Turquoise and Roses

When I was on the SSEAYP programme (yes this is another of my SSEAYP stories – they never end do they? Seriously it’s been a year!!! I need to get it over an done with!). Anyway, as I was saying, when I was on the SSEAYP programme I met this lovely girl about my age named Anna. She’s a beautiful tanned Filipino with one of the prettiest smiles I’ve ever seen and is a great riot! Never really got that close with her as we did not share any discussion or solidarity group together. I suppose the only time we became close was during the Princess Nippon Maru competition (she won – sang “I Can Hear The Bells” from Hairspray) and during seasick day when the Filipinos and the Bruneians flock together on the Second Floor. Even so, we never really spoke that much. Just general laughing and having fun together.

Even so, she left me quite an impression. One day, after the programme, I bumped into her blog, or online journal really, and found out that we have a lot in common. As I enjoy her frivolous tales of travel, and island hopping, and her accounts and stories of her life sprinkled with colourful Tagalog here and there, I could really relate to her. She’s a graduate as well, trying to find out what she wants to do with life, kinda like me. Living in the shadow of our awesome fathers and family members. Trying to make a change in the world we live in. Strong minded, and known to party hard! That’s us!

Just a few days ago, she posted this photo on her Facebook, and as it came up in my Home page, it was entitled “Do you want to save the changes you made to Philippines, Anna?”.

It really made me think! It should make you think too!

• I wish that more Bruneians would take the time to explore the Kampong Ayer, the beautiful pristine forests of Temburong, and our awesome beaches because we are as beautiful and as awesome as what we travel thousands of miles away for.
• I wish we can stop destroying our environment and national treasures from stupid littering and open burning and start looking to more sustainable methods of disposing waste.
• I wish the Government gives a chance for our youths to blossom as artists: in whatever form. We have so much talent out there. Same sentiments goes out for sports. Give our youths to develop and give enough support so they can become awesome athletes.
• I wish more of our youths are self-confident, assertive, strong, and not so easilly swayed by peer pressure and the media so they can develop into unique individuals who will bring about positive change in the future.
• I am thankful that I had awesome teachers while growing up, and I hope that the ones teaching in school today know that you are the people that inspire your students and that what they are, are a reflection of you. I am thankful to the government because a lot of Bruneian teachers consist of the country’s most talented scholars and one of the most well paid people in the country, and I am thankful that a lot of them are genuinely dedicated to and fulfilled by their jobs.
• I wish more people are thankful for our free medicine and healthcare services instead of always complaining about it.
• I wish some Bruneians would just shut the hell up, and start doing what you say you can, instead of coming up with many many excuses to explain why you can’t.

“It seems that I have been caught again by my Master during my Escape Mission #253456 through the windowsill. Fortunately my quick thinking diabolical mind prevented any suspicions. Excellent that I have got her right in the palms of my paws. Now back to the bridge to concoct another Escape Mission. This time I will call it: Escape Mission #253457. But first! To the poo poo place.”

Hello friends,

Just because I’m not updating this blog doesn’t mean I’ve been doing nothing! Hahah. Anyway, I have had an awesome awesome Ramadhan. And I’m just saying that because only the third day of Hari Raya, yet I miss it so much already. I do look forward to it next year.

During the last few days of Ramadhan, I went to a little village on the Island of Berambang called Kampung Pudak, to break my fast. A charming little place! To get there, one must park at the edge of Kota Batu, in Kampung Serdang, and catch a 10 minute  water taxi ride to the island. The Serdang-Pudak water taxi operates daily and if he is not waiting for you on the jetty, you may call him by the number he carved on the wall of the jetty.

Anyway, some background. Kampong Pudak is the famous village that was ravaged by a storm only a few months back. The roof of the little mosque was absolutely blown away by the scary storm winds and a lot of houses were badly damaged. Fortunately the Ministry of Home Affairs was very proactive in repairing these damages, in the attempt to preserve what is left of our traditional amphibious villages. The Sultan went down there as well to see the damages, and was angered  because while the villagers’ houses were repaired, nothing has yet been done about the mosque, that was just sitting there looking pathetic without a roof.

The following infamous conversation took place:

Sultan: Why is the mosque still not repaired?!
Minister: We have only allocated the budget to repair the villagers’s houses, Your Majesty.
Sultan: Is there no money in my bank account to repair this mosque?!
Minister: Gulp! *speechless*

The conversation sounded more sarcastic in Brunei Malay! Hehehe. But yes, now all is well, and the villagers and the mosque looks amazing, and you can hardly tell there was any damage done by the big storm. So everyone did a good job!

But Pudak is such a lovely place. When I went there it was about 6pm, so the village was washed with an amazing golden hue from the sun! Villagers were rushing on the wooden walkway to get back home as it was nearing sungkai time.

Really lovely! And it was one of those places where everyone was just so friendly! We break our fast at the village head’s residence, and almost the whole village stopped by and hung out there as well, to help out.

I love this photo, taken just a few minutes before iftar. If you call yourself a Bruneian, this is one place you must visit. Read all about our breaking fast in Pudak here.

Kuduskanlah kemaafan
Tuluskan keampunan
Di hari mulia ini
Sucikan diri

I love love love this song! Enjoy! Will be a hectic few days over at the Jackfruit Junction.

Photo by Ranoadidas.

I would really really like to try this!!! The foodie gang went to Jade Crystal Kopitiam in Madang Complex last Monday and had this for sungkai. Farah has been raving about it and Mr Kurapak is offering people to spoonfeed it to him!!! I wanna try!!!

Jade Crystal Kopitiam

Call 233 6238

I’ve been following the high profile divorce case between Siti Mariam (daughter of Pehin Isa) and the man behind the Fratini franchise, Adam Kalebic. Siti Mariam alleged that her husband (or soon to be ex-husband) physically abused her during their 19 years of marriage, and so demanded a divorce, that obviously he is not giving her.

Ivica@Adam Kalebic, 62, allegedly threatened to carve out the liver of his wife Siti Mariam binte Isa and eat it rather than consenting to a divorce, the Bandar Seri Begawan Magistrates Court heard yesterday.

Source: Siti Mariam Cross Examined, Divorce Denied

How drama is that! It has so far been very very interesting as the plot thickens when bits and pieces of the household abuse unfolds.

Its very rare that we get cases as high profile as this in this sultanate where a lot of things get settled behind closed doors to protect privacy, shame and such. But when we get drama, WE GET DRAMA WITH ALL THE GORY DETAILS!

Scary though.

Read more:

Complainant Denies Attempting To Deport Her Husband
Assault Case: Defence Disputes Cigarette Butt Claim

One of the greatest Ramadhan institutions in Brunei is the Cendol Temburong, specifically from Temburong, and in particular, made by the Brunei cendol icon, Haji Saban. It is sourced directly from him to a few select gerais in the Brunei Muara area.

I am lucky because I can get my supply nearby in Kampong Masin and I only live 5 minutes away from this delectable drink. Gula anau (palm sugar) or gula biasa (regular sugar)? Well, I get my pick! But a word of caution, come early as they sell out every day!

The green coloured cendol, is basically made out of starch and flavored with the pandan leaf. It’s a textural delight! I prefer  drink it using a spoon, from a bowl, much like eating ABC. But some people prefer to drink it from a glass, using a straw.

Have you tried cendol temburong? Tell me what do you think of them!

Air Kausar made its mark in Brunei at least 10 or so years ago as a drink that helps to decrease and alleviate high body temperatures. This is because Air Kausar contains barley, which is known to keep you cool when you demam.

Nowadays, those sold in gerais and shops are basically a diluted evaporated milk solution, soaked basil seeds and barley cordial. I guess barley cordial is easier to make, and saves a lot of time compared to making real barley. Furthermore people don’t exactly buy Air Kausar for its healing properties but more for thirst quenching and taste so I guess making real barley would just be redundant. Some even take it a step further and add in food colouring so you see pandan green or luscious baby pink bottles of Kausar here and there.

So basically, for those reasons above, I never drink Air Kausar anymore, except for the occasional bottle here and there given by friends and family members. A few days ago however, someone gave us a bottle of Kausar and to my surprise, they added in a new ingredient which was quite pleasant and gave the drink a rather yellowish hue. It took me a while to place the new flavor, but the new ingredient is Nestum!

Interesting things that people come up with. But, I’m old fashioned and still I very much prefer the one with real barley. As a drink it taste rich and wholesome. One of these days I’ll perhaps make my own.

What suspense! Today I found out changing your car battery is easy as pie. In fact, pie is probably harder! Sometimes I do wonder why some girls (me included) feel panicky when talking about the inner workings of a car.

So anyway, my car died 3 times yesterday as per tweeted. First time at home, and was sucessfully revived via jumper cables. Then second time it died again at the HQ, and was revived again via jumper cables. Third time it died again at my friend’s house and it fell into a deep sleep. Unrevivable.

So had to leave the poor thing there at my friend’s overnight, and hitched a ride with another friend.

***

Today I went to a battery store! Did you know of such things? A shop that sells only batteries! Whole thing was very fuss free. Told him the name of my car and showed him the picture of my battery in my phone (this one I posted on Twitter) for verification.

I jokingly said that I want a battery that is maintenance free and doesn’t need any refilling of battery fluids. To my shock and amazement, he said,

“Oh sorry, habis sudah”

O_O They exist! They cost a bit more by maybe $20 but hey, no maintenance needed! Apparently some genius invented a no maintenance car battery. But “habis”. So then I bought this one instead. I swear the next battery pack I buy will be the non-maintenance one. Hehe.

He needed to fill in the battery with magic water, and so told me to walk around first, and so I did.

Battery cost $58, roughly the cost of my 2 baju rayas. Hehe.

Then went back to my friend’s house where my car looked rather sad in their garage, looking abandoned and unwanted next to a shiny white Lexus and a big and strong Ford SUV.

Operation Battery Replacement begins: All you need is the smallest adjustable wrench you can find in Hua Ho.

Yes obviously those are not my fingers. If I was the one doing this who’s gonna take the pictures!!!??? Hehehe. Anyway, take off the nuts securing the battery to the engine thingamagic.

Remove!

Replace.

Make sure all nuts and bolts are tight as you do not want to end up with a battery pack on the road.

THAT’S IT! Easy right??? Totally plug and play! So suspense. Any idiot can do this and you can definitely do it too!

I’ve been delighting myself with Malaysian movies from the 80 and 90s on YouTube these past few days. Two of the latest movies I’ve watched may be familar to some of you, and it was definitely one of the more popular ones in our household back then: Suci Dalam Debu (1992) and Hati Bukan Kristal (1990).

Starring in both of these two movies, is a very pretty lady named Julia Rais. I’m not sure what happened to her now and personally I don’t quite remember her or her roles in those two movies. Then again, I was very young. Hehe.

As I re-watched these two movies, I realised that she reminds me of someone. And when I finally got it:

She looks like our very own Pengiran Anak Sarah! Do you see it?

1. On Saturday and Sunday, my blog stats drop by 30% to only 300+ unique visitors. I am obsessed with my statistics.
2. I hate it when businesses add me on Facebook. You will be automatically ignored.
3. I hate it when people add me up on Facebook and don’t put their profile picture on and don’t use their real name/name that I can recognize. Hello? How am I supposed to know who you are?
4. I like the smell of cigars and always make it a point to buy one whenever I travel.
5. I do not smoke ciggarettes cigarettes.
6. I don’t like people who speak Malay with an English accent. It’s not cute.
7. I really don’t like talking on the phone. I much prefer if you text. Best thing to do though, would be to email.
8. My favorite day of the week is Thursday because that’s when I get to meet him.
9. Ramadhan is my favorite month of the year because it’s quiet, peaceful and everyone is nice to one another.
10. Syawal is, unfortunately, my least favorite month of the year because it’s extremely materialistic and many people have lost touch to the the real essence of forgiveness. I think everyone feels pressured to have new shoes, new clothes, beautiful houses, be happy, and makes everything so insincere. I find that people tend to be extra mean and judgemental during Syawal.

Blackboard easel

Do you like reading my sungkai reviews? Or would you like me to talk about something else? I would talk about something else, but the thing is, I really like making these reviews. I love talking about food because I love food! Not just eating and smelling food, but making and arranging and taking photos of them! I especially love beautiful food! We eat to live, and if we eat good, beautifully arranged food, prepared carefully by a passionate cook, then you’d feel and taste its awesomeness.

Freshly made tempura.

Cheezbox is great. I am a regular in Cheezbox and I’ve always encountered great service and food there. I love that sometimes, the owner of the restaurant is always around in the restaurant doing petty things like cashier duty. Sometimes her whole family would come down there, especially her very small daughter, and they would have meals there. They do it a lot too, and the waitstaff there all adores the little girl. Shows how much the foundation behind the establishment values their food, it’s the food they use to feed their own family, and food you feed your family, is the best kind there is.

I didn’t try any of the Durian Cheesecake but it was one of the cheesecakes on display for offer during the buffet.

This was lovely! My favorite among all the cheesecakes!

I was very pleased that Cheezbox decided to do a sungkai buffet. And boy, for a price of $19.90, they sure was not stingy with their selection. There were a wide selection plopped up both upstairs and downstairs! Pastas and noodles and rice and breads! Roasts, and stews and seafood and gravy! And they were all so delicious!

This is my first course. A lovely assortment of yummy cheesecakes (at that time the real buffet was quite packed so I busied myself with the dessert buffet first). I had mango, banana, brownie and sponge. Yumminess!!! I love cheesecake see, in any form.

This is my second course, the cream of brocolli soup. The design I acheived by plopping a bit of carbonara sauce and swirling it around with my fork. Hee. Anyway, this was okay for me, was not very memorable, but I did taste brocolli and creaminess. It was just okay. Love the colour though.

This is my third course. Best course out of all the courses! From bottom, is the beef stew, the baked mussels, potato salad, barbecued lamb, and the salmon with creamy apple sauce. I am drooling just writing about this!

Delicious like wow! Finished all that and if I was not in the presence of the rest of the foodies, I would’ve LICKED the plate clean! The salmon was especially delicious with the creamy apple sauce. Slurps! (After I finished mine, I stole Farah’s one as she was sitting next to me).

Next course, my fourth and final one is the pasta carbonara which was sweet and creamy without being too heavy. It was very nice. Had some sliced smoked sausages on top and they went very well with the pasta.

And finally, dessert: The two gentlemen who kindly joined me for sungkai. Hahah! I’m kidding. I don’t eat people! Ha ha ha *nervous laughter*

CheezBox Cafe & Restaurant

Sungkai Buffet @ $19.90 (adult) & $12.90 (child)

Call 2425506/7