Orchid Garden of Singapore... A disappointment

The national flower of Singapore, since 1981, is the orchid Vanda Miss Joaquim. However, when you arrived in Singapore, you would not be able to see Miss Joaquim in the airport or the streets of Singapore, as she can only be seen and is "not so well preserved" in the Singapore’s Orchid Garden at the Botanic Gardens of Singapore.

I’m disappointed to see the orchids are not well maintained in the Orchid Garden (hey, the fee was $5, I thought I would be seeing something more). I wanted to take picture with the Vanda M. Joaquim, however, there was none which was beautiful enough to take picture with!

Ok, blamed it on the rainy season… but hey, this is Singapore, you would have thought that things are done smoothly here and the fact that Orchid Garden was officiated by the Minister Mentor, one would assume that someone there would really take care of the place.

Sadly, this is not the case. Me and a few foreigners wondering around were probably wondering what happen to the maintenance of the garden since we all expected something more than what was actually displayed. Even outside market has more flowers than what the Orchid Garden can offer… Hey, Brunei should have one Orchid Garden as well… since many Bruneians love orchids…. we can attract some tourist money in this area.....

In Singapore, it seemed that only outside the Raffles City Plaza (?) can one see some orchids being part of the the landscape but not around Orchard Road... maybe the tourist agency could look into replating more Miss Joaquim so that younger singaporean knows more about their national orchid... as for us Bruneians, the bunga Simpur can porbably be found at your backyard and if you still dont know that our national flower looks like, go the roundabout at the airport and you will see on there displayed.... :P

Swensen Restaurant – A disappointment…

We went to eat at a Swansen Restaurant branch in the west of Singapore recently and it was really a total disappointment. Not knowing what to order, we just thought of trying the “chef’s” best – ie – fish and chips and one baked curry rice. Why a disappointment ...

Firstly, though we arrived first, however, we were one of the last to be served. I had to wave the menu on the air to capture the waiter’s (or manager’s attention) and only then the waiter rushed to take our order. (Serves us right for sitting at the back for the nice comfy chair)

Secondly, I ordered the fish and chip – when it arrived, it’s sooo miserly served. I mean compared to the fish they served, I think I can eat a better portion served at KFC's Fish burger!

Third, the baked curry rice. Gosh, even I can do this dish! How? Well, get your canned YEO'S chicken curry and then dump all the curry in the rice and then baked it in the oven for about 10 minutes – and wala… you have your own Swensen’s baked chicken curry rice... Its great that the restaurant support local curry manufacturer, but when I taste it, i dont that that rice should cost more than $2!

Fourth, ohh.. waiter… don’t blame me for not signing you the tips – the service that day was bad and I was having a bad day - :P

ps. Taxi fare went up, the weather's hot, all the walking is really killing me.... argghh... No wonder Singaporeans are peeved...

Happy Teacher's Day 2006

This year 16th annual Teacher's Day celebration was brought forward to Thursday, 21st September 2006, because of the possibility of the 1st Day of Ramadhan - [and by now we know that Puasa (fasting) does not start until Sunday, 24th September 2006]. This could also be the first time that primary schools students went on holiday on that day. During my time, Teacher's Day was still schooling days for us. :P

Teacher's Day should actually be celebrated on 23rd September, on the occassion of the birthday of the late Sultan's father, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei. The last Seri Begawan had contributed a lot to the Brunei's education system during his reign.

I guess one of the most important event for me was that, this year's Teacher's Day was that 2 ethnic-Chinese teacher were honoured, namely Mr. Haidon Lim Beng Guan (Mathematics)and Ms. Shim Guek Lan (Home Science). This should be the first time ethnic-Chinese Bruneians are rewarded as such. Congratulations! And to all Teachers in Brunei - Happy Teacher's Day

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By the way, today (in Chinese Calender) is also the day that the Gate of Hell was closed after being opened for 2 months... But according to the Chinese calender, tomorrow, would be the worst day of the month, so people should be extra careful.

The Legislative Council Building....

Progress on the Legislative Council Building... September 2006

Durian Kura Kura...

Its non-sticky and its great to eat!

Raja Nazrin Shah's Speech in Brunei...

Raja Nazrin extols virtues of a ruler

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei: The role of monarchs should not be merely symbolic, restricted to carrying out ceremonial and traditional duties. In making this observation, the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah said a king was not “a frozen decorative monument without life.”

“A king should exhibit a firm, intelligent and just character, be rich in knowledge and experience,” he said yesterday at a special forum on the Muslim Malay monarchy system in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. The forum was held in conjunction with the 60th birthday celebration of the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.

Raja Nazrin said a king should be able to bridge the old and the new and bring about reforms as well as retain traditions and be ready to institute changes by allowing modernisation to take place without discarding the richness of inherited customs.

For the king to act wisely, intelligently, fairly and equitably, he must have officials and advisers who are knowledgeable and do not have hidden interests, he said.

“A king should never feel pressured and should not have to give his assent if any advice presented contradicts the spirit of the Constitution, contravenes the rule of law and is in breach of the global principles of justice.

“A king should never favour actions that do not symbolise justice or accede to actions that do not reflect the truth,” he said.

Raja Nazrin said administrators appointed to govern a country must prove their loyalty to the king by carrying out their responsibilities honestly, sincerely and with full determination and commitment.

“A king falls because of the collapse of a country, and the country crumbles because of the people's anxiety. Weak governance causes the people to be anxious. Defective governance damages the country and, in the end, weakens the king,” he said.

The strengths and weaknesses of a king, he added, were dictated by the strengths and weaknesses of those entrusted to be his officials and advisers.

“Those given the trust and responsibility to advise the king must speak the truth however bitter it may be,” he said.

Raja Nazrin said a king should not underestimate the role of the media, which was becoming more open.

“Managing the media is an art that requires skill, charm and prudence,” he said.

He suggested the creation of a website on the monarchy to allow the world to understand the institution of the monarchy from the palace's perspective.

Raja Nazrin also said monarchs had the responsibility to help overcome terrorism.

He said they could, for example, initiate inter-religious and inter-cultural discussions, enhance the understanding of Islam, voice humanitarian demands and help those who were suffering, especially in Palestine, Afghanistan and Lebanon. –Bernama

- The Star, 21th September 2006

Note: Well said... I'm sure a lot of people is looking for the text of HRH speech

ACC Restaurant, Kg. Bunut

My mom's friend introduced this restaurant to us because according to her, it's Nasi Lemak Perak is sooooooooo Delicious (hmm.. maybe there's a bias since the aunty is from Penang... heheh)... and its huge in its portion and cheap as well.... (Nasi Berani costs $2!!!)

Anyways, when we arrived at about 10.20am this morning, the food were ready and there were already a lot of customers eating in the restaurant. There's a air-con room and another is an outside for smokers and one just have to go inside to order the food. The food is ready made food and one has to queue in line to get served. Their cooked chicken, lamb, beef, sotong, fish, prawns and even their special crab are displayed and for those who want to eat murtabak, is available as well - (ps, try with the chicken or beef kicap sauce - its great!)

I ordered my "normal" chicken masak kicap but since i like the Indian or Malay masak kicap, i also ordered the beef kicap (dark soya sauced beef)...

The food taste good, the ambience is good and clean and we will definately go again (though its quite far from our home).... so to my friend who lives near Jln Tutong, drop by the place (exactly behind the Shell Petrol Station at Kg. Bunut, after the Bunut Post Office)....

Its worth the try...

Face on a tree...

A famous tree emerged in Kampong Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang, West Malaysia, that have people and the media running to see and cover the story. Natural or not, this maybe an indication of something and passers-by are told not to stare at the face in the Pinang tree for long....

Notices put up to stop people from praying from the tree...

The notices state that any act of abnormal worshipping is against Section 3(1) of the Syariah Criminal Offence Enactment 1996.The notices also state that those who worship any man, animal or thing in contravention of the Syariah Laws can be fined up to RM3,000 or jailed up to two years, or both.The notices also state that the department can seize the object from the owner and have it destroyed even if no one is convicted of the offence.

The face above probably will only last for 2 weeks

Such an incident, known as “inflorescent” in botany circles, is an arrangement of flowers on a stem, and due to folding, could branch out in the form of a face or other forms.

Universiti Sains Malaysia academician Prof Dr Chan Ngai Weng, a hydrologist, said in an interview here yesterday: “We often see photos on the Internet of plants that seem to feature unique images of animal or human motifs. In my professional opinion, they are merely coincidences in nature.”

On the claim that the “face” changed daily, Dr Chan said this could be due to the weather.
“For instance, the frond will expand on a wet day when its water content is high while the reverse happens on a dry day,” he explained.

Someone already stole the roots of the tree

Sources and Pictures: The Star and New Straits Time Newspapers

Our First Customer....

Bye-bye flowers....

To the new owner: Take good care of the plants ya.....

So that means, the taboo is broken.. the first customer gets the discount... the rest ... not... :P

Flowers for sale2

Flowers for Sale...

2nd University proposal...

The issue regarding the 2nd Islamic University is hotly debated though not so openly. There are many who disagree with the setup of the 2nd Islamic University basically became many believe that its not practical in this technologically advanced age. Whether its "glamorous" or not, that is not an issue, but it is a fact that the government cannot afford to build another university if it does not plan to maintain it in the long run.

The only local university, according to those who studied there before, complained about the lack of facilities and maintenance of the place. Only when there's a VVIP studying or visiting the place, only then the University would look "nice". Other than that, most of the time, it looks quite dull.

Students complained of the computers which are inadequate and "old", when their counterparts are in UK or Australian universities are running on wireless broadband connection, UBD's connection is still possibly around 56kbs!! The books in the library are inadequate and are old edition, as well as the journals and magazines (this does eat a large chunk of the library budget). UBD can't attract well-known lecturers or professors because its pay is not competitive. Students still have to run around the university to find tutorial rooms and some can't even find suitable rooms (to some, even tables and chairs!) for their lecture or tutorial. Aircons do breakdown while the maintenace of toilets, electricity and gardening seemed to be of secondary importance.

Politically, this might be good for the state's image as an Islamic state hence the state must have an Islamic Unversity, but at what cost? Friends from Malaysia commented that no one actually wants to go to Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIA), unless they have no choice. For those thinking of working in the private sector, then chances are quite low if one is wants to be employed if graduating from that university.

Many have been expecting that ITB to be upgraded or merged with the country's only university. BEDB had high hopes (in the old days) to change the curriculum so that it could employ people suitable for the businesses they were trying to attract. The new Minister, I'm sure is working so hard to put the Education System back in its proper forward looking setting, to make sure that Bruneians get quality and marketable education, not only for employment opportunities in this country but overseas as well....

Before a 2nd university is set up, it is better that a "consultancy" be set up to understand the pros and cons of setting up another huge investment, which in the end could be another "white elephant" if not properly thought of...

Fengshui lesson...

Adnan: Remove keris symbol from Umno flag

The Star, 10th September 2006

SUNGAI SIPUT: The keris symbol on Umno flags should be removed because it is a weapon denoting quarrels, said supreme council member Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob.

Adnan, who is also Pahang Mentri Besar, said he believed the keris symbol could have been the cause of the numerous quarrels in the party

“There were 20 major quarrels in Umno since its formation 60 years ago,” he said after opening the Sungai Siput Umno division meeting yesterday.

He noted that some of them involved the late Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah while there is an ongoing spat between former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

“The symbol may signify the party’s struggles but it also means quarrels,” he said, adding that there would be no peace in Umno.

When asked to suggest a symbol to replace the keris, Adnan said: “I suggest a pen or a coin.”
The pen, he said, was a symbol of knowledge while the coin symbolised a prosperous economy.

“In Umno, we need to use a lot of money and there is money politics in Umno,” he said.

On the quarrel between Dr Mahathir and Abdullah, he said members should not be unduly worried as there would always be quarrels in Umno.

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I'm sure all the Fengshui masters will agree with Adanan... but his suggestion to use a coin may eventaully mean that its a political party full of corruption (if it isnt already)

Charcoal BBQ and Grill, Jalan Tutong

The food in this restaurant is not bad… its worth the try. Afterall, one just got to try all the restaurants in Brunei since they mushroomed here and there. The drinks in Charcoal starts from $2 above while pasta starts from $8.90 and the grilled main dish which comprise of lambs, beef and chicken starts from $10 and above.

Good food... I like restaurants with reasonable priced items and have large portions... :)

To all potential restaurants owners - Size Does Matter.... :P

Cancer Centre In Brunei

Why is Brunei still "mulling" this issue? Wasnt the Jerudong Medical Centre supposed to be Brunei's Heart but also its Cancer Centre?

Can Brunei be a regional Cancer Centre? How, when even in Jerudong Medical Centre, they are having difficulties trying to attract good and experienced doctors? How can they work well when facilties are still not up to international standard (its been 8 to 9 years already since Amedeo collapse). Who are going to finance and invest in this project?

A lot of people (Bruneians) either fly to Singapore or Kuala Lumpur to seek medical assistance basically because of its of better quality. I heard recently that an normal kidney stone removal operation went into some problem in the local hospital... you see, even simple procedure cant even be perfected....and in many western countries, they use lazer to demolish kidney stones. In Thailand, many vain people are going there to have simple surgery to reduce the fat not only on their body but also on their faces! Indeed, any form of healthcare services are worth the investment since people tend to live longer need the services throughout their lives one way or the other.

No offence, but I wish the Ministry would just put more effort and investment in the healthcare services, so that our healthcare services could be one of the best in SEA Region as it was during the 1970s and 1980s. Easier said than done.... many things are here in BRunei since priorities are very different...

The Issue of Strays in Brunei

In an interview with the Borneo Bulletin Acting Brunei Muara District officer, Awang Hj Jamain bin Momin, said the Brunei-Muara District Office is seriously looking at the problem of strays (specifically the dogs) after a child was attacked by three stray dogs, several days ago.

"Positive actions will be taken in a few days," assured the Acting District Officer.

From memories, usually "positive" actions will mean the immediate "assasination" of the strays. How to do it? Previously, the dogs will be shot dead. Do i expect it to be different 20 years later? Not likely. IF immiediate actions will be taken against the stray dogs, the dogs will be shot and killed, and disposed by the municipal board people (orang buang sampah)...

Why? Whose's going to pay for a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty on Animals? Since dogs are widely considered to be "haram" (because i have read the arguments in Brudirect before which says that dogs are not automatically "haram" in Islam, but I'm not really sure, it was quite sometime already), why should the government pay for the animals to be cared for? When the NGOs such as - SMARTER (for autistic children) cant even get government funding, what do you think the chances are for the stray animals?

The fight for Pluto

PARIS (AFP) - Only a week after Pluto was stripped of its status as a full-fledged planet of the Solar System, rebel astronomers have launched a campaign to have it restored in pomp and glory.

A petition already signed by more than 300 professional researchers is attacking the International Astronomical Union (IAU) decision to expel Pluto from the Solar System's A-list and doom it to the status of "dwarf planet"...
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Hmmm.... after a week, Pluto was dropped as a Planet in our solar system, "rabel" astronomers launched an "attack", for it to be restored. So does this means the school textbooks should NOT be thrown out yet?

I wonder with these changes, will the Ministry of Education be vigilant and make the necessary changes in the school textbooks and that school teachers are concerned enough to inform their students on the changes.... Im sure one of this year's Science exam questions will ask how many planets are there in our solar system..be prepared to know the answers :-)

Dinner...

Fish - Masak Asam and the other bought from the tamu at Gadong
Prawns, Vegetables, Salted Eggs and tonight's special is the satay....







After finishing the dinner, we realize we've forgotten to take the chicken out from the steamer!.. ah well...