Last day of Puasa

It is the last day for our fasting month. *sigh*. It happens every year. It starts really slow then towards the end you find yourself saying "Abis tia?".

So, the Brunei High Com people had a small gathering to break the fast, followed by Maghrib prayers and the Takbir.

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Zakat Fitrah

Today, in Australia, they'll be announcing whether Hari Raya falls tomorrow or the next day. So, a kindly reminder to all, don't forget to pay your Zakat Fitrah. I know some of us like to pay it on the morning of raya. Well, as long as we don't forget.

When I paid for my Zakat recently, I kinda forgot about the fact that it's different in Australia. Honestly I was half expecting to meet with a religious rep, sit down with him, make a lil' chit chat and then read the 'niat' before handing the money over.

Instead the scene was more or less like buying a raffle ticket.

The religious rep was standing by his table outside the Masjid.

He had a bunch of coupons lying on the table.

I went over and greeted him, he asked me which Zakat I wanted to pay(this is where I got stucked and just murmered "The one that I HAVE to pay?").

He showed me the Zakat Fitrah and asked me the quantity. I told him "5" and handed him the money.

He handed me the coupon and it was done.

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Weird

I sent my parents to the bus station this morning(4 a.m. *yawn*). They took the bus from Canberra to Sydney using Greyhound. So, kurang tah lagi orang di sini untuk Raya. The weirdest thing happened though while I was waiting for the bus to leave. For almost 10-15 mins I just stood there while the bus driver tried unsuccessfully to put the bus in reverse. Then some of the passengers decided to go down and give it a push.

So I jumped in and helped...to push a bus?! And we managed to do it. So, I'm guessing my parents are en route to Singapore by now. I'm so gonna miss having them around for Raya.

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What chubby cheeks you have!?

The better for you to pinch them. LoL. But, please don't. Her Umi loves doing that and Alisha is annoyed by it. :p




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Robot Chicken

I dunno if this is available in Asia. In Australia its with the Comedy Channel on Foxtel. But don't be fooled by the adverts. Even though they do spoofs based on cartoons from the 80's and so on, this is not for kids. Decapitation and swearing somehow becomes one of the main theme in this show. LOL.

For those who have not seen it, its not as mindless as you think. It's funny in the "what if" category. Like, what if during Star Wars episode IV you get to see the behind the scenes talk between Darth Vader and the Emperor.

Such as the one below(Warning: could be hilarious to those who share my kind of sense of humor). Again, this is not for the kids.




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Selamat Hari Raya!!!

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Selamat Hari Raya!!!

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it is...

...saturday morning and i'm at work. killing some time in the office with my notebook. i was eating out for the last two days...one in sheraton for their sungkai buffet and last nite at Palm Cafe where their chef is reputed to be one of the best.... she used to work in JP. well...more on those wheni get the pics up and running. i wonder why are my posts usually on food? huahua

on the other note, snowie's not been herself lately. the usual loving and playful kitten (or cat??) has turned ugly with her claws out, teeth baring and hissing. so bad that my other half have taken to the belt, to "train" her, was how he puts it (cos she scratched him till he bled) but it totally tore my heart and i was sobbing the nite away. snowie is ok but i think it's the time of the month where she PMS hahaha here's a pic taken back in february where she was only 2 months old...

*everybody now!! Awwwwwwwwwwww soooo cuteeeeee*

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Baby Bottles

A few months before I left for Canberra, a colleague of mine was telling me about her mom who got worried about baby bottles made out of plastic. It seems that a study was made and showed that chemicals could seeped from the plastic into the milk. I didn't give it much thought at the time, well not till as of late. Ok, to tell you the truth I totally forgot about it(happy?).

Alisha uses a plastic baby bottle and as a concerned parent I tried to find out as much as I could about this 'baby bottle scare'. As it also turns out, Alisha's favourite brand(and ours!) Phillips AVENT is somehow one of the so called bottles discussed in the forums.

By the way we are currently using the AVENT Airflex Feeding Bottles and Teats. The reason I got the bottle in the first place, and as my closest friends can vouch for this, is that the description was so 'high-tech'. Who knew a baby bottle could have a long list of 'features' and one of them was to reduce colic.

So, what is the issue all about? This is the materials that I got off the web. The source of the research was from independent scientist(always the case isn't it?) and they found that Bisphenol A (BPA) in polycarbonate(the material some baby bottles and most food containers are made of) can cause certain reactions in children.

Polycarbonate on the other hand is used to manufacure baby bottles to prevent cracking, shattering and other hazards that can lead to injuries. So far the argument is "Even though we can't prove it's dangerous, You can't prove it's safe"

As of today, the FDA and most body governing the safety of products have concluded that it is still safe to use Polycarbonate in the manufacturing of food containers and baby bottles. So, was the whole thing an internet overreaction? I'd say it was. As parents we do tend to panic when it comes to safety of our family. There are bottles that are BPA free and you could always switch to glass bottles which I believe are hard to find.

To us, if the officials say its still safe, I say have faith in them.


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The time is...

Its 10p.m. I'm sitting on the couch watching t.v. There's some serunding 'sample' on the table. The kitchen is filled with the noise of the blender, pans n pots and the voice of my mum. The air is filled with the aroma from the cakes and biscuits.

Feels like I'm back in our house in Mentiri. There is no denying it. *sigh* . Raya is just around the corner!

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I Miss Starbucks

I know it's a bit late for me to post this but darn it, I MISS Starbucks! It's been well over a month since all the 4 Starbuck outlets have closed down in Canberra. Plus, I don't think a 3 hour drive to Sydney will help 'cos lets face it...I'd have to be nuts to do that.

For those who are wondering why they closed down...and NO the answer is not simply because Canberra is 'boring', it's because of the economy around the ACT has been in a slump as of late. Actually, Starbucks closed 61 outlets throughout Australia. With rising fuel prices(or more like unpredictable) and a rise in grocery prices, people are eating out less. If they do go out to eat, they eat less. Like if they usually order two courses, now they just order one. So unless the economy turns for the better, we're gonna expect other cafe's to follow suit. What will be next? Krispy Kreme? Where will I go for my Strawberries & Creme??? *sobs*

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Floriade

I took my parents to Floriade yesterday. It was so cool. Rows and rows of beautiful flowers. Floriade is a flower festival held annually in Australia. It has now been 21 years since it was first held in 1988. The place has always been Commenwealth Park in the heart of Canberra.

My mom just loves flowers so Molly thought it would be a treat for her. Here's a pic that I took of my parents:

To see more of the pics at Floriade click HERE.

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Floriade

Floriade, one of the biggest flower festival in Australia. This year I think it's the 21st year its been held and the theme is "Films that shaped our nation". Since my parents are leaving soon for Brunei, I thought I'd bring them there since my Mom loves flowers.

Fashion show...

There was a live concert as well

And fun for the kids

Nancy the confused cow

Some 'friends' we met along the way

Can you see the piano design?

Thats All Folks!!

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Buffy the Singing Vampire Slayer

I've been watching reruns of Buffy The Vampire Slayer on Foxtel. I'm not sure about you guys but I was a big fan back then...and it turns out I still am! The storyline was just so appealing and not just because they had a cute slayer and the fact that her Scooby gang had a powerful redheaded lesbian witch*gasp*. Joss Whedon is a mastermind when it came to telling the tale of the slayer who not only had to deal with demons, vampires and the sorts. He also told the story about the girl in the slayer, how she had to deal with coming into adulthood and thats not easy. Btw, to those who started giggling/laughing at me from the moment I mentioned "Buffy" you can stop now. I live in my reality and you live in yours :) LOL

To me the episode which I'll always remember is the one where a Demon was responsible for all the folks in Sunnydale to start singing and dancing. The episode was called: "Once more with feeling"

This was the best song in the episode..."Walk Through the Fire"

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Updates

The Missus treated me to a nice piece of lamb leg...and yes its a big deal...to me!!! LOL.

Cooked by my Mum of course

With BBQ sauce, garlic and I think a hint of honey.

To my buddies (Hakeem, Becs & Yen), I ate your share. So no worries. :) And as for the updates(sorry, I got sidetracked) I uploaded some Hari Raya mp3 in the download section. It's not much, just some that I had in my collection. Cheers.

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desserts

well, i finally got around to take some pics on the food i was raving about.... pastas and desserts at villa mauri. there goes all my effort in the gym. how am is suppose to be slim enough to slip into my jeans with all that weight??? oh well anyways...

*the set up of the restaurant*

*salmon pizza*

*spagetti with mussels on a tomato base*

*home made ravioli*

*my plate of goodies*

*Fantasia D Maria - chocolate pudding with chocolate oozing out from the insides and a scoop of vanilla ice cream to finish it off...OOooOOoo!! *

*my sis and I - taking a pic before food arrives*

That was on a Monday. On wednesday, we decided to go for a steamboat at BerryWan HotPot in Gadong. Trying to be healthy. After that, we went to Villa Mauri (again) for their sinful desserts. As the pic below was taken during the aftermath...i did not have the time to take the desserts in their full glory as there were too many hungry mouths... even after all that 'wantan' and 'cuttlefish' 'noodles' and etc etc in Berrywan. We're hungry people.

At the top is their crepe in orange glaze. The middle is their panacotta and the bottom dish is their tiramisu...MMmmmmMMmm and that small right hand round dish was what was left of their famous 'Fantasia D Maria' dessert.. ( i get hungry just thinking about it)

Cheers!

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Data Recovery

I saw this website that claims they do data recovery from faulty storage devices. For those of you, who just went 'huh?', its very simple. You have a hard disk, that hard disk conks out. You need the files in that hard disk.

While there are other methods of retrieving files from a dying hard disk, providing you can read the dying hard disk at all. Softwares like Quetek's File Scavenger could be one solution but then again there are times(oh yes, trust me) when the damn thing just won't boot.

Stuff like this is due to hardware malfunction and the only solution are professionals who will take apart the hard disk and try to recover the data in a Class 100 lab.

A Class 100 lab is a clean lab in a controlled environment where the amount of particles in the air is being controlled. That means dust, skin flakes, mould, things which you cannot see unless you have a microscope.

Now, a class 100 clean lab would mean that no more than 100 of these particles should be present in a cubic foot of air. That’s not a whole lot.If you stand still, you are emitting 100,000 particles. Imagine how much more you emit once you start to move.

See how I got sidetracked there. Hmm...moving on. This whole story reminded me of a conversation I had with my buddies back in school(9 years ago). We were looking into a hard disk failure and had tried everything we could. So my friend said "Wouldn't it be nice if Brunei had its own data recovery centre?"

So, back to the topic at hand. This website or this company in Brunei is called Drevivo Technology. So, if you have that faulty hard disk lying around cos it had your 'precious' secrets (to which I mean porn adult oriented materials LoL) and you've tried everything including chucking your hard disk in the freezer(sometimes this works). I suggest you give the people at Drevivo Technology a call. Btw, they won't charge you if they can't get anything out of your hard disk.

Click below to go to their website:

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Sungkai @ my house, 12 Ramadhan 1429H

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Blogging Around

Fasting month doesn't give you much time to anything. Especially, if you're away from home. So I spend my time(and I bet the rest of the authors do too) blog-hopping, looking for pics that reminisce of sungkai buffets, family gatherings and the ever popular gerai ramadan.

I'm glad for bloggers like anakbrunei and ranoadidas whom never seem to dissapoint to capture the important events back home on the 'frontline'. Then again, I do get a surprise or two when I'm busy clicking away at each link, sometimes not knowing where I'd end up.

Recently, one such occassion I ended up at a blogsite that sells cakes. 100% home made and the pics and description are absolutely appetizing! The site is called Bunny's Yummies and rightfully so.

The author's welcoming remark is:

Welcome to Bunny's Yummies!

"This blog showcases the kind of cakes, desserts, cookies and finger food that I make and are available for sale. I am into healthy cooking. I do not use any kind of preservatives, artificial flavourings and colourings in my cakes. I use natural flavours and taste from fresh fruits, real vanilla bean, chocolate, coffee and varieties of nuts. I also use less eggs in my cakes, making them healthy alternatives."

The article that really caught my eye was her Hazelnut Praline Cake. Just take a look at the pic.

Bec: You better treat me to this when I get back! hehe

The author's description of the cake is "Crunchy caramelized hazelnuts add flavour to this cake which is filled with milk chocolate cream. The surface is sprinkled with crushed praline that I made myself and the sides of the cake are decorated with chocolate rice. A lovely cake for chocolate lovers. The crunchy praline add zing to the cake."

*Sigh* Me and my love for chocolates. I blame my sis for my addiction. Anyway, check out the site. :) and don't forget to share!! LoL.

To go to her website click here.

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Alisha's Video

Alisha's first video...a bit overdue. 'Cos all this time we've only took pictures of her. I'm guessing since this is our first baby, this will the first of many videos to come. LoL.



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Ladies and gentlemen...

i never thought i'd end up blogging coz i always thought i dun haf the time and the effort to... until one of my buddies invited me as a guest blogger. I didn't even give it a second thought! i would love to fill in the happenings back at home here in my own pace and time with no obligations. thanks bro.

now with ramadhan in full swing, it's buffets galore nationwide!! so far i've been to orchid garden hotel, nyonya restaurant and most likely to rizqun on monday to see what they have to offer. so far so good....must remember to take pics!!

anyhoo, i'm craving for some pasta now. have u tried the new italian restaurant in jln muara called Villa Mauri? the desserts are to die for!!!! *drool* the food is great. i feel it's better than fratini and a l'll cheaper too... they're even having the sungkai buffet (dun wanna miss out the crowd i bet) but i hear the mass production is not as great. best to eat ala carte.

on the other hand, i can't resist to put up this pic of snowie. the angel of a kitten (did i mention kitten?) demon of a cat when she's pms-ing.

*i am ur queen and u are my unworthy slaves o humans*

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A.D.F.A. Open Day

Two weeks ago the Australian Defence Force Academy had an Open Day for the public. Me and the missus couldn't go, but my parents did. So, here are the pics.

Hehe...my fav pic...it looked kinda fun!!!

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Yummy in September

I just had to show this...I don't think we have this flavored chips in Brunei.

Loving these chips!!!


Smith's Thinly Cut: Thai Sweet Chilli

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Alisha's Birth Certificate

We've picked up Alisha's birth cert. It will be sooooo way cooler than her Bruneian birth cert that we're gonna do for her. :)

Also, this is her latest pic. Alisha at 4 weeks.


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Manila, Philippines

Hi,
I was doing some spring cleaning on my portable HD when I saw these pics. These were taken during my trip to Manila sometime in mid August 2007. I was with my colleagues from PetroleumBRUNEI back then and we were participating in the annual ASCOPE Games. I was playing badminton(shock!!!) 'cos table tennis wasn't available back then.

We took the late flight to Manila and it's safe to say we were all tired.

We stayed at the Edsa-Shangrila Hotel...not bad. I had the view of their freaking huge mall.

Practice Session!!!

Had a nice lunch at this "Seafood Somethin..."

Stop staring...you'll go blind...or cross eyed!?!

They even had in-between-meals performances. How could I say no??? Rite guys...

The Host country held a welcoming dinner

With entertainment of course...

Then it was off to the tournament

We won our first game against the host country...but we didn't win either...at least we were not last place

But at least something funny(well...to me it was *hint* watch till the end of the clip)

The Brunei contingent held a nice dinner for us though...we went to the place in a pimped up bus...Mini chandeliers!!!! Hahaha

The dinner was superb...'cos we haven't had a decent meal in days

The farewell dinner was like a rock concert gone out of control. Hehehe...apakan...

With the Indonesian badminton players. The one on the far right was the junior world champion!

With my best friend Yusma. We got married. For our performance. LOL

The Brunei performers

We were just glad it was over...hehe

And looking forward to going home

Jo doing his HSE checkups. Hazman showing off his shades. Me thinking WTF!!

All Aboard!!!

Pics taken on the way to the airport

Didn't get a chance to ride in one of these 'cos a friend told me it wasn't safe

At the airport...I had to take this pic...It was serious...but funny at the same time...get what I mean LoL

Our luggage...biasa...And if you're wondering what that line of boxes are...it's ICE CREAM!!

Our External Relations Manager and the one responsible of taking care of us during the trip. Siti Diyana...you rock girl!!

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Happy Fathers Day!

Its fathers day today in Australia(apparently some regions/countries have different dates). So, to all the fathers out there, yours truly included. Have a blast, and may the force be with you.

Pic taken from a classic promotional poster for Star Wars Ep. III

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Happy Fathers Day

Its fathers day today in Australia. So, to all the fathers out there, yours truly included. Have a blast, and may the force be with you.

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Skype users beware...

I got wind of this a few days ago. Apparently some Skype users have had their Skype accounts 'hijacked' and are locked out. But their contacts will see their status as online. What is scary is that Skype users can configure their accounts to direct debit from their Paypal accounts. I only bring this up because I know a lot of Bruneians uses Skype, although the percentage that actually uses it's skype to landline/mobile feature is a few (why? Because it's not free lol).

Anyway the full story is here.

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We miss Gerai Ramadan!

Alhamdulillah, Ramadan is here again! As Bruneians what is associated with Ramadan are Terawih prayers, family gatherings for sungkai, Menjelang Sungkai(ada masih kah?) and the visit to the Gerai Ramadan.

Though I have to admit I'm not a big fan of the Gerai Ramadan because I can't stand the traffic jams and the large crowds. Plus, I find the Gerai to be just another socializing event. It's like the place where you go to bump into your friends, especially the ones that you haven't seen in ages. Or maybe thats just me. LOL.

But being away makes you miss a LOT of things in Brunei. As I'm typing this and waiting for Sungkai(it's 5.00 pm, sungkai is at 5.47 pm hehe), I'm trying to look for pics of the Gerai scenery in Brunei. Somehow I can't find any recent ones, but I know our friend Lenny will have some posted on her blog...kan lenny...kan...kan...pleaseeeeee. Cheers!

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