Souvenirs

im transfering all my coins from a chocolate aluminium can into this oneIts common to receive souvenir [or luckily souvenirS] from friends who went outside the country during holiday.... nda basar pun damit.. sizes and how costly it is doesn't matter here.. its d FEELING of excitement that matters, when u know you received something from them... and from there also you will feel being appreciated as a friend.. hehe nda ja? siuk nyamu mun kna bagi barang ani.. [sama mcm knk2 kna bagi "angpau" when they knew its only a dollar in it. Just as mentioned by maurina in her blog... when you received a letter/postcard from someone though it sounds classic/traditional.. but its fun.

What i received this week:
i. brooch from Thailand [MrsKaryawan] .. ada g orang atu bjanji kn mbagi batik kn Ummi kannn hehe [from KL]

ii. Keyholder from Thailand [colleague]
iii. Carved 'Tabung Buluh' from KK [friend]

i remember when i had tabung buluh during my childhood, you know the beige n light yellowish colour.. usually in the old days, this tabung will be hung and nailed on the wall or tiang inside the house... you have to break it from the bottom if you want to take out the whole coins/money inside it and the tabung buluh will be [lets just say] expired hehe...

Banana Fritters

breakfast of the day~ banana fritters with fruit salad sauce

my new laptop safely arrived HP2133 mini-note PC
hopefully my current lappy nda menyamal ada kwn baru... i still luv u wehehe..

Pulau Kuraman Trip Part 2

From here at Jetty, we jumped and swam... [Ani orang yg paling gaukss] Short jungle trekking towards the jettysnorkeling ka meeting? sadang-sadang jua smpai kelaut pn meeting ka! Sorry no life jacket... annoying ah

When we first arrived and about to land at the islandReady to get WET ALL DAY! No tukar baju until u ended the trip!More pictures of the trip HERE....
and you can check the same trip from one of my ex-study course

My First Shepherd's Pie

Spent a day at my cousin's crib last week to learn making Shepherd Pie [from my cousins's wife], because i was so mengidam to eat the pie. And because so gigitan with d small portion of delicous shepherd pie at CheezBox hehe..

First, boiled the peeled potatoes, mashed it with some butter [or milk] minced beef + oyster sauce+ sliced mushroom [gravy: with/without your choice of veggies and tomato lasagne sauce]Put the beef sauces layer [your desired thickess] at the bottom
topped with the mashed potatoes place the grated cheese evenly on top [in my case salah bali cheese, i bought sliced kraft singles cheese :))]
baked it in the oven for 20-30mins until the cheese turned brown.while waiting for me and cousin's wife prepared lunch, and the pie after lunch for afternoon, i had my car washed and cleaned inside out for FREE done by cousin. [antar sja rahnya keta kamu ah haha, ia suka mbersihkn kreta]i enjoyed mine.. cheers [nothing cheers u up other than a good food.. nda ja]

Pulau Kuraman Trip Part1

Went to Pulau Kuraman today with my collagues [some said its stateless, some said it belongs to Labuan. According to the local we had conversation with, it is actually a private island, mainly indigenous people of the Penans/Punan, the population is about 700 people, majority fisherman]. it was SUPER DUPER SIOOKKK!!! [make sure you can swim, because it will limits your excitement if you don't, but its ok, you still have the life jacket] and i am extremely EXHAUSTED now.. so more hardcore pics will be uploaded soon [kalau ku rajin, ngaleh mrusah bh, palau ku sudah ni hhehe].*The trip cost B$65.00/head, a minimum of 8 people per trip.

*Pulau Kuraman: 45 minutes from Empire Hotel.

*Nearby islands are Pulau Labuan [15minutes from Kuraman], Pulau Rusukan Kecil and Pulau Rusukan Besar [both about 5-10minutes from Kuraman].

the overall agendas were:
800-8.30am : gathered at scubatech office at Marine Center at Empire Hotel. [i was the very late comer!]
9.15am : boarding on boat [at the shore next to Marine Center].
10.00am : arrived at Pulau Kuraman
10.00-12.00noon: walking around, getting wet at the beach, photo takings
12.00-1.00pm: Bbq lunch [inclusive the fee].
1.oo-2.00pm : soaked in the water again [you can do any activities you like i.e. main carah or football :)]
2.00-3.00pm : short jungle trekking towards the jetty [again mencabur swimming].
3.00pm : packing, boat ride to snorkel area [kilometers away from the Kuraman, shallow area].
3.20-4.10pm : SNORKELING! [siuukkkkkkk... only about 3meters depth or less].
4.15-450pm :Went back to and arrived at Empire's coast [about 30 minutes ride from our snorkeling area].
5.00-6.00pm : Flying Fish water sport [inclusive in the fee: have a choice of banana boat or flyfish].

afterall, thats not the fixed time given for the package, its all depends on your timings and activities. The main things for the Kuraman Package are: return boat trip to/from Kuraman, bbq lunch, snorkeling, water sport.

The sand spit at one end.Sand spit and Pulau Kuraman at the other end.

Our loading area and huts where we had our rest.Our Lunch: Fried Rice, Crabsticks, Sausages, Chicken & Lamb's meat, and fresh rumahanThe Jetty [will explain more on the next posting]Babu Jiah's gengz was here [jgn marah Ziah hehe]Lobster: freshly caught by the local.the very few plants that grow along the sand spit of Kuraman.not enough of snorkeling, i dived in, trying to touch the coralsupon the arrival, i managed to shot Empire from the boat.

Diamonds are Girls Bestfriend??

I dont know i love diamonds or not, but i see alot of beautiful diamonds in jewellery stores (and of course thinking of having one one day hehe), magazines and etc. But there are HUGE conflicts of its origins and how the diamonds are extracted (politically).Ejat.. remember our lecturer Dr. Kalolo? He's from Sierra Leone kan. I have seen the Blood Diamond movie (Leonardo DICaprio) based on true stories of the diamond war in Africa( forgot the title) , and the Blood Diamonds documentary showed in History Channel recently. Hmmm... even the civil war was very very recent, its peak by the late 90s and ended 2001... woohooo... when we were here at peace and them? ksiiiaaannnn eehhh.. war, sexual slavery, child labour, hand and legs amputation, JUST because of diamonds sja tu! You can see from Youtube, and Google yourself on Blood Diamonds. And below are taken from Real Diamond Facts.Fact #1: In the past 15 years, an estimated 500,000 Angolans, 50,000 people in Sierra Leone, and nearly 4 million people in the DRC have died from civil wars funded through the sale of conflict diamonds.

Fact #2: A recent study found 46% of miners in Angola are under the age of 16, with many of the children exploited for little or no pay because of war, poverty, and the absence of education.

Fact #3: 300,000 carats of diamonds annually are currently being mined with slave labor in the rebel-held regions in Ivory Coast and sold to fund violent conflicts. These diamonds are being smuggled through neighboring countries to international markets.
Fact #4: Sierra Leone is ranked the world's poorest country by the United Nations Human Development Index, with poverty in diamond mining areas such as the Kono District particularly striking. The Kono District has produced billions of dollars worth of diamonds.

Fact #5:Although the Democratic Republic of Congo produces more than $2B of diamonds annually, 90% of its population of 60 million lives in abject poverty. The diamond capital, Mbjui Mayi, has no clean water, poor roads, and minimal electricity.

Fact #6: The vast majority of the 1.4 million artisanal diamond diggers across five African countries live in poverty, making less than one dollar a day.
Fact #7: The use of child labor for cutting and polishing is extremely common in India, where children suffer from dangerous conditions, overcrowding, and malnutrition. In many areas, one out of ten workers polishing a diamond is a child due to minimal government oversight.
Fact #8: FBI reports and a Washington Post investigation have linked Al Qaeda money-laundering efforts to the rough diamond trade in Sierra Leone.

Fact #9: Ninety years of environmental neglect in Angolan diamond mining have devastated large tracts of land, poisoned local water, and forced indigenous populations to relocate.

Fact #10:After diamonds were discovered, the San Bushmen were forcibly evicted from their ancestral land in Botswana's Central Kalahari Game Reserve's land they have lived on for thousands of years. The Bushmen have faced torture, severe and routine harassments, and the complete destruction of their water supplies.

Old Days

oowwhhhh... i really really MISS the OLD DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!! aku mau skulah laggiiiii uuwaaaaaa.......

Indonesian Idol - Numb

i guess im so lucky to have not-so-good-english but at least i survive in my need-to-speak-in-english-working-days... hahah kpisan eyyyyy.... baru ya reddaaahhh jerrrr!!! haha its the best of him somehow... kira percubaan yg berani la..

Indonesian Idol - Numb Part 2

MUST SEE VIDEO!!!

hehehehehe owh no! i just can't stand for not laughing e very time i repeated this video. and i am influenced with her 'bulgarian pronunciation'... hahahaha.. KEN LEEEEE~~ tulibu dibu douchoooo~~ ken leeeee~~~.. this is another hit i think after the funny 'William Hung on she bangs'

Kenali Negara Kitani~Taman Peranginan Kg Parit

Taman Peranginan Kg Parit is located in Mukim Pengkalan Batu, Kg Pengkalan Batu. Im so sure that many of the population in Brunei are not aware where this place exactly. Just like me who just knew where Kg Padnunok in Tutong is. Mukim Pengkalan Batu is just few kilometers from Limbang, [about less than 10minutes ride from Taman Parit to Brunei/Limbang Immigration by car], to give another clue you will pass by Kg Mulaut and Kg Masin if you are from Jerudong or Tutong [or through Kg Katimahar and Kg Panchor Murai from Tutong], and you will cruise along Kg Bengkurong Masin from Bandar Seri Begawan. And if you are from Lumapas/Sg Kebun, you will be crossing Kg Junjongan, Limau Manis and Kg Wasan and Kg Batu Ampar. Some of the villages i mentioned might be not so popular among the youngsters especially who grew up in Bandar area.

Taman Peranginan Kg Parit is not so popular as it was before. It has undergone deteriorating age for almost all of the facilities there. Only the pondoks are maintained, many new concrete rubbish bins been installed everywhere, many of the basic playground equipments are removed. But thanks to the authorities for keeping the place CLEAN. And now there is the new Multi-Purpose Hall / Dewan Serbaguna at the very corner of the Taman [you can see these similar buildings built in many other Kampongs].
For those who experienced Campings in this place might know where exactly Taman Peranginan Kg Parit is. It is a famous spot for Campings for some association such as Police Cadet, The Girl Guides and Scouts Associations. Majlis beramah mesra bersama rakyat also been held here few years ago.
This is a good and safe place for relaxing,  picnics with your family, jogging and etc [tpi aku nda jua jogging dcni hehe, jauh2 jua tempat lain mbuang minyak, al-maklum nda ramai orang wah ytah kurg motivasi kn kemari :p]. 




 Soon in July [just found this on the net], Brunei Darussalam is given an honour to host the 14th ASEAN Farmers Week in the year 2008 and the event will be held back to back with Brunei “Pesta Buah-Buahan dan Agri-Makanan 2008” or Fruits and Agri-Food Fair 2008 and simultaneously the launching of the ASEAN GAP. This time the event will be held at Taman Peranginan Kg Parit from 10th-14th July 2008. Ramai-ramai la mengunjungi ke pesta ini nanti [wah promosi aku ah].

Hjh Ostinah Wedding

This is another colleague's wedding yesterday in Tutong Kg Padnunok.. {hoooohoo..we were lost at first salah simpang, well we r not really into Tutong area, but its good to know this Kg Padnunok exist, tho its my first time to hear this name, it is good to attend your friends wedding, plg jauh the better so that you may know BRUNEI even better] and MORE colleagues' wedding ahead!!!!! and MINE??? [berserah sajaaaa....] photos below are all my colleagues, no extra features whatsoever because i know they r all waiting to see this photos to be posted, all they want to see is themselves heheh including me lah tu..

anyway enjoy.. to Hjh Os CONGRATULATIONS semoga berkekalan jodohnya...

my driver of the day hehe jgn marah babu Jiahthe groom and the bride in yellow goldcLating ~ cAdek Jal haha abisss ku jual gmbr mu dikThe Gang..... Gangsters kekeke...