said to her husband, “You know, I was a fool when I married you.” And the Husband replied, “Yes, dear, but I was in love and didn’t notice it.”

#CASE 12

A man inserted an ‘ad’ in the classified : “Wife wanted”. The next day, he received hundreds letters. They all said the same thing “You can have mine.”

#CASE 13

When a man opens the door of his car for his wife, you can be sure of one thing : either the car is new or his wife is new.

#CASE 14

A woman was telling her friend : “It is I who made my husband a millionaire.”

“And what was he before you married him?” the friend asked. The woman replied, “A Billionaire.”

Our hot(ter) Earth

4 degree map

The 4 degree map - the impact of a global temperature riseof 4 degrees C (7 degrees F)

Imagine what happen if the global average temperature rises by 4 degrees Celcius above the pre-industrial climate average. The Act on Copenhagen site says that the impacts of climate change will be widespread across the globe. In order to understand more about what the human impact of high-end climate change might be, a map (above)produced by the UK’s Met Office Hadley Centre was produced which represents the latest peer-reviewed science on the impacts.

Go to this page on the 4 degree interactive map to click the interactive controls and select which impacts you want to see, zoom on specific geographies and access on more information on the science of the map. Of my interest, I click a zone very near to Brunei which shows the rise in sea level. Here are some of the findings in a summary:

• Sea level could rise as much as 80 cm by the end of the century. Low-lying reasons such as Bangladesh will be affected.
• For the population in the year 2075 (I will be long gone by this time), a mean sea-level rise of 53 cm means that up to an additional 150 million people per year will be flooded due to the extreme sea level. Three quarters of these people live in Asia (please note this).
• 56 million people from the 150 million will be from the Indian Ocean, 25 million from the east Asian cost and 33 million people from the Southeast Asian coast (thats us!).
• Hottest day of the year could be as much as 6 degrees warmer over highly populated areas of China.
• Decrease in rice yields of up to 30% in China, India, Bangladesh and Indonesia.
• Disease patterns have changed.
• Marine ecosystem affected. Livelihoods of those depending on the fisheries industry would be affected too as well as loos of coral reef habitats due to acidification.
• Northern Siberian permafost will almost completely dissapear and reduction in Alaska and Canada.
• Drought events occur twice as frequently across southern Africa, South-East Asia and the Mediterranean basin.
• Water resources affected by up to 70% reduction in run-off around the Mediterranean, Southern Africa and large part of Southern America.

Life on the seashore

Not a complete set, the rest of the books I have on my desk - not collecting dust! Natural History lovers should have this set.

I have previously posted The Seashore Life Of the Brunei Heart of Borneo booklets last June. According to the project leader and main author of the books, Roger Mc Ilroy who reported from cold and windy Scotland; the booklets were launched last Friday, 16 October, when BSP – the sponsor of the booklets – planted their 10,000 trees at Badas. I was away at that time and so I miss the boat. You may have read on the news of the launching from The Brunei Times aptly titled ‘BSP digs deep to preserve HoB’.

I did promise to give an insight on the booklets in my post. I will do as soon as I got more details from Roger on where the general public can get these very useful books on Brunei’s natural history. The plan, Roger said, was to distribute the sets to the schools around Brunei and made them available at all bookstores.  Although the book is intended for students, anyone interested should also grab them and have a read.

Page 17 of Vol 5 - The Crustaceans show a pic of a stressed crab that it foams. Maybe thats where the word 'crabby' comes from.

One of the photographers for the booklets was none other than Jan Shim whose pic of a foaming Horn-eyed Ghost Crab was selected in Vol 5 – The Crustaceans. The pic, as always from any of Jan’s work, is superb. Quoting from the book…”The Horn-eyed Ghost Crab is considered to be the most seaward living of the Ocypodes, one of the many types of crabs….” And the foam? Well, the book says: “When the Ocypode crab is stressed, it blows bubbles.” You have to read more from the book on the how

Energy drainer

Its only Tuesday and now its 15:30 hrs as I type and I am already drained. Yesterday at work was hectic, not only because its Monday but my computer crashed. I just got back to work and I was sure emails and tasks would be shouting for my attention. I tried to sign in and all there to see was this blue screen. Nice! So now I am working from another work-station which is painfully s-l-o-w that even I have time to multi-task other stuff that doesnt need a click on the keyboard in between coffee and chocolate chips. Tuesday now and still no sign of recovery of my computer, I have to resort to the turtle work-station.

While googling for “energy booster” or ‘energy drinks or quick-fix food to boost energy level or smarter lunch”, I came up with this interesting article on ‘Out of Energy’ by one Denise Schipani. Denise outlined that there are nine things that zap our energy and writes how to fix them. She started the article with ‘It’s 3pm….’ How timely!

To save your energy reading the full article, I have put a summary of the list of the energy zippers and their fixes:

1. Being addicted to e-mail (ehem …) - If you continually halt to what you are doing to answer e-mail, check voice mail, and attend other beepers and blips from your pc or Blackberry, your attention becomes diluted which leaves you feeling depleted.  Fix this by switching off your electronic gadgets during your most productive hours – usually in the morning.
2. Visual clutter - I like this one. According to me (hehe), clutter equal to mess. The article says clutter signals disorder which makes us anxious. Our brain sense that anxiety. Fix: clear the clutter hun to give your eyes a rest rather than dart from mess to mess.
3. Being bored – I don’t know if anyone has time to get bored at work and if yes, please switch position with me. I never seem to have that time. Well, boredom for some people can be due to doing the same job or task so it’s monotonous.  Mental foot-dragging, boredom and lack of motivation are draining. Energy fix this by finding a partner or co-worker in a time challenge. Or, promise yourself a motivational reward for completing the task at hand.
4. Poor posture - Hunching wrecks havoc on your energy level. Enough said. Reboot your posture with these tips from my fav instructor, Denise Austin.  
5. Toxic indoor air - Copy machines, office carpet, cleaning chemicals all produce toxins in the air and you dont know how it can contribute to the level of toxins in your body. Go outside for ten minutes and smell the coffee or flowers or have houseplants inside. Dont also wear your shoes inside your house as youre dragging not just dirt in your soles but also chemicals and harmful pesticides from outside. Now you know why Asians leave their shoes outside the house? Islam has long taught on this due to the same reason.
6. Eating too much at once -  The effect of a heavy lunch is most noticeable in the afternoon because the slump happens at that reach-for-coffee-or-sugar hour – at 3pm. Fix this by eating every four hours instead of six. Increase your energy by smarter lunch which what I was looking for in the first place!
7. Living in artificial light – Know your body rhythm – our body rhymes with the sun as it means its time to wake up (or should have woken up for Subuh). So a 10 to 20 minute walk in the sun may boost your energy instead of staying indoors during lunch break (this is a note to myself too).
8. Listening to Negative Nellies - Pardon to anyone name Nelly but Negative Nellies? I have experienced this sort of person who just nags and whines and complaints every single thing in her life and boy, was I exhausted myself. So avoid Nellies.
9.  Holding to a grudge – Resentment is a huge energy-drainer and such negative emotions along with anger are toxic as they hung inside our tense muscles. So the answer, though it takes practise (and time) is to forgive old mistakes. We are all humans and are bound to make mistakes.

Okay I feel rejuvenated posting this here and reading THAT email make my day too

Blog Action Day 2009 – Climate Change, act on it

Its Blog Action Day today. Every 15 October, bloggers from all around the world unite to talk about the same issue on the same day with the hope that their voices will provoke discussion on the issue of global importance. From the Blog Action Day’s site, 7,194 blogs from 141 countries across the world have registered to join and talk on the issue of climate change. Here’s my take on the issue on my way to a training course and during my lunch break.

Climate change is already happening. Every day we hear devastating news about all these natural disasters like typhoons and earthquakes which left hundreds and thousands to lose their livelihoods. I am really hopeful for the world leaders who will meet in Copenhagen this December will come up with a real, sensible outcome on how to tackle climate change.

Now don’t say that Brunei is not affected. I don’t know if anyone knows that Brunei is among the highest carbon emitter per capita. Tiny Brunei with a population of about a quarter million is not spared from the effect of climate change. The best example will be the flash floods. Bruneians are not used to experience what seem ‘normal’ for neighboring countries like the Philippines and Indonesia in facing calamities like typhoons and earthquakes due to its geographic location.

However, early this year, the country was suddenly awakened with the worst flooding it has seen for decades. I remember that night. Barrack Obama was just sworn in as the President. As the Americans and the rest of the world were watching the inauguration live, Bruneians were experiencing hours and hours of non-stop raining. The next morning, people from areas which have never experienced flooding were awakened with an unexpected sight – water with mud everywhere.

So what is happening? What was it that we did? Has Mother Nature lost her charm and unleash her fury. I think so. So what do we need to do now? I don’t suggest that everyone should go to the forest and hug a tree but more to our every day habit like switching to energy-saving bulbs, using less paper, re-cycling and re-using items, and no plastics. These little things that we do every day. Every one of us should be responsible in their own actions as it affect the future generation. I want my great-great-grandchildren to be still able to smell the flowers and breathe fresh air. If you are not sure what you can do to tackle climate change (or what on earth this climate change that I have been yapping on and on is), just google for ways to tackle climate change. I particularly like this Climate Change – Bloom from the BBC. Click on it.

Climate change, act on it for a greener world.

Padang oh Padang

Padang, the capital city of West Sumatra province was hit by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake on 30 Spet 2009. A number of villages there have been declared as mass graves. Hundreds have died and many more have been misplaced or reported missing and are now feared to be buried under the rumbles. According to Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency website, the quake has left 608 dead, 596 seriously injured and 2,039 lightly injured; 179,629 houses damaged and more than 83,000 in ruins. The death toll may exceed 1,000 said the agency.

I am so much impressed with the internationl aids from around the world which have provided clean water, money and other forms of aids to the area. At least 35 international aid agencies and non-governmental organizations are helping victims in Padang. Some 4,000 volunteers are working in the city.

On a related note, Masjid Abdul Rahman Auf in Kuala Lumpur would be compiling an anthology of poems remembering the Padang quake by the end of this month as a move in solidarity and humanitarian act on the tragic event. The launching and reading of the poems will be held on the 31st October and 1st November at the Dewan al-Ghazali, Masjid Abdul Rahman Auf, Km 5.5, Jalan Puchong, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Condolences to the familes of the victims of the earthquake. Al-Fatihah.

Brunei stamps

One of the earliest 1 cent stamps from Brunei.

I dont know if most people use slow mails nowadays with the advancement of technology. E-cards, e-invites via social networking like Facebook and Twitter are the norms now. I dont know how postal departments around the globe are surviving now. I do, however appreciate stamps. For a start, a stamp can be part of our history, our culture, tradition; everything that encompass our daily lives.  

According to the Postal Services Department, the earliest known use of a postage stamp in Brunei was one bearing a Brooketown (an old name for Muara) postmarked 24 April 1894 -  thats more than a century ago. A small post office was set up at Broketown in 1893 for the coal-mining workers of Brooke. The office was under the Sarawak Government operating a monthly mail service to and fro Kuching until 1907. If anyone remembers Brunei’s history, 1906 was the year when the first British Resident came to Brunei.  You can read more on Brunei’s postal history from the Postal Services website. I do notice a typo error though under its introduction when it says that “….The manager of the Central Borneo Company of Labuan, one John Robertson, obtained a concession in 1984 from Sultan Hashim to operate a postal service in Brunei Town (Bandar Seri Begawan)...” Can’t be 1984!

 I was looking at the latest thematic stamp produced by the Brunei’s Postal Services Department which will be issued as of this Friday, 9th October 2009. The name of the latest issue is ‘Wild Orchids of Brunei Darussalam Series I. The stamps are in the denomination of $1.00, 20 cents and 10 cents and designed by one Ajihis bin Haji Terawih. 

More informative and interesting stamps (and notes) can be found from our own Brunei’s Numismatist and Philatelist aka Brunei Daily Resources. Go check it out. Thanks for sharing Tuan Haji.

Happy 80th anniversary BSP

Brunei Shell Petroleum marks its 80th anniversary by launching a community campaign on road safety today. Labelled as ‘Tell-A-Friend’ BSP hopes that the campaign will help further improve road safety in the Abode of Peace.  The campaign was launched by His Majesty The Sultan of Brunei this morning where His Majesty also officiated the 80th anniversary. Read more on the event from BSP’s official website.

It does make anyone wonder what to be of Brunei without oil? Well, if you look to the open sea, you will think of oil and gas but if you turn your head around, you will see our intact rainforest. Al-Jazeera has recently made a Tv programme saying that brunei’s oil is saving the rainforest. Watch the video on the report more here.

Congratulations BSP for the 80 years and I pray for many more years of oil and gas exports for Brunei, amin.

Dark Age

I woke up this morning to hear people talking about the massive power outage which lasted for up to four hours last night. The papers said that 75% of Brunei area was without power supply last night. All three districts, except Temburong were badly affected and were left in total darkness. I slept soundly last night as the area where I live was not affected.

Gadong commercial area in the dark. Pic by The Brunei Times ~ www.bt.com.bn

The Borneo Bulletin reported that quoting the Electrical Services Department, DES, saying that ‘the shutdown was due to what it termed as a “technical glitch” which caused the power cut that affected most of the capital and larger parts of the country, stretching to Lamunin and Penanjong and into the Belait District with disruptions reported in Lumut and Mumong.’

I could sense the irony when that the paper went on to say that: ‘Just hours after the nationwide prayers to mark the 16th Civil Service Day and amid growing calls for the public service to make good on their promises to provide the more efficient and effective services to the citizens and residents of Brunei Darussalam, the darkened canvas that blanketed the capital and most parts of the country stood as a shocking reminder.’

The Brunei Times quoting the DES said that the disruption was as a result of the main turbine at Gadong 2 going offline due to reasons which are still under investigation. Read more on the report here.

Graphic on where Ketsana has hit the Philippines. Image from Reuters.

I am not complaining here, not just because my area was not affected but just look across the South China Sea and see what’s happening to our close neighbour, the Philippines. The country was affected by the Typhoon Ondoy as its known locally there, or Ketsana, internationally. According to reports, heavy rain which amounted to a month’s fall, fell in a few hours last Friday/ Saturday. The Philippines Government has appealed for international humanitarian help as the death toll rose to 240 and weary survivors sheltered in squalid conditions.  Almost half a million people are affected and water and electricity has been cut off in the worst part of Manila.

Whilst the Philippines is no stranger to extreme weather, Typhoon Ondoy has been reported to be the worst for the country for over 40 years. Now does the number ring a bell to Brunei as Brunei was also affected with its worst flooding early this year for the last 40 years? It worries me to think how ready Brunei is to face such calamities. Nau’uzubillah…

Hari Raya cards from the 60’s and the 70’s

Its the start of the fourth term for schools in Brunei today and its only the eight of Syawal. Still in Raya mood? Came across pictures of old Hari Raya cards from the early 60’s to the early 70’s from Bruneians via email. Whoever said that ‘Cut, Copy & Paste’ is a new technology? Please also note on the fashion on those days. I love the ladies’ glasses – cool shades. They are back in fashion now isnt it? So dont throw away your accessories just yet. Personally for me, I did receive a couple or so Hari Raya greetings cards this year. Not sure how long this tradition of sending the paper cards will continue with the so-called modern technology of e-cards. Even Facebook has Hari Raya e-cards and Duit Raya, I just wish they are real ones, the duit raya that is :p

Look at the hairstyle. Not much different from Zac Efron's (of High School Musical fame)

Could be an influence from the royal insignias? This is from the 1969.

Cool shade with easy hairstyle.

This lass has two trophies to show. Excelsior? Its Latin for superior, lordly or ever-upward. The word is also the motto for the Science College

A 'cut & paste' technology in 1973

One of the few potrait-oriented greetings card.

Aww...what a sweet couple. Remind me of my teenage life...hehe

Another 'cut & paste' technique. Note the shade, note on the shade! Not the trees, the sunglasses.

Rafeah again with her cool shade. This was in 1970 - were the Beatles the craze at that time?

Dia tulis arab dah. Jawi-writing was widely-used at that time.

Peace sign yo. And look at the hairstyle.

From the wild, wild, west.

Another 'cut & paste'

From the girls...

From the boys...

Eid Mubarak ~ Maaf Zahir & Batin

Brunei Darussalam will be celebrating Hari Raya Aidil Fitri or Eidul Fitr tomorrow, Monday 21 September 2009 after the new moon of Syawal was not sighted early yesterday’s  evening. Hari Raya Aidil Fitri or also known as Hari Raya Puasa or Lebaran or Eidul Fitri (depending on where you are) marks the end of Ramadhan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, and the start of Syawal, a month for joy and celebration. 

Raya itself is a Malay word meaning big so yes, its a big celebration for Muslims around the world. Other Raya word use in Malay is ‘jalanraya’ meaning road and the other one at the top of my head is ‘hantu raya’, a type of ghost though I am not sure if this particular ghost is the biggest ghost of all. This interesting post on why Indonesians use ‘Lebaran’ to refer to the big day says that the original word of ‘lebar’ actually comes from a Javanese word meaning afterwards that is after the fasting month; and not the ‘lebar’ which is English for wide.   

Hilal or the new moon. Brunei celebrates Hari Raya on Monday, 21 September 2009.

Every year, it has been like a tradition for Bruneians to gather around their Tv or radio sets to know the outcome of the sighting of the new moon of Syawal as it determine the first day of Raya. For some, the good news will be welcomed by praising Allah with tahmid and takbir and for some, with the sound of firecrackers. And the bad news when the moon is not sighted? For some, the news may either be followed with a sigh or a joy, depending on one’s situation.

The decision to the manner and method on determining the beginning of Ramadhan, Syawal, Zulhijjah and Muharram for Brunei Darussalam through rukyah or the sighting of the moon was made at a meeting in 1994. There, MABBIMS countries which group Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore agreed that Brunei will exclusively uses rukyah while the rest of the three countries jointly agreed that if the new moon is not sighted through rukyah then the beginning of the new moon will be based on calculations. 

This page from the Brunei Astronomical Society quoting a joint-reply from the State Judiciary Department and the Survey Department explains more on why Brunei uses rukyah. Furthermore, it quote that a fatwa or religious rulings from the State Mufti saying that rukyah being practised in Brunei Darussalam is based on clear hadiths or sayings of the Prophet. It also says that on 1 October 2003, Brunei’s Muslim Council will not accept rukyah results from other countries as from 1424 Hijrah. We are in the year 1430 Hijrah now, so that was six years ago.  

Its time to celebrate, well, at least tomorrow for Brunei. I would like to wish all Muslims around the world, a Selamat Hari Raya Maaf Zahir & Batin. Eid Mubarak. Taqabballahu minna waminkum, waja’alna minal aidin wal faidzin.

 

Kaspersky Lab Commonwealth Expedition

Era from Brunei, seated, stuck in the evening tent in Wanaka, New Zealand. Pic from www.commonwealthexpedition.com

Era, who, Insya Allah, will be the first Bruneian to reach the South Pole come New Year’s Day 2010 will now be able to concentrate on her training and forget about worries on the funding. Good news is that the whole team of eight women from the Commonwealth has been granted a full fund to finance their trip to the Antarctica after Kaspersky Lab has agreed to fund the trip. Kaspersky Lab is a developer of a secure content management solutions.

This will be very good news indeed has team members have been sourcing for funding here and there. The expedition is now being re-branded as The Karspesky Lab Commonwealth Women’s Antarctic Expedition. Read the full press release here from the sponsor.

Brunei’s own Polar Girl, Era has previously lamented on the lack of her fund through this news article here.  She has previously won Br$8,000 from the BIBD Wish campaign where the money she received was used to fund for her training in New Zealand. She will be back home tonight. Read on the training account in New Zealand here.

On a related Commonwealth news, Commonwealth with its two billion people from 53 countries is celebrating its 60th anniversary. The expedition to the South Pole is part of the celebration. Now, those living in the Commonwealth can have their say about the Commonwealth and how to shape. More information from the Commonwealth Conversation.

See you never alligator

Okay so alligators are only native to the United States and China. Alligators and crocodiles come under the group of crocodilian so they are somewhat related, thanks also to their similarity in appearances. Well, I am about to talk about crocodiles which have made headlines in Brunei for the past week or so. Two people including a four-year old boy have fallen victims to two separate crocodile attacks, within a space of days apart.  

Personally, I have had a very close encounter with these not-that-gentle- creatures. On a way to do a filming for a Tv documentary, my crew and I have to cross a river to reach Kg Belabau in Ulu Tutong, which is the furthest village in Tutong. I heard this village has been deserted now as no one lives there anymore. Anyway, all the way from Bandar to the jetty in Tutong, my witty cameraman never stopped cracking jokes, only to be join by the same level-headed soundman and our driver. I became their audience, laughing my gut out.

It was already five-thirty in the afternoon when we reached the jetty. A boatman whom I have already booked earlier to ferry us across the river, was already waiting for us. We were to spend a few nights at the village to film the documentary. The boatman, a resident of Kampong Belabau itself was maybe in his 30’s, strong-built and smiled all the time. The boat was not your typical boat but the traditional long and narrow boat call temuai. This type of boat is made that way so that its easy to manoeuver the winding river in the rural areas.

Our boatman was a man of a few words. He just smiled when we asked questions or talked to him. The only words I remember until now coming from his mouth was for us to be careful. In half an hour, it was pitch black as it get dark quickly in rural areas. By then, my crew was in total silence; they must have gone tired with the long journey or from the jokes they made. I kept glancing back at our boatman who was right behind me. He just smiled. God, I wish I knew why he smiled. 

Have you heard that silence can be deafening? Well, the silence was killing me but as I was not that familiar with the area, I just sat still and prayed the journey would be over soon. Suddenly the boatman stopped paddling. He kept quiet. This time he didnt smile. I signalled him what’s wrong but as expected, he didnt utter any word. I closed my eyes trying to enjoy the stillness, if there is anything to enjoy. It was just a mere second that I blinked my eyes when I thought I heard some splashing not far from our boat.  Suddenly I realised that there were many red dots on both sides of the river banks. I gasped and looked at the boatman. He syhhed me while putting a finger on his lips. For the rest of the journey, the boatman let the current took control of the boat. After what seem like ages, we finally reached the village. I glanced at my watch, it was almost seven in the evening.

When we reached the jetty, my crew ran as fast  as they could, up to the jetty and on to the ground. Then they laughed. Boys! I didnt find that funny as that’s still one of the top scarriest moments in my Tv life. The village headman came to greet us. I immediately asked him what were those red dots. His answer: the eyes of the crocs at night time. And the splash? The boatman told the headman who in turn informed me that two huge male crocs were swimming alongside our boat, one of them made a splash as it slid under our boat to get to the other side.

Thanking God for the safe journey, I made sure I would not be very near the river for the rest of the assignment. But then river is part of the residents’ lives so I have no choice. Very early the next morning, my ever-cheerful cameraman said that he has found a good location to film the river activity – where else but by the riverbank. I recced the area and had to agree with him. Soon, women, young girls and children came out from the longhouse carrying clothes in pails and buckets and towels. It was actually a lovely morning. The water was really cold and I was really amazed how the residents could stand the coldness of the water. Nope, they dont have water-heaters, its a river.

Now what made me write this post is this interesting part which relates to the crocodiles. Some parts of the river banks were high enough for the young children to do their somersault. I guess they know we were filming so they wanted to show off but honestly they were very good at making the acrobatic feats and jump to the river. Everytime they wanted to jump in they said something. At one stage I was trying to understand what those words were and in the end I just couldnt contain my curiosity that I asked the young girls clad in sarong. The girls said that everytime they want to jump in to a river, they will shout: ‘Anak Bayo’ meaning son or child of a crocodile. I dont need to know why they must say that.

Now this article in today’s Borneo Bulletin has many interesting facts about crocs. For a start, the report said quoting the Brunei Museums Department – champion of protecting endangered species in Brunei – 34 species have been listed under the protected List of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The estuarine crocodiles, locally known as ‘Buaya Katak’ that inhibit the rivers in Brunei are under Appendix 1 of CITES. No one is allowed to ‘hunt, kill, capture, collect, disturb or own their eggs, horn, head, teeth, tusk, bones, nails, fur (didnt know crocs have furs), skin or any other body parts. Offenders could face a year in prison and slapped with a $2,000 fine in Brunei. One exception of the rule is when these animals prey on humans or enter the turf of humans, these crocs may be captured or even killed, said the report.

Another related croc story is that Crocs, those crayon-coloured sandals which have survived the global recession, may be facing some problems too. More here. Have you got a pair or two of Crocs? “Anak Bayo” indeed.

Please note that my personal account above is copyright protected. Please contact me should you need to quote my story for permission. Thank you.

Souls during Ramadhan

How timely for my sister to send me an email telling about a talk on souls during the holy month. According to the talk, citing one hadith or sayings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh);  when Ramadhan commences, all souls gather at a place called Luh Mahfuz. As far as I know, Luh Mahfuz is a place where our fate has been determined by God - how old we will live, our soulmate and our rezki or wealth.    

Anyway, back to the talk. As Ramadhan starts, all souls gather in Luh Mahfuz to seek approval from Allah to go down to Earth. Some are permitted, some are not. Those who are allowed to go back to the Earth are those who have done good deeds throughout their lives when they were alive or those who have been blessed by prayers from either their children or relatives and friends. Those who are not allowed are those who have sinned when they were alive and have not receive any prayers from those who are still alive since.

The talk continued that the first thing these souls do when they reach Earth is to visit their own graves, to see their bodies. I would like to add here that this could be why Bruneians clean around a cemetry usually on Friday mornings and especially during the holy month, which has become a practise or tradition for them. I think if the souls are to visit during the start of Ramadhan, then the cleaning part should be done before the holy month and not during the month, yes? I am also yet to find out the significance of that air asah-asahan or the brownish-scented water usually poured over the tombs. Businesses in selling this type of water are also brisk during the holy month.

 So, these souls will then pay a visit to the homes of their families – their children’s, to houses of those who receive their wasiat or will and to the houses where the occupants extend prayers for them. All in the hope that those they visited will continue to pray for them in the after-world. These visits will continue until the start of Aidil Fitri of the Eid-ul Fitri, which marks the end of Ramadhan. Usually we chanted the Takbir Hari Raya or praises to Allah as from the eve of the festival. Now I remember when I was small, my late grandmother would not allow me to do the praises during the holy month. My age of innocence.

At the start of Aidil Fitri, the souls will bid good-bye to their own bodies and to those they have visited and bring along with them all those prayers they have received throughout the holy month. The point of this talk (or post) is to always say your prayers and Al-Fatihah to the dearly departed with the hope that their souls are at peace. One famous hadith on death says that when a man dies, he is being cut-off from everything except three – prayers from the children, beneficial knowledge they acquired when they were alive and good deeds they have done.

Now as I type this, I am missing my late father, late grandparents and my late brother. Al-Fatihah for them and to those who have departed before this moment. Al-Fatihah.

“Setinggi mana kasih sayangku, Allah lebih berhak menyayangimu. Damailah engkau di sana, dibawah rahmat dan kasih-sayangNya. Sesungguhnya aku akan menyusulmu dikemudian hari. Al-Fatihah buat semua muslimin dan muslimat yang telah pergi.”

Sounds of Hope Charity Gala Night

 

Read more from Brunei FM.

Sounds of Hope

Sounds of Hope? The first time I heard that from my dearest Zie, I thought it’s something like an underground music or club. Does it sound anything like the Ministry of Sound?

Sounds of Hope is Brunei’s answer to youth volunteering who devote their time, resources and energy to eradicate poverty in Brunei by the year 2035 – a vision echoed by His Majesty last year in line with the country’s Vision 2035. Yes Brunei do have the poor and the country is yet to come up with its own definition of poverty.

My earlier post on Zakat money has a definition of the poor in accordance to Islamic terms. A fakir is a Muslim who has no source of income or wealth or those who are unable to fulfil half of the needs for him/herself and those of their dependants; a miskin is a Muslim who, though has a bit of wealth or source of income but could only manage to contribute for more than half of his/ her own need and their dependants.

According to the Baitul Mal, a body that look into the affairs of the poor and the very poor; there are about 13,000 who fall into both categories. Japem, the Department responsible for the community has a higher stats – that there are 17,000 poor in Brunei in their record.

So what has this Sounds of Hope (SoH) done? A recent Tv interview in Rampai Pagi said that SoH volunteers have visited the poor around Brunei. Pictures in this post are actually taken from the SoH’s fan page at Facebook. Senor Pablo has more heart-warming pictures. SoH now has more than 40 volunteers from a humble six when they were first formed last March. Their next biggest ambition is to hold a charity gala night next month where patrons can buy tables to watch performances by local artists. (See next post on the gala poster). For assurance, SoH also operates under the auspices of the Women Business Council and the volunteers registered under Japem’s Volunteering Programme.

A number of intial programmes lined up by SoH includes adopt a (poor) family; sponsor a child’s educational needs and micro-credit for the unemployed women. I assume the latter will be for single mothers who do not have any source of income?

For more info on SoH, visit: Sounds of Hope (a Facebook fan page actually). SoH has more than 3,000 fans so far. Hope the number of volunteers is also increasing? I was thinking if SoH aims to get volunteers, Facebook is the right tool as thats where the young and the young-atbut if they need sponsors, they have to open up at least a blog. Most are free too. Feel like writing to SoH? Then drop them a line at: soundsofhope.brunei@gmail.com

Lets extend our hands to help the poor.

Congrats AnakBrunei

Congratulations to Reeda aka AnakBrunei for being awarded with the British Chevening Scholarship.  Read the news here and here and if you are in Facebook, here

Is heaven on Earth?

Heaven is a place call Earth, as one karaoke song goes or is it that heaven is up there? From the holy Quran, heaven has been decribed as a place which could not be found anywhere on Earth. When I was small, my late grandma (peace and blessings for her soul) always told me stories how those who do good deeds, would end up in heaven. I would aksed her again and again on how heaven look like. From her answers, I always imagined that heaven is so very peaceful and calm; not too hot and not too cold, with the most beautiful creatures flying around and streams of honey, wine and milk flowing endlessly…ahh…childhood.

Now this news report from LiveScience says that a new discovery has found the coldest, driest and calmest place on Earth. Could it be the closest to heaven? Where?  Its an area known simply as Ridge A; 13,297 feet (or 4,053 meters) high up on the Antarctic Plateau on the continent at the bottom of the world. Located within the Australian Antarctic Territory, the site is 89 miles (144 km) from an international robotic observatory and the proposed new Chinese ‘Kunlun’ base at Dome A its called, a higher point on the Antarctic Plateau.

An iceberg in Gerlache Strait, Antarctica. Photographer: Rear Admiral Harley D. Nygren, NOAA Corps (ret.).

The study revealed that Ridge A has an average winter temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius and an extremely low amount of water in the air. The site is also extremely calm, which means that there is very little of the atmospheric turbulence that elsewhere makes stars appear to twinkle. Oh, I would love this place. Actually this place is a perfect recipe for an astronimical observation’s point of view, so as to speak. Well, at least its the calmest place on Earth.

Okay so I am cancelling my journey to Siberia but heading to the Antartica now.

The origin of Poco-poco

I received a chain email saying that Poco-poco actually originates from the Philippines, used widely by the Christians there. The email argued that the line dance, which now has gain its popularity in Brunei as well, actually made a cross through its steps and wondered if it will be banned by some Muslim countries after the furor of yoga and its mantras. The steps take the dancer to the four directions of a room and is said to be similar to the ‘Nutbush’ or ‘The bus stop’ and other western disco dances.

From the searches that I made on ‘poco-poco’, it reveals that the very popular social dance originated from the Sulawesi about 20 years ago to accompany a new pop song at that time called ‘Poco-poco’. The lyrics described a man’s admiration of a beautiful woman of Minahasa. 

This Minahasa site quoting one Ibu Harimawan, a ballroom dance teacher said that poco-poco was made popular by the ABRI or the Indonesian army. Apart from poco-poco, two other community dances – tebe-tebe and sojojo have been popular since the 1990’s, said the site. Another Yogya’s dance teacher said the poco-poco originates from the Moluccas, specifically from Ambon. 

One Jamaican English dictionary listed ‘poco-poco’ as Jamaican answer for ‘How do you do?’ meaning ‘not too good and not too bad’. However, there appears to be a number of words associated with ‘poco’ in the dictionary which relates to a kind of wild dance under the possession of what was believed to be, of ‘ancestral spirits’.

One account recorded by Washington Post during the era of General Suharto’s rule cited that thousands of students protestors streamed into the streets demanding his ousting. The riot police found out that force could no longer cow the crowds so they cranked up the loudspeakers and put on the poco-poco and asked the students to dance. The students who were suddenly confronted with the irresistible rhythm, danced the poco-poco. Nice.

Another search resulted saying that rural farmers in the Irian Jaya danced the poco-poco style when they are harvesting the padi. The arm movement during dancing the poco-poco actually resembles hoeing, rowing or sowing.  This reminds me of Brunei’s own folksong and accompanied dance, the  Adai-adai, which tells the story of a fisherman going to the sea and leaving behind his wife for the whole day.

Now the moves for the poco-poco below. Try it and tell me if it’s anywhere similar to a cross

While facing the front:

-          walk to your right; step right, left, right and bring feet together

-          repeat to the left; step left, right, left and feet together

-          step forward with one foot….

 Better learn by watching the video below:

Autumn in Brunei

Is it autumn in Brunei?

Some of the leaves along Tungku Link have turned brown.

Nope, we dont have the four seasons in Brunei, only two – hot as in sunny and wet as in rain. These poor trees are actually a result of the recent forest fires which destroyed much of the vegetation and made the country hazy. A couple of pictures where the helis were called to help fight the fire can be found from ‘Who’s Talking?’ – Sopokondo blogspot dot com.

According to news report citing the Bomba or the Fire Services, more than 190 hectares of forest were consumed by fire within a two-week period in early June 2009. The Pollutant Standard Index or PSI which measures the quality of air were recorded slightly than normal at 30.  The worst hit area was Belait district where the PSI reading was over 100 which is unhealthy. Some of the fires were reported to originate from the act of open burning.

I sincerely hope that JASTRe’s effort in curbing open burning will be a success. It is a law already to ban open burning in Brunei. The question now is how is this law being implemented?

Let the war begins

I am sure that everyone in Brunei would have notice that the Brunei Grand Sale is now on. Nothing wrong there, I support this as its good for the Brunei’s economy – that ’Buy in Brunei’ attitude though it’s not the tagline for the grand sale. So how grand is grand? The grandest of all? THE sale of the year? I don’t know. From my view, for every quarter of the year, there is bound to be a sale – Back to School sale, Quarterly sale, Mid-Year Sale, Holiday sale….all sort of sales. Some business establishments will claim that they have sale of up to 70%. Hmmm…. I am sure they have marked up their prices or else, where got untung or profit, yes? Also THE Raya-themed expos have already started as well, just only within the first week of Ramadhan…so I say, let the war of sales begins. Here’s one of them:

Marhaban Ya Ramadhan Ya Karim

Brunei starts its Ramadhan today Saturday, 22 August 2009 after religious officials failed to sight the new moon last Thursday evening. Interestingly, the sermon in yesterday’s Friday prayer touched on the moon-sighting issue. Imams reading the sermon said that there should not be any questions asked or issue raised whenever the moon is not sighted. This is especially true when it comes to the Syawal month where the method of sighting of the moon is again use to determine the end of Ramadhan and the start of the Muslim festival.

I agree. Why should there be an issue on the results of the sighting of the moon? Some would say that other country has already started fasting and we havent. Well, for a start, we are of different locations. Also, this method of physically sighting for the moon is actually the afdal or better way to determine the start of any month particularly for Ramadhan and Syawal.  The traditional method as followed by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is to look at the sky and visibly sight the crescent moon (Hilal) that marks the beginning of the month.  

Alhamdulilah, so now we are able to meet Ramadhan again this year and may we be given  with endless rewards and blessings in this holy month and get the best night of all nights, the Lailatul Qadar. Amin.

 

Go Green Brunei

2nd Annual National Environment Conference. Sustainability is the buzzword. Stuart Kemp, Executive Director of Asia INC Forum said: “Sustainability is the balance between economic, social and environmental segment.”

 

Djoko Prihanto, Senior Vice-President of Surbana International Consultants said: 

• Brunei emits as much as 5.5 metric tonnes of carbon emissions per year;
• Car ownership in Bandar Seri Begawan could be tripled by 2030; 
• Public transportation in the capital was “still at the preliminary stage”;
• Brunei’s population to double by 2030;
• 60,000 new eco-friendly homes needed for the population by then;
• 60,000 new jobs needed by the same year.

Suggested: Develop world-class public transport system, promote ‘Green’ transport and adopt Green car and building policies. 

YB Dato Idris – To ensure sustainable development, Brunei need a masterplan. The country’s masterplan is outdated. It was introduced 20 years ago and a new master planner would be appointed soon.

Bandar under ‘attack’

Bandar Seri Begawan – Bandar was under ‘attack’ this afternoon. Explosions were heard at around 2:30 in the afternoon which made the general public panic. They were caught off-guard as the security personnel complete with sirens, moved in to Bandar. Within minutes, the parameter around Jalan Pretty was sealed…except that it was just a live explosives exercise.

So how ready Brunei is when ‘it’ really happen? I am sure each country has its own emergency preparedness plan. Such exercise is good as a way to prepare for any event, involving as many security personnel as possible. This afternoon, there were the police, the Bomba and the paramedics that I saw. Even RTB crew was there too. They were quick at the scene, so watch RTB news tonight. I was once told that next time an accident happen, call RTB first then the paramedics. That was a joke. 

And the armed forces? The recently concluded and successful Bridex 2009 talked on how some of the armed forces around the world are now asked to do non-traditional military tasks such as helping in during natural disaster.

What concern me being a member of the general public is safety. If I am to walk around Bandar where there are like, scores of people  in the open and suddenly there’s a big explosion. The first reaction would of course be panic. People would try to take cover but where?  Where in Bandar or in Brunei can the public take cover? I dont think there’s a shelter area for the public.

By-standers with the Polis at the scene. How safe are we if it really happens?

Then came the police, Bomba, paramedics and other security personnel, maybe in plain clothes, though I would not be sure who will come first and in which order. Who should I listen to when all of these ‘authorities’ give command at the same time? And I imagine that its not just one person giving one command but different personnel with different commands, complete with military lingo and acronyms such as A-S-A-P (okay we all know this), KISS (keep it simple, s@$#*), ACM (Air Combat Manoevering) or words such as ’negative’ and ’civvies’ (civilian clothes).

My point is, the public should also be communicated like, now before anything happens so they know what to do and where to go in any emergency event and not just as by-standers.

One click one pic

Imagine how the Earth looks like at different locations but at the same time? It’s 16:10 hours now in Brunei and so it must be 09:10 hours in London now or 04:10 hours in New York or 01:10 hours in Los Angeles. While I am having high tea, someone in London will be having a morning break…Interesting. It will also be interesting to see photos on how the Earth’s doing at the same time but at a different location.

Heapfo (which stands for “Heaps of Information”) is organising one event where people from all over the world will take a picture or pictures on how the Earth looks like at exactly the same time. Its on Saturday, 24 October 2009 at 06:00 hours Brunei time, thats 66 more days to go. You don’t have to be a professional photographer to be part of this project.

The goal is to capture one single moment in time from every country, the Antartica, the Artic, the space, under the sea and out at sea. Go register yourself at Heapfo’s Facebook (you have to be a Facebook member then to access it).

The great mysteries of life…

Have you eva_wanda_ y? These are old questions but has anyone found the answers? My comments follow after the questions.

• Do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are going dead? For some thick-headed skull, yes, they still do this.
• Why do banks charge a fee on “insufficient funds” when they know there is not enough money? My banker friend answered in one simple word: “Interest”. Go figure.
• Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet? Human instinct.
  

  Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

• Why doesn’t glue stick to the bottle? Have tried this with white glue. Explaination: Regular, white glue is made from various synthetic chemicals. The chemical molecules are in the form of polymers, or long strands. Some are sticky, and others are stretchy. The proper combination of stretchy and sticky polymers make good glue.
  White glue also contains water. When the glue is exposed to air, the water evaporates, and the glue hardens and dries. When you glue things together with white glue, it’s the evaporation of the water that allows the bond to hold. This is called mechanical adhesion. In the bottle, the water within the glue is protected from air. It remains in the glue, and the glue stays in its liquid state. That’s why it doesn’t stick to the inside of the bottle.
• Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection? Common-sense question.
• Why doesn’t Tarzan have a beard? To attract Jane obviously. Can’t be the animals.
• Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him? He may be  a man of steel but is as afraid as all of us.
• Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets? Okay this is a bit of an old question already. Read some of the answers here.
• Whose idea was it to put an “S” in the word “lisp”?  Wiki answers: In computer programming, LISP is not an acronym but stands for ‘List Programming’. More here. Lisp as a word means speech difficulty so I am looking for the founder of this word on why he or she came up with a difficult word for someone with a speech difficulty?
• If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes? Ey Darwin?
• Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white? Call it marketing.
• Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale? Go figure, again.
• Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized? (Like me….)
• Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance? (Lime me…hehehe..poor cleaner)
• Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try? Try this especially if you dont have patience.
• How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures? I will try to catch a video on this.
• When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, “It’s all right?” Well, it isn’t all right, so why don’t we say, “That hurt, you stupid idiot?” We, especially those born under the sign of Libra, are usually nice people though we always get hurt.
• Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that’s falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over? Remember Mr Bean?
• In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat? Whining wont get you anywhere.
• How come you never hear father-in-law jokes? Err…
• And…… The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four persons is suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends — if they’re okay, then it’s you!!

Hazy days are back

The red sun at around 5:30 pm on Tuesday, 4 August 2009 in Gadong

Haze blanketing Brunei Muara. Istana Nurul Iman could usually be seen in the background but not this morning.

Part of Kampong Ayer or the Water Village this morning. Not only its hot now in Brunei with the maximum temperature recorded at 40 C yesterday but its also hazy.

A worker prunes a plant at Yayasan as the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque stands majestically in the background with haze around.

Gerai Perayaan ends tonight

The stalls for the birthday celebration in Bandar will come to a close tonight and not last night contrary to what many believe. As the national flag was lowered down in a ceremony yesterday morning, marking the end of the birthday celebrations for this year, the general public thronged to the Gerai Perayaan last night to enjoy what they thought would be the last night. I think the ceremony must be the confusing factor.

Rows of vehicles lined all roads leading to the stalls, which like in previous years, are located at the parking space in front of the Royal Regalia Building in the capital. I think last night must be the busiest night for the business operators at the stalls as there were so many people around. The stalls have been in operational nightly for the past two weeks. Some business operators started their business hours as early as five or six in the evening until mid-night. 

One business operator selling fresh and chilled fruit juices and other beverages that I spoke to said that there were not that many customers on the previous nights but last night he lost count after his 50th customer, and that was only an hour or so after he opened up. A cup of the drink he sold costs Br$1 and an average of three cups were bought per customer; you do the maths on how much he earned last night. It was also a warm night last night so a refreshing drink surely quench one’s thirst.

Apart from beverages, items being sold include the famous sotong tutuk or hammered smoked calamari (always popular during local celebrations) and local delicacies to clotheswear (pirated sportswear aplenty) and even CDs and DVDs (have to check for originals). I think these are what one would normally see in local celebrations. For some it would be a waste of time to go round and round the stalls selling similar items year after year though I would say that this time, the items are getting better. For some, like me, its just the mood, the atmosphere or the air and spirit to be part of the happening though I would not go there every night. Hotels nearby are also benefitting everytime there’s the Gerai Malam as they charged $3 per entry for those who would like to use their parking lots. Business-minded indeed.

 A local band who was not performing but more to promoting their CDs was also there last night. Usually there would be stage performances like in the past years but there was none this year due to the H1N1 situation in Brunei. Restaurant operators at the stalls also reported brisk business last night. I was there with my big family and ordering a simple teh tarik and fried noodle took forever but it was fun waiting as the place was really abuzz with people. 

The Gerai Perayaan was previously cancelled. From what I was told by one business operator at the stall, their rental fees was refunded by the organiser as the celebrations were put on hold and they were not sure when the celebrations would start. That was quite a blow for them as such festivals is one of the ways for the SMEs to earn profit. But in the last minute, it was announced that the stalls would go on but there wont be any stage performances. So, yes am grateful for this decision too as I could understand the SMEs predicament.

The birthday celebration of His Majesty The Sultan of Brunei is an annual festivity that Bruneians and tourists alike always look forward to. Its like a tradition. This year, due to the H1N1 situation, His Majesty himself has announced that all events held in conjunction with his birthday are to be postponed to a later date. Not sure when this would be as (1) the H1N1 situation still lurks (the authority said that its still mild in Brunei) and (2) the holy month is approaching with the start of Ramadhan might either be on the 21st or 22nd of this month, thats about three weeks away.

So you still have tonight…I will update this post with pics.

The Big ‘Makan’

Oh I look forward to the Big Makan. (Makan is a Malay word for eat – Eat_Me? :p) The ‘Big Makan’ is an event that involves, what else, food and is a theme for the Brunei Food Festival this year. When it come to food, Bruneians know it better though the Italians must do it better.  Not much to do here in Brunei but eat, eat and more eating, some would say.

So the Big Makan is set to be held on Friday 7th until Sunday 9th of August 2009 at the Indoor Stadium. This venue is better as it has ample parking lots than the previous ones where parking posed a problem for the visitors a.k.a. foodie-lovers.  

Kueh Seri Muka. Pic from wikipedia.

Also, the organiser said that the opening ceremony on the first day will see the cutting of the biggest kueh or local delicacy ever made call Kueh Seri Muka.  It is made from steamed glutinous rice and topped with a layer of coconut milk and eggs with sweet pandan leaves as the natural colouring. The kueh to be made on that day will be of 4 feet by 8 feet in size and weighs 50 kilogram. Visitors on the first day got to have a slice of the cake for free. Hope it taste as nice with that size!

This news report said: 

“Featuring a wide range of Brunei culinary favourites and food cultural displays, the festival provides an interactive platform for customers and businesses to come together in celebration and recognition of the local culinary industry.

More than 20 SME participants will be showcasing their local products and services in this year’s Food Festival, according to the organiser.

In all, some 50 participants will be involved in the event. Participants include, namely, KFC, Jollibee, Saffron, I-lotus, Tuah Star Baker, Mulaut Abbattoir, Halaqah, Ideal Multifeed Farm, Seri Pakatan, Sinar Cahay a restaurants, Dreamcomes, Perusahaan Bebola Emas, G & A Snowhouse and Saudah C.”

Foodies, mark your calendar!

Nisfu Syaban and First Ramadhan

As announced by the Syariah Court:

Nisfu Syaban (or the middle of Syaban) falls on Wednesday, 5 August 2009.

Moon sighting to determine the first of Ramadhan is on Thursday, 20 August meaning the holy month may start the next day or Saturday, 22 August.

Marhaban Ya Syaban.

Vogue Hari Raya sale

Its not even Ramadhan yet but Vogue is having its Hari Raya sale already. Go to the Kiulap Plaza Hotel this Thursday & Friday and ladies, dont forget to bring your girl friends; you know, for helpful advice and persuasion. Have fun!

Tat Place Hotel – a newbie in KB

It seem that the hotel industry is picking up in Brunei despite the global recession. The latest hotel in Brunei is located right in the heart of Kuala Belait and its called Tat Place Hotel. I like the name. Its called that way because it is THAT place hotel. The hotel is the sister company of The Swiss Hotel Apartment which is located within walking distance from the hotel.

 The hotel which has been in operation very recently has 12 boutique rooms. Standard Room costs Br$120++ while the Deluxe Room costs Br$130.00++. Its Executive Room is at Br$150++ and its most expensive is the Loft at Br$250.00++. Nope I havent seen the hotel with my own eyes but from its website here, I really love its contemporary design. Go check them out.

As I was reading the hotel’s packages and services, I noticed that the hotel has a fire-proof carpet and internet cable throughout its building. Yes, safety first. These cables, says the hotel promo email, do not emit poisonous chemical fumes like ordinary cables when they got burnt.

Thanks to my sis @ BSP for the info…

One of the 63 reasons for being at The Empire

This weekend The Empire Hotel & Country Club is organising its ‘His Majesty’s 63rd weekend birthday celebration’ with, well, 63 fun and games lined up to live up the celebration with good room promotion. I heard the hotel’s guests for the weekend reached around 3,000 guests staying in just for tonight. 

For the past couple of weeks, the hotel has been promoting on why people should be at the hotel this weekend through the mass media. For me one of the best reasons is the firework display. Why? Well, as everyone knows, celebrations for His Majesty’s birthday have been postponed due to the H1N1 situation. As in previous years, one of the highlights of the celebration is THE firework display and only The Empire is doing this, for now. The display went on for about 20 minutes. Fireworks are fireworks, they are all beautiful. I was told that the display was seen as far as Subok in the capital. I guess depending on where you are…

A ‘welcoming note’ in the room saying that the hotel is taking the H1N1 seriously. Face masks and disposable hand gloves are available upon request and H1N1 sreening is compulsory.

 

Partial solar eclipse in Brunei

Image from the Brunei Astronomical Society website

So, it was indeed not a rainy day to watch the eclipse though a bit cloudy early in the morning. My own eye-witness report would be that the day suddenly turned dark as it was like six-thirty in the evening when in fact it was only about 8:30am. The local news report said that the partial solar ecplise in Brunei lasted from 8:48am until 10:32am.

Elsewhere in the world, this news report said that at least one woman died and six more hurt as a result of a stampede on the banks of Ganges River in India where 2,500 people have gathered.  The Hindus believe that bathing during special occassions like the eclipse will cleanse away one’s sins. As Buddhists prayed in temples in Bangkok, Muslims in Brunei prayed for a special prayer and sought protection from Allah this morning.

Today’s total eclipse is the longest in this century since 11 July 1991. There will never be any more longer eclipse the world will see until the year 2132. How old would I be by then? The next solar eclipse in Brunei, also partial, is on 15 January2010. So mark your diary sky-gazers.

Below are some pictures I took from my backyard and from a friend in Bandar…

At 8:37am

At 8:41am

At 8:48am

At 8:50am

At 9:24am

 

Okay, sorry thats it as both my friend and I have to earn a living after 9:24am….

Being a female journalist

The news on the assault of Erin Andrews (who?) grabs my attention. Erin is a FEMALE sports journalist with ESPN and she is attractive, friendly and knowledgeable in sports. What happened was Andrews was videoed in her birthday suit with a hidden camera from her hotel room’s peephole. Note on this ladies! Yes, don’t go round naked in your hotel room without first masking off that peephole.

That’s not the morale of the story actually. This news article by Maggie Hendricks said that female journalists are now scared after what has happened to Andrews. I say, of course female journalists would feel that way after what has happened. In the news article, Hendricks mentioned a number of western female journalists who were either harassed and humiliated. Working as a journalist and being a female at that is never easy.

And what can I say (hope :p) with the Bruneian counterparts? This is what I think based on my personal experience. You conclude my story yourself. When I was a journalist, I asked my Chief Reporter to assign me to a football match. Why? Because I love the beautiful game and I do know its rules and bla…bla…bla. My Chief Reporter said, “Nope, you go and cover a domestic science festival where you will interview the flowers and find out who design the decorations.”  Nah, not exactly like that but I wasn’t given the football assignment. It was given to, you guessed it.

So not wanting to wait for assignments, I took my own initiatives and searched for my own news story (with the consent of my Chief Reporter of course). One day, I came to know from the Fisheries Department that there was a red tide around Brunei Bay and I quickly grabbed a mike and went to interview the fish vendors at the wet market. Going to the market was not that difficult, what made it difficult was the vendors themselves.

Scene 1: At the nearest fish stall:

Me (ignoring the whistles and bad names that followed): “How does the red tide affect your business Tuan Haji?”
Tuan Haji (ignoring me as there was a number of customers who wanted his FROZEN fish) “Ten dollars per kilo…”
Me (being persistent then asked Tuan Haji’s assistant): “How’s business?”
Tuan Haji’s assistant (scanning me up and down): “Dudidudidu…what business?” 

Scene 2: At the second nearest stall:

Me(putting up a thick skin): “Do you know there’s a red tide now?”
Stall owner: “So?”
Me: “How’s your business then?”
Stall owner #1: “Who wants to know?”
Me (I almost said the President of the United States of America): “Thank you for your time. I see you have frozen fish as well, just like your neighbors. No fresh fish huh?”

Scene 3: Further down:

Me (with a stone-cold face): “How’s business with the red tide?”
Stall owner #2 (another scanner in a form of a human male looking at me up & down): “Yes, it’s okay as long as I have lovely lady-customers coming to my stall.”
Me (asking my cameraman to shoot more frozen fish with the price tag)

Scene 4: Outside the market with more ‘fans’ shouting at me in the background – nice!:

Me (doing my piece-to-cam, being myself): “So here I am at the fish market with no fresh fish in sight. Having interviewed a couple of fish-mongers here they said that they just have to sell frozen and imported fish. The price tags are different too I noticed before the red tide enters the Brunei Bay. The public has also been warned not to eat shellfish…..  

Do you get the picture? Of course this is just one story and there are many more stories which are part of parcels of being a journalist, a female one to be exact.  Dudidu…didu.. Maybe I should open up a Journalist Academy in Brunei with my first subject: How to beat them and not to join them or you will be just like them?

Now I found this site from the University of Southern California’s Image of Journalists in Popular Culture it says, to be interesting and full of database.

More stories from Isra’ Mikraj

How many of us remember what day is it today? Does someone out there could not even remember what day of the week it is today? Okay its Monday and not just a Monday but a special day for Muslims too. Still blurred? Its called Isra’ Mikraj as today corresponds to the 27 Rejab in the Islamic calendar.

Celebrations have been held here and there to commemorate the event. I hope that people remember what and why we are celebrating and, the most important point is to learn from the stories of Isra’ Mikraj…

The event happened after Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. was tested with the death of two of his closest persons in his life and who helped him with the spread of Islam. They were Siti Khadijah, his beloved wife and his uncle, Abu Talib. According to history, Isra’ Mikraj happened 18 months before Hijrah.

Before his journey, Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. was operated upon by the angels of Jibrail and Mika’il. This is as a prep for his long journey and to withstand from eveyrthing he would see throughout his journey.

A part of his heart called the ‘alaqah was cleansed away with Air Zam Zam, the water said to be originated from heaven and whose well in Makkah never dried up. ‘Alaqah is a place where the Devil whispered doubtness in human beings.

After the ‘operation’, a special creature from heaven called buraq came to the Prophet to transport him from Makkah to Masjidil ‘Aqsa and up to heaven and then back to Earth. Buraq was said to travel at a much faster speed than lightining.

The part of the journey between Makkah and Masjidil ‘Aqsa is called Isra’, while the part where he ascended to heaven is called Mikraj. Some said Mikraj means stairs or ladder from heaven.

While on this journey, the prophet was chased by a genie by the name of ‘Afrit who carried a torch to stop the prophet from continuing his journey.

Some of the symbolic events that Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. saw on the way were:

A group of farmers who continously did their harvesting. As soon as their crops were harvested, the crops grew again and were then harvested. The prophet was told by Jibrail that these are the groups of “Fisabilillah” or those who achieved matrydom.

A group of people who bang their heads again and again until their heads were blown into pieces. The heads were fixed again and the people continued to bang their heads again. These, said the Jibrail, are people who do not want to lower their heads to pray.

A group of people who hid away their private parts with a piece of cloth and were chased away like animals. They ate stones and fire from hell. These are people who do not perform the zakat or tithes.

A group of men and women who ate raw meat while there was a cooked meat beside them. These are men and women who committed adultery while they are already legally married to others.

A man who swam in a river of blood and was stoned. These are people who take riba or interest.

A man who collected firewood, could not lift them and kept on adding firewood. These are people who have been placed with trust but could not carry the trust and still continue to take other trusts.

A group of people who continue to cut their tongues and lips with scissors. These are liars.

A group who scratched their faces and chests with their steel fingers. These are people who like to talk bad about other people and framed people.

A big cow who tried to come out from a small hole. These are people who like to exagerate.

A woman who came to the Prophet with a tray full of jewellery but was ignored by the prophet. Jibrail said that’s Earth. If the Prophet gave the woman attention, it meant that Muslims will place the world before the world after.

An old woman who sat in the middle of the journey and asked the prophet to stop and was also ignored by the prophet. These are poeple who wasted their lives till their old age.

A three-humped back woman who stopped the prophet to ask him something. Jibrail said that symbolises the age of the earth which is near its dooms day.

While on his way to meet Allah, the prophet ascended from one layer of the sky to the next.

First: He met Prophet Adam a.s., the first man. The prophet also saw a group of people comprising of those who took interest or riba and the orphans’ asset and adulterious people.

Second: He met Prophet Isa a.s. and Prophet Yahya a.s.

Third: He met Prophet Yusuf a.s.

Fourth: He met Prophet Idris a.s.

Fifth: He met Prophet Harun a.s. who was surrounded by the Israelis

Sixth: He met Prophet Musa a.s. Here, he was asked by Jibrail to lift his head and he could see that 70,000 of his people entered heaven without being judged.

Seven: He met Prophet Ibrahim Kalilullah who was leaning against Baitul Ma’mur. Here Prophet Ibrahim a.s. said to Prophet Muhammad, “Tonight you are going to meet Allah. Your race would be the last and they are so naive. Please pray for them. Ask your race to recite La Haulawala Quwata Illa Billah for a place in heaven.” Other narration said that Prophet Ibrahim said:”Send my regards to your race and tell them that heaven has a good soil, its water’s fresh and its plants are five: Subhanallah, Walhamdullilah, Wa la ila ha illlah wallahu akbar and La Haulawala Quwatta Illa Billahil Azim.”

While here, the Prophet entered Baitul Ma’mur and performed a prayer. It was said that Baitul Ma’mur is located exactly on the top of Baitullah in Makkah.

Eight: This is a place called “Al-Kursi” which is near to a tree from Sidratul-Muntaha. The prophet saw many miracles in this place. The water from the river never change and there were a stream of milk, a stream of wine, and a stream of honey. The leaves and fruits from the tree changed colours and turned to gem stones. Golden birds were flying around. The prophet also saw the Al-Kautsar river which flowed towards heaven. He entered heaven and saw hell with the angel Malik guarding hell.

Ninth: This is the top of the Sidratul Muntaha. The prophet entered inside a light and ascended to Mustawa and Sharirul-Aqlam. He saw a man in the light, a man who while on earth was praising Allah continously and his heart focussed on the mosque and always listen to his parents.

Tenth: The prophet reached Hadhratul-Qudus and Hadhrat Rabbul-Arbab and saw Allah s.a.w. with his own eyes. He immediately prayed. It was here where the prophet had a dialogue with Allah s.w.t.

Allah s.w.t.: Oh Muhammad, raise your head and pray.

Prophet: Oh Rabbi, You have taken Ibrahim as Khalil and you gave him a big government. You have talked with Musa. You gave Daud a big government and he was able to shaped steel. You gave Sulaiman a government whom you have never given to any and made it easy for him to control genies, human, devils and others. You taught Isa with Taurat and Injil and with your consent, he was able to cure blindness and brought people from the dead. You protected him and his mother from the devil.

Allah s.w.t.: Oh Muhammad, you are my number one. I consent that you would be the bearer of good and bad news. I opened up your heart and threw away all your sins. I made your race as the best. I gave priority and specaility to you on the Judgement Day. I gave you the seven verses (Al-Fatihah) where I have never given to anyone before. I gave you the last verses from Al-Baqarah as a treasure under my ‘arasy’. I gave rewards to Islam through Hijrah, sedekah (giving to the poor) and practise good and leave behind bad things. I gave your race to perform prayer 50 times a day.

After the dialogue, the prophet was brought to meet Prophet Ibrahim a.s. and Prophet Musa a.s. who then asked the prophet to appeal to Allah s.w.t. to reduce the number of prayers to five. After nine times appealing, the prophet was too shy to ask some more and so until today, there are five prayer times.

The prophet returned back to Makkah the same night.

Partial solar eclipse on Wed, 22 July

Dont forget! As mentioned in my earlier post, the next partial solar eclipse in Brunei is this Wednesday, 22 July 2009 @ 08:48 hours Brunei time. News report said that other countries in Asia such as India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and China will witness a total eclipse when the sun will be  completely obscured by the moon on that day. This will be the 21st Century’s longest solar eclipse reported the Press Trust of India.

Pic by hazarry from Bruneiastronomy.org. Bad weather disappointed many local sky-gazers to witness the country's partial solar eclipse, after waiting for seven years for one.

The last solar eclipse that Brunei witnessed was on 26 January this year but the weather was cloudy at that time, it even rained at one stage. Local skygazers who eagerly waited for the phenomenon for the past seven years were clearly dissapointed. Lets hope for a clear sky this Wednesday morning.

Dont forget your ‘eclipse-paraphela’ and maybe a raw egg too?

Check out more (and about the egg) from the Brunei’s astronomy association.  

 

Isra’ Mikraj – lessons learnt?

Tomorrow is 27 Rejab where it’s significant to Muslims is the Isra’ Mikraj or the journey of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. from Masjidil Haram in Makkah to Masjidil Aqsa in Baitulmaqdis and then on to Sidratil Muntaha which is located on the seventh sky; and back to Makkah again, all happening in one night in the year 721 AD. It’s  a year before Prophet Muhamad migrated to Madinah, an event known as Hijrah which also marked the start of the Islamic calendar of Hijrah.

It was during this journey that Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. saw the original form of Malaikat Jibrail or Gabriel, the angel. It was said that the angel is so huge that when he spread one of its two wings, it will take a thousand year to completely spread one wing. It was also this journey that the five prayer times were ordered for all Muslims. It was said that Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. greeted each and every one he met during the journey and so it’s been encouraged that ‘Salam’ or the longer version of ‘Assalamualaikumwarahmatullahiwabarakatuh’ (May Allah give you peace and blessings) be used as a greeting between Muslims as a show of respect and to strengthen relationships between them.

While in heaven, Prophet Muhammad was passing an area where it has the sweet aroma of small limes. The prophet asked Jibrail on the area. Jibrail replied that it’s the graveyard of Masyitah, the woman’s leader in heaven. Masyitah is the nanny of Firaun’s princess and believed in Allah. Firaun was one of the kings in Egypt who claimed to be god and would execute anyone who didn’t believe in him as a god.

One day, as Masyitah was combing the princess’s hair, the comb fall down and Masyitah cried out the name of Allah. The princess upon hearing this asked who is Allah and reported to her father that Masyitah’s god is Allah and not Firaun.

Firaun was obviously very angry when he heard this and ordered that Masyitah and her family be boiled in burning oil. One by one, Masyitah’s family member was thrown into the smoldering oil until it’s the turn of her baby. Masyitah almost denounced her faith because of her love towards her baby when the baby, with Allah’s consent, spoke to her in clear words. The baby asked her mom not to give up as she was in the right track. So Masyitah jumped in together with her baby, still with her Islamic faith intact.

There are many stories which happened during Isra’ Mikraj which should be learnt and become a basis of a reminder to us all, including myself. It was said that there were a number of punishments that befall women which made Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. cried every time he remembered these. Why women? The prophet was shown that almost two-thirds of those in hell will be women. During the journey, it was shown to our beloved prophet that:

•  A woman was hang from her hair with her brain boiling. These are women who do not cover their head from the sight of men who are not their muhrim. A muhrim is a man who is not allowed to marry a woman in Islam such as the woman’s father, brother or uncle .
• A woman was hang from her tongue and her hands came out from her hip with burning oil thrown inside her throat. These are women who love to hurt their spouses with bad words.
• A woman was hang from her breasts. These are women who breast-fed without the permission from their spouses.
• A woman was tied on both her hands and legs while being encircled by snakes and scorpions. These are women who are able to pray and fast and did not seek permission from the spouses to go out from their houses and did not take the specified bath after their monthly or confinement periods are over.
• A woman who ate her own flesh with fire burning under her. These are women who love to beautify themselves for other men who are not their muhrim and those who love to talk about other people’s imperfections.
• A woman who cut her own body with a pair of scissors from hell. These are women who like to show off her jewelery.
• A swine-headed woman with her body like a donkey. These are women who like to start a fight between two persons and are liars.
• A woman shaped like a dog with snakes and scorpions entering her mouth and coming out from her bottom. These are women who are in constant anger to their spouses and lied about other people. 

I know many of us have heard of the many stories during the prophet’s Isra’ Mikraj again and again but how many of us heed them and learnt from them?

“Ya Allah, kuatkanlah iman kami dan semoga kami sentiasa diberi cahaya petunjuk dari Mu. Amin.”

Happy 63rd Birthday

 Happy 63rd Birthday to Your Majesty. Semoga kekal qarar memerintah Brunei Darussalam dan Brunei Darussalam sentiasa dalam lindungan Allah Ta’ala jua, amin. 

This remains my favourite moment of His Majesty when he planted Brunei's own rice with his bare hands on 28 April 2009. Pic from Infofoto.

 

His Majesty asks why and how…

I have never heard His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei made such a touching and stern titah or speech. Everyone in Brunei is talking about His Majesty’s speech broadcast over the radio news today. I think I heard at some parts of his speech he sound like he was almost choking. I couldnt bear to hear it.

The radio news reported that His Majesty was delivering his call when he attended a meeting with the Brunei’s National Disaster Management Centre this morning.  The more I listen to his text the more I love His Majesty. He really cares but tired, shall I say, with whats going on. ‘Tunggu apa lagi?‘ (what else are we waiting for?)

Some of the text that I gathered were (not in order):

• Why wait until His Majesty highlighted an issue such as the zakat or tithe and self-sufficiency in food and then only the relevant authority will act on his call on the issue?;
• Why are low-ranking officials travelling alone to attend meetings while big groups accompany high-ranking officers when travel abroad?;
• If these officers are alone, who would they turn to when they want to exchange ideas or look after them when they fell ill?
• Why would staff of opposite sex be sent together abroad at the same time?
• Why is the Islamic Religious Knowledge not a compulsory core subject in the SPN21 or the country’s education system?
• Why should the heads of the natural disaster committee wait for reports when they should be forward-thinking in looking at events and not wait for things to happen?

On his birthday celebrations, he said that although all events (apart from the mass prayer) have been postponed, the spirit and mood of the 15th July (his birthdate) is still strong. He thanked those who have organised the various event sfor the celebration, however he was unhappy with a number of things: 

• Why ask companies to sponsor or donate? Is this appropriate?
• Is the allocated budget insufficient?
• How grand do we want the birthday events to be?
•  Why holds a celebration afterwards to celebrate these sponsors and donors? These celebrations would be widely covered by the media with a Minister or a senior official receiving the sponsorship.
• Would those who sponsor or donate are sincere or do they have to do it?

Frankly, His Majesty said he do not like the celebration to be used as a tool to attract or accumulate donations.

On H1N1, His Majesty highlighted that what has been done by the authorities is to give out advices. The most important preventive measures is to temporarily prevent Bruneians from travelling to the affected areas. Only after the Prime Minister’s Office issued a circular, no one has thought or carried out the measure.

• Heads of Department work like a robot with no discretion or common sense. They only wait for instructions although they have been given a mandate to make certain considerations and take logical steps;  
• We have many religious officers but not a single officer organises or start a special programme to inform and lead the public on the importance of ‘doa’ or prayer and ‘zikir’ or praises to Allah in an effort to protect onself from such pandemic.
• There is also no Tv guidance or onformation on ‘Doa wirid’ or ‘zikir’ which are good to be read. ‘Do you also have to wait for my order to do that?’;
• As schools re-opened, there is no initiative to ask the students to recite the ‘doa’ before they start their classes to seek Allah’s blessings. Is it difficult to do? Children’s prayers are quickly answered as they are pure and free from sin. ‘Can’t you think about this this?’;

Read news report from Brudirect:

- Some government servats are like robots

- Do not turn royal birthday joy into a media circus

- Royal dressing down for indecisive heads of department

- Sultan frowns on series of failures and faults

Influenza A (H1N1) analysis

Have a look at the graphs below and take note on where Brunei stands. During the survey period, Brunei is the top 40 countires in the world with the highest growth of cases in the last ten days from the survey with 547%. But then again, Brunei has a very small population and has been the last country in South East Asia to catch the flu.  I do hope the Bruneian authroties are coming up with an analysis on the H1N1 so that lessons can be learnt from the situation, our preparedness, our action plans, emergency procedures in an event of a pandemic and the most important of all, prevention. China has offered help as it has its own experience with the bird flu. We can always learn.

Did anyone know which is the mother of all pandemics? Its the 1918 Influenza, also known as the Spanish Flu which infected one third of the world’s population or around 500 million people at that time. Why its 1918? Because it happened way back in 1918 and I think that maybe at that time no one has come up with the H1 family name for virus as yet.  You can read more interesting influenza history here.

Source from the rest of this post below: http://www.peterosborn.com.

“Peter has worked extensively on business contingency planning.  Since 2005 he has worked closely with Dr. Tony Yardley-Jones to track the threats posed to business by pandemic influenza, and help management teams develop appropriate strategies for their organisations. Tony is a specialist in Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, and He has worked with international businesses for over 20 years in all aspects of occupational health. We concentrate on the issues for Management and business that might be expected to arise from a pandemic.”

This is a summary of the key statistics of H1N1.The aim is to be able to understand the flow of the trends, not to attempt to document individual data or calculate totals from the chaotic reporting that takes place.

These two graphs look at the history of total deaths and total cases so far. Blue trace is death rate (CFR), left-hand axis. Red trace is total cases, right-hand axis. Green dots plot new cases reported daily. Straight black line is linear trend. Black trace is five-day moving average. Red trace is long-term average since 20 April 2009.

Ten-day growth cases with Brunei on the top of 40 countries.

Cases per 10,000 population

Three pandemic waves: weekly combined influenza and pneumonia mortality, United Kingdom, 1918-1919

 

Influenza A (H1N1) update – life goes on in Brunei

Alhamdullilah, the number of patients who recovered from the total number of cases has reached almost  44% (see figures above). Despite the fact that schools re-opened last Monday, only ten new cases were reported yesterday but again, its too early to say now. Lets see whats the statistics say at the end of today as those catching the flu will only display symptoms after three days?

I hope people are not panicking but should observe personal hygiene and be vigilant. I was wearing a mask last night when I was visiting at the hospital. I saw that a number of visitors also wore masks. I then met a relative who was not wearing one and joked about me wearing a mask. He said, ‘Wah, trying to protect yourself from catching the flu? You will get it eventually. I better stay away from you too!’

I said to myself, ‘WT*’ with his attitude so I ignored him. I am sure people will agree, I am protecting myself and those around me. People wearing mask would not want to spread the virus if they got it or would not want to catch it. We have to make an effort, right. Berusaha, berdoa dan bertawakal.

Back to the hospital, I could not believe my eyes when I was passing through the A&E area. It was so full of people and not just adults but babies and young children as well. I overheard a lady who said that she was down with a flu and went to the Ong Sum Ping Health Centre (about ten minutes drive from RIPAS Hospital) and her queue number was 205! So she decided to go to RIPAS instead and what did she find? More people!

The number of people in the A&E area is one matter but what matter most was when I saw this family of six with the mother holding her baby in her arms. I dont know who wanted to see a doctor, its either the mom or the baby but it look like the whole family was having a picnic. They were enjoying the atmosphere by eating keropok or snacks  and drinking in the open; and not wearing a mask. I dont know if they realised that they are risking the young ones to the virus. Okay maybe I sound paranoid but can they be at least considerate to others?

Reading the local news for the past few days also caught my attention. It look like life does go on in Brunei with endless expos at The Mall and elsewhere, a concert with local artists and one upcoming popular treasure hunt to be held soon. I heard more than 800 people have registered to join in the hunt? Not sure if the numbers’ right but I do hope people are aware that the virus is in the air?

Influenza A (H1N1) – Brunei’s first death

As of Thursday, 2 July 2009. Influenza A H1N1 status for Brunei

Brunei recorded its first death for the Influenza A H1N1 of a 12-year old girl on Thursday, 2 July 2009. The deceased, who has been critically ill since 26 June 2009, was suffering from Auto-Immune Hepatitis, End-stage liver failure and Pneumonia. Lab tests conducted on Thursday morning showed that she was also tested positive for Influenza A H1N1. The Ministry of Health is investigating on the background of the victim. Al-Fatihah to her.

Read more from the Ministry of Health.

Being a Friday today, mosques and religious halls will be conducting a special Sunat Hajat  prayer to seek for God’s protection against the disease and other calamities.

Influenza A (H1N1) update

 

As of 7pm on Friday, 10 July 2009, half of the cases have recovered.

 

Healthline – 145

or

8220991 (non-working hours)

UN Climate Change Conference 2009 – Seal the deal!

Come 7 December 2009 and we will see world leaders gather in Copenhagen, Denmark to respond to one of the greatest challenges facing humanity – nope, not oil price but climate change and sustainable economic growth. The UN Climate Change Conference is hope to protect our planet and create a green economy that will lead to a long-term prosperity.  

 Now, the United Nations think that not only governments will be depended for that hope but also public pressure is needed from across the globe. Here’s your chance to show that you really care for our only Earth by signing the “Seal The Deal” that encourages passionate green lovers to sign a petition online. The petition will then be submitted to the world leaders in Copenhagen.

I have done it! I was scanning through the list of petitioners and could not find anyone from Brunei as yet. Bruneians, here’s your call and seal the deal! When I refreshed the page at 08:16 hrs Brunei time (12:16 GMT) , the petitions have been signed by 4,092 names.

 Campaign activities include:

• ·      A global tree-planting drive for World Environment Day on 5 June 2009.  - Done!
• A call to all organizations to join Seal the Deal! – In progress.
• Seal the Deal! rallies around the world where supporters can dip the “People’s Seal” in paint and add their stamp to a global petition.
• Seal the Deal! Climate Week – 20-26 September 2009 – targeting 100 cities around the world.

Don’t say that Brunei is or will never be affected by climate change, it has! The January/ February flashfloods and landslides are the signs. The effect of these were seen right after the unexpected events where crops especially paddy were damaged which led to loss of income for the farmers. Further effect would be health such as air-borne diseases and social unrest. So its time to act now, before its too late.

Read more on the Seal the Deal 2009.

Tribute to MJ

This is one of his best songs, and I love it. Our only earth.

Influenza A H1N1 – Brunei’s school-holiday extended

STOP PRESS!

News has just spread as I type that the current school-holiday which is suppose to end tomorrow, Sunday 28 June 2009 has now been extended for a week due to the rise in the Influenza A H1N1 in Brunei. Teachers,  however, been asked to go to school as normal as from Monday, 29 June 2009.

News reports said that as of yesterday, Brunei has 20 confirmed cases of the flu. AnakBrunei’s post in Facebook at 11:38am today says its already 25 cases.

The power of love

I’ll protect you from the hooded-claw
Keep the vampires from your door
Aye..ai..eyai..yai
Feels like fire
I’m so in love with you
Dreams are like angels
They keep bad at bay
Love is a light scaring darkness away
I’m so in love with you…Oh just watch this video from Legacy: Frankie Goes to Hollywood with The Power of Love. The song always send shiver down to my spine.

 

Still in the mood of love, look at the picture-story below. Awww….even birds show their love.

A female swallow was hit by a car as she swooped so low across the road. She couldnt move.

A male swallow, must be her companion, brings her food and attends to her with love and compassion.

He brings more food but she was already dead. Shock, he tries to move her, an effort rarely seen in swallows.

Now aware that she is really dead, he cries out loud.

He stand by her, still crying with adoring love

 

Finally aware that she will never return to him, he stand still with sadness and sorrow.

Yes, animals do have feelings too.

Prayers for swine flu and other calamities

Now that Brunei has confirmed its second Influenza A H1N1 case of that of a 16-year old girl who returned from Singapore, what else can we do apart from observing personal hygiene or stuff that the MoH has advised us to do? And also, not to panic?

Being a Muslim, I found the following prayer to be the best, as a  prayer is a Muslim’s best weapon. We make an effort, we pray and we will leave things to God…

The following text are in Malay and Arabic but in nutshell, the prayer said that we seek protection from God’s perfect words from all evil.

Doa Pilihan Pelindung Keluarga

Ajarilah anak-anak kita, diri dan keluarga kita dengan doa yang sohih dari nabi ini iaitu :-

من نَزَلَ مَنْزِلًا ثُمَّ قال أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّاتِ من شَرِّ ما خَلَقَ لم يَضُرَّهُ شَيْءٌ حتى يَرْتَحِلَ من مَنْزِلِهِ ذلك

Ertinya : sesiapa yang keluar dari rumah dan membaca doa “Aku berlindung dengan kalimah Allah yang sempurna dari segala kejahatan makhluk” maka dia tidak dimudaratkan oleh sesuatu apa pun sehinggalah dia kembali ke rumahnya semula.”
(Riwayat Muslim, 4/2080)

Disebut dalam satu riwayat lain, nabi bersabda :-

فقال رسول الله من أي شيء قال لدغتني عقرب قال رسول الله أما إنك لو قلت حين أمسيت أعوذ بكلمات الله التامات من شر ما خلق لم يضرك إن شاء الله

Ertinya :
Nabi bertanya : kena apakah kamu ?
Lelaki berkata : aku disengat kala
Nabi berkata : sekiranya engkau membaca pada setiap petang “Aku berlindung dengan kalimah Allah yang sempurna dari segala kejahatan makhluk”, nescaya dengan izin Allah kamu tidak akan ditimpa mudarat”
(Riwayat Ibn Hibban, 3/298 )

Juga sebuah lagi doa yang mudah dari hadis sohih:-

رَسُولَ اللَّهِ يقول من قال بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الذي لَا يَضُرُّ مع اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ في الأرض ولا في السَّمَاءِ وهو السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ لم تُصِبْهُ فَجْأَةُ بَلَاءٍ حتى يُصْبِحَ وَمَنْ قَالَهَا حين يُصْبِحُ ثَلَاثُ مَرَّاتٍ لم تُصِبْهُ فَجْأَةُ بَلَاءٍ حتى يُمْسِيَ

Ertinya :
Rasulullah s.a.w didengari berkata. ‘Sesiapa yang berdoa : “Dengan nama Allah yang tiada dimudaratkan sesuatu apapun dengan namaNya samada di bumi dan di langit, dan Dialah maha mendengar dan maha mengetahui” sebanyak 3 kali, maka dia tidak ditimpa kesusahan bala dan musibah sehinggalah subuh esoknya, dan barangsiapa membacanya ketika subuh 3 kali, dia tidak ditimpa kesusahan bala dan musibah sehingga petangnya”
(Riwayat Abu Daud, 4/323 ; At-Tirmidizi, 5/465 dan Ahmad ; Tirmizi : Hasan)  

Mudah-mudahan Allah menyelamatkan kita serta keluarga daripada azab bala bencana seperti selesama babi dan lain-lain. Amin.

Wassallam…

Bapak-Bapak, Happy Father’s Day

Waduh, ini Hari Bapak yah. Kepada semua bapak-bapak di seranto dunia: Happy Father’s Day from all of us; daughters, sons, moms, ibu-ibu, babu-babu, step-sons and step-daughters…

Also, Al-Fatihah as always for my late father who passed away on a leap day, 1992. May God bless his soul, amin. Miss you pa…

My earliest memory of him was when it was my first day at school, the Sekolah Rendah Raja Isteri Fatimah. After school, I remember saying that I love school and thanked him for staying with me throughout the first day ‘ordeal’. He smiled, oh what a moment.

More Father’s Day images (ciplak dari sesarang – websites): 

Yummy snooker table cake. I will start with the cute balls.

 

Still got time to print this out and put ur dad’s name…

 

My late father taught me many things when he was alive. He didnt give me a fish to eat for a day but taught me how to fish.

The world’s best Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak is a Malay cuisine. The main ingredient is of course the coconut milk which replaces water when cooking the rice. The concentrated the milk, the better it will taste. Accompanying the rice are usually fried chicken, sliced cucumber, peanuts and sambal belacan or shrimp paste. 

Nasi Lemak in Brunei are being sold from the road-side stalls (usually costing as little as one Brunei dollar) to restaurants, even fine ones. The best one that still hit my taste bud until now is the small and cosy cafe at Jubilee Hotel in Bandar. The nasi lemak there cost Br$5 per dish and you either have a choice of fried chicken or beef rendang.  When I worked at a bank in the capital and where lunch hour can be flexible, I would either go there with my best friend very early at 11am or bit late at 1pm. After that time, it will be a sold out. Sadly, the cafe with so many memories for me has closed down due to the bad business climate.    

Anyway, I don’t want to start the debate on which country from the Malay archipelago Nasi Lemak originated from as each country would claim theirs. Now, the Hang Tuah Nasi Lemak is claiming to be the world’s best in its category. They are now at 3rd Floor, The Mall and will be in Brunei until 19 July 2009. Must try this and lets see the verdict.

Hang Tuah by the way is the Malay’s greatest hero and was said to possess special magical power. Nope, no hanky panky according to legends. He lived during the golden days of the Malaccan Empire and has many interesting stories which include the mystical tale of a very beautiful princess who lived at Gunung Ledang.

The Malaccan king at that time was so obssesed with the princess that he wanted to marry her. The princess agreed but set certain impossible conditions as the dowry such as seven mosquito hearts, tears from seven virgin girls and other requests which involve seven. I guess the Malays are obsess with the number seven.

So, Hang Tuah was tasked to lead this mission by the King and he did it (as he has magic powers) except one last request, the blood from the King’s own prince, meaning that the prince must die. Now go and google the result if the King did really have the heart to kill his own prince in return for a beautiful, new bride. And Hang Tuah? Some say he just disspeared into thin air and actually still lives until now. As I mentioned, tales have it that he has supernatural power. You be the judge.

Check out the Hang Tuah Nasi Lemak at 3rd Floor, The Mall….

 

Meditating

After a chocolate soak therapy and meditating, I felt just like a new-born..okay thats an exaggeration. Actually, I am still feeling all charged up as I type and energised (my energy batteries did the trick). I now look forward to a new chapter in my life as the first half of this year almost come to an end.

Not wanting to be 2000 late, I have already joined Twitter a few months ago and watch in amazement as Twitter take the world by storm. From the man in the street to the CEOs and even world’s royalty, twits have been exchanged every seconds apart. Are you in Twitter?  I say, now that people are in front of their screen all the time or can access the net right from their handphones, Twitter will soon replace text messaging or the SMS.

Many may have realised that with the advancement of the ICT, the world has gone smaller. I think the days are getting shorter too, not just because its summer now in the northern hemisphere. Sometimes I just feel that there’s so much going due to this explosion that I grow anxious and yes, its unhealthy. Maybe I have too much caffeine too, caffeine over-dose? 

Find a secluded and the quietest spot (and use the same spot all the time) to meditate.

The only way to relax is to exercise and meditate. There is no need to explain on how beneficial meditation is especially to Muslims who has find solace through praying. Now I stumbled upon a good site on four easy ways to meditate. I think this would help especially to those who have problems sleeping or feeling anxious or just want to learn how to relax the mind.

The site said that  the first thing to do when you have decided that you want to make meditation as part of your daily routine is to change your habit. Now, as with other things when you are doing them for the first time, it would usually be difficult for a change (old habit dies hard?) So you must set your mind everyday that you want to meditate.

1. Find a secluded and the quietest spot in your house or office where you can have privacy for ten to 15 minutes and you would not be disturbed. Privacy helps concentration especially in the beginning. Meditate on the same spot all the time. 
2. Learn the proper breathing techniques by focussing and controlling your breathing rhythm especially from the start.
3. As soon as you are comfortable with your breathing rhythm,  next is to learn to relax your entire body by forgeting the past or worrying about the future. Focus on the ‘here and now’ and make yourself aware on this particular moment. Let go of the tension of your body starting from your toes and going upwards and relax each one after another sequentially.
4. If you want to meditate at home after work, its best to unwind first. Also, dont meditate right after taking a meal as you want to be comfortable in a sitting position when you meditate.

Easy? Try doing the steps and give your mind and body to relax in just below 15 minutes every day. Be healthier, sleep better and happier too!

Belgian chocolate

Belgian Chocolate, Lemon Curd, Fresh Berries, Mango Raspberry Couli from obcess blogspot dot com.

After visiting the obcess blog, I can’t help drooling at the Belgian chocolate pic in one of its posts. I think I deserve a treat after going twice to Badas in a week and have literally covered about a hundred kilometer for the same period. I have been running around the office as I raced against the time, trying to finish the 1,001 tasks before I go on leave.

Chocolates are like a therapy to me. Mmm….heaven.

A brief on Belgian chocolate from the visitBelgium dot com:

Belgian chocolate has been the food of champions, a lure for lovers, the indulgence of the rich and later, the favorite of the masses.

Belgium produces 172,000 tons of chocolate per year with more than 2,000 chocolate shops throughout the country.

Pralines in Belgium are sublime chocolate confections. A beautifully sculpted chocolate shell conceals a center of filling which explodes with a surprising texture and flavor in your mouth. Many chocolatiers still make their pralines by hand. Every town and even small villages have chocolate stores with luxurious pralines.

So, time to visit Belgium?

2009 Trafficking in persons report

The US Embassy in Brunei has issued a 2009-report on the trafficking in persons. The report, the most comprehensive of its kind, this year assesses 175 countries. Countries are assigned ranks, based on standards set by the United States’ Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA).

Brunei has been categorised in the report as Tier 2 meaning that the Government is making significant efforts to meet the minimum standards.

Extract on Brunei report:

• Mainly a destination country for men and women recruited from Indonesia,Malaysia, the Philippines, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh,the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and Thailand for domestic or low-skilled labor.
• A limited number of the 88,000 foreign workers in Brunei face poor labor conditions that amount to involuntary servitude.
• There were credible reports of a limited number of nationals from Asian countries working for little or no pay for up to two years to pay back foreign recruitment agents.
• Many of the 25,000 female domestic workers in Brunei were required to work exceptionally long hours without being granted a day for rest, creating an environment highly conducive to involuntary servitude.
• There were isolated instances of women forced into prostitution, and there were also isolated reports that women arrested for prostitution attested to having been victims of trafficking.
• The Government of Brunei has laws to prosecute trafficking.

Read more on the report’s introduction and a section of countries narrative which include Brunei. I read the victims’ stories with much awe; yes, human trafficking do happen around the world. Please help stop this immoral activity from going on. We are all humans.

More trees at Badas

In less than a week, I was back to the Badas Forest Reserve Area to plant more Kapur Paya with the British High Commissioner himself, his staff and more lovely ladies and more enthusiastic men from the Brunei Adventure Recreation Association or BARA. The Polar Girls were also there as well media personnel; Aziz and Farah from the Borneo Bulletin and Rash from the Brunei Times.

I saw the high commissioner, His Excellency Mr John Saville literally getting down to his knees and planting the trees with his bare hands. He look so natural. Now I remember His Majesty The Sultan of Brunei who also used his bare hands to plant Brunei’s very own padi Laila recently. These are all great leadership. 

Today I think I will just let the pictures tell the story as I am still exhausted – need to recharge my batteries soon.

Holy smoke! The entrance to the Badas Forest Reserve Area was under fire.

The fire was next to the road.

It was, however, green all the way to the Badas Forest Reserve area.

Err, a not welcoming sign to the forest reserve area. Its a forest reserve!

The British High Commissioner down to his knees, planting a kapur paya sappling with his bare hands.

12-year old volunteer, Bazlaa’ Billah identifying a seed.

This is what you call re-use. A worker re-uses a canvas to transport 30 tree sapplings at a time to the planting site.

David Taylor (left) presenting a souvenier book, Nomads of the dawn to His Excellency for the high commissioner’s support to the ISB’s Million Trees project. Look at the High Commissioner’s hands.

As always, a group photo is a must...

So I end my post today with this:

An average person creates 9,000 kg of CO2 per annum. An average rainforest tree captures 20 kg of CO2 per annum. You need 450 trees to offset your CO2 emission. 450 trees!

I heard that schools have not respond in to this tree-planting activity. I hope once the school re-opens after the current school holiday, there will be more Bazlaa’ Billah and her peers who would be involve in such beneficial activity. Anyone wants to join the Brunei Generation Green?

The pitcher plant walk…

…has been cancelled said the Panaga Natural History Society. Just look at the image below, so sad.

This is now…

What is now of Badas. Image from the Panaga Natural History Society.

 This was then…

Dated November 2008. Nepenthes rafflesiana of Badas. Photo J. Henrot, det U. Baeur.

However, Dr Jacqueline Henrot, Chairperson of the PNHS told me that the pitcher plants should come back, as they did after the fire from 1998 but it will take time. Over the next two years, Dr Henrot will visit the site regularly and monitor the plant succession and the re-appearance of interesting plant species – pitcher plants, sundews, Burmannia and orchid that were present on the site.

I do hope these plants will come back. Lets see on the progress.

Bless Brunei

Weather is a good ice-breaker and not only the British are fond of talking about the weather, the Bruneians do too. This morning I was awoken by the smell from an open burning from my neighbour. I don’t know if they don’t really know (or care) about what’s going on with the weather now but it is very unhealthy and very dangerous as we hear forest fires destroying hectares of lands.

The Panaga Natural History Society has cancelled a trip to Badas this Thursday to look out for the pitcher plants as the area was badly damaged by the recent forest fires. So sad to know that precious plants like the pitcher plants are lost due to this. Surely we can stop the fires if we have civic-minded people.

The weatherman said its going to be dry and hazy until August for Brunei. The weather has been very hot and very dry indeed. Along the way to work at lunchtime, I saw bush fires in front of DST Headquarters Building. They (the bush) just cant stand the heat

And guess what happened at around two in Bandar and elsewhere in Brunei Muara today? Thunderstorm complete with lightning and thunder and heavy rain. I am truly grateful for the rain. May Allah bless Brunei, amin.

Pics below courtesy from my friend at Yayasan…muchas gracias dear.

At 2:20pm today. The Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in the background couldnt be seen as the rain was heavy.

By 2:49pm, it was drizzling and stop a few minutes later.

Where to buy the Seashore books?

The main author of the Seashore Life of the Brunei Heart of Borneo series, Dr Hans Dols, has wrote in to me to say that the booklets will be sold at the Panaga Highland Games in Seria at a cost of Br$40 for the whole set just for this weekend.

Please buy the books. So many interesting info can be found. I will update on its content.

Re-planting of trees at Badas

Friday @ 09:30 hours – Badas Forest Reserve – 600 trees planted in an hour! Amazing! The plan was to plant the 600 in about two hours but as there was such much enthusiasm and high-spirit around, we managed to do it in an hour.

Dr David Taylor, Principal of ISB, led us with the tree-planting activity. ISB has initiated the re-planting of trees in the degraded area in Badas which is part of the Heart of Borneo. To date, 6,000 trees have been planted since the project began in October last year.

The target is to re-plant 50,000 trees by the end of October this year where His Majesty The Sultan of Brunei will plant the 50,oooth tree. The 1,000th tree was already planted by HRH the Prince of Wales and the 1,001st by HRH Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince, both last year. 

Today we planted Drybalanops Rappa, an indegenous tree to the Kerangas or heath forest. The tree is also known locally as Kapur Paya. The British High Commission which organised the trip was joined by a couple of well-known bloggers, journalists, the Brunei Chevening Alumni and members of the Brunei Youth Programme. A second batch will plant another 600 Kapur Paya trees next Wednesday at the same area.

We are here. Dr Taylor showing where we were in Badas. The ISB's 50,000 trees cover an area of eight hectares in Badas.

Planting of Kapur Paya in progress. The weather was nice, spirit was high and we managed 600 trees in an hour.

A seedling of Drybalanops Rappa or Kapur Paya being planted by one of the volunteers, 12-year olf Bazlaa' Billah. She hope to come again and plant a thousand more trees and more.

Now who is this famous blogger? Hint: My favourite recipe book. He was very enthusiastic and wanted to be part of the worthy-project.

 

Another famous blogger. Hint: Maurina. A lovely lady, she is a crowd-puller. She managed to bring ten of her friends from the BYP group.

The tall tree, Agathis Borneensis is a type of rainforest conifer found in Brunei. It can grow to the maximum height of 55 meter. There's man on the bottom left and you can imagine the tree's height compared to an average man.

 

Green slime mold found on the floor of the heath or kerangas forest. I was told that these molds were once used to fill in pillows and mattreses as they are very light and comfy. Mmm...nature.

 

One for the album. Happy at the end of the hour.

Leave nothing but your foot-print. So sad to leave but we will be back again next week for a second session with the High Commission.

 If you want to volunteer to plant the trees or sponsor one lot of trees, please contact ISB or check the Million Trees Project website. Remember, one tree can off-set 20 kg of CO2 per year for the next 40 years.

Swine flu pandemic has begun

From yahoonews quoting AFP: The World Health Organization has declared a swine flu pandemic on Thursday(around Friday 4.30am Brunei time) – the first global flu epidemic in 41 years as infections in the US, Eruope, Australia, South America and elsewhere climbed to nearly 30,000 cases.

WHO Chief, Dr Margaret Chan made the announcement after the UN agency held an emergency meeting with medical experts. Dr Chan she is moving to Phase 6 – the agency’s highest alert level which means a pandemic or global epidemic is under way.

Read more on the news.

Remember Brunei’s Healthline: 2384234 or 145.

Can you read this?

My sis sent me this a couple of hours ago via email. I think this is amazing. Pick your brain and see if you can read the whole text below:

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too. Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe tuo fo 100 anc.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm.

Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it.

If you can read this, your brain is 50% faster than those who can’t. If you can read it, you may forward it.

The Seashore Life Of The Brunei Heart of Borneo

Since my last post on Adam, I have been reading on the Volume 1 – The Physical Environment from the Seashore Life Of The Heart of Borneo series. Page after page and I just couldn’t put the book down. There are seven more volumes to go, am sure going to enjoy my weekend reading these precious books on Brunei’s rich biodiversity.

In a nutshell, the booklets describe the range of species that inhibit Brunei’s seashore, the only place in Borneo where the Heart of Borneo rainforest extends uniterrupted from the mountains to the sea. The books were put up by members of the Panaga Natural History Society and sponsored by Brunei Shell Petroleum.

From the booklets website: 

“Read these booklets and be inspired to get on the beach and do some beachcombing, and find out why Brunei is one of the best places in the world for the array of exotic nuts, seeds and shells washed up. Share your visit with the wildlife, the ever present patrols of crabs, migrating birds, and examine the fishermen’s catches.

Marvel at the variety of plant life that has adapted to the seashore environment, with their colour and texture and understand the climate: the seasons with their winds, tides and their effects on the beach.

Lastly, find out the effect of man, the dominant species, and the only one that can protect, nurture and conserve this wonderful heritage, or destroy it all.”

The booklets will be on sale at Br$5 each, available in bookstores in Brunei; where the authors hope that the books would be available even within the reach of the children’s pocket money. And yes, just five dollars and its worth reading them with so much interesting and thought-provoking facts on the species that inhibit Brunei’s seashore. And read this: all proceeds will go to the Heart of Borneo. Now’s your part.

All seven series of the booklets will be on sale at B$5 each available at bookstores with proceeds to the Heart of Borneo

omg! So Adam is really gay

"I'm an entertainer, and who I am and what I do in my personal life is a separate thing. It shouldn't matter. Except it does. It's really confusing." Am confused too.

At 2:00am, my eyes opened wide when I read on omg! Yahoo news that Adam Lambert has confessed on his sexual orientation. He is gay, he told the US Rolling Stone mag which hits (US) stands today.

He said that it should be of no suprise when people hear about the news and that he was proud of being gay. 

Am not convinced when he said that he is no poster boy for gay rights. Look at the picture of him on the right which is the cover of the RS mag. He does look like a poster boy, a wild Idol, a glam rocker and yes, a gay, all rolled into one. 

It doesnt matter to me really. That’s Adam private life. I just want to know him as an Idol who sings from low note to a high one and back to low again in one breathe.

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World Environment Day today – have you done your part?

WED, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action.

Commemorated yearly on 5 June, WED is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. The day’s agenda is to:

• Give a human face to environmental issues;
• Empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development;
• Promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues; and
• Advocate partnership which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.

The theme for WED 2009 is ‘Your Planet Needs You-UNite to Combat Climate Change’. It reflects the urgency for nations to agree on a new deal at the crucial climate convention meeting in Copenhagen some 180 days later in the year, and the links with overcoming poverty and improved management of forests.

This year’s host is Mexico which reflects the growing role of the Latin American country in the fight against climate change, including its growing participation in the carbon markets.

Mexico is also a leading partner in UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign. The country, with the support of its President and people, has spearheaded the pledging and planting of some 25 per cent of the trees under the campaign. Accounting for around 1.5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, the country is demonstrating its commitment to climate change on several fronts.

In Brunei, we have the One Million Trees project spearheaded by the International School Brunei (ISB). The school has been very active, even more with the Heart of Borneo project. The school is inviting interested individuals and organisations to buy trees. One indigenous tree planted and maintained for two years costs br$5.00. At maturity, each tree can capture up to 20kg of Carbon Dioxide per annum for forty years.

Supporters can offer to buy one or more blocks of 1,000 trees each at Br$5,000; half block of 500 tress at Br$2,500 and a quarter block of 250 trees at Br$1,250. Each block will be identified by a low carbon footprint sign indicating the sponsor(s) of that block.

So make your pledge by calling the ISB Million Trees Hotline at 233 2613 or email them at:

milliontrees@isb.edu.bn. Find out more from the One Million Trees project  website.milliontrees@isb.edu.bn. Find out more from the One Million Trees project  website.

 

Psychopathic test

Read the following story and come up with an answer after the question. The result is at the bottom. This is not a trick question. It is as it reads.

A woman who was at a funeral of her own mother met a guy whom she did not know. She thought the guy was amazing. She believed that the guy is her dream guy so much that she fall in love with him there and then but didn’t ask for the guy’s number. She could not find him after the funeral. A few days later, she killed her own sister.

Now the question is, why did she kill her own sister?

Please give some thought before you scroll down for the answer.

dum di dum…

di dum…

dum dum…

forever young…

i want to be forever young…

dum di dum…

 

Answer:

She was hoping the guy would appear at the funeral again.

If you answered like this, you think like a psychopath. This was a test conducted by a famous American Psychologist to test if one has the same mentality as a killer.

Many arrested serial killers took part in the test and answered the same.

If you didn’t have the same answer, good for you. If you did, please don’t say hello to me when we meet in the street.

Plant a tree – reduce CO2 emission

Senor Pablo has done it again. After the success of the ‘My Favourite Recipe Book,’ he is now inviting bloggers to plant a tree. What’s with this project?

The British High Commission in Brunei plans to plant 1,200 trees in the Badas Forest Reserve area in Belait. The area is still suspectible to fire even now. A news report recently said that it took a week for firemen to douse out the fire in nearby Anduki area.  

Why Badas area? In my post on the peatswamps in Brunei, I have mentioned that the area was badly affected by forest fires in previous years. Badas is a peatswamp forest and it is very important in mitigating climate change because of its sponge-like nature in absorbing water. 

The Badas peat dome.

Jonathon Davies, an expert on peatswamps said that the peatswamp forests of Brunei have a very high biodiversity values; most peatlands have a doomed structure, upon which are found unique vegetation communities. Brunei is the last stronghold for some of these communities.

 Having been to Kuala Balai, next to Badas recently; I mentioned on my first-hand experience on understanding more about peatswamp forests. The Badas Reserve Area is part of the Heart of Borneo which aims to preserve 220,000 square kilometers of rainforest.  

The area where the tree-planting activity is going to be held is also the very area where Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince planted a tree each last year. Last year, Prince Charles has coined the term climate crunch where he warned the dire need for the world to note the climate change during the time when the world was facing the credit crunch.

So now, for those who really care in saving the Earth, come and join hands in planting even just one tree in Badas. Would it feel good to drive past by Badas and know that you have a tree planted by your own hand there?

The date is Wednesday, 17 June starting at 9am. Those who would like to join in, please email the high commission at brithc@brunet.bn by 4th June 2009. 

They are also in Facebook so you can register there too to find out more.

Askar Day

The Royal Brunei Armed Forces is 48 years old today. From RBAF’s website:

The Royal Brunei Armed Forces was formed on the 31st May 1961. Known as ‘ASKAR MELAYU BRUNEI’, (‘BRUNEI MALAY REGIMENT’) it was honoured with the royal title on the 31st May 1965 when the word ‘DIRAJA’ was added to the title. It was then known as ‘ASKAR MELAYU DIRAJA BRUNEI’, (‘ROYAL BRUNEI MALAY REGIMENT’). Since Independence Day on 1st January 1984, the Royal Brunei Malay Regiment is renamed as Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei (‘ROYAL BRUNEI ARMED FORCES’).

Happy to note the progress made by our armed forces. Entry requirement to enter the forces is now those with ‘O’-levels; previously those who completed their lower secondary schools were able to join in. School cadets are now being re-activated shall I say, thanks to the interest and enthusiasm led by HRH Princess Sarah, the Crown Princess. There are also scholarships being offered to those who are interested to become army doctors and such. And in less than two months’ time, BRIDEX 2009 will be on.

The following are pictures taken by my brother who was at the ‘Askar Day’ this morning. Thank you bro.

Britain’s Got Talent

Feeling a bit lousy for the past two days as I was down with fever, I remembered something that I need to know first thing Sunday morning. As soon as I woke up, I turned on (err, not Tv) the pc and quickly searched for ‘Britain’s Got Talent’; only to read the news that Susan Boyle won second place.

Not sure if Brunei is following the ITV programme but Britain’s Got Talent is Britain’s answer to the American Idol and yes, the gruesome Simon Cowell is also one of the judges.  

So whats with this Susan Boyle? She is a 47-year old spinster from Scotland and her overall image would not make anyone think she can be a star. But wait, don’t judge a book by its cover. She got talent! Listening to her rendition of ‘I dreamed a dream’ from the Les Miserables play made me shivered down to my spine.  Her performance uploaded in YouTube has more than two million hits.

Being able to watch the show on YouTube, I wonder if its really necessary to subscribe to Astro now especially that Astro has been playing repeats over and over again. Okay thats another story. Watching the video, I wonder when Brunei would have its own reality show with sugh magnitude. Susan Boyle is already an Internet pop culture sensation. I know that the final of RTB’s ‘Aksi Video’ was on last night but that didnt create much buzz even among Bruneians.  I am sure Brunei got talent too…

This video embedding has been disabled so please go to YouTube…

Mexican Fiesta at Sheraton

Ola! Not sure if they have salsa or flamingo there as well. Go check it out. People of the world! Every boy and every girl…spice up your life with the Mexican Fiesta.

Matan Carnival

Its going to be a long weekend this week due to the public holiday which falls on Sunday, 31st (Anniversary of Brunei’s armed forces). As its a Sunday, Monday has been declared a holiday in lieu of Sunday.

Datanglah bersukaria, bawa keluarga biskita. Come & have fun, bring along your family.

Now what’s happening apart from the armed forces celebration? Lots! And people would say Brunei is boring with nothing to do. I leave that to the pessimists. Now, Kampong

Sungai Matan in Kota Batu, and its Consultative Council will be organizing its third carnival, called the ‘Karnival Matan 2009′ as from tomorrow, Friday 29 May untill Monday, 1 June 2009. Wow! The villagers there must be very energetic and active people to be able to organise such event for four straight days. Hats off to the Sungai Mataners.

During the four-day fun, there will be colouring competition for kids (always popular with parents and kids alike), a walkathon, tours (not free) around the village and the Brunei River, spotting wildlife (I must see this) and much more, says the organiser.

There will also be 40 (FORTY!) booths selling local products from the village and an exhibition showcasing the place as a fishing village. I love fish (and chocolate too – okays thats an odd combo).  

The tours I mentioned earlier are:

1. River Cruise along the Brunei River using a pontoon boat to see the villages along Mukim Kota Batu at B$15 per person for an hour ride; and

2. Wildlife Mangrove Safari at B$25 per person for a two-hour tour.

Kenali Negara Kitani. Whereabout is Kampong Sungai Matan? In Kota Batu.

RTB, says the organiser, will cover the event; I assume on the first day so there’s a chance for you and your family to see your faces on the national Tv station. Now the best part is that a free stamp will be chopped on your KNK’s passport. KNK is Kenali Negara Kitani or Know Your Country, a campaign from the Brunei Tourism to boost tourism among the Bruneians.

So, dont forget to bring your (KNK) passport and your family, along with cash to enable you to go for the tour. Have fun! The location is Simpang 702, Jalan Kota Batu and the epicentre is the premises of the village’s head residence.

For more information about Kampong Sungai Matan, the village has its own blogspot at  www.kampongsungaimatan.blogspot.com

My small world – sale of toys

H1N1 – Brunei MoH’s Information material

Please read this very useful information document from the Ministry of Health in light of the Influenze A H1N1. The document has all those basic information on the flu, the whats, where, when, who, why and the how (5w’s and 1H).

Download document: influenza_a_h1n1_english

It says that in Brunei, there are two types of anti-viral medicines available to treat the infection; the Tamilflu and the Relenza. Recent news reported that Brunei currently has 101,573 packs of Tamilfu in stock, enough to treat one-third of  the country’s population. In addition, there are 6,000 boxes of Relenza in stock in case the Tamilflu doses are ineffective.

H1N1 – Singapore’s first case

Stop press! Singappore has reported its first confirmed case of Influenza A H1N1. Its a 22-year old woman who just returned from New York last Friday, 22 May. She was reported to develop cough on her way back to Singapore. As she did not suffer from any fever, she passed by the thermal detector undetected at the airport. The same morning, she went to see her local GP on her cough but was sent to a hospital due to her travel history.

Read more from the Singapore’s Official Flu site.

Now what does that story tells us? Hint: thermal detector. Please take note.

The Golden Warisan Brunei Darussalam

I am a great fan of Tuan Haji Daily Brunei Resources, simply because I love his informative and entertaining posts. I am now a happy bunny to have the pleasure of a copy of his first published work with the title – The Golden Warisan Brunei Darussalam Volume 1 – a compilation of some of his posts which he put up in his blog or those which have appeared in The Brunei Times.

I am a happy bunny if I have a book in my hand. The Golden Warisan signed personally by the author.

I have the copy, signed personally by the author and it cost Br$12 each. The books are available from Bismi or the Best Eastern bookstores. As the title says that its Volume 1, so you can expect more from the very author of Daily Brunei Resources in the future. Volume II is in the making now according to his post on the book. Looking forward already. 

I am also an avid reader of his weekly Golden Legacy articles that come out every Sundays in The Brunei Times. The last one was about Ambuyat, Brunei’s own national dish. I noted that there were two similar paragraphs from my earlier post of the same subject in his article. I feel honoured.

Reading through the book, one can find interesting history of Brunei such as the grand Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, the story of padian or woman-vendors in boats who used to roam Brunei River for centuries, only to be wiped-out completely by modernization as well as the story of pengalu, the male version of padian. Also on canons and old coins and currencies found in Brunei.

Then there was a story about circumcision. In that post, Tuan Haji wrote that young boys who have been circumcised have many things to observe such as not to step-over a stone pestle or else their organ would grow to the same size as the pestle. I laughed at this and asked mom if thats true. She also laughed it off and asked to ask my brothers. Nevermind. I don’t want to know :p Girls and young ladies should not walk infront of these boys (who will soon turn to an adult man). Tuan Haji said, at the age of 15, stimulation is the last thing these boys need after being circumcised.

I dont want to spell out each and every post. Please go and buy the book and support our local authors. Its difficult to find published work by Bruneians in English. Not that many, maybe a handful. I have raised this issue many years back in a forum. There, I said that Brunei have many Malay writers but those who write in English?

I hope that more Bruneains will come forward with their works, both in English and Malay but English has more reach yes? Lets see if there will be a Bruneian who can win a Nobel Prize in literature.

Picking up your brain at 3am

Waking up at 2ish in the morning…drank warm water and saw my Weetameal biscuits. Munching the biscuits, I thought of doing some work but instead opened up my emails. Read one of those ‘Pick your brain’ tests from one of the emails and said to myself, ‘At two in the morning? Why not.’ See if you know the answers.

There are four questions below and one  bonus question. You must answer the question as fast as you could. Lets see how fast you can answer:

1/ Q. You are in a race. You are over-taking the current second-place winner. In which position are you now?

A. Second as you are taking that place now.

Now, do not refer to the first question to answer the next one.

2/ Q. If you over-taking the last in the race; in which position are you now?

A. First. How could you be the last if you are over-taking the last one.

Okay forget about the race. Please use your brain only for the next question. Do not use pencil and paper or a calculator.

3/ Q. Take 1000 and add in 40. Add another 1000 more and plus 30. Add another 1000 then 20 then another 1000 and plus a ten. What is the total?

A.  Not 5000 but 4,100. (Check with a calculator if you don’t believe this)

4/ Q. Mary’s dad has five girls. First is called Nana, second one is Nene; third is Nini; fourth is Nono. What is the name of the last girl?

A. Mary. Read the first sentence.

Now for the bonus question.

Sam is mute and need to buy a toothbrush. When he arrives at the grocery shop, he gestured to the shop assistant by brushing his teeth. The assistant pass him a toothbrush.

Sally is blind and need a sun-glass. How does she explain to the assistant on what she need?

Just by saying that she need a sun-glass. I didn’t say she’s mute.

 Okay… back to work now.

Violin recital

The British High Commission and the Brunei Music Society are bringing in British violinist Sebastian See-Schierenberg to play before a Brunei audience at a concert on Saturday 6 June 2009. It will begin at 7:30 in the evening at the Orchid Garden Hotel.

The British High Commissioner, John Saville said: “We are pleased to work with the Brunei Music Society in bringing in Sebastian and Susana to show their work in Brunei. We are looking forward to the concert and I am sure the audience will enjoy it.”

Sebastian will be playing with a fine old Dutch violin from maker Hendrik Jacobs of Amsterdam, dating back to 1690. The concert will be a night to remember.

Playing with a fine old Dutch violin by maker Hendrik Jacobs of Amsterdam, dating back to 1690, the recitals will comprise of a selection of some of the most beautiful repertoire for violin and piano duos and piano solos by Alfredo Oyaguez. The concert will be presented by Susana Galván, who will provide the audience with fascinating insights into the music business, unbelievable facts about the composers and plenty of audience entertainment.

John Dalman, Vice Chairman of the Brunei Music Society said: “The artists have prepared a delightful programme for our enjoyment. The violin is a wonderfully rich yet subtle instrument and we do not have many opportunities to hear it played by musicians with international reputation. We are very grateful to the British High Commission for the suggestion and sponsorship of this event. With the talented Alfredo on piano and an insightful presentation by Susana, it will be an evening to remember.”

Tickets are now on sale from the Brunei Music Society costing $25 for non-members; $20 for members and $10 for students. Please send SMS to 8824850 or 8883358 or email to dalfam@yahoo.com

Tickets can also be purchased at the British High Commission from 3:00 to 5:00pm from Monday to Thursday.

The Brunei Music Society is a voluntary, non-profit group that has been organising concerts of classical music in Brunei since 1972. BMS stages about eight concerts per year with an average audience of about 120.

Violinist Sebastian See-Schierenberg and concert presenter Susana Galván work together with guest pianists to bring their unique form of presented recitals, music masterclasses and educational activities to a wide range of audiences in Europe and Asia.

Off to Siberia

Oh what a day. I woke up before dawn realising what a real nightmare it was last night. Adam lost to Kris! That was the biggest upset for this year; well so far. For the whole day yesterday, I resisted to check from the Internet for the news on who is the American Idol 2009. The two hours show was too long to bear. Okay so there were top entertainers like Fergie and fellow Black Eyed Peas, Cindy Lauper and even the Queen. Both Adam and Kris sang ‘We are the Champion’ with the band, now I don’t know how to feel thinking of that part.

Reading the Brunei Times today add a bit of melancholy when I saw on the front page, a picture of Kris smiling, he must be in shock and he should be; and Adam? He must be shocked too, but he look cool.

A pic grab from the front page of The Brunei Times today. I am off to Siberia.

Did you notice Simon’s face when the result was announced by Ryan? He looked shock too and so were both my partner and I and millions others who voted for Adam.

I quickly reached out for the other paper, the Borneo Bulletin and turned each page and what did I find in the foreign news headlines today?

- Crashed plane passed flight test: Indonesia
- US intruder said Suu Kyi ’scared’
- Home turns into a slaughterhouse (this is a story of a robbery turned wrong in Ipoh, Malaysia. Al-Fatihah to the victims)
- Man strangles wife for waking his dog

Oh, that’s it. I have enough of bad news for today. I am not reading or watching any more news. I am packing up my things, close this blog, clear my debts, leave a will and on my way to Siberia.

Nah, just kidding. I am imagining these are the thoughts of those who voted fo Adam. Adam will bounce back and Adamia will be a big thing soon. He already is. As the Malays would say, ‘Ingati tampat ku duduk ani’ or rememer where I sit now (not sure why should I remember where the talker sits when in fact we should remember what was being spoken, right).

Have a lovely Friday.

Who will be the next Americn Idol?

Can you feel the fever? Tonight will see who will be the next American Idol amidst the Influenze A H1N1 spreading world-wide now.  

For fans of the two finalists out there, here are some facts about Adam and Eve…Oppsie, Kris. (from the American Idol website):

Adam
I’m a red head. (You know what they say about red-heads? – Flame!)

Kris
I had a rib removed when I was 13. (Okay. I didnt notice that when I watched him on Tv)

Adam
I’m 6′1″. ((Thats like a statue compared to petite me)

Kris
I was hit in the head with a salsa jar while walking down the road, one time. (Okay)

Adam
I used to be fat (sort of, 240 lbs.) (Aww…and look at you now!)

Kris
I’ve been to 8 different countries. (So?)

Adam
I cut my head open twice and the scars form an “x” on my head like a treasure map. (Awww…poor boy. Does it still hurt?)

Kris
I grew up playing the viola. (Yeah? I plays the keyboard everyday – ie my computer)

Adam
I’m an Aquarius and share my birthday with Oprah. (Let me check if Aquarius and Libra equals to harmony…Oprah equals very big influence, I can see where you are heading to Adam)

Kris
I didn’t want to play music growing up. I always wanted to play baseball, but I turned out to not be that athletic. (okay)

Okay, so its obvious that I am voting for Adam. Hehe…My partner was right all along. He like Adam right from the start while I like Danny (missing him already). May the winner, err, wins and the other one? Well, there’s no loser here. Kris can be successful, look at David, the younger David, from last year’s season. I like his song ‘Crush’. Anyway, its difficult to predict if Adam wins as he was once at the bottom three. Geeze, who says life is simple?

By the way, did anyone watch Malaysia’ Akademi Fantasia? The final was last week?

Cookie monster

Summer is upon us. Ahak!Nah. No summer in Brunei. We have the sun all year round. Bless us. I was browsing through the numerous health sites and happened to come across an article about dieting and summer, with a title ‘Lose a pound with one biscuit.’

Some may not be interested about dieting as (1) Some just don’t need one, and (2) Those who does need dieting , do not believe in it anymore. The latter may be due to frustrations and disappointment with previous experience on a failed diet.

Dieting has been a misunderstood word. When I say that I am on diet, the normal response would be, ‘Oh! Trying to slim down?’ or ‘Why?’ (with eyes scanning my whole figure, front and back too) and followed with ‘Ahhh…!’ (while locking the gaze at a particular spot).

Lets see. Dieting doesn’t mean that I am not taking any fatty, salty or sweet food at all. And, oh, I love food especially chocolate. Yes, I have been a wee bit over my ideal weight now. After delivering my baby almost three years ago, I was over-weight as my appetite was getting bigger and better. There was one point that I was so stressed out that I broke-down. I quickly recovered thinking that wetting my poor pillows wont help me slim down.

So I stop feeling sorry for myself and do what exactly I have to do. Exercising, especially yogalates and dieting. Alhamdullilah, I am on my way now to my ideal weight now, s-l-o-w-l-y. It was not very easy, it takes a lot of self-effort and will-power.

Diet cookies anyone? says Dr Siegel.

Now, the article I mentioned earlier talked about this cookie diet from Dr Siegal (who?) which has been tried and tasted. It claimed that half a million have taken the diet with millions losing weight through it. Surprise to read that they have been around since the mid-70’s. Oh, where have you been cookie monster?

Dr Siegal; a renowned physician, author and a weight-loss expert, came up with the cookies which have helped even Hollywood celeberities. Kim Kardishan (of the ‘Keeping up with the Kardishans’ at E! Channel) was said to take the cookies before her photo-shots. Yes, I know, this is a gimmick to sell but its worth trying, right?

Am checking the cookies ingredients first before ordering them….From its website:

Dr. Siegal’s COOKIE DIET^® Hunger-Controlling Diet Cookies

Our famous cookies were created by Dr. Siegal in 1975 to control your hunger and help you stick to your diet. Each Weekly Box contains 7 Daily Bags of 6 cookies each and replaces 14 meals at a cost of about $4.20 per replaced meal when used as suggested. Includes a free one week sample of Dr. Siegal’s COOKIE DIET^® brand Premium Multiple Vitamin & Minerals supplement. Flavors: Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate, Blueberry, Banana and Coconut.

Price: $59 per Weekly Box (about $4.20 per replaced meal)

CONTAINS: Milk, Eggs, Soy, Wheat and Non-Vegetable Protein

 Hmm…non-vegetable protein. Okay, pass me my reduced salt Weetameal biscuit please.

We are the champion by Queen

Still in the champion mood. Give it up for the Queen with We Are The Champion…okay; and about one minute and 20 seconds of ‘We will rock you’.

This concert was held at the Wembley Stadium in 1985 during the Live Aid Concert (in the wake of the global AIDS at that time).

Ive paid my dues -
Time after time -
Ive done my sentence
But committed no crime -
And bad mistakes
Ive made a few
Ive had my share of sand kicked in my face -
But Ive come through

We are the champions – my friends
And well keep on fighting – till the end -
We are the champions -
We are the champions
No time for losers
cause we are the champions – of the world -

Ive taken my bows
And my curtain calls -
You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it -
I thank you all -

But its been no bed of roses
No pleasure cruise -
I consider it a challenge before the whole human race -
And I aint gonna lose -

We are the champions – my friends
And well keep on fighting – till the end -
We are the champions -
We are the champions
No time for losers
cause we are the champions – of the world!

Manchester United is England’s champion – for the third year running

Result: Manchester  United vs Arsenal 0-0

Happy 18th championship to all Man U supporters!

In front of 75,468 spectators at Old Trafford, Man U drew nil with Arsenal clinching its Premier League for the third year running. Man U only need one point from their remaining two matches to be the top of the league, with second placed Liverpool trailing by six points.

Minutes after the final whistle, a text sent to me said: “Alhamdulilah!! Glory, Glory Man Utd. Happy 18^th Championship to all MUFC supporters!! The best is always the Best! The Gunner babies could not help the poor Liverpool. Try again next year and the next 100 years. MUFC will dominate the next 100 years. Bring on Barca now. Stand up for the champion of England, Europe and the world!!”

The text was sent to all of my other siblings from, who else, my Man U FANATIC brother. Three-quarter of my family are MU fans and a quarter – you guessed it, are Liverpool fans. There are always two sides of the room whenever we all gathered at mom’s place. Another text reads: ‘MU rules, Liverpool drools.’

I can tell that my MU FANATIC brothers are a very happy man, at least for now until the next league’s season. 

Read more on the nail-biting goalless draw match from MUFC’s official website.

Tangy lemon and 25 of its health benefits

Beribu-ribu lemon...many health benefits of this nature from God.

1. Lemon, being a citrus fruit, fights against infection. It helps in  production  of WBC’s and antibodies in blood which attacks the invading microorganism and prevent infection.

1. 2. It is an antioxidant  which deactivates the free radicals preventing many dangerous diseases like stroke, cardiovascular diseases and cancers.

3. Lemon lowers  blood  pressure  and increases the levels of HDL (good cholesterol).

4. Lemon is found to be anti-carcinogenic which lower the rates of colon,  prostate,  and breast cancer. They prevent faulty metabolism in the cell, which can predispose a cell to becoming carcinogenic. Also blocks the formation of nitrosamines in the gut.

5. Lemon juice is said to give a glow to the skin. I agree on this.

Lemon juice can act as a cleansing agent for your digestive system and liver.

6. A few drops of lemon juice in hot water is believed to clear the digestive system and purify liver as well. See above. If you have a healthy liver, it will show on your skin. 

7. The  skin  of lemon dried under the sun and then ground to make powder can be applied to the hair for a few minutes before bath which relieves head ache and cools the body. Noted.

8. Applying  lemon  juice  to  acne  dries  the  existing ones and prevents from getting more.

9. Lemon juice acts as a natural hair lightner and skin bleach which reduces the pigment melanin and prevents the risk of chemical allergic reactions which is common with hair dyes and bleaches.

10. Lemon juice is given to relieve gingivitis, stomatitis, and inflammation of the tongue.

11. Lemon juice is given to prevent common cold. Old wives’ tale.

12. Lemon  juice  is given to prevent or treat urinary tract infection and gonorrhoea.

13. Lemon juice is applied to the sites of bites and stings of certain insects to relieve its poison and pain.

14. Lemon juice relieves colic pain and gastric problems. Hmm…I have gastric and lemon juice would be the last on my list.

15. Lemon  juice  soothes  the  dry  skin  when  applied  with little glygerine.

Add that tangy taste to your food, lemon juice can also kills micro-bacteria in raw food. Sushi anyone?

16. Lemon juice used for marinating seafood or meat kills bacteria and other  organisms  present  in them, thereby prevents many gastro-intestinal tract infections. We all know this. Right Chef Nash?

17. Lemon  juice  with  a  pinch  of  salt (warm) every morning lowers cholesterol levels and bring down your weight. Nice! Will start tomorrow morning.

18. Lemon  juice is the best drink to prevent dehydration and shock in case of diarrhoea.

19. Lemon  juice  can  also be used as a mouthwash. It removes plaque, whitens the teeth and strengthens the enamel. And cheaper too!

20. A table spoon on thick lemon syrup everyday relieves asthma.

21. Lemon juice relieves chilblains (huh?) and itchy skin.

22. Gargling  lemon juice relieves throat infection and also used as a treatment for diptheria.

23. Lemon juice is an excellent treatment for dandruff and greasy hair.

24. Lemon applies over the face removes wrinkles and keeps you young. Forever young…I want to be forever young…suddenly Alphaville plays in the background.

25. Lemon juice helps to prevent and cure osteoarthritis.

Lemon is not usually allergic or toxic to many, so why don’t you try its natural benefits first and then go on to medical treatment.

Arab families and THAT recipe book

The successful bidder of the My favourite recipe limited edition signed by HRH Princess ‘Azemah Ni’matul Bolkiah is Sheikh Khalid of the Arab families. Sheikh Khalid placed the highest bid of $5,586 almost 40 minutes before the stroke of midnight last Saturday night, the deadline to bid, to get a copy of the edition.

In an interview over Kristal FM this afternoon, Ranoadidas who initiated the bidding process said that he sent a text to the other bidder saying he has a higher bidder but was unanswered. I can imagine the excitement of such bidding, well, any bidding actually.

The famous Arab family in Brunei.

Yesterday, Pilihan FM, RTB’s radio channel interviewed Sheikh Khalid who at that time still wishing to remain anonymous. He didnt want to spill the bean on who he was as yet but the more the DJ asked, the more personal information he gave out. At one stage he said, all I can say is I am a businessman when asked why he wanted to bid. He then said he is into food business so buying the recipe book make sense, or something like that. Later he said, we are in a family-business, having been around for 35 years so we want to contribute back to the society. At the stage I could already imagine its him.

Anyway, it doesnt matter now as the mystery is over. Look out for the limited edition of the book with frame courtesy of AnakBrunei. Sheikh Khalid said the framed page where HRH put down her signature, will be displayed in their Serikandi restaurant in Kiulap. So go and take pictures of yourselves there and, mesti makan jua. Nda kan begambar saja ke sana, galak rasanya. 

What I can say about the whole project is that the book has managed to collect $10,586 with all of its 500 copies sold in two weeks time. Thats an amazing feat. Bravo! Bravo! bravo! and take a bow Pablo! Also Rano…oh they both end with an ‘o’. Whats next Senor? To Alin, the Kurapak man for designing the front cover (and joked about dancing before eating Maggi!). Thank you too to the Arab families for your kind gesture. May God repay you and family for your kindness. Amin.

I myself, look forward to contribute in the near future.

Twitt…twitt…what are you doing?

Call it a killer application or an addict and Twitter is here to stay – for a very long time I predict. Remember how the world of SMS has changed our lives? Couldn’t live without sending a text? For most, yes. Its just the fastest way to communicate, of course you can make a call but SMS has been the preffered way.

So whats this with Twitter? Another new media that has taken the world by storm (mambari watir bunyinya)  Its introduction on its homepage says its a service for family, friends and co-workers to communicate and stay connected hrough the exchange of quick, frequent answers to a simple question – what are you doing?

Sound like a busybody for the cynicals but hey, some want to know on what you are up to. Just grasp the idea and join in the band-wagon?  Senor Pablo has discussed this moons ago.

Now what make me post on Twitter today is a cartoon by Borneo Bull’s Eye in the Borneo Bulletin today. For those who could not receive the paper, I took the liberty to upload it below.  The moral is that even the senior citizens are using Twitter…spot on Bull’s Eye!

Borneo Bull's Eye in today's Borneo Bulletin.

My ikan kalui

Wahai perigi
perigi
airnya biru
Tempat bermain
si ikan kalui
Timbulah bonda ku
oh timbul lah
…antah

I cant remember the full lyrics of that song in the old movie ‘Bawang putih Bawang merah’. The Western version of the movie will akin be Cinderella. I do love old movies, not only they are entertaining, they really make sense even until at this age.

Take for example, P Ramlee’s ‘Seniman Bujang Lapok’. In one scene, Aziz Satar was shouting at the top of his voice, he was ready to behead his own wife because the wife forgot to add belacan or shrimp paste to his veggie. Suddenly Sudin came in and demanded that Aziz seek for apology to the wife adding that Aziz is a mean man who uses force against helpless women.

Now what does that tell us? Yes, abusive husbands and discrimination against women. I am not saying here that women should fight against men; thats a BIG no-no. Not only its un-lady-like but its against the teachings of Islam as well. I seriously think the late P. Ramlee is a man of vision. Al-Fatihah for him.

Anyway, am back to feeding my ikan kalui….wahai perigi, perigi, perigi airnya biru…hum…hum..hum

P/s….move around your cursor in the azure area and click so you can feed my ikan kalui…the fish will follow your cursor too. wahai perigi….lagi.

Happy Mother’s Day

…to all moms in the world today.

Personally for me, my mom is my bestest friend in the www (whole wide world). Its funny when we think that our mom wouldn’t understand whenever we have a problem but believe me they do. They may have not know how to send text through Twitter or log in to Facebook or Friendster but they really do know what life means, regardless of time.

My mom is a full-time housewife. Hers was a time when girls were not allowed to go to school so she was illeterate. Soon after getting married, she only focussed on the house and the twelve of us, her children.  Over the years, she managed to teach herself and through our help, on how to read and write. I love it when mom has this amazing and logical reasons to everything about life in particular to health and economy.

When I moved in to my own place, she reminded me to buy things in bulk. Its cheaper that way she said. But I told her, if I buy, say, lemongrass at the Tamu for one dollar, it will take me ages to use it all up. She said, ‘Sadakahkah saja,’ or just give some around maybe to my neighbours. We all know that the more we give, the more we get in return. 

So, thinking about the day….Many eating outlets and bakeries are busy promoting the Mother’s Day event; and not forgetting spas and massage parlours. I have  been receiving texts from a number of these on the many promotions being offered for the day. 

Up to individuals on how to treat their moms - not just on Mother’s Day but on any of the 355 days but since most outlets have promotions, so why not treat mom on this day, yes? Worldly gifts can’t repay for what our moms have done for us but a little something would mean so much for them.

Yummy grilled duck breast served with seasoned roasted vegetables with balsamic fig chutney and pear demi glace for Mother’s Day at Spaghettini today. Pic from obcess dot blogspot dot com.

Spaghettini at the Empire is having its Mother’s Day set lunch today. For Br$48 per pax, the fine Italian restaurant is offering a four-course set meal. Click here for more info with, shall I say, seductive pics from the obcess crew blog.   

Fitness Zone Kiulap is also offering FREE use of its facilities and FREE classes today. Head down with your mom to the gym (in proper attire of course) and sweat it all out. Maybe after a couple of hours after the Spaghettini trip?

I also like a promotion from the Jerudong Park Medical Centre, JPMC.  I was surfing through its website for the promo but none. Anyway, I remember seeing one advert from the centre on their Mother’s Day promo – a health check for moms at a reduced price. Isnt that a nice idea?

So after our nice n yummy lunch at the Empire, we head to the Fitness Zone, Kiulap and soon after losing so much calories, we drive all the way back to Jerudong again to JPMC for the medical check-up. How’s my plan? Ranoadidas has loads of promos.

15 microscopic images from inside the human body

Get up close and personal with your innards with these 15 amazing 3D-body shots. Almost all of the following images were captured using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), a type of electron microscope that uses a beam of high-energy electrons to scan surfaces of images. The electron beam of the SEM interacts with atoms near or at the surface of the sample to be viewed, resulting in a very high-resolution, 3D-image. Magnification levels range from x 25 (about the same as a hand lens) to about x 250,000. Incredible details of 1 to 5 nm in size can be detected.

Max Knoll was the first person to create an SEM image of silicone steel in 1935; over the next 30 years, a number of scientists worked to further develop the instrument, and in 1965 the first SEM was delivered to DuPont by the Cambridge Instrument Company as the “Stereoscan.”

Here you’ll experience the power of SEM in a journey of self-discovery that starts in your head, travels down through the chest and ends in the bowels of the abdomen. Along the way, you’ll see what’s normal, what happens when cells are twisted by cancer and what it looks like when an egg meets sperm for the first time. You’ll never see yourself the same way again.

1. Red blood cells. Image: Annie Cavanagh, Welcome Images. They look like little cinnamon candies here, but they’re actually the most common type of blood cell in the human body – red blood cells (RBCs). These biconcave-shaped cells have the tall task of carrying oxygen to our entire body; in women there are about 4 to 5 million RBCs per micro liter (cubic millimeter) of blood and about 5 to 6 million in men. People who live at higher altitudes have even more RBCs because of the low oxygen levels in their environment.

2. Split end of human hair. Image: Liz Hirst, Welcome Images. Regular trimmings to your hair and good conditioner should help to prevent this unsightly picture of a split end of a human hair.

3. Purkinje neurons. Image: Annie Cavanagh, Welcome Images. Of the 100 billion neurons in your brain, Purkinje neurons are some of the largest. Among other things, these cells are the masters of motor coordination in the cerebellar cortex. Toxic exposure such as alcohol and lithium, autoimmune diseases, genetic mutations including autism and neurodegenerative diseases can negatively affect human Purkinje cells.

4. Hair cell in the ear. Image: Welcome Photo Library, Welcome Images. Here’s what it looks like to see a close-up of human hair cell stereocilia inside the ear. These detect mechanical movement in response to sound vibrations.

5. Blood vessels emerging from the optic nerve. Image: Freya Mowat, Welcome Images. In this image, stained retinal blood vessels are shown to emerge from the black-colored optic disc. The optic disc is a blind spot because no light receptor cells are present in this area of the retina where the optic nerve and retinal blood vessels leave the back of the eye.

 

6. Tongue with taste bud. Image: David Gregory & Debbie Marshall, Welcome Images. This color-enhanced image depicts a taste bud on the tongue. The human tongue has about 10,000 taste buds that are involved with detecting salty, sour, bitter, sweet and savory taste perceptions.

7. Tooth plaque. Image: David Gregory & Debbie Marshall, Welcome Images. Brush your teeth often because this is what the surface of a tooth with a form of “corn-on-the-cob” plaque looks like.

8. Blood clot. Image: David Gregory & Debbie Marshall, Welcome Images. Remember that picture of the nice, uniform shapes of red blood cells you just looked at? Well, here’s what it looks like when those same cells get caught up in the sticky web of a blood clot. The cell in the middle is a white blood cell.

9. Alveoli in the lung. Image: David Gregory & Debbie Marshall, Welcome Images. This is what a color-enhanced image of the inner surface of your lung looks like. The hollow cavities are alveoli; this is where gas exchange occurs with the blood.

10. Lung cancer cells. Image: Anne Weston, Welcome Images. This image of warped lung cancer cells is in stark contrast to the healthy lung in the previous picture.

11. Villi of small intestine. Image: Professor Alan Boyde, Welcome Images. Villi in the small intestine increase the surface area of the gut, which helps in the absorption of food. Look closely and you’ll see some food stuck in one of the crevices.

12. Human egg with coronal cells. Image: Yorgos Nikas, Welcome Images. This image is of a purple, color-enhanced human egg sitting on a pin. The egg is coated with the zona pellicuda, a glycoprotein that protects the egg but also helps to trap and bind sperm. Two coronal cells are attached to the zona pellicuda.

13. Sperm on the surface of a human egg. Image: Yorgos Nikas, Welcome Images. Here’s a close-up of a number of sperm trying to fertilize an egg

14. Human embryo and sperm. Image: Dr. David Becker, Welcome Images. It looks like the world at war, but it’s actually five days after the fertilization of an egg, with some remaining sperm cells still sticking around. This fluorescent image was captured using a confocal microscope. The embryo and sperm cell nuclei are stained purple while sperm tails are green. The blue areas are gap junctions, which form connections between the cells.

15. Colored image of a 6 day old human embryo implanting. Image: Yorgos Nikas, Welcome Images. And the cycle of life begins again: this 6 day old human embryo is beginning to implant into the endometrium, the lining of the uterus.

 

Trip to Kuala Balai peat swamp forest

In my post on peat swamps forest in Brunei last year, I mentioned on the importance of such forests in mitigating climate change as they are huge carbon stores, just like a sponge absorbing water; and in their natural state actively accumulate carbon from the atmosphere.

Yesterday, I got a chance to see for myself on the peat swamp forest located in Kuala Balai in a remote part of Belait; the western part of Brunei. I haven’t been to Ulu Belait for donkey years; the last was when I was with the RTB crew, filming Sungai Ingei for a Tv programme. Sungai Ingei is much further than the one I went to yesterday. 

Anyway, back to the peatlands, I was interested when Dr Davies, an expert on peatlands and who also led the trip briefed us on the importance of peat swamps and the rich biodiversity the forest holds. Along the way, he showed us the strange protruding roots of the red meranti trees, a tree stump, a river canal with its dark brown colour and even pointed out a sole of a shoe. See the pictures below.

Crossing a small canal using skinny logs can be challenging. Notice the colour of the water, its dark brown, a natural element in a peat swamp forest.

 

This tall tree is Shorea Albida also known by its trade name as red meranti, usually made for furnitures. The Badas peat swamp next to Kuala Balai has its canopy composing entirely of such trees.

 

The sky is ... somewhere up there. At least I can see light shining through. The forest has a rich biodiversity. If one of the elements is gone, the ecology will be damaged.

A typical parasite plant, the fern attaching itself to the red meranti tree. I love nature. Masya Allah.

I dont think this one is a parasite nor part of the biodiversity. A close look reveals a ... sole of a shoe. Someone was at the forest before us and definetely left his/ her print behind. Look like a UK size 7 to me. Anyone?

 

Dr Davies showing one of the red meranti's roots. "This is normal," he said. Trees in peat swamps have their roots emerging above the soil, just like those in mangrove swamps. Aahh...I see. Allahu Akbar.

One of the Indonesian wetlands specialists shows how water can easily be obtained in a peat swamp forest; this one is just about 20cm from the soil. He said he never usually brings water when he is in such forest and the water is safe to drink (albeit its colour). Just make sure there is no logging or human activities around as then the water may be polluted, he warns.

The RTB crew has interest in stumps. The tree may have been strike by lightning said Dr Davies.

Wet and soaky, natural elements of a peat swamp. Peat swamp forests are like a sponge, holding almost 90% water. They are very fragile, once they are drained example, for logging, the peat starts to decompose and release the carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, lose their carbon-accumulating and flood-control functions, and so much biodiversity is lost. Kuala Balai is part of Brunei's forest reserve areas.

The best job in the world – has been filled

I wonder how it feel like just soaking yourself under the sun, okay, under the shade and do nothing but blogging, snorkeling, eating, feeding fish or maybe clean a pool AND on top of that receive around USD110,000 after six months doing these things; well, basically nothing.  

oooOooOOooooohhhHHhhhh....so serene...so blue..

 Ben Southall, aged 34, a charity fundraiser from Britain will be just doing those and getting that amount after being selected as the caretaker of Australia’s Hamilton Island. Yes, the best job in the world!

News from Reuters said that Ben was said on live television from Hamilton Island after being named the winner: “To go away now as the island caretaker for Tourism Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef is an extreme honor.

“I hope I can fill the boots as much as everybody is expecting, my swimming hopefully is up to standard and I look forward to all of the new roles and the responsibilities that the task involves,” he said, adding he would soon be joined by his Canadian girlfriend on the island.

The campaign, launched early this year, received an over-whelming global attention as news on the job which sound like a paid holiday spread across online social networks. I hope the Brunei Tourism can learn something from this campaign. Pulau Sibungur? Pulau Selirong? Pulau Cermin? Maybe the latter…  

My Favourite Recipes book

The front cover of My Favourite Recipes by Foodie bloggers selling at Br$10 each. All proceeds from the sale will go to the Brunei Special Olympics Team.

by Foodie bloggers is selling like cucur pisang or hot cakes, says Senor Pablo in his blog. As of Tuesday, 5 May 2009 at 6:39pm Brunei Time  or 11:39am GMT, Senor Pablo reported that only 150 copies left from the 500 printed copies.

And nope, he is not done with the selling part as yet as he has another marketing strategy to sell the book which costs Br$10 each. There is this mystery of missing ingredients (thats a plural there)  under the, what else, The Missing Ingredients Quiz. Read more from his post here on this quiz and Senor said that three lucky winners will win Bunny Yummies dessert vouchers. Ohh… I’m drooling already here on the mention of Bunny Yummies. Luuurrrvveee her yummies, all of them LOL! Too bad, contributors to the book are illegible to take part in the quiz.

Ranoadidias also got ONE copy of the book signed personally by Her Royal Highness Princess ‘Azemah Ni’matul Bolkiah and its open for bidding. Words were, bidding which started at Br$50 has gone up to Br$250 so get your act now and text 8677773 with your name and bid NOW! Proceed will NOT go to Rano but to the special olympics team too.

So, I have a copy in my hand now and I do love the design and the pictures and of course, the recipes. My two contributions were included in the book, the Tanghoon Salad and the Mango Pudding so once again, a very big thank you to Senor Pablo for the invitation to contribute (happy to do charity works here).

I must say that the book is worth it, nope I didnt type that because of my own contribution but just look at the rest of the recipies, from Tangy prawn delite to Obsessed burgers and Crispy Tortilla Tomato Dip, also Chicken Ala Bin Khalid (you can tell who came up with this) and the winning entry at the Foodie Blogers Challenge, Reeda’s  Quick and Dirty Lamb…oh, I’m so hungry now.

To end this post on a hungry note, I applaud the hard and sweaty but sweet work being done and the whole idea of contributing the procced of the sale for the Brunei Special Olympics Team. Bravo Senor and all of those who are involve (you know who you are).

Looking for skinny models…I beg to differ

This ad is looking for ‘two catwalk models’ for a gala dinner in Brunei. The ad says the height requirement  is 175cm and above.While I like the part where it says age does not matter but height does, one line did make my jaw dropped. It says ‘skinny frame’ as one of the requirements.

Now, now. Where did the campaign on not to use skinny models for shows go? I dont know if it just applies to the west but the east should not be of any different at all. In last year’s runway shows from New York to Milan and London, more models with the real curves (skinny does not count as curvy) were seen on the catwalks.

Skinny equals to eating disorder and this is unhealthy. Was it Kate Moss who started the trend when she entered the fashion scene back 20 years ago with her ultra thin frame? Two models who died from complications due to eating disorder in 2006 has made Europe starting their act by banning skinny models in their shows.

Okay so this modelling job in Brunei may gives the model RM3000 (Br$1,500) for a one day stint but skinny? I beg to differ.

Only in Asia …

Influenza A H1N1 (Swine Flu) – UK ’s health information

WHO has renamed the swine flu as Influenza A H1N1 after complaints from the pork trade yesterday. Now,

I hope the attached leaflet below issued by the UK’s health authorities will be useful to our Bruneian students and families who are in the UK at the moment.

The UK has reported two suspected cases of swine flu and the WHO has reported that the UK is one of two countries in the world where it is fully prepared in any event of a pandemic.

Click this link —> dh_0986801

On this Friday morning, I pray that we all will be protected from any diseases, amin. I remember there was a special prayer carried in the local radio stations when the birds flu was rampant a couple of years back. I think the prayer must be for all type of flus. I will check and post here Insya Allah.

Help the Brunei’s Special Olympics Team

Come and show your support while having fun at the Fundraising Walkathon which starts at the Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar Ali Saifuddin in the capital as early as 6.30am this Sunday and ends at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium where a chairty fun bazaar awaits those taking part. The bazaar starts at 9am until 5pm on that day.

The day is dedicated to raise enough money for the Brunei’s Special Olympics Team to sustain its annual activities and programs such as the regular training for its atheletes and hopefully will generate enough money for the team to prepare for the World Special Olympics to be held in Athens in 2011.

Also on sale at the bazaar will be the books from the Ultimate Bloggers Foodie Challenge. I read from Senor Pablo that orders have been received even as far as the UK and Australia, so come on Bruneians… The more you give the more you will receive, sometimes unknowingly.

Come and join in to raise money for the Brunei Special Olympics Team. Call 2425290

To find out more, click the Brunei Special Olympics website.

La Maison Brunei presents …

LV hand phones, limited edition handbags, wallets and many more.

After the success of the last sale which saw the largest collection of neck ties on sale in Brunei, the La Maison Brunei Sale is now on again this weekend. This time it will be held for two days starting tomorrow from 11am to 9.30pm at the Presidential Suite, the Orchid Garden Hotel in Berakas.

Mark your diary! I am getting ready for a marathon shopping this weekend; there’s another one for charity on Sunday. See my next post.

WHO six-phase guide to pandemic alerts

PHASE 1
No animal influenza virus circulating among animals is reported to cause infection in humans.

PHASE 2
Animal influenza virus is known to have caused infection in humans and is therefore a potential pandemic threat

PHASE 3
Animal or human-animal influenza virus causes sporadic cases or clusters of cases in people, but no human-to-human transmission, except in specific circumstances

PHASE 4
Human-to-human transmission of an animal or human-animal influenza virus able to sustain community-level outbreaks.

The ability to cause sustained disease outbreaks in a community marks a significant upwards shift in the risk for a pandemic.

PHASE 5
The same virus causes sustained community-level outbreaks in two or more countries in one region.

While most countries will not be affected at this stage, the declaration of Phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalise the organisation, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short.

PHASE 6
The virus causes sustained community-level outbreaks in more than one region.

Designation of this phase will indicate that a global pandemic is under way.

POST PEAK

Pandemic disease levels in most countries with adequate surveillance will have dropped below peak observed levels.

The post-peak period signifies that pandemic activity appears to be decreasing; however, it is uncertain if additional waves will occur and countries will need to be prepared for a second wave.

POST PANDEMIC

Influenza disease activity will have returned to levels normally seen for seasonal influenza.

Swine flu interactive graphic map.

Up to 159 people are thought to have died from swine flu in Mexico. Legend: Black mask - deaths; Red mask - confirmed cases; Yellow mask - suspected cases

Swine flu – WHO raises pandemic threat to level five

The World Health Organisation has raised the pandemic threat level from swine flu to five – its second highest level. It now believes a global outbreak of the virus is imminent – and has called on all nations to act immediately. This report from Sky News about two hours ago said that WHO chief Margaret Chan said “it really is all of humanity that is under threat in a pandemic”.

“All countries should immediately activate their pandemic preparedness plans,” she added.

“Countries should remain on high alert for unusual outbreaks of influenza-like illness and severe pneumonia.

“At this stage, effective and essential measures include heightened surveillance, early detection and treatment of cases, and infection control in all health facilities.”

The threat level is raised to five when there is human-to-human spread of the virus in at least two countries in one region.

Once the virus shows effective transmission in two different regions of the world a full pandemic outbreak would be declared.

The raising of the level follows intensive consultations with experts and analysis of the spreading virus within and from Mexico.

Sky’s health correspondent Thomas Moore said: “I think it’s really important that people don’t panic.

“This really is a message to governments and to the pharmaceutical industry that a pandemic is imminent.

“That you have to do everything to ramp up your plans, to ramp up vaccine production and also to make sure there are anti-virals drugs in stock.

“This is really important for them.”

RHB Singapore Cup – DPMM FC 1 – 0 Pelita Jaya

What a night for DPMM FC last night. Playing against Indonesia’s Pelita Jaya in the RHB Singapore Cup, the Brunei’s beloved team won one nil by Abdelhamid Berguiga in the 76^th minute. The Algerian was reported to chased down a long punt and appeared to push the ball past the covering Ardan Aras with his hand, before rounding the Pelita goalkeeper and slotting the ball into the unguarded goal.

Many said that Berguiga used his hand except the referee, T. Arayinthan and his assistant who didnt see if there was a handball. Coach Vjeran Simunic insisted Berguiga did not use his hand for his goal. Fandi Ahmad was clear about how the controversial goal came about.

“In cup competitions only victory is important,” said Vjeran Simunic.

“There was a handball, everyone saw it, but we only have ourselves to blame for the chances that we missed,” said Fandi Ahmad.

The Indonesians piled on the pressure in the last quarter of the game, but the Bruneians hung on grimly to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 11 games, as they qualified for the last eight of the Singapore Cup.

Meanwhile, this Singapore Soccer News site has a list of the S-league top scorers. As of 29 April 2009, Sairol Sahari, spotting DPMM’s jersey # 3 is on the 11^th spot sharing 3 goals eight others players in the league. The current top scorer is Gabriel Obatola of Gombak United FC with eight goals.

Click DPMM FC’s website.

Asian Development Bank warns economic cost will soar if climate change action is delayed

The Asian Development Bank has released results of its study regarding the climate change among the South East Asian region. It says that Southeast Asia, one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to climate change, faces a poorer future unless global warming is controlled, says a new Asian Development Bank (ADB) study, titled The Economics of Climate Change in Southeast Asia: A Regional Review.

Using reviews of previous studies, impact assessment models and extensive consultations with national and regional climate change experts, the study examines climate change challenges facing Southeast Asian nations, both now and in the future.

The study finds that the benefits to the region of taking early action against climate change far outweigh the costs.

Rad more from on the full report of the study.

Ginger – A cancer-killer lurking in your kitchen

The Malays have long known the benefit of ginger. Mix with honey and warm water, the mixture will soothe your sore throat. Mothers in confinement will also be grateful for the ‘heating’ power of ginger during the period. Women who experience menstral pains would also like to try the ginger drink before or during their period. Apart from these, read on the following benefits of ginger.

Ginger by Voice Pcture on Flickr

 The powerful healing effects of ginger have been well documented. It’s a proven remedy for upset stomach. Reams of studies show that it inhibits inflammation. And there is substantial evidence that it fights cancer too.

For instance, a recent University of Michigan study showed that when ginger was added to ovarian cancer cells in the laboratory, it caused the cancer cells to self-destruct (a process known as “apoptosis”). In a separate study at the University of Minnesota , researchers injected colon cancer cells into mice that were bred to have no immune system.

Half of these mice were routinely fed gingerol, the main active component in ginger. The researchers found that the mice that were fed gingerol lived longer, their tumors were smaller, and the cancer did not spread as widely as in the control group.

With all these health benefits, you should be using ginger as often as you can. The best way I’ve found to get a healthy serving of ginger is to juice it. (The brand of juicer I use is an Omega.) Two or three days a week, I juice an apple or two, some carrots, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, and a big piece of ginger root. The ginger gives the drink a great flavor and a powerful anti-cancer kick.

Beware of swine flu

I dont want to cause panic but we should be vigilant with the news on the swine flu affecting the world at the moment. News on the outbreak with the epicentre in Mexico surfaced over the weekend and has caused alarm for many governments as health officicials said they are investigating suspected cases in people who travelled to Mexico and come back with flu-like illnesses.

 As of Sunday, 26 April, 103 deaths have been reported in Mexico with more than 1,600 cases have been reported. The World Health Organisation, WHO is co-ordinating the global response to human cases of the swine influenza A and monitoring the corresponding threat of an influenza pandemic.

Read more from the WHO’s site. Also download the PDF file below on the Q&As on the swine influenze.

 swine_flu_faq_26april

No warnings from the Brunei’s relevant authorities on this as yet. Lets see if there’s any in tonight’s news.Pigs-rearing has been banned in Brunei since 1993. Come to think of it, I havent seen any live pig in Brunei for donkey years now.

Promoting green innovation – World IP Day 2009

WIPO is focussing on promoting green innovation this year

26 April 2009 has been declared as the World Intellectual Property (IP) Day carrying the theme ‘Green Innovation’. In conjunction with World IP Day, the U.S. Embassy in Brunei has planned on several awareness activity to shed light on this important topic, one of them being the screening of a National Geographic documentary on illicit trade. Below is a brief description of the documentary. 

ILLICIT: The Dark Trade travels the globe to expose the dire consequences of this dirty industry: money laundering, political corruption, and the subversion of entire governments. From knock-off handbags to bootlegged compact discs to fake pharmaceuticals, this hard-hitting special reveals how consumers’ insatiable demand for counterfeit merchandise has given birth to a vast criminal system. View the trailer from the National Geographic site.

Most people are aware of intellectual property (IP) – of copyright, patents, industrial designs and trademarks. But many still view these as business or legal concepts with little relevance to their own lives. To address this gap, WIPO’s Member States decided in 2000 to designate an annual World Intellectual Property Day. They chose April 26, the date on which the Convention establishing WIPO originally entered into force in 1970.

Each year, WIPO and its Member States celebrate World Intellectual Property Day with activities, events and campaigns. These seek to increase public understanding of what IP really means, and to demonstrate how the IP system fosters not only music, arts and entertainments, but also all the products and technological innovations that help to shape our world.

Find out more on the World IP Day.

Bonjela

Watchdog says children under 16 should not be given Bonjela

Mouth ulcer? Have you ever experience it? Especially when you hit the spot while brushing. Ouch! Come Bonjela to the rescue. I have used Bonjela in the past but ever since I knew the magic of the pure plain water, aka water therapy, I cant remember when the last time I used it to soothe ulcer. The trick is just drink seas of water and your ulcer will go away, slowly and less painfully.

Bonjela is designed to relieve the pain and swelling caused by mouth ulcers, denture sores and brace sores. The latest article from the SkyNews six hours ago on Bonjela says that children under 16 should NOT be given it to treat mouth pains.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued an alert on oral pain relief gels which contain salicylate salts, including Bonjela and Bonjela Cool mint gel.

The salts have the same effect on the body as aspirin, which is not recommended for those under the age of 16.

There are concerns that young children could develop Reye’s syndrome, a rare but serious condition which leads to serious liver and brain damage.

It is thought a previous viral infection, such as flu or chickenpox, and exposure to aspirin could trigger the illness.

However. no cases have yet been reported in connection with Bonjela.

Bonjela Teething Gel for young children contains a different formula to the adult varieties and is unaffected.

Read more on the article here.

Pasir Putih story

Who in Brunei do not know where Pasir Putih is? Its a long and winding stretch of road in Telisai joining Tutong and Belait, perhaps more famous because of its pure white silica hills surrounding the area hence the name, Pasir Putih or white sand.

Apart from its ’snow’ness, Pasir Putih is also known as a haunted, lonely road. Not sure how true this is as there have been many stories on ghosts roaming the road. I am yet to encounter one. Not looking forward to it actually. Malam apa ni ah?

Have a read at this story which came to my Inbox today. I voted this story to be the best 2009 email for making me read with suspense.

 This happened about a month or two ago near Pasir Putih, and even though it sounds like something out of the X-Files or from Alfred Hitchcock Presents… it’s real! This guy drived from Muara to Kuala Belait and decided to drive after midnight as traffic is usually less.

The inevitable happened when he reached the Pasir Putih area, his car broke down – he was stranded miles from nowhere. Having no choice he started to walk on the side of the road, hoping to get a lift to the nearest human habitation.

It was dark and raining and pretty soon he was wet and shivering. The night rolled on and no car pass by, the monsoon rains were so strong that he hardly saw a few feet ahead of him.

Suddenly he saw a car coming towards him. It slowed down and then stopped next to him. Without thinking the guy opened the car’s door and jumped in.

Seated in the back, he leaned forward to thank the person who had saved him when he realized there was nobody behind the wheel! Even though there was no one in the front seat and no sound of any engine, the car started to move slowly.

The guy looked at the road ahead and saw a curve coming (remember, this is in the hills and there is a steep drop beyond the curve).

Scared almost to death he started to pray, begging the Lord for his life. He had not come out of shock, when just before the car hit the curve, a hand appeared through the window and moved the wheel so the car made the curve safely and continued on the road to the next bend.

The guy, now paralyzed in terror, watched how the hand appeared every time just before a curve and moved the steering wheel just enough to get the car around each bend.

Finally, the guy saw lights ahead. Gathering his courage he wrenched open the door of the silent, slowly moving car, scrambled out and ran as hard as he could towards the lights.

It’s Telisai..

Wet and still in shock, the guy headed to a roadside nightstall, which was open, and asked for water. He started to tell at whoever was in the stall about the horrible experience he had just gone through.

A silence enveloped everybody at the stall when they realize the guy was not crazy, and was really frightened – he cried and shoke. So they gave him more water and talked about what they should do, whether to call the police or find a bomoh (witch doctor), send him to the hospital or what.  

But then another two guys walked into the stall. One of them said to the other; “Look Daud! That’s the jerk who got in to our car when we were pushing it!”

Kurang asam.

Earth Day today

Adopt Me...aww.... Love our Earth, embrace it

What is Earth Day? On 22 April each year marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. Among other things, 1970 in the United States brought with it the Kent State shootings, the advent of fiber optics, “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” Apollo 13, the Beatles’ last album, the death of Jimi Hendrix, the birth of Mariah Carey, and the meltdown of fuel rods in the Savannah River nuclear plant near Aiken, South Carolina – an incident not acknowledged for 18 years.

It was into such a world that the very first Earth Day was born.

Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, proposed the first nationwide environmental protest “to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda. ” “It was a gamble,” he recalls, “but it worked.”

At the time, Americans were slurping leaded gas through massive V8 sedans. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences or bad press. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. Environment was a word that appeared more often in spelling bees than on the evening news. Earth Day 1970 turned that all around.

Participants in Earth Day 1970. Pic by EPA History Office

On 22 April, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment. Denis Hayes, the national coordinator, and his youthful staff organized massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.

You can read more on the day’s history from the Earth Day site. 

Has Brunei done anything about the Earth Day? Yes but I don’t think it’s enough. Efforts are there, campaigns are there; budget? And awareness? Awareness must first be implemented. Remember Earth Hour recently. Only on the last minute (or hours?) some organizations pledged to be involved. If awareness is raise like months before, on each and every day, just like the road safety messages by 24/7 Road Assist playing in the radio channels, I am sure Bruneians would be more aware. If hitting their heads each and every second with the same repetitive messages do not work, I don’t what else will.

I agree with the setting up of Energy Clubs among secondary schools as reported in the news yesterday. We should start at the grassroots’ level. I think such clubs should start even from the kindergarten level. Imagine our kids growing up with ‘green minds’.   

Islam has reminded mankind to take care of the earth. For decades and even centuries, mankind has caused destructions and damages to the earth. Pollution, flooding and landslides are among the effects. In the holy Quran from Surah Ar-Ruum, Ayat 41 has mentioned that damages and calamities have occurred on the land and in the sea because of the act of mankind themselves. This is what God wanted them to feel because of their own bad deeds so they will change and repent. Sadaqallahul’azim.

So what can you do on this day rather than feeling sorry for what has happened? You may wish to take part in the ecological footprint quiz; sign up to be an Earth Day activist; buy Earth Day posters and t-shirts, join Earth Day network and many more. What are you waiting for? Come and join me and millions of other people in celebrating the day. Remember, not just to celebrate but to take actions as well.

Here’s to our only Earth!