Turquoise and Roses

I wannnnntttttttt!!!! Can someone give me this? I’ve been DREAMING about it for the past 2 days!  I am now very obviously and utterly in looooove with it!

Though why is it that whenever I mention the fact that I want a PSP, people will say… “THE PINK ONE HA?”

Let me set the record straight. The pink PSP is first and foremost: MILKY pink. Me, I, am so NOT the milky pink type! Hot pink yes. But milky pink is just beyond me.

*shudder*

However back to the subject of this PSP, I would really appreciate it if anyone out there would like to donate me, or know someone who would want to donate me, a sleek and BLACK PSP for my entertainment purposes.

Waaaaaaaaa…… I wanttttt.. It’s so siukkkkkkkk~~

I’ve just finished watching the DVD of the movie, V for Vendetta yesterday.

I find it disturbing that I have been thinking/dreaming/obsessing about the “eggy in a basket” (eaten by the same character twice!)  eversince instead of pondering about the obvious political/freedom fighting theme dominantly featured in the film.

In fact, I had it for breakfast. It was disturbingly delicious for such a simple dish.

New article up on GVO.

I’m sorry I haven’t written anything in a while. But as usual, comments are welcome.

I was just reading Food for Thought today looking for a certain PMS-friendly recipe involving rice, tomato, and cheese and while browsing through her recipes I accidentally read some comments made by Ihsan’s mother, affectionately called Ibu both on her posts and on her tagboard. Awwww, I just thought that they’re so cute!

I’m just reminded how often I read other bloggers mention their mothers on their blogs and how nice I thought that is. For example Syaz often put several references to her Babu, and so does Tina. So does Ness, and many other bloggers come to think of it.

I’ve never really mentioned mine here, except for some sporadic posts here and there. She actually does read my blog, and has so far been, extremely supportive of my blogging albeit still confused on what this is all about. Hehe.

Unfortunately, she became rather freaked out lately because of my last post about SEX. So I’m dedicating this post to her.

The last time I came home, she emphatically said to me,

DON’T ENCOURAGE THEM!!!

…and declared the huge picture of that condom extremely blasphemous.

Ma, it’s better than buang anak. Kesian bah. Baik jua tau kan. It’s good to know.

LSM is talking sexy.

I propose that Brunei bloggers start championing sex education. I know a number of you guys are teachers (or teachers-to-be) and what better way to affect a change in the local education system than by answering a call for public opinion? Blog about sex education, tell us your story, post facts and myths about contraceptives, whatever.

This call for more sexually educational posts from Bruneian Bloggers is basically a direct impact from Borneo Bulletin’s headlining article about the worrying trend of teenage mothers and Old Man with a Blog kicked it off by saying, prevention is better than cure.

It is a realistic thing to do, and although it probably would not stop them teens from having sex anyway (AHA, if they gonna do it, they gonna do it!) at least, they are making educated decisions about it.

So here it is: Let me start and do the first post.

Teenagers of Brunei, adhere to this mantra: NO GLOVE NO LOVE.

Picture from Wikipedia.

ALWAYS WEAR A FREAKING CONDOM. Ewww, teenage pregnancy is soooooo tacky! Why you ask? Because you are throwing away your future for a few seconds of pleasure! Not to mention all the HERPES.

Can you imagine: you could’ve gone far to University, get a degree and buy loads of Chanel handbags with the money you earn, but instead you end up being at home bored mindless scratching your fanny (herpes) and counting how many pennies you have left to buy daily groceries you can’t afford because you didn’t finish school.

Gentlemen, do the honourable thing: WEAR A CONDOM! Don’t bullshit and say, no glove is BETTER love. You’re just scared shit of buying it. It’s not that hard. Observe the three stepsto better and responsible sex:

1. Go to nearest Kadai Runcit

2. Look for Condom (check expiry date)

3. Purchase

Yes surprise. Guardian is not the only place on earth that sells condoms. GO BUY.

For a typical Bruneian, the word Jinchu refers to a quaint little restaurant (actually named Chop Jing Chew) situated in a rather questionable part of Gadong. It’s Chinese-owned and for that reason, some regard its halalness rather dubious. It also does not help that there is no “halal” signage available in any visible part of the restaurant. However, for those who feel that this little factor stops them from entering the place, observe the phone conversation below.

A: Hello?

B: Hello Jinchu ni?

[Hello, is that Jinchu?]

A: Ya?

B: Sana ada sweet and sour pork?

[Do you serve sweet and sour pork?]

A: *bewildered* HAH? *raise voice* TIDA ADA BABI! INI RESTAURANT HALAL BAH!

[We don't serve pork! This is a halal restaurant!]

B: Oh ok, terima kaseh ah.

[Ah alrighty, thanks]

A: *slams down phone receiver*

Yes, phone conversation above really did happen. And so, there you are, the restaurant is halal. Let us all calm down and enjoy the food.

Jinchu is a very old establishment, dating back to 1946. Yeap. But history isn’t my thing. Redirect yourself to this link if you are interested in that.

What I care about is the Roti Kuning Kawin. Why talk about history when you can very well move on to more… (saliva) stimulating topics. For instance, the freshly baked bread, tinged yellow from egg yolks, which is puffy and warm to the touch. When you bite in it, you can feel yourself slicing through the fluffy bread straight into the cold butter and the richly creamy kaya.

Consume as soon as it is served. Drippages might occur.

Yum. After dessert (who says we can’t start with dessert!) is washed down with generous amounts of teh tarik ping, we are now ready to start on the main meal. A dish, in my humble opinion, that is the heart of Jinchu’s very existence.

The actual spelling of the dish is something I find quite an enigma. Some refer to it as the zeema kway teow, and some refer to it as, the seema kway teow. Of course it would have been better if the dish is actually listed on the green menu, but it is not. First timers: fear not. When ordering, just say whichever version quickly. You will be safe.

Anyway, what it basically consist of is, steaming hot, flat rice noodles, drenched in a soy-based sauce and topped with a sprinkling of roasted sesame seeds. Above the noodles, are generous pieces of battered fish, and cubes of tofu, deep fried to perfection.

For an extra kick, cut chilies and soy will satisfy even the worst, chili addicts.

Upon your first bite, the combination eventually, produce a delicious burst in your mouth as you taste the dark coloured sauce covering the mild and unintrusive flavor of the flat noodles, and as you bite into the crunchy on the outside and flaky on the inside fish pieces. Drool drool.

Get this, Jinchu is the only place I know in Brunei that offer this dish. So hey, if you are a restaurant owner, and if you think you can do better, drop me a comment.

Tip: Head on over during lunchtime if you prefer peace and quiet. Bruneians generally flock here in the mornings.

Link to original article here.

…and so, appreciate your teachers.

Credits (unmentioned in the article) goes to a Mr Jim Welsh of SHBIE, UBD, whose researches (and contented humming) contributed to a major portion of this article. His lectures never cease to inspire us already-disillusioned-and-confused teachers-to-be.

(Picture really)

Thanks to AnakBrunei, I developed an abnormally out-of-proportion craving for gelato. Specifically, a light, creamy, cold, melt-in-my-mouth, Brunei-is-hot-but-I-don’t-care, teh tarik gelato. Eh taukah nyaman. Don’t get the other flavours, get THIS one.

What did I miss?

He’s suddenly retiring.

Thank you to everyone for your support throughout the last 2 years. It has been an exhausting two years and it’s time to pack up and concentrate on work, my writings (published ones) and continue to maintain my main website at www.bruneiresources.com which I have neglected. Thank you for all the nice and wonderful comments – I enjoyed those. The critical ones too, I thank you too. They make me think. For those who wonder what will happen to the more useful postings here, do not worry. They will be uploaded as proper articles on the main website (when I get round to it). On that note, thank you and good bye.

*raise eyebrow*

Jazz. Yayasan. Gasp.

Tyres are one of the most important part in any vehicle. Well, doh, without it, you’ll hardly ever move right? Anyway, I remembered getting a very comprehensive email about getting to know your tyres a while ago and in light of recent events, I thought that I’ll share it with everyone.

Studies of tire safety show that maintaining proper tire pressure, observing tire and vehicle load limits, and inspecting tires for cuts, slashes, and other irregularities are the most important things you can do to avoid tire failure, such as tread separation or blowout and flat tires. These actions, along with other care and maintenance activities, can also:

• Improve vehicle handling
• Help protect you and others from avoidable breakdowns and accidents
• Improve fuel economy
• Increase the life of your tires.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hello everyone,

Head on over here to give this girl some love.

This one too.

Check your tyres before you leave the house. Because if you don’t care about YOUR life, remember that you’re also endangering others.

Love,

M.

I wonder wat is wrong with the undergrad teachers from the Universiti of Brunei Darussalam?? I tot you people are more professional than we from the Institute Technology Brunei. I have to help my sister at home with her work. You undergrad teachers are paid more than $2K per month and yet the result of your students are so bad. Wat are your priority, earning big income or producing educated future generation?

It is very easy to blame teachers when things go wrong in a classroom, especially when they’re earning a minimum of BND$2000 every month. But the thing is, their job is one which requires more than anyone thinks. Most of them deal with 5-10 classes of 30-40 students each, and more often than not, in under-equipped classrooms. I repeat, 30-40 teens per class, who are hormonal, and constantly seek attention and approval in a non-airconditioned classroom from 7.30 am to 12.30pm.

Some people go: ah well they only work half day. The truth is it doesn’t really stop there. The rest of the day will most likely be spent doing remedial classes, marking and preparing for whatever will happen tomorrow. It’s a stressful job: the future of the country is literally in their hands. How’s that for pressure?

Of course, I’m not trying to defend the teacher should she be the one proving to be incompetent, however, maybe the student might also be at fault. She had all the time to tell the teacher that she does not understand the particular word/concept/problem, whether in class or privately, but she chose to keep quiet.

I don’t know if a lot of secondary-school students reads my blog, but if there is a few, this is the most important thing I could ever ever tell you: when you are confused about something, or if you don’t understand when your teacher is explaining, tell him/her. Do not be afraid. Do not be embarassed. Do not just keep quiet. In the end, it is up to you. In the end, you are the one sitting for that exam paper. In the end, you are the one photocopying your certificates to apply for work.

The society is so hell-bent on telling what teachers need to do. They forget that it goes both ways: in fact it goes three ways. [Student-Teacher-Family] needs to work together. The blog extract I took above is an excellent example of a concerned family member (minus the UBD-graduate bashing hehe). I understand that she is concerned of her sister’s well-being and as all family members are, they want the best for their own. In this instance, do talk to her teacher. It is a teacher’s responsibility to listen and respond appropriately.

Lastly, to all teachers: remember never to lose your spirit and open-mindedness. I know sometimes, it’s easy to get disillusioned and complacent. You can feel isolated like everyone is pretty much against you, but just hang in there okay?

I have a silly obsession with conjunctions since last year.

Conjunction junction,

What’s your function?

Hookin’ up words,

and phrases and clauses.

Such a catchy stanza! Hehe.

Anyway, for those who are still confused on what conjunctions are, here is a tip for remembering them, at least the subordinating ones. The ones that joins two phrases together.

“WE WASABI”

???

Don’t be alarmed. It’s a mnemonic – meaning the two words stand for something.

W- While

E – Eventhough

W – When

A – Although

S – So that

A – After

B – Because

I – If

So next time you have wasabi with your sashimi, remember your conjunctions.