BRUNEI | Golden Domes Aplenty

Just a random photo for the last day of 2009.

Gold on Blue.

One of the many golden domes of the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam.

NOTE: This website is undergoing a major facelift. Will try to make it as simple as possible, and photos will be larger. Due to technical difficulties, some usual links would be missing, would try to update as much as possible.

BRUNEI | SAMBUTAN HARI KEBANGSAAN | Part III

This time around, I did not take a lot of photos, all in all, roughly less than 2 GB, or barely just a hundred photos only, as we were indulging ourselves with the celebration. Anyway, perhaps, these are the last set of photos.


The "infamous" girl photographers? Looking for their Romeo Razali?


Chimping over her LCD screen, making sure everything is in.

Everybody is busy doing their own thing, rushing here and there.


A heavy argument?


Some of the sponsored balloons.


One of the lady participants.


Time like this is considered to be a feast for the flyers/adverts distributers, sticking their pamphlet everywhere especially the car's wipers. If only they stick their flyers on Knight Rider, for sure they will be smooth talk by KITT.


Another ingenious way to place their adverts, "sure read one meh", as it is placed on the driver's
door.


Finally, I'll leave you with this photo, are we ready for change? or Have we change? Can we accept changes? It is quite easy to instill new ideas to the infants, but can the senior citizen change their mindset?

As what the wiseman says, Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

And what I like to say," Hujan Emas Di Negeri Orang, Hujan Batu Di Negeri Sendiri, Ambil tah dulu emas di negeri orang, udah atu bawa balik ke negeri sendiri!"

It doesn't need a scientist to figure out what I meant by that, but if you really look deep into the sentence then you will agree with what I said.

BRUNEI | 25th NDP 2009 | Part II

Some more photos of the day.


Slippery when wet.


The Young "Luke Skywalker" ?


Rations for breakfast.


Anxious for the big event.


Exchange of items.


Getting ready to walk the walk.


I thought this painted plastic bottles were famous, aren't they?


The participant before entering the stadium.


Some uniformed participants.


SM Mentiri, one of the secondary schools taking part in the event.

BRUNEI | 25th National Day | Part I

23rd February 2009, Brunei celebrated the 25th National Day.

I bet, all of the local webpages will be posting about today's celebration, and I hope, you can find something here which is not available else where.


Different people have different view in contributing their share during this day, for us, this is one of our ways to contribute, by sharing the celebrate moment with all of you out there.


Having a quick breakfast before the big show, as they said, do not miss your breakfast.


Last minute adjustment of the attire.


The "coach", making sure the participants are in order.


A great bunch students, all of them are prefects, from MD, as they said, the hostellites are requested to participate in the field performances, where as the non-hostellites were asked to participate in the flag waving.


Well, well, well, no prize for guessing who they are. Great gears Mister!


Another participants, doing his last minute touches. Rugged you atu Mister!


Some of the participants from the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports, MCYS.


The contingent from the People with Special Needs, having a chat with their Head of Contingent.


One of the many Zones, get your zones right, make sure you are either the Twilight Zone, Boyzone, "Zonas" Brothers!


Some pretty ladies who cannot resist to see me in gear, asking to capture their sweet pose.


Happy 25th National Day.

GREETINGS | Happy New Year 2009

Greeting Earthlings.



Happy New Year to all.

photo: The Empire Hotel & Country Club, Brunei Darussalam

BRUNEI | Pantai Tungku

Pantai Tungku, a.k.a Tungku Beach, is located in the northern part of Brunei Darussalam.

Facing the South China Sea, this is one of the popular places for the local to bring their family for an outing.



Canon EOS 350D; Canon 10-22mm lens; ISO 100

BRUNEI | Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddien

Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddien celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and an exhibition is being held at the Brunei Museum at Kota Batu to commemorate the event.



Photo shows the dome during the restoration process few weeks ago.

AN-NUR | Ramadhan | Eat or Pray First?

Ramadhan, the 9th month in the Islamic Calendar, is the month where Muslim all over the world are fasting for a certain duration of the day.

Brunei starts fasting today, whereas the neighbouring countries i.e. Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore started yesterday.

Each Muslim community throughout the world, have their own way(with accordance of the Islamic ways) in determining the 1st of Ramadhan.

In Brunei, the sighting of the moon is use to determine the starts of Ramadhan and another sighting will also going to be held to determine the starts of Syawal.

If the "new moon" is sighted, then the 1st day of the next Islamic Month will starts the next day, otherwise, it will starts the day after.


Masjid Al-Ameerah Al-Hajah Mariam, Jerudong, one of the major mosques in Brunei, taken from the 1.3mp camfone.

During the whole of Ramadhan, definitely there will be an increase number of religious activities.

One of them is the offering of food for the breaking of fast, or also known as Sungkai.

I would like to share some insight regarding Sungkai and praying.

This statement (In Malay) is by the Perlis State's Mufti, Malaysia, please take note, (what I always wanted to stress to those sungkai's host but they seem to not understand, mun paham bisai)


Menyegerakan solat Maghrib selepas berbuka dengan tamar atau air, sekiranya makanan belum dihidangkan. Hadis yang kita nyatakan di atas menunjukkan Baginda Nabi s.a.w. dengan rutab atau tamar atau air sebelum bersolat Maghrib. Maka kita disunatkan juga mengikuti langkah tersebut, iaitu selepas berbuka dengan perkara-perkara tadi, lantas terus menunaikan solat. Ini sekiranya makanan belum dihidangkan.

Adapun sekiranya makanan telah dihidangkan di depan mata, maka dimakruhkan meninggalkan makanan untuk menunaikan solat. Ini berdasarkan apa yang dinyatakan dalam hadis-hadis baginda Nabi s.a.w. antaranya: Daripada Anas bin Malik r.a.: Bahawa Rasulullah s.a.w. bersabda:

“Apabila telah dihidangkan makan malam, maka mulakanlah ia sebelum kamu menunaikan solat Maghrib, dan jangan kamu tergopoh-gapah ketika makan malam kamu.”

(Riwayat Bukhari dan Muslim).

Dalam hadis yang lain daripada Abdullah bin Umar, Baginda s.a.w. bersabda:

“Apabila dihidangkan makan malam seseorang kamu, sedangkan solat (jamaah) telah didirikan, maka mulailah dengan makan malam. Janganlah dia tergopoh-gapah sehinggalah dia selesa.”

(Riwayat Bukhari dan Muslim).

Riwayat di atas juga menambah:

Bahawa Ibn Umar r.a. apabila dihidangkan untuknya makanan, manakala solat pula sedang didirikan, maka beliau tidak mendatangi solat melainkan hingga beliau selesai makan, sedangkan beliau mendengar bacaan imam. Ini kerana meninggalkan makanan dalam keadaan keinginan yang kuat untuk menjamahnya atau dalam perasaan lapar, boleh menghilangkan khusyuk di dalam solat, disebabkan ingatan terhadap makanan tersebut. Dengan itu para ulama menyatakan dimakruhkan solat setelah makanan terhidang di hadapan mata. Kata an-Nawawi (meninggal 676H): Di dalam hadis-hadis tersebut dimakruhkan solat apabila terhidangnya makanan yang hendak dimakan kerana ia boleh mengganggu hati dan menghilangkan kesempurnaan khusyuk.

(An-Nawawi, Syarh Sahih Muslim, 4/208, cetakan: Dar al-Khair, Beirut).

Sebenarnya bukan pada makan malam atau solat Maghrib sahaja kita disunatkan mendahulukan makanan yang dihidang sebelum solat, bahkan sunah ini meliputi semua solat dan waktu makan kerana dibimbangi menghilangkan khusyuk. Ini sekiranya makanan telah terhidang di depan mata. Al-Munawi (meninggal 1031H) pula menyebut:

“Hadis tersebut menyatakan hendaklah didahulukan makan malam sebelum solat Maghrib. Namun ia juga dipraktikkan juga pada solat-solat yang lain. Ini kerana punca arahan ini ialah bimbang hilangnya khusyuk.”

(al-Munawi, Faidh al-Qadir, 1/295, cetakan: al-Maktabah al-Tijariyyah al-Kubra, Mesir).

Malangnya ada di kalangan yang kurang faham, lalu mereka menyatakan bahawa kalau azan sudah berkumandang, hidangan dan makanan hendaklah ditinggalkan demi mengutamakan solat jemaah. Inilah kedangkalan meneliti hadis-hadis Nabi s.a.w., lalu mengandaikan agama dengan emosi sendiri.

Adapun sekiranya makanan belum terhidang atau perasaan keinginan terhadap makanan tiada, maka tidaklah dimakruhkan untuk terus solat. Ini bukanlah bererti kita disuruh mementingkan makanan melebihi solat, sebaliknya tujuan arahan Nabi s.a.w. ini ialah untuk memastikan kesempurnaan solat. Al-Imam Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalani (meninggal 852H) memetik ungkapan Ibn Jauzi (meninggal 597H):

“Ada orang menyangka bahawa mendahulukan makanan sebelum solat adalah bab mendahulukan hak hamba ke atas hak Tuhan. Sebenarnya bukan demikian, tetapi ini adalah menjaga hak Allah agar makhluk masuk ke dalam ibadahnya dengan penuh tumpuan. Sesungguhnya makanan mereka (para sahabat) adalah sedikit dan tidak memutuskan mereka daripada mengikuti solat jemaah.”

(Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalani, Fath al-Bari, 2/385, cetakan: dar al-Fikr, Beirut).

So tau tah kamu tu mengapa inda ku tepakai mun orang memanggil sungkai, then suruh nya sembahyang Mahgrib berjemaah dulu, lain kali mun kan memanggil, biar tia makan/sungkai dulu, siapa kan sembahyang, sembahyang, sapa kan makan, makan, lagi pun awal abis, dapat awal ready kan sembahyang Isya/Terawih!

Sori jika ada yang terasa, tapi kan halnya, yang banarnya wah ni.

Sekian Terima Kasih.

Wallahuaklam bisawaf.

RANDOM | The Yellow Hat..

Safety hat is one of the must-wear gears when doing any major project, as part of the requirement from the Health & Safety Division.

Which reminded me of a real life story.



It was during my very early days working as an Engineer, and as a "fresh Engineer" I was very eager and looking forward for my first real-life site visit, (thou during uni life we did attended many site visits and even a week of Survey Camp and a week of Geology Camp), yet this is the real deal.

As part of the project in undertaking the Chartered Engineer status, one must be involved at least in one major project.

So few days before our site visit, my supervisor informed me to get prepare,including to have all the necessary safety gear.

Hence, soon after that, I went for a "shopping spree", got myself a new pair of steel-toe shoes with those heavy duty soles and obviously a safety helmet!

Whilst picking and deciding for the safety hat, which have many colours, so I said to myself, I'll just get the yellow one, since it is quite striking(so safety purpose meh it can be seen from thousand of meters!)

When the day of site visit came, proudly adorning my new gear, something seems amiss, something does not look right, it seems I was the odd one out, the rest of the colleague (I was the most junior at that time) was wearing a white safety helmet or blue but not yellow! The only yellows that I saw was worn by all the site workers!

Few minutes into the site, I was then approach by one of the seniors, he then whisper to me," Eh lain kali jangan u pakai safety hat kuning ani ah..."

".. eh napa nya... inda dapat kah ...?" I then asked

".. hehe .. bukannya apa ... arah kitani ani.. biasanya .. kuning ani .. kena pakai oleh kuli ganya.. kalau macam Engineer macam kitani.. biasanya makai Putih ... konpius orang karang .... "

" ... hahaha ... no wonder ....."

Well, that was the last day I wore that safety hat, and I don't know where it is now, malas tak ku ingau jua ... hahaha... something that I will remember forever ....

So guys, now you know, which hat is which. Some stuffs you really can't get it from school!

BRUNEI | Pasar Malam

Pasar Malam (Nite Market) is one of the must visit places in Brunei.

Pasar Malam, as the abbreviation suggest P.M., is only available during the night time, usually from 5pm til midnite.

So now you know why the Malaysia's PM only works at night, 'coz he's PM not AM!

Oh anyway....

One can find variety of stuffs in Pasar Malam from fruits to foods, from clothes to antiques, and from plastic flowers to "real flowers" *hubba* hubba*

Pasar Malam will be more interesting during this festive season i.e. HM Birthday's celebration, as a dedicated Pasar Malam will be built for each district during that period, and there will be a centre stage where various performances will be held every night throughout the celebration.



One of the "local tourist" trying to haggle for a better bargain, and what make this more fun is not only you can try to haggle the price but if you are skillful enough you might get the "digit" of the seller.

Enjoy it while you can.

Good Luck!

BRUNEI | HM's 62nd Birthday

DIRGAHAYU


Daulat Kebawah Duli Tuan Patik

PHOTO WHAT? Play With Me | No Smorking | Pink Undies

Photo What...? ... is back again ...

Something to brighten up you week ahead, Don't Laugh!

These are just some photos that makes you go ... eeermmm... eh what ... or the like ....

Taken with the CamFone, this one was found locally, not so sure if they really know what they are selling.


PLAY WITH ME ANYTIME WITHOUT REASON!

Man ... do the person wearing that shirt, or any shirt with such text really means what they said?

If they do, I am in! HAHAHA

Or do they "understanding Engrish?", Just like this below, Which I found while traveling to Japan, in one of the posh areas in Tokyo.


With the Tobacco Order in place now, so I declare this area a "NO SMORKING" area.

But the Top Photo What? Should be given to this photo, not really sure the origin of this, I bet most people have seen this photo, been circulating via email and stuff, hence I don't really know who took this photo, for sure it wasn't me!

So the award goes to..... (promise me not to laugh)



... eerrrmmm.... what is wrong with this photo btw .... ?

Have a good week ahead u all .. ;)

Random | Neighbourhood Watch

Just a quick simple post.



Neighbourhood crimewatch.

RANDOM | Local Shop

With the new malls mushrooming, some would thought that, those small shop just could not compete with the new and modern settings.

But, surprisingly, these small shops, do still exist, up and about, and some of them even open their branch at the newly developed shopping complex/malls.



One of the many small shops at the capital, which have been operating since so many years ago, and now they have opened up a number of branches in the new malls, and amazing enough, one would presume the new layout for the new branches would be different, but the layout is still the same as this shop.

ABSTRACT | Rusted Signage

One of the many recognizable brands.


Want to ask for more?

STREET | Multi-Racial Pop.

Just a quick post, showing a local street scene.



Besides the Malay, as the majority, the Chinese & Indian communities also add up to some of the percentages of the local populations.

RANDOM | iRambut for $39.99

Could not help noticing this particular person's hairstyle, perhaps, he got the inspirational idea from Sanjaya of Americal Idol, and to which I also have an idea of composing it like that once famous ads, and still is.


I bet, when people see his hair people will say: "Ai Rambutnya ah ... atu nya! ", hence the title iRambut!

Not so sure how much it cost to style it as such, but the amount was intentional, just to mock the latest craze in grocery adverts, i.e. .99 this and .99 that!

People will thought, " iRambutnya tiga puluh labih saja! ", (thirty something only), when in fact, it is $40!

So customer beware, caveat emptor!

ABSTRACT | DANGER not DENGAR!

Something different from the previous posts.



Just a simple sign, sprayed on a makeshift wall.

Thou, the above image can be done entirely with Photoshop and such, but it just ain't the same as capturing the actual one.

Still remember a real story, told by my dad, during their early college days, the time when English was not widely spoken.

Whilst walking back home from school, they saw a sign, very similar as above, but it was put at an electrical sub-station, stating "DANGER".

So, one of them said, "Hei, look at that sign, DENGAR, perhaps they want us to listen to it", hence they approached the station and listen to it!

Luckily nobody get hurts.

("Listen" in Malay is "Dengar")

Random | People of Brunei

Just a quick post, showing some of the faces of Bruneian.


The foreground, is one of the well-known DJ on the local radio scene, but at the background, is a different story.


Well, some of the other team members, very eager to be captured in the frame.


Just another photo, to complete this post.