More Muslims Than Catholics

It used to be that there are more catholics in this world than Muslims. But since 2006, for the first time in history, Muslims have overtaken the catholics. According to the Vatican, Muslims now accounted for 19.2 percent of the world population, while Catholics have fallen to 17.4 percent.

Muslims are rapidly increasing on this planet. Statistically, the highest number of Muslims reside in the Republic of Indonesia. World domination could be imminent, but will there be enough room for the hajj pilgrims?

Shed Some Skin

School holiday ends today. Not much of a holiday though. I could use another week coz I still got sunburns from last tuesday. I don't really know how long I'm gonna recover from it. So far I've been shedding some skin from my forehead. Hopefully all the shedding ends tonight, at least before I show up in class tomorrow.

Made It To GIANT!!!

Finally, I've made it to GIANT!!! yesterday afternoon (skipped Friday prayers in the process). So I went in and have a look at what they claimed as the biggest supermarket in the nation, and yes, its huge alright. Furthermore, it was packed with people. Ada jua yang escape masjid atu. Guess I was not alone after all. LOL.

It's really good to notice the majority of staff at GIANT!!! are our very own people. I'm really proud to see the locals working at the supermarket grounds. We should keep this trend up, and give more career opportunities for the Bruneians.

After much browsing, I only spent a total of $3.60 for the buns, as I couldn't resist the sight and smell of them. Besides, I was damn hungry.

Next stop, TUTONG!!!

Take It To Hollywood

As I was browsing around at GIANT!!! yesteday, I found this book on the shelves of Best Eastern. The Historian is a modern re-telling of the Dracula story. Sounds cool! Well, I don't really feel like reading novels these days so I thought they should make a film out of this book, pronto.

Back On The Mic

It's been a while since I last jam with Odium Treason. Last night we head off to our jamming crib and refreshed the previous songs we have covered from the past few gigs. So far we've been progressing very well, and the band's already close to its 1st anniversary.

The next challenge is upon us. We now have to focus on playing new songs for the next upcoming gigs. I have to keep working on the growling and the high pitches. Keeping fit is also crucial, so I need to work extra hard on the cardio workouts.

It's been a dry month without gigs. I really miss the nights at T.T. Blues. I look forward to return on stage with the band again.

Nightwish In The Glory Years

This is Nightwish in all their glory. The song is 'Bless The Child' from the album Century Child and was a hit back in 2002, back when Tarja Turunen was still in the band. She was what made Nightwish one of the hottest metal bands in Europe in the beginning. Century Child was also considered one of Nightwish's darkest albums.

The album Century Child by Nightwish released in 2002.

Victim Of The Sun

Hello, does anyone have a lotion? I just got sunburns from swimming at Berakas Forest Reserve beach this afternoon. My classmates and I were down there swimming under the sun for hours without any sun-block. My skin is irritating all over right now and my face looks like a red indian. I don't think I'll be going out much for a few days.

Juno

Juno didn't make it to our local theatres late last year, but you can catch the movie by getting the DVDs. Juno is a sleeper hit. The last time I've watched something like this was less then a decade ago, a film titled American Beauty (Starring Kevin Spacey, Tora Birch, Mena Suvari), which won several academy awards months after it was released.

Juno followed the footsteps of American Beauty by captivating a lot of positive reviews and awards. It is brilliantly directed and the actors performed extraordinarily well. This is one movie you should watch if you're already sick of leaving the theatres full of disappointment after watching the latest overhyped but underperformed hollywood flicks, like say, 10,000 BC.
The casts include Ellen Page as the title character. She portrayed a whip-smart teen confronting an unplanned pregnancy very well. You might have seen Ellen Page from her role as Kitty Pride in X-Men 3: The Last Stand. Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman played the 'perfect' set of parents longing to adopt a child. The coolest characters are Juno's parents, played by J.K. Simmons (he played Jonah Jameson in Spider-man) and Allison Janney, who gave full support on their daughter despite after being knocked up. Where else can you get parents like that?

Critics gave the film extremely positive reviews. Roger Ebert calls Juno "A fresh, unusually intelligent comedy with dialogue so quick and funny you feel the actors are performing it on a high-wire." The film received four Academy Awards nominations, including Best Original Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress for Ellen Page.

Return to Serasa

Went to Serasa beach around 5pm this afternoon with Marriz. Man, its been a long time since I last came here. Serasa beach has always been the place for us Havoc crew to hang out on Sundays. This was probably the only time I'd be visiting this place during this semester break. After that, I'll be extremely busy with preparations for my final exams next month. Sigh. Time sure flies so fast.

Sapa ko gambar atu Mir...?

Low Price, High Congestion, Everyday

Yesterday was the day GIANT!!! (it has to start really big) opened its doors to the public. Yep, the biggest supermarket in Brunei is finally here. They sure did their marketing strategy right, launching on salary day and putting up signs and arrows all the way from the airport.

Marriz went there during the launch early in the morning, took photos and blogged about it. Out of curiosity, I decided to check this place out. It was a freakin hot afternoon. Upon reaching the highway towards Rimba, the overhead bridge leading to GIANT!!! was completely clogged. There's no way I could get in there.

Then I took another path which lead to the old Science College in Rimba, since I figured there'd be another way around GIANT!!! Unfortunately, for the first time in a Perpindahan, the traffic jam was so freakin terrible and I couldn't manage to get a smooth access.

What the hell?! What is this, like the whole population was being sucked into a drainpipe or something?! This was even worse than waiting in line at FunDonuts!! Frustrated, I gave up shoving my car into the line of dodos and headed home to take an afternoon nap in my air-conditioned room (menyamal). I don't think I'll be going to GIANT!!! until these congestions settle down.

My Mind's Eye

Feathered Scales

Did you know that most dinosaurs actually have feathers? That's what the paleontologists have agreed on for the past decade. And so I looked back at Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park and realized that there were a lot of errors that were in need of corrections and adjustments, particularly on my most favorite prehistoric predator, the Velociraptor.

Sawadee kap...

Of all the dinosaurs, I always loved raptors. They may not be as big as the mighty T-rex, but they're fast, cunning and smart for their size. They were awesome in Jurassic Park. But after I heard that raptors were supposed to be covered with feathers and that they were no bigger than us, I was slighty disappointed. So I searched on the internet and found these:

An actual illustration of a feathered Velociraptor

Yep. Watching Jurassic Park will never be the same again. I laughed my ass out seeing how they misinterpreted the raptors (see folks, even Spielberg has his drawbacks in filmaking). Its like they were plucked to the scales prior to shooting. Poor raptors, they must be really cold during the filming of the 3 movies. That leaves to the last question. Were dinosaurs really reptiles? Or were they birds?

Coo! Coo!

Shutterbug Apprentice

Just because I don't own a dSLR doesn't mean that I can't take good photos. Here's a picture of a flower in my mum's garden, taken from my 2 mega-pixel camera-phone. I was once told by an aspiring photog, 'It's not the camera, it's the person behind the camera...'

Okay I was just being exaggerative. C'mon, a camera-phone??!! Serius deh! I need a Nikon D80!!

Dr Seuss' Horton Hears a Who

Watched this movie last night with my brother. I personally enjoyed Horton Hears a Who. It's packed with silliness and overall fun to watch. Great for kids, but even adults can enjoy. It may not have a sense of logic but once in a while it's alright to call out the inner child in all of us and enter the creative and colorful mind of Dr Seuss.

Jim Carrey and Steve Carell were both hilarious and did a great job in making the characters lovable. Oh, there's also a strong message behind the story in this film, but I suggest you watch it first to find out. This movie is not to be missed.

Currently Listening To...

The Last Call

by
Sirenia

from the album
Nine Destinies And a Downfall

Amni's 21st Birthday Today

Happy Birthday to Hj Amni. He just turned 21 today. Wish him all the best in his future career.

The Maulud

Woke up quite late this morning, but I've managed to get to the Maulud on time just before the big walk. I drove all the way to my step-mother's house at Kg Pintu Malim using the Subok road knowing that the town area wasn't accessible, parked my car there and head straight to the nearby jetty.
After a quick trip through the Brunei River via speedboat, I reached Yayasan and ran to the Padang to meet up with my buddy Arif who was waiting for me by the grandstand. A few minutes later, we started walking. It sure was a hot morning.
As we reached the STPRI area, Arif had to leave early so I continued walking solo. I've met a bunch of old friends along the way, so I tagged along until the end of the journey. Even the photogs were there taking shots. I hope I'll be joining them next year.

Anyway, as soon as the walk was over, we went to the Kianggeh area for a brunch while reminiscing the good old days. It's been a while since we last caught up and hang out.

Fuh Yo! Fuh Yo!

This afternoon a bunch of my fellow school mates and I went to watch Duyung at The Mall. The movie's not so bad. Its hilarious, I laughed my ass out at the ape-man Orix (played by Yassin). I think Yassin's 10 times funnier than Saiful Apek overall throughout the film.

But the best part was when I got to see the beautiful Maya Karin as the mermaid. Damn she's so fine, except the part when she giggled, which sounded exactly like her giggling in Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam. Creepy! LoL.

Overall, a good movie, if not above-average, if you're thinking of relieving stress by laughing out loudly today. ^_^

The Spiderwick Chronicles

I watched The Spiderwick Chronicles with my brother last night at Seri Q-lap Mall Cineplex. Finally a movie worth watching this month. I didn't really enjoy Jumper, and I certainly would not want to watch 10,000 BC due to poor reviews. But watching Spiderwick has been totally gratifying.

This movie is a truly ambitious work. It's based on a series of books written by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. It follows the adventures of the Grace children; twins Simon and Jared and their older sister Mallory as they discover a book which is actually an old field guide to the world of fairies, goblins and other magical creatures.

Special effects aside, the story is rich and entertainingly charming. If you're into Narnia or Harry Potter, I highly recommend you check this film out in the theaters.

Getting Back On Track

I didn't jog much last weekend because my schedule was pretty tight (tests, functions, etc). Though I've managed to get back on track last Monday, it kills me to think how much I've missed the previous days that I could've utilized them for running at the stadium. I haven't lost much weight this week, yet I haven't gained either.

Allowance have been out since last weekend (without me even realizing it) so I'd have to watch what I eat. I'll be joining the Maulud tomorrow morning so that's gonna help me boost up a bit.

Current Weight: 78 kg (maintain yo)

An Environmental Crisis

One of the reasons why I'm so excited to leave school so badly these days is because of the environmental issues in my class. If it wasn't for my classmate who happens to sit next to me, I wouldn't complain much. This guy is fuming with nicotine body odour and awfully bad breath.

Our class used to be well-scented throughout our first year in the Business School. Unfortunately, this guy showed up in our class (due to having to resit for another year) and started the whole aroma therapy thing that, instead of eliminating the nicotine odour, brings the nicotine smell in and pollute our one and only classroom. I gotta tell ya, its offensively unpleasant.

Even an unlimited supply of breath mints can't stop him

He smokes. I mean, a LOT. What I don't really understand is why his cigarette stench sticks with him all the time and after some puffing in the nearest restroom that stench somehow goes with him everywhere he goes. And when he enters our air-conditioned class, "Whooosh!" the whole room is entirely contaminated. We could really smell him comin. It's funny how the other guys I know are smokers but they don't stink as bad as him.

What's worse is the fact that he sits next to me. This is the reason why I do not wish to start any conversation with him. Can you imagine how its like to be close to someone with an exceptionally bad breath? My god, how I wish I could get some mints so that I could SHOVE 'EM IN HIS EYE! BLEAGGGHHHH!!!!!!

I've been enduring this for the past several months now. Its just hard for me to concentrate in class when every breath he lets out reek of burning carcasses. A lot of attempts have been made to resolve this environmental issue in order to bring back the natural fragrance of our classroom as it used to be, and nothing works. I think we'll need a bigger can of air-freshener.

If this doesn't work, then what will?

Hulk Revamped

HULK ANGGRYYY!!!!

This looks promising. The new Hulk movie will be out soon so brace yourself for another summer Marvel feast. This is an all new Hulk flick, with a totally revamped construction of the green superhero and bringing him back to his original comic look. The 2003's Hulk was a major disappointment (some people even claimed that Eric Bana's version of Hulk looked like Shrek).

This time, Edward Norton will play the role of Bruce Banner. Personally, I'm a big fan of Ed Norton. He was really cool in The Illusionist.

Here's the official synopsis of the upcoming flick:

The explosive, action-packed adventure in one of the all-time most popular superhero sagas unfolds with a cure in reach for the world's most primal force of fury: THE INCREDIBLE HULK. We find scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) living in shadows, scouring the planet for an antidote. But the warmongers who dream of abusing his powers won't leave him alone, nor will his need to be with the only woman he has ever loved, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler). Upon returning to civilization, our brilliant doctor is ruthlessly pursued by The Abomination (Tim Roth)--a nightmarish beast of pure adrenaline and aggression whose powers match The Hulk's own. A fight of comic-book proportions ensues as Banner must call upon the hero within to rescue New York City from total destruction. And on June 13, 2008...one scientist must make an agonizing final choice--accept a peaceful life as Bruce Banner or the creature he could permanently become: THE INCREDIBLE HULK.

The Abomination

Killing Time With Solitaire

Yowza! At last, I've beaten Solitaire on my iPod while I was chilling out with Marriz and Ah Chong at Foodzone this afternoon. Took me some time to beat this game. Saja killing time and getting some peace of mind after hours of revision today. I've got Accounting test tomorrow. :P

Wonderful Tonight

I wish to congratulate the recently engaged couple Syazwan and Normala. Last night's engagement party was great. And thanks for inviting us to play for the night. Wish you both a lifetime of happiness together.

Photo by Mirez

Tidal Wave of Tests

It's exam week all over again. After last week's Statistics test I thought I could have a break but instead I have to endure another daily dose of revision for my Economics test this Saturday, Language & Communications test on Monday and Business Accounting on Tuesday. That's a lot of tests to swallow before wrapping up for the upcoming term holidays on the 20th prior to the Maulud. Looks like I won't be enjoying my weekend this week after all.

So many things in my head this week, but as long as I'm able to manage my time, I'll be alright. I'm used to being under pressure anyway. The only way for me to pull myself together and stay focused is by counting the remaining days of my time in the Business School. It keeps the excitement and adrenaline going. ;)

Progression

And now for my fitness update. This is my 2nd week. I've managed to keep up with the momentum of my daily run. For every afternoon, I have put a full commitment to achieve a total running distance of 4 km. I'm no longer as fatigue as I used to be when I first started running 2 weeks ago. I'm now able to keep a steady pace running on the tracks around the stadium without stopping before sundown.

But I have to watch my diet too. I have to be extra careful on what I eat and how much I consume in a day. Temptations are everywhere, and they're no doubt delicious.

New Weight: 78 kg

A day In Life With Business Statistics Class

Our minds have literally wandered off at this moment

Who needs a calculator when we can use our coconuts to solve math?

Its like learning the alphabet all over again

Yep, our coconuts were working alright.

Right-Brained

I didn't do pretty well on my statistics test yesterday, despite the hours of group study before entering the exam room. Though I've managed to solve most of the questions, I doubt my answers were right. My brain was literally exhausted from all the calculating of regressions, correlations, time series, present values, interests and a few others.

I'm not really the analytical thinking person. I'm more of a right-brain man. I love words, colors, details and atmosphere. I enjoy music, literature, art and photography. My skills have been entirely focused on these aspects for many years.

Math, statistics and anything to do with numbers, on the other hand, aren't really my cup of tea. Truthfully, I'm not a pro in calculations and solving math. I need a calculator in my pocket at all times and I depend heavily on formula sheets.

So that explains why I do not enjoy my Statistics class (our lecturer is another factor). I wish so badly that it would be replaced with a subject much more interesting, such as Business Art (if there is such a subject). Unfortunately, its too late for that now, coz I'll be finishing this course soon this year anyway.

Now this is art!

Drumset For Rent

Got an upcoming gig but no drumset? Your problems are over! My bro / drummer Kamal (Odium Treason) is renting out his drumset for those who need a set of drums for a gig (or however you wanna use them).

This is a CB Drums set with Paiste cymbals and Remo snares. If you wish to rent or have further enquiries, you may call or text Kamal's number at 8812023.

Basic set: $150
Full Set: $350

The Long Hard Road

A week has passed. I've been running every single afternoon under various weather conditions. My car is still at the workshop so I had to run from my house all the way to the stadium and back again. I don't care if my legs hurt from all the running and walking, as long as I keep moving every single day. This is one sure way for me to lose the extra pounds and get back in shape.

I need to do this, and nothing can stop me, not even rain, pesky dogs and muscle pain. I've done this before, and I surely can do it again.

New weight: 78.5 kg

Statistics, Oh Statistics

Gilakaley. Stats test is like another couple of days, and I'm still blur on all the topics we've all covered these past few weeks. Even yesterday's revision class didn't help either. Man, I can't wait for the 6 months industrial attachment, the road to freedom. It's like a matter of time now. In the meantime I'll have no choice but to bear with this bloody %#*$&@ Statistics! For another %#*$&@ two months!!

Fig. 1 illustrates how boring yesterday's stats class was

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T200

If you're a Sony person and you feel like its time to invest on a compact digital camera for your blogging needs, it's really pretty tough to choose from Sony's range of products. But one particular model stands out from the rest as my personal choice; The Cyber-Shot DSC-T200.

A lot of nice features are available on the T200. This elegant and stylish camera has a Carl-Zeiss lens and 8.1 megapixels which results in a super clear image, even large blowups show amazing detail. We're talking about very high quality lens here. The color and clarity is simply amazing.
What's so cool about this compact camera is its huge LCD touch screen (3.5"), which makes it easy to navigate through the features. Other nice features this camera has is Super SteadyShot, Face Detection, and Smile Shutter Mode. It also has 31MB of internal memory, which is nice for those times you forget your memory stick.

This is a great digital camera for anyone, with a sexy design which allows you to take it anywhere. It takes great pictures and its worth the money. I would buy one, that is after I get myself my first dSLR.

Anticipating Shutter 2008

Remember this Thai horror flick which was released in 2004? It sure gave all of us a lot of scare. Well, come this March 21st, the Americanized version will be in theaters. This film stars Joshua Jackson and Rachael Taylor. The premise would be entirely similar, but expect a few new surprises.

It's gonna be another year of scary movies.

Excess Baggage

Time to get rid of the extra tyre. It's been months since my last cardio workout, and I'm now officially declared unfit and chubby. As of this day, I'll be hitting the stadium for a jog every afternoon after school, and put an effort in shedding the excess baggage and get my initial weight and stamina back.

Current weight is 80 kg.

Adopting a Powerful Voice

Being a vocalist in a band for almost 3 years now, it's hard to imagine how much I have progressed. Nevertheless, there's still much for me to learn. It's not easy being a vocalist; the burden of memorizing the lyrics of songs that I'm not familiar with, the hectic days and nights of practicing with the band on the same songs over and over, and of course, the pressure I get when I'm on stage prior to performing.

In order for me to stay focused, I always constantly keep a positive attitude and, most importantly, realize that my main objective of singing on stage is to enjoy and entertain the crowd. Keeping the crowd entertained is of course the main priority, an objective that needs to be set in mind in order to give out a gratifying performance.

One of my most challenging moments of being a vocalist in a band is learning to adopt a powerful voice of hard rock and metal. I started singing in a band playing pop rock and soft alternative music. Over the years, the music that I've been singing to gradually evolved and demanded a more industrial sound, which meant that I have to upgrade my singing technique. A powerful voice is developed through a combination of correct breathing control, good posture, healthy vocal techniques and lots of practice. To enable myself to develop the vocal mechanism in a healthy manner, I have to make use of these combinations.

The pressure is there, but at the same time, it has been a rewarding experience being able to venture into new music grounds. As I mentioned earlier, I am still learning. I'm neither a professional nor a rock star. It takes time, dedication, discipline and lots of practice in order to achieve excellent results.