"no idea but in things"

MAURINA HAS MIGRATED

2006-02-09T21:44:00.000+08:00

Dear readers,

This is to inform everyone that Miss Maurina has moved to this web address;

http://maurina.wordpress.com

Yeay! See you there!

Exciting changes coming!

2006-02-09T17:18:00.000+08:00

Ahhhhh! Guess what I did? :)

Turquoise and roses is moving!

New site is under construction.

Guess where I'll be!

Hint: Still free hosting though. Hee.

On a similar note

2006-02-09T16:29:00.000+08:00

I was reading through this blog like I always do.

This post in particular struck a chord.

It is exactly what I have been saying all this while!

My comments on the billboard is still the same as ever.

Tourists come, tourist see, tourist think, "Thats where we'll get the weed"

I know what you are up to and it's really stupid

2006-02-08T23:54:00.000+08:00

Oh! Lion Dance at the Mall!
(All this while, I thought it was a dragon!)
Ignorant woman.

Anyway, yes, the dance stopped people dead in their tracks.
Needless to say, a lot of Chinese shopowners were being very generous after that.
I actually got a further discount on an already severely discounted pair of pants!

All hail the lion!

Weirdos~

2006-02-08T22:54:00.000+08:00

Quick quick! Click here!

Someone (who is pretty enraged about things) has cracked into his blog and actually had the TIME to concoct a reallllly long, ungrammatical and extremely unconvincing post.

Tsk tsk tsk. It reminds me of another incident with the Brudirect website.

Seriously how do these people find the time? Do you not have a life whatsoever? Do you not have anything else to do other than dwell on the past? Do you not have the concept of future time in your head?

Dear, dear. How very saddening. *dramatic sigh*

P/s: Shut up people. I don't stalk the royal family okay. I just happen to stumble upon his blog a few weeks ago. YES BY ACCIDENT!!!

Stairway to heaven

2006-02-05T11:42:00.000+08:00

Pretty much happy with things.

Effectively living my dreams: hair up to my waist.

Updated my Friendster profile. (hehe)

Oh by the way, did you know that a trip to Temburong costs $6 ($12 return)? Imagine setting up a transport service that costs $5 per trip. Huahaha. You'll successfully run a monopoly.

I will update the blog with more interesting things soon. I need to find inspiration!

February will be Fabulous

2006-02-02T16:59:00.000+08:00

Today I celebrate my femininity.
I thought my body forgot again this month that I am a woman.

:)
These are truly.
The painful bodilly miracles.

Nevermind that no one understands this post.
Maybe some who understands me will.
Because today,
I proudly celebrate my femininity.

Disillusioned

2006-01-31T14:13:00.000+08:00

What if I suddenly realise that this is not neccesarily the right career path for me?

Am I really in the right position to feed hungry minds with knowledge that even I myself have trouble with sometimes?

Do they want a mere child to lead them into the real world?

What do you do in these bouts of disillusionment? Should you just drift away and drown in all this negativity? Should I think about why I chose this field in the first place?

Is financial gain worth all this?

Is financial gain all I am interested in?

What does one do in these bouts of disillusionment? Since when am I this cowardly?

Since
I
realised
that
it
is
not
all
about
me.

It is also about them.

God, you know I have nothing, I pray you will give me strength.

No mood to blog

2006-01-31T00:25:00.000+08:00

I ate a freaking hell lot of barbecued lamb chops today (and at least 200 chicken wings).

Will be non-functional for at least a week.

Cholestrol overload.

Colourless Green Ideas Sleep Furiously

2006-01-27T22:07:00.000+08:00

What's wrong with the title?

Blog and Nominate then Win

2006-01-23T22:41:00.000+08:00

I've voted.

Have you?

Recent Innovations in the world of stationery

2006-01-23T21:43:00.000+08:00

Pilot's new - PERMABALL!

Amazing what gets invented

2006-01-22T23:48:00.000+08:00

Real life dog statues!
To scare away burglars and evil-minded sorts.

I quote my cousin, "kuyuk batu".

Fastfood Express

2006-01-20T17:01:00.000+08:00

The image above is all new Mushroom Cheese Burger from Jollibee.

This image on the other hand is the scrumptious Double Mushroom Swiss from Burger King.

Hmm.

*brain processing a compare and contrast*

I WANT BURGER KING! *cries*

People flocking the mall for God knows what

2006-01-20T00:16:00.000+08:00

My life. It has come to this. Snapping pictures of people I don't know.

...using a camera phone with bad resolution.

Sigh.

I'm in a Bad Mood

2006-01-20T00:13:00.000+08:00

ALL MEN ARE *insert swear word of choice* IDIOTS!!!

Sigh.

There.

Nothing like men-bashing to cure a bad day.

Uncovered!

2006-01-18T23:09:00.000+08:00

Opinionistas is Melissa Lafsky.

No more annonymous blogging from her.

She has now resigned and working full time on a novel.

Good luck O!

Green Eyed Monster

2006-01-18T11:30:00.000+08:00

Dazzling has a chocolate fountain!

I hate you.

Golden Globe Awards

2006-01-17T23:40:00.000+08:00

There are so many celebrity boobs that needs immediate attention.

Drew Barrymore's was up to her waist.
Mariah Carey's boobs were positively all over the place.
And what on earth is with Pamela Anderson's boob sling?

Erkgh.

Bottomless pit

2006-01-16T18:55:00.000+08:00

THAT IS A LOT OF FOOD!
That can only mean one thing.

The TESLers went out to lunch!

Speechless

2006-01-16T00:13:00.000+08:00

I asked, "Have you ever prayed for me?"

..and he replied, "Yes, so your heart will open and you will be filled with light"

What should one say next? Speechless.

You look like you like what you see

2006-01-14T12:48:00.000+08:00

You Are Bold Red Boots

You like to put your most outrageous foot forward!

What Kind of Boots Are You?

Ah good.

Spam is depressing

2006-01-14T03:00:00.000+08:00

Who on earth invented spam?

I've googled that question and I now know who to send my contract killers off to assasinate: JAKOB NIELSEN.

On a side note, another DJ has taken over BruStu Radio. He is completely insane. Oh wait. No, it is a scene from West Side Story.

Back to spam, who the hell is ever going to open an email from flndrgthshjlak@ncdkqbgi.hl on "Pharmaceuticalx Products"?

...or another one from my friend i_kuleshav@invox.ru on

"Prescription-free Top Brands Available So|m|a v1aGr@ FLiU1Nay"

Tsk tsk tsk.

What good is spam? They're useless! Useless!

Kiss me

2006-01-14T01:50:00.001+08:00

I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE ENJOYED RADIO THIS MUCH!

*face in awe*

Got a Black Magic Woman~

2006-01-14T01:31:00.000+08:00

I don't know who the DJ at BruStu Radio is right now at this very moment and I cannot understand any word he/she is saying. But he/she is playing one of Santana's oldies.

THAT is a mark of great taste in music.

Good job!

Update: After I hit "Publish", Katie Melua's "My Aphrodisiac is You" came on. Congratulations, whoever you are you have become my favorite DJ on earth.

So please don't die.

Remember that I once had a wishlist?

2006-01-13T02:01:00.000+08:00

Well, here's the next item.

A CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN.

Just look at it in action here.

Arghhhh. The sight is so delicious, I almost want to bite my arm off.

MUST. HAVE. CHOCOLATE. FOUNTAIN.

CRAVE! CHOCOLATE!

Named a star for free today

2006-01-12T21:31:00.000+08:00

Given By:
Astrology.com Registration

Location:
RA 0h55m39.61s
DEC +5D07M06S
MAG 14.79

Constellation:
Pisces

(probably a hoax)

Look what I found at the nursery

2006-01-12T21:06:00.000+08:00

Originally uploaded by Rara Maurina.

My mum's orchid nursery I mean, not baby nursery.

NEWSFLASH!

2006-01-12T01:37:00.000+08:00

ANGELINA JOLIE IS PREGNANT!!!

WHY AM I YELLING?!!!

EVIDENCE.
MORE EVIDENCE.

Went to do a little shopping

2006-01-12T01:17:00.000+08:00

Originally uploaded by Rara Maurina.
(Yes I Have a Flickr account)

That is an 8 year old girl in the bag.

What do you think it was?

Greeting

2006-01-11T12:24:00.000+08:00

Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha everyone!

Meat party!

By the fig and the olive

2006-01-09T03:00:00.000+08:00

I do believe olives are an acquired taste.

But figs, I love. Every seed.

But why am I thinking of figs and olives when I should be sleeping?

Goodnight gentlemen.

Jetlagged and I haven't even been abroad.

2006-01-09T02:41:00.000+08:00

Semester starts in a few hours.

Haven't slept a wink and its already 3am.

I have already laid out the concealer for my eyebags tommorow.

Must go back to normal sleeping pattern! Brunei mode starts now!

Carnivale of Couture #1

2006-01-07T01:52:00.000+08:00

I missed it yet again! But in Saudi Arabia, it is still Friday, so I'm going to participate anyway.

The first Carnivale is about my Fashion Predictions for 2006.

I am obviously no expert and none of my predictions might even come true anyway. But here are my two cents.

I predict:

1. The return of various gold coloured details on garments.
2. Pink is out, so is black. In with the classic rich colours of olive green, eggplant purple, luscious ruby red, deep turquoise and earthy brown.
3. Dramatic eyes.
4. The return of the feminine body, and the demise of the waif skinniness.
5. A further emphasis on accessories especially shoes and bags.
6. END OF THE BOHO LOOK

Haha. Let us all wait and see whether I am good at predicting. Haha. So cocky.

Don't tell me love isn't true, it's just something that we do

2006-01-07T01:47:00.000+08:00

Agh. That is the thousandth time Firefox crashed on me.

Why is it the better browser again?

Does anyone else encounter the same problem? Or am I the only one?

Google celebrates Louis Braille's Birthday!

2006-01-05T03:07:00.000+08:00

Hehe.
Call me retarded but I think it is kind of cute.

Mild photo frenzy

2006-01-04T22:31:00.000+08:00

NO I do not have too many shoes!!!

At least FIVE of those are not mine anyway. They're obviously men's shoes.

There are more under the stairs and they are all mine muahahahahahah!

No, this is not a photoblog.

2006-01-04T22:19:00.000+08:00

Dome.
The menu under the "Salad" section.
Did you know that Caesar Salad was named after the creator of the dressing: Chef Caesar Cardini?
Nope not THE OTHER CAESAR.
I didn't know that!

Just being sneaky

2006-01-04T22:16:00.000+08:00

The hype has not quite died down yet.
...
..
.

...but its snowwww~

Dinner time!

2006-01-04T22:10:00.000+08:00

Pasta anyone?

Number 23

2006-01-03T18:57:00.000+08:00

BINGO!
..and no, my sister's wedding did not have a "Vegas" theme.

How do you count your life?

2005-12-31T12:34:00.000+08:00

How have I progressed this year? Am I the same person I was the beginning of this year? Have I done anything to make the world a better place for my children to live in?

Have I done anything to make myself a better person?

Is my life now more meaningful?

Tommorow, will be the first day of a new 365 day segment of our lives.

How will you change the world this time around?

How will you make a difference?

Happy New Year.

Ah what a day.

2005-12-29T15:19:00.000+08:00

Oh. :) Results came out just fine.

For those who have not gotten their results via SMS, you can get results here.

Congratulations to everyone!

And since you are in UBD's website, you might as well look at next semester's timetable.

Flying Coffins

2005-12-29T15:04:00.000+08:00

The Bandar Seri Begawan from the Sultan's backyard.
Don't become the Frenchman that never goes on topof the Eiffel Tower.
Get on one of these perahu tambangs and have a $10 tour of our waterways.

The Secret Home

2005-12-28T23:44:00.000+08:00

Somewhere in this picture *coughs*on the hill*coughs*, is the new palace for the Crown Prince and his wife, still under construction. This is the view from Brunei River.

When you figure out how I manage to be on Brunei River, there will be another post.

Clue: It is the best, most well organised public transportation system in Brunei.

By the way

2005-12-28T04:21:00.000+08:00

Results not out yet.

Hyperventilation starts... now.

Have Faith

2005-12-28T03:14:00.000+08:00

The local radio brings us updates from the Holy Cities as the Month of Zulhijjah progresses.

Here is an article about it.

Call me defensive but the comments are somewhat speculative aren't they? In the spirit of all things beautiful, loving and kind, I hope no one ever falls for these unfair propaganda against Islam.

The pilgrims. They are warriors. Against hawa nafsu.

I wish the Bruneians abroad performing their Haj have a safe and fulfilling journey, both mentally and physically.

Here is an MP3 of Surah Al-Humaza (The Traducer) recited by the resident imam in the Grand Mosque of Mecca.

Let us all gain learning from it.

Anxiety Attacks

2005-12-27T04:07:00.000+08:00

It is confirmed.

Results will be out in a few hours.

Doomed.

McGowan McGowan, what did you do wrong?

Ten days is not enough

2005-12-25T04:40:00.000+08:00

So I was just thinking.

In Big Fish (which was on HBO a few hours ago), Ewan McGregor said,

"They say time stops when you look at someone you love"

Bah humbug! Time will only fly faster than ever.

Trust me.

Tinseltown

2005-12-25T04:14:00.000+08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

An excuse to wear red.

:)

Suddenly I am inspired. I apologise to my brain.

2005-12-24T04:24:00.000+08:00

I thought I was being artistic when I took this shot of a candle.

Little did I know that someone else caught me!

I did say "soon"

2005-12-23T23:41:00.000+08:00

Them technicians at Empire are pretty busy.
Jitterbugs anyone?

Uninspired Times

2005-12-23T23:24:00.000+08:00

I am as my Title suggests.

Sister's wedding coming up.

Too much free time.

Can you endure shoe blogging?

Will post next time.

I come up number one for "Setarak" in Google

2005-12-20T23:44:00.000+08:00

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"no idea but in things": 09/11/2005
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Is it so hard for you to understand that I am capable of change?

2005-12-17T14:23:00.000+08:00

This poem was written from the sickbed by Amrita Pritam to her partner Imroz.
Translated from Punjabi by Nirupama Dutt

I WILL MEET YOU YET AGAIN

I will meet you yet again
How and where?
I know not.
Perhaps I will become a
Figment of your imagination
And maybe, spreading myself
In a mysterious line
On your canvas,
I will keep gazing at you.

Perhaps I will become a ray
Of sunshine to be
Embraced by your colours,
I will paint myself on your canvas
I know not how and where—

Maybe I will turn into a spring,
And rub the foaming
Drops of water on your body,
And rest my coolness on
Your burning chest.
I know nothing else
But that this life
Will walk along with me..

When the body perishes,
All perishes:
But the threads of memory
Are woven with enduring specks.
I will pick these particles,
Weave the threads,
And I will meet you yet again.

Ghalia & Gaza

2005-12-16T01:54:00.000+08:00

Hungry and contemplating a meal at Gadong Properties, caught sight of this quaint little place across the street.

Perhaps it was the name, but I initially thought this place sells food of Middle Eastern origins. It reminds me of small Sydney delis run by the Lebanese selling hommus and Greek salads.

So me and the Significant Other went across the street to look a little closer. This is what stands out:

CHANGI CHICKEN RICE - $2.00

Curiousity hugely aroused, we went in.

Note: Don't push the door. Pull. It won't open if you push.

Not at all like the Sydney delis. It is designed with minimalism in mind, splashed with rich shades of cinnamon and burgundy. The space is small, yet cosy. Warm lights are put in strategic places and it gave the place a somewhat retro 70s feel to it.

Ordered the bidollar meal.

It was delicious. To the extent that, we devoured every single bite in silence. No sound of talking. Only occasional grunts of approval.

Until it was all gone.

Remember the name. Ghalia and Gaza. Try it. Like it.

Oh hmpph

2005-12-15T04:03:00.000+08:00

So she's Miss Iceland, the Miss World 2005.
Right.
What the hell is her real name?

Or the real question is, how on earth do you pronounce that

Images from Spirit Fingers

Life has only just begun

2005-12-15T00:11:00.000+08:00

Is there any salon out there who would like to sponsor me for a hair colour touch-up?

Reasons why you should:
I am a walking advertisement because I am everywhere.
Random people stop me to ask about my hair.
My roots are showing.

Sponsor me!

O:D

To me a Rhombus looks like this

2005-12-14T19:58:00.000+08:00

Dear Ms. Maurina,

Here is an article of mine entitled 'English as a global language' that appeared in the Nation Islamabad. I think I've already mailed the same to you. However, I m afraid u didn't get its clearer copy. Now I mail it again to you in the attached file in the pdf format. You must have acrobat reader installed in ur pc in order to be able to read it. It has been tipped by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute to be one of the good article of its nature. I await ur comments.

Thanx and take care,

Amer Rizwan

Dear Amer,

I have read your article. I am very impressed by the way that you have articulated your ideas. In my second year of University (I am doing a TESL course with extended Sociolinguistic modules), I have come to terms with World Englishes- the notion and the reality that English is not exclusively for the British or American or the Australian only but for everyone.It resonates lucidly with your article.

Indeed I think it is an article worth sharing with the Bruneian blogging community. I have a weblog over at this link, http://turquoiseandroses.blogspot.com and I am wondering if I can have you permission to post this article there? I will give you your full credits of course. The blog is rather informal and I host a few of my own academic articles up for download (cleverly disguised under the skin of a breezy and congenial facade to attract the target demographic).

I hope that you will consider. The article reflects a lot on the Bruneian use of Enlglish and it is interesting for my readers, to ponder on. If you decide against it, I would understand. I am putting no pressure on you. :)

Maurina

Dear Maurina,

Thannks for your encouragement. You can post this article on your weblog. Indeed, it would be an honour for me. One thing you must understand that I am not an expert on English Language or English Language Teaching, I have interests in a plethora of subjects, and I want to explore every nook and corner of the infinite expanse of knowledge. I know that I cannot do so in this short span of life yet my noble pursuit is on.

I'd visit your weblog as a layman, and I hope that you'd forgive me if my understanding of the stuff fall short of your standard. Waiting for reply.

Amer Rizwan

Click this link over here to download the article (pdf format).

UHU

2005-12-12T19:23:00.000+08:00

All purpose adhesive.
Perfect for everyday jobs around the house, at school, in the office or for handicraft works. It is crystal clear, clean and easy to use on virtually every type of material: wood, cardboard, paper, fabric and textiles, leather, pottery, glass, china, marble, metal, felt, cork and straw.

Note from Blogger: It does everything it says. Has the consistency of melted mozzarella cheese. Smells like, erm, that stuff people get high on.

All for the price of $4.90 (Makrojaya Jerudong)
Support local businesses!

In a Bubble

2005-12-12T06:27:00.000+08:00

Yawn, was it the Brunei Greatest Marathon yesterday? The Kenyas probably won.

I wonder how the Damita and Izzy did.

Me? I was doing my own marathon at home. Making boxes.

Yawn. I'm pretty much missing out on things.

Agh! The sun! Must sleep!

Five in Fiction

2005-12-10T04:49:00.000+08:00

5 fictional characters I would date
These are characters, not the people who play them. (Doh)

inspired by Tina

WARNING: Please ignore the pattern in my dating habits. Thank you.

1. Zachariah Rasheed from this book. Beautiful eyes that looks like lapis lazuli. Not only I'd date him. I'd actually marry him.

2. The Phantom! Or the "angel of music". All he needs is a little tender loving care and who better to give it than me. (Oh I am just so brimming with goodness).

3. Tristan Ludlow in this movie. I just want to marry him and cook for him, and have all his children and comfort him and kiss all his troubles away. I'll whisper to his ear everynight "I'll never leave before you do"

4. Jake Perry in Sweet Home Alabama. Also desire to marry him.

5. Henry. I love you. Dump claire. Marry me. I'll be your wife.

Just a Thought

2005-12-09T03:24:00.000+08:00

I wonder if anyone ever thought my blog's domain name is inspired by them.
It is.

Disturbing

2005-12-09T02:21:00.000+08:00

Eek!

Pro-weblog Awards

2005-12-09T01:28:00.000+08:00

Following the link from Tina's post on the blog awards, again I say, the awards are a great idea. This is what I posted in her comments section;

December 8th, 2005 at 1:16PM
Maurina danced:
I LIKE the idea so much it hurts. Lets do it! Lets do it! Whats wrong with a little popularity contest. Popularity means that the weblog is writing what the target demographic wants and likes to read. You have to give kudos for that. And on that pre made layout thing, you can always make a separate category for them. Best Blog with Pre-Made Layouts or something like that. Judged more on the content more than their layout selecting tactics? Besides it will give publicity to the new blogs and looking at the bigger picture, if we generate a lot of buzz about this, look at all the credibilty bloggers will gain. Imagine! We might be held in the same high regard as journalists. Lets have the award thing! I am giving this 100% support. Bruneian Bloggers need exposure and we need credibility. We need to take the negative view non-bloggers have on the Blogging community and replace it with the positive. Look at the bigger picture! Lets support this! When you look at it this way, the drama is really not big a deal. If you think of the award shows on MTV and stuff, it is not only about winning, it is a whole load of things crammed together into one event. Lets have this!

A whole load of things and a lot more.

Ack! Hot!

2005-12-08T05:11:00.000+08:00

I have accidentally burnt my cheek with a curling iron.

What am I doing with a curling iron at 5am you ask? Well, that is a very good question. What's that? Oh yes thank you for noticing my already very curly hair which does not need any more curling using the hot curling iron. Interesting that you should point that out.

New mattress. Enough said.

Gasp, the traffic in my blog is dwindling

2005-12-08T04:51:00.000+08:00

Before long I would have to pose nude to generate traffic.
Egad.

Pardon our Dust

2005-12-08T03:35:00.000+08:00

Haha. Click here for the new and fantastic Gap commercial.

Caution: It is directed by Spike Jonze.

Genius.

Three Days - I miss Naz

2005-12-08T02:53:00.000+08:00

Server not found

Firefox can't find the server at www.snixxx.co.uk/naz.

* Check the address for typing errors such as
www.example.com instead of www.example.com

* If you are unable to load any pages, check your computer's network
connection.

* If your computer or network is protected by a firewall or proxy, make sure
that Firefox is permitted to access the Web.

I live in a horticultural park

2005-12-05T19:29:00.000+08:00

I have just realised that my home is a freaking jungle!

Look at the interesting fruit trees that I found outside of which their origins are pretty much unknown.

<1>

Citrus fruits ranging from the small Kasturi Limes, medium sized Labi Oranges, to the huge Pomelo fruits

<2>
The ciku!

<3>

Papayas galore!

<4>
Bananas fresh and green still in their pyjamas

<5>

We've got a lover-ly bunch of coconuts alive and dead
*try saying that with the Monty Phyton accent*

<6>
Chillies! The small kind.
'Lada Padi' as we say it here.

<7>
The mengkudu for medicinal purposes.

<8>
This tree is still waiting for the fruit to arrive. According to the Mama, it is too young. This is the pengalaban. Authentic Bruneian delicacy.

<9>
Season fruit (and judging from the absence of the fruit, I assume this is not yet the season). The Mata Kucing. Literal meaning "cat's eyes". Name is probably derived from the physical appearance of the fruit. A semi transparent flesh with a black coloured stone inside. Sweet and juicy.

<10>
DURIAN! Also a season fruit.

***

Well these are the ones I could identify. There are at least 5 others which I have never seen in my life. They are probably just weeds. But that's what I thought of the Durian.

I live in a jungle.

Pay Your Electric Bills

2005-12-04T12:51:00.000+08:00

As Naz has pointed out, the Brunei Electrical Services records debts in arrears of unpaid electricity bills amounting to B$250 million. That is a staggering amount of money that will take me two whole lifetimes of overtime to accumulate.

Lets see the amount once again.

B$250 000 000

And so, in aid to this earth-shattering amount that could feed a whole third world country to the brink of obesity, the Ministry of Energy is launching the first ever Brunei Energy Awareness Month.

The Ministry of Energy with the collaboration of Radio Television Brunei in its weekly Consumer News launches an Energy Awareness Month to educate Bruneian families, businesses and government agencies about the importance of energy savings.

I for one, think that that is a great idea.

THE ENERGY AWARENESS MONTH.

But oh my god, the fact that it is on RTB for less than 12 minutes everyday at 8pm is not enough. That is so not enough people!!! So, I am calling all Bruneian Bloggers from all four corners of Brunei to be a part of this energy awareness campaign!

Let us all understand that we can't just dwell on the problem, we must take neccesary actions to remedy. Let us all concentrate on the solution instead of the problem. Let us be a part of this campaign, let us all increase awareness on energy conservation! We owe it to our country, to our Sultan, to our Government, to our futures and to the future of our sons and daughters. One little move, CAN and WILL make a difference.

Once again, let us all promote the conserving of energy! Let us all give the much needed publicity that the campaign sorely seeks!

CONSERVE ENERGY
CONSERVE ENERGY
CONSERVE ENERGY
CONSERVE ENERGY
CONSERVE ENERGY

The simians are plotting something

2005-12-03T00:41:00.000+08:00

World domination..

Youth is wasted on the young

2005-12-02T00:07:00.000+08:00

Sitting around doing nothing.

Valuable Sociolinguistic Case Studies: More Shameless Self Promotion

2005-12-01T02:46:00.000+08:00

Here is a report I did for a Sociolinguistics assignment.

Here are the reasons why you must read this report;

You are extremely bored and you have absolutely nothing else to do
You have interest in the situation of code switching in Brunei and is looking for free documents online written by intelligent and beautiful women doing ESL degrees
Voyeurism
You have no life
You are curious of my family situation
You are an ex-employee of my father and is now considerably interested in his daughter
It is 4am and you still can't get yourself to sleep
You are a sociolinguist particularly interested in code switching, its relation to basic human institutions and the sociocultural implications it has on the individual
You like to read anything about Brunei published online
You read my last article entitled Green Sea and Brown Mud and would like to read more of my beautiful writings

This is the Abstract:

This is a brief report on a comparative study on members of my family. It looks at the distinct differences in speech patterns between me and my family members. There is a specific emphasis on when, where and why there is code switching between the languages Malay, English and Danau. In this report I also found the special use of third person pronouns which is an uncommon feature of speech in the Brunei Malay community, a unique way of intonation, and differences of accents in speech.

It might just resonate with your own family situations. Interested readers can download the .pdf document by clicking here .

Births and Days

2005-12-01T00:59:00.000+08:00

Fortified chocolate drink!

It has begun.
Days of hyper idleness and extreme unproductivity.

Treasures from the Pearly Heavens

2005-11-29T22:49:00.000+08:00

THAT is a an extremely beautiful handmade treasure chest.
My enormously talented other half surprised me with this gift this afternoon.

This is an extremely blurry picture of the elegantly done engraving of my name which was also manually carved with the help of a knife and hammer.

If you have magic eyes, you can also make out the very beautiful antique lock set.

This is the amazing period piece handle fixed on the side. Bought at an antiquarian. It is supposed to be a door knob apparently, but now has been modified to suit treasure-chest-making purposes.

I hate the lighting.

The chest is gorgeous.

Sexuality is empowering

2005-11-29T04:26:00.000+08:00

[L1] Malay: Bida jua eh laki-laki yang hosting Miss World Vote Me atu eh. Bida banar-banar!

[L2] English: That man hosting the Miss World Vote Me program looks absolutely horrendous. Seriously.

[L3] Danau: Andi munchoi agak oo miyanai hosting Miss World ino. Matai ko.

Nasty. Yuck.

Thurber, I want to write like you

2005-11-29T02:03:00.000+08:00

One afternoon a big wolf waited in a dark forest for a little girl to come along carrying a basket of food to her grandmother. Finally a little girl did come along and she was carrying a basket of food. "Are you carrying that basket to your grandmother?", asked the wolf. The little girl said yes, she was. So the wolf asked her where her grandmother lived and the little girl told him and he disappeared into the wood.

When the little girl opened the door of her grandmother's house she saw that there was somebody in bed with a nightcap and a nightgown on. She had approached no nearer than twenty-five feet from the bed when she saw that it was not her grandmother but the wolf, for even in a nightcap a wolf does not look anymore like your grandmother than the Metro-Goldwyn lion looks like Calvin Coolidge. So the little girl took an automatic out of her basket and shot the wolf dead.

Moral: It is not so easy to fool little girls nowadays as it used to be.

James Thurber, Fables of Our Time

If You Hate Me

2005-11-28T00:04:00.000+08:00

These people are to blame.
They are also responsible for three more of my kind.

Plato and Prada meets there

2005-11-27T15:58:00.000+08:00

Oh how nice! Almost Girl has tagged me.

Thousands of hits and new readers later Black Friday Blogging is now officially over! Except that it isn’t! The dialogue continues! New Fashion Blog Verbal Croquis gets in on the action with a discussion of fashion’s reflection of our political climate and new trends in buying. And Satire is Dead who is sad to be late to the party but wants to join in with snide remarks and some depressing insights is here to take advantage of the possible traffic it will generate! Whatever the motivation I am still glad to have the posts up! Maurina also late to the game has a post as well!

Read full article here

Black Friday Blogging

2005-11-26T19:16:00.000+08:00

Agh. I missed the Black Friday Blogging!

I am perfectly aware that I am not American, nor am I participating in the biggest shopping day in America, much to my disappointment. However, my participation is based on the sole fact that I am a consumer, I very much support capitalism and that fashion is important to me.

Fashion to me, lies in the classic. It is enhancing inner beauty that exist in all human beings no matter what dress size, skin colour, or height. It is embracing femininity of all women and yet it should produce results which says how unique and special every individual is. True fashion to me lies in the subtle and the implied, instead of the blatant and obvious. It should not obscure the identity of the individual. Fashion is supposed to be timeless because beauty is timeless.

Fashion is important to me not in the sense that I just absolutely must observe every single hype that comes along. No. Fashion inspire but does not neccesarily dictate what I feel and how I portray myself to the world. Indeed this blog is fashioned simply. I want to show that my views are simple and non-complicated and yet it has all the neccesary requirements needed to function properly with that little extra accesorization to make it unique.

Smile and remember. Work from within, where the beauty is. That is true fashion.

Stereotyping in Brunei schools?

2005-11-26T04:10:00.000+08:00

Warning: This is a LONG post that might contain racist sentiments. Please read with the professional objectivity and interest of an academia. These are real life experiences.

The answer is YES, there are a lot of stereotyping occuring everyday in Brunei schools, whether you are talking about stereotyping between teacher and students, students and teachers or student with students.

Now for those readers who would want to know what stereotyping exactly means, it is basically "an exaggerated belief associated with a category". (Allport 1954)

So, anyway, there are obviously negative stereotypes (Malays are never on time) and positive stereotypes (Malays are polite). However to clarify things better, we must understand that there are three main aspects of stereotyping which are:

1. Categorisation using identifiable characters such as ethnicity (like what I did above), sex or speech
2. Generalisation - attributes of individuals applied to others of the stereotyped group. For example, you find out that Girl A is "smart", and so you assume everyone like her is also smart.
3. The set of attributes are assigned to individual members of the group - Say you meet Girl A's cousins, Girl C and Boy D, you assume that they are all smart too because they are both members of Girl A's family.

Everyone has seen this happen. I am a living example. My father was a Math teacher in my school once upon a time and apparently he was a good one. My sisters who also went to that school were both great in Maths. When it was my turn, my Math teachers clucked their tongues, they shook their heads, and cried in disbelief because I couldn't do a simple algebra equation. They said, anak chigu Hamid saja, inda pandai Maths!1

They expected me to do well. They assigned a stereotype on me that I couldn't fulfill and that made me an outcast. Now, I was lucky. I was assigned a positive stereotype. For some others, the stereotypes assigned were not so rosy in appearance. I remember a classmate who was quite on the rebellious side (this is actually an understatement). One time, he yelled at a parent of a fellow student swear words at the top of his lungs. The reaction? That parent said "sah tah kau atu IBAN".2

If that shocked you, the reason for the argument in the first place will shock you. He was accused for stealing a pencil which was actually given to him as a present by the boy whose father had come to school. It was an automatic pencil, that lights up whenever you write something. So the teacher noticed him proudly using the pencil which was given to him and she remembered that it belongs to the other boy. She immediately thought that he stole the pencil despite him saying that he didn't. The other boy's father was called to school (teachers in the olden days like drama) and he were informed of the "theft". The frustrated accused boy eventually reached his limits and started swearing at the father and you know how it ended.

This boy was stereotyped because of his ethnicity. It didn't matter that he didn't really commit the crime. The teacher saw that pencil and him being of an ethnic minority associated with alcoholism and headhunting, was assumed to have stolen that pencil. The other boy was not consulted. He was a 'victim'. This is negative stereotyping. Racism.

Hewstone and Giles (1997) warns "we must be careful given that some minority groups come to develop a negative autostereotype in line with the heterostereotype of a dominant outgroup". For example, because of that incident and the fact that he is always suspected of that crime that classmate of mine will grow up being conscious of his ethnicity and the stereotypes associated with them, and actually conform to them. He begins to believe that the stereotypes are true.

Is stereotyping justified you ask? Sure if it is positive. If it is negative, throw it down the rubbish bin.

Unfortunately stereotypes are difficult to change. They have extensive social support. Hewstone and Giles (1997) states that "if society substantiates people's views that certain minorities are second class, then negative stereotypes will become entrenched". For example, the Ulu3 people and poor education, menial jobs. Furthermore, eventhough we know a lot of people from the Ulu (like the Ibans) do not neccesarilly live in a Rumah Panjang4, or do they go on mass headhunting trips in Kijangs5, the prejudice still persists at the back of our minds. Eventhough we know that a lot of Kedayans are highly educated people, we still have prejudice against people who drop their [r] pronunciation.6

Negative group images cannot be erased completely unfortunately. there are a lot of theoretical measures taken to combat this problem. Pettigrew (1981) suggest that positive stereotypes be increased by publicising the positive subgroups to show that the negative stereotype are not a homogeneous collective. But the answer is within yourself. Stereotyping is a human act, it is however inevitable. But so is compassion and understanding. Go for the positive. Not the negative.

As an ending note to this mighty long post, here is a question by Fishman;

"Why are we so often misinformed about groups, and about which sorts of groups, or concerning which aspects of groups, are we misinformed? Why is it so difficult to combat the misinformation with information?

1= Literal translation "you are supposed to be able to do Maths well, you are the daughter of Mr Hamid"
2= Very racist statement. Literal translation "No wonder you are an Iban." Iban is an ethnic minority which is always unfairly overgeneralised in negative stereotypes.
3= Ulu is the outskirts of a district. Rural areas.
4= A longhouse for an Iban extended family. Click this link to see a picture. For English readers, this is a more appropriate link for you.
5= There was an old rumor in Brunei that headhunting was making a comeback in the 90s. The rumor was oversensationalised over time, and it said that the headhunters were identified as driving a Toyota Kijang.
6= A distinct feature of the Kedayan speech.

This is not a fashion blog.

2005-11-25T16:58:00.000+08:00

I found a cheaper way to watch any national TV channel in the world without owning an illegal parabola.

I just need to take my mind away from the turkey gravy lip balm.

Gasp. It is the best tasting pocket sized turkey wax ever.

Il Papa wears Prada

2005-11-25T16:41:00.000+08:00

..in red.

Living on GMT

2005-11-24T04:28:00.000+08:00

If you are very perceptive, you will notice my posts are usually made in the wee hours of the night, specifically between 1am to 5am.

However, that does not make me an insomniac because, during the day, I sleep like a baby. A dead baby. A dead baby made of wood.

Nor am I jetlagged because the last time I checked, Gadong and Sengkurong are in the same time zones.

I just have different sleeping patterns. That's all.

Brand new item in the world of fashion

2005-11-24T03:10:00.000+08:00

For those who suffers from chronic diarrhea
...or abnormal sexual inclinations.

GAH! Everyone But Me!

2005-11-24T01:25:00.000+08:00

HAH! What a conspiracy. I am the only one in UBD who didnt have her picture taken.

This is such a popularity contest.

If you are seeking a much more representative sample of badly taken candid photos of UBD students which are not airbrushed in any way whatsoever (hah! I spy with my eye *insert flaw*), these photos are less tackier than these.

Bashing Other Faculties Better Than Ours is Fun =P

2005-11-22T01:39:00.000+08:00

HAH. IT IS CONFIRMED.

Those from the FBEPS (Faculty of Business, Economics and Policy Studies) are the attention whores of the University.

View BIZZARELY COMICAL PHOTOS OF THEM FAKING RUNNING here.

Businessmen. They'll do anything for publicity.

Ribboned Accolades

2005-11-22T01:00:00.000+08:00

Ugh. First exam in a few hours.

22nd - EL2222 Modern English Literature
24th - LE2204 Language Development III
26th - EL2219 Sociolinguistics
28th - EL2221 Discourse Analysis
30th - EL2217 Electronic Resources for English Language Teaching

Wish me luck.
..and prosperity and wealth while you're at it.

I am Fat

2005-11-21T01:18:00.000+08:00

Maurina's PostSecret

What's yours?

UPDATE: Naz had insisted that this is not a PostSecret. He's right. PostSecret is all about annonymity. Mine is obviously far away from being annonymous. Although in real life I am not as orange as I look in the picture, it is posted on my personal website, thus abolishing the concept of it being annonymous.

Words are Thoughts

2005-11-20T20:14:00.000+08:00

"Men are haunted by the vastness of eternity. And so we ask ourselves, will our actions echo across centuries? Will strangers hear our name long after we're gone and wonder who we were? How bravely we fought? How fiercely we loved?"

- Benioff, D

The Art of Seduction

2005-11-20T02:50:00.000+08:00

Date:	Oct 28, 2005 2:58 PM Flag spam/abuse. [ ? ]
Subject:	Hi
Body:	HI HOW ARE YOU DOING?HOPE YOU ARE DOING WELL AS I AM EXPECTING? WELL I AM ABDUL SAMAD AHMED FROM GHANA.I AM 22 YEARS OLD.I A TALL AND NICE GUY,FAITHFUL,SINCERE AND TRUETHFULL AND HAVE ALL THE QUALITIES THAT A LADY NEED FROM A MAN. SO IF YOU INTERESTED,PLEASE REPLY ME AND I WILL INTRODUCE MY SELF IN DATAILS FOR YOU. HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON. GOODBYE ABDUL SAMAD.

Hmm, interesting. Another Ghanaian.
I wonder what they tell people in Ghana about Bruneian women.
This is getting suspicious.

Stroke that Ego with MySpace

2005-11-20T02:38:00.000+08:00

Date:	Nov 12, 2005 6:04 AM Flag spam/abuse. [ ? ]
Subject:	hi
Body:	queen i will like to be your closes friend.am isaac modesto hoenyefia. am a ghanaian. am currently at the university.if i say your closes friend i know you will not understand me. but what i mean is i will like to be your partner in life. queen i know you will say write the first text am requiring for your luv. but i will not like us to be friend then later when i put it to you, you will think different thing all togethere. i really some one who i can share my life, joy, love etc with. babie i can find that in you. have a nice day. enjoy the rest of the year. this is my Email; *********@yahoo.co.uk

Sigh. Reading this is giving me the self esteem boost I need.
Never mind that it is not very coherent.
I'm Queen.

Brunei to Bristol: MEMIE's Birthday Today

2005-11-19T23:25:00.000+08:00

I am utterly uninspired today. I so badly want to post something (the fact that I have a SPANKING NEW laptop is perhaps the likely cause of this).

Ugh. I've just deleted a whole paragraph in the reading level of pure faecal matter.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

2005-11-17T23:30:00.000+08:00

Mine.

Yes all MINE.

Of All Sites

2005-11-17T02:11:00.000+08:00

Apparently, the Brunei's sole online newspaper was cracked into by "hackers" (how very undeserving of the title!). However, it is a great publicity move for them albeit juvenile.

Full story here: http://www.brudirect.com/DailyInfo/News/Archive/Nov05/161105/nite02.htm
Screenshot taken from http://ranoadidas.com/?p=221

Laundromat for Dummies

2005-11-14T23:32:00.000+08:00

Location: Kampong Tanjong Nangka

Well, now I know how they cut quarters.

Here comes the summer sun

2005-11-14T21:28:00.001+08:00

Yes, that is a fur coat.

I am now pleased to inform you that faux fur coats with a red satin linings are available for sale at Hua Ho Yayasan.

Yes, Brunei has an equatorial climate.

"Syukur Alhamdulillah"

2005-11-13T12:52:00.000+08:00

I was reading some posts on the HYS and found this.

Rindukan Berunai
by Anak Berunai di rantauan

Bismillah

Brunei Darussalam

aku lebih suka memanggilnya berunai...
tempat ku dilahirkan..
aku cukup bersyukur jadi anak Berunai..
kerana sayangku, rinduku cuma di tempat lahirku..
banyak jawapan untuk semua atu..
satu ayat menerangkan segala..
Alhamdulillah saja

tapi

kadang aku rasa sedih
dari jauh aku masih jua mendangar
namanya acap kali disabitkan pasal "sebilangan"..hanya!
Syukur "sebilangan" saja
pasal aku yakin dari sebilangan yg istimewa atu..
banyak lagi yang rasanya sayang...
mungkin labih dari aku..Syukur....
inda ku memuji, inda jua ku melarang, hak masing-masing empunya..tapi ku tadah tanganku mohon mudahan satu hari terbuka hatinya untuk bersyukur jua..
renung apa yang diberi..renung apa yang dibuat...
ingatkan apa yang diberi..ingatkan apa yang dibuat...
lihat dengan lebih jauh..
renung apa yang mereka tiada, renung apa yang kita ada lebih dari mereka..
fikirkan apa yang kita tiada..dan fikirkan apa yang kita mesti ada..

"baik jua air di kolah, titisannya tidak deras..
dapatku tapis bila adanya hama..
biar jernih ke asalnya.."

Salam sayang dan rindu buat Bruneiku sayang..
Kalau ada tersilap terkasar bahasa, maaf dipinta
Moga dalam lindungan Illahi sentiasa..
Jauh dimata dekat dihati

Wassalam 11:37111105

I could make a stanza by stanza analysis or commentary on this piece but I won't because I am embarassed to. I will let it stay in its original language. So it can only be read by those who speaketh the language. Malu amba kan membaritau urang luar yang inda becakap Berunai atu yang urang kitani ani kuat pembaziran. Bisai jua sudah kitani ani kana lagau urang kaya minyak ganya luan kunu kan bisai bisai menyusun pembelanjaan inda tesabut Alhamduliilah.

Grateful with Gratitude

2005-11-12T04:55:00.000+08:00

Thank you to my hero NAZ for getting rid of very annoying horizontal scrolling feature for me. :) I am thankful to the extent of wanting to cook you a delicious meal. Here are some virtual bruschettas in the mean time.

It might not be much but if ever you are in need of anything within MY expertise; a proofread, a hair trim, make up tip, relationship advice, recipes or correct pronunciations of obscure words, you know the email address! , :) I am very grateful.