The Ultimate Foodie Bloggers Challenge

The Ultimate Foodie Blogger Challenge was held at the lovely home of Seńor Pablo in Rimba last Sunday 26th April. The local bloggers showcased their finest cuisines and let the guests be the judge. When it comes to food, who could resist? We came, we saw, we conquered (and we voted, of course). More info of last weekend's feast at Seńor Pablo's blog.


The winner, Reeda Malik of Anakbrunei.org, garnered the highest vote for his Quick & Dirty Lamb.

Timeline

The new Acer Aspire Timeline has arrived in Brunei. Featuring 8-hour battery life, multi-touch gesture enabled touchpad, slim and efficient design and equipped with Intel Core 2 Duo performance. Does this look set to beat the Macbook? Check it out at the new Concepts Computer in Kiulap or click here to learn more about the product.

A New Beginning

A week has passed since our convocation. A day which I would remember for the rest of my life. Everything's good now, having realized that I, along with my fellow colleagues are now among the ranks of those who have graduated before us.

One day we're gonna look back and recall the joyous times of our lives during our youth, and this is just one of them. This is graduation, the most glorious day for students, a time for a final reunion with our fellow comrades who we have been together for years, and a time to celebrate the end of our education course.

After the showdown with our final exams and wrapping up with our industrial attachments, its obvious that we deserve this joyous day. It is the moment when we all sing our last song. I never thought that I could actually experience such a meaningful day, due to the hiccups I've gone through many long years back. Though I'm glad that, as one of the students of Technical Education, (despite not as grandeur as the HND's or the Uni's), I get to be with my friends that I've studied with since 2005, adorned in our convo attire and recieving our honorary certificates on stage which are highly valuable to us all. All the hard years have really paid off.

Looking back, its hard to imagine how life would've been if I didn't actually take that first step to continue my education. I guess I wouldn't be where I am now, and I wouldn't be making great friends along the way. Best of all, with our achievements as a national diploma graduate, we are worth much more now compared to the day we first started taking the course. Our chances of employment and further studies just got better and brighter; its just a matter of taking that next course of action. We are smarter, more mature and experienced than ever before, and we will use these knowledge and experience we gained over the years for our survival and sustenance. Whatever opportunities that lie ahead, we're ready to take them.

As this chapter ends, a new chapter in our lives begin. Yet we will always remember this meaningful day as the checkpoint of our lives, and most importantly, our friendship we treasure for many years. 22nd April 2009 was a fine day to graduate!

The Long Hard Road

A Night With A Band Once

It was pretty brief, but the mini-concert exclusively featuring our local entertainers A Band Once which lasted for only less than an hour was worth it. The mini-concert was held last night at the Jerudong Park colonnade (formerly the old simulator ride). The band performed their hits as well as a few popular numbers that entertain the crowd who came to watch their favorite band perform live.

The Business School Conquers Page 8

It's not everyday I get to see myself in the morning papers.

Graduation 09

Cause these are the days worth living,
These are the years we're given,
And these are the moments,
These are the times,
Let's make the best out of our lives.

Moment of Appreciation

I got to see my seniors going through their graduation ceremony over the years and it has been really exciting to witness the joy in their faces during their big day. And now, it has finally come to us. The years as Students of The Business School are over, it is a time to reward ourselves for our achievements and years of dedication in the college. To think that in the early days I wanted to graduate so badly, and now I still couldn't realize the fact that the very day is finally here! 3 years sure felt short whenever I think about it.

But most importantly, aside from all the hugs and apologies each of us will go through later after the convocation wraps up, I shouldn't forget to give out appreciative thanks to those that matters to me as well. In light of this joyous event, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone who have given us all the support throughout our years in The Business & Finance / Secretarial course at The Business School, from the beginning of our enrollment in 2005 up to the end of our Industrial Attachment at the end of 2008.

First and foremost, Syukur alhamdulillah to the great almighty Allah S.W.T. for our answered prayers over the years that led to us where we are now,

Greatest thanks to our parents, to mum and dad for all their support from the very beginning till this very day,

Special thanks to all our tutors of The Business School, for all their teachings, guidance and advices. We wouldn't be who we are now without them.

• to Ms Nur Sham, one of the greatest teachers I've ever known, your teachings and advice will be with us for many years.
• to Ms Eton, you have given us so much opportunities for the best of us.
• to mr cool Sir Fadzil, keep rockin! (hehehe)
• to Sir Iswandi, so many useful insights you have shared, very much appreciated
• to Ms Nelia, who never gave up giving us the motivation to strive towards success in our education
  
• to Ms Zaiton for all the wiseful advice and generous support to make us a better person we are now
• to Sir Saiful, for all the help, internal and externally
• to Mr Masaaki for the statistics (sorry I've been a bad boy in class)
• to Ms Pg Shikin, it's been great working with you on the Newsletter
• to Ms Hazwani, who have worked so hard to get us through the attachments and job opportunities
• to Ms Shikin, our group coordinator (ND/12)
• to Ms Susi, who believed in all of us
• To Ms Tan, your teachings in accounts has given me a boost in confidence
• to Sir Habib, the coolest principal on the planet
• to the rest who I have not mentioned: Ms Matul, Sir Fuji, Ms Siti, Ms Liza, Ms Nuraida, Ms Sharipah, Ustaz Khairi (papa john), Ms Precy, Ms Ann, Sir Abu (bro~), and all the new tutors that I didn't get the chance to get acquainted.

To my friends:

• my buddy Helmy, for helping me get through my course of life and who has given me hope
• Wazzie, Qids and Tooi; getting to know all of you lead me to my enrollment in The Business School, and the lepaks at KPT
• CB, for tagging along with the enrollment, at least I didn't feel alone for the first week
• Hj Khairul, for your guidance and support through the years
  

to my seniors:

• Sylvan Cade, my super senior who I'm still keeping in touch and collaborate in our common interest
  
• Sai the legend, who has given me the opportunity to be in a band throughout my time in school
• Kamal, who both of us have become bros
• Jai, it's been great hanging out with you during those stressful times
• Syimah, for helping me with the accountings
• Yamin, Shaari and gsyuk, the role models
• Adib, for all the late night chills and jamming moments

to all my classmates of ND/BNF/12, who we've spent 2 years together in that one classroom,


to the rest of my friends of ND/11, ND/13 and the Secretarials, who we strived together from the beginning till the end:

• Ain and Fizzy, the ones who I could always count on the most
• Rena, for leading us through our success and survival
• Pengky, for livening up the PD days
• my cousin Dee who has annoyed me for years, it has been fun and exciting really, what would I do without you eh?
• the Havoc Photogs Marriz and Cybercanon, it was there in The Business School where our passion in photography was born and cultivated
• my fellow team members of Aura, it's been fun working with you guys
• Essa for all the crazy unforgettable times
• Ezam, Akee and Ili, though they won't be joining us, there have been things that I've been grateful to them

to Edi Farhan for giving me a heads up during my brief jobless times,

to all my juniors after me, getting to know you all has been a delightful experience,

and to all my friends who i've known externally throughout my time in the Business School, thank you ever so much for everything!


Farewell Business School, till we meet again.

The Raptai

One more day. That's how excited we feel right now, knowing the fact that our big day tomorrow signifies the end of our course in The Business School. 22nd of April will be the day that we've all been waiting for after years of sitting in class and working on assignments with our group of friends back in campus. Sometimes it's hard to believe that we're already here, the last day of our time as national diploma students.


Today was the rehearsal for tomorrow's convocation ceremony at The International Convention Centre, and we were all lined up adorned with our graduation attire which we have all prepared with anticipation. We were given guidelines on the protocol for tomorrow's ceremony. I took this opportunity to grab my camera along, knowing that I won't be able to carry anything with me prior to receiving my certificate on stage.




Mus (Dineyfoto) was there and he was happy to take pictures of us during the raptai.

How Hungry Are You Right Now?

The Nikon D5000 Put To The Test

Thinking of purchasing your first digital SLR? The Nikon D5000 might be just the right camera for beginners. Best of all, this new camera comes with HD video-recording capabilities, so you get the best of both worlds at a price of an entry-level dSLR. And it's got a swivelling LCD live-view screen so you could, say, enjoy shooting self-portraits with ease.

Hiero Turns 26

Rejoice! Nikon's New Entry Level dSLR

Goodbye D60, here comes your new successor. The Nikon D5000 is finally unleashed and its really exciting to hear the biggest changes and added features into this little gizmo. In fact, making it a cheaper 2nd body would be pretty much a good choice for those on a budget. Despite the fact that, like the previous Nikon entry level dSLRS (D60 and D40), it doesn't have an In-body focus motor, Nikon users have nothing to fear knowing that now Nikon has pretty much a wide variety of lenses available that is compatible with the D5000.


The new Nikon D5000 now carries a 12.3MP sensor and high-sensitivity that ranges between ISO 200 and 3200, enabling faster shutter speeds, significantly reducing the risk of blurred images when you shoot fast-moving subjects or take pictures in low light. Its light-weight and highly ergonomic in handling, and for the first time in a Nikon entry-level dSLR range, they finally give this new model a fast and precise 11-point AF system, generously more than the D60's limited 3 autofocus points.


The great big change is the ability to swivel the LCD screen, a perfect addition for entry level users, allowing them to take pictures easily from any angle. This is a pretty convenient method of getting those tight shots where one would need to preview their images in live-view mode during those hip-shots or high-shots. Best of all, you can even reverse the monitor for effortless, perfectly-framed self-portraits (finally!).


Another great addition is that the D5000 inherits the D90’s groundbreaking HD movie capability. The added benefit of the D-movie function (introduced as a world-first with the D90), is now being brought to a wider consumer audience. So basically now you get a more affordable movie-making dSLR if the D90 is still pretty steep for your budget.


Nikon finally has an excellent entry-level camera in their catalogue. This also makes this the best choice for beginners who wish to jump on the Nikon bandwagon. The D5000 is perfect for capturing family fun and developing the skills of photography hobbyists.

Further Experimentation

Since I'm no longer unemployed now, I need to juggle up time between work, photography and blogging. Anyway, here are more pictures taken from last week's photoshoot with the Featuring Dancers in the evening of The Empire Hotel & Country Club. Just some different design experiments I've been working on these past few days, something to keep this blog occupied while I'm still trying to re-organize things and adapt myself in the working life.

The return of the movie look

First Day On The Job

It's my first day as an intern. Let's get it on.

We Meet Again

Earlier today was our Convocation Briefing held at MTSSR where we were given details and instructions for our upcoming graduation day on the 22nd of April. Over 900 students who have completed their courses attended the convo briefing at the Multi-Purpose Hall which made our group from The Business School seem quite a few. We are a rather small family. I was already very excited about today as I was able to meet up with my friends who most of them I haven't seen for months since the end of our industrial attachment.


As what was briefed, the convocation will be held at the Plenary Hall of the International Convention Centre in the morning of Wednesday, where we will be wearing our graduation attire which will consist of a formal black cara melayu for the men and black baju kurung for the ladies. There will be a rehearsal on the 21st. We only have 2 weeks left before the big day. Soon we will only be known as the former students of The Business School who have liven up the college from 2005 to 2008.


The strapping boys. They've grown so fast, haven't they?


The bff's


The Secretarials, together again


Reunited with close friends


They really miss each other so much. LOL

Be Silent

From the creators of Jangan Pandang Belakang, this movie will make you scream a lot. Here's a tip: bring your own blanket to the theatres. The intro is already too freaky to watch.

As We Go On...

2 more weeks baby yeah....

Revamped And Revived

At last, all the tedious post-processing work is finally completed. Now I'm up for some tweaking and revamping on some of the photos I took from the photoshoot last Monday. I was thinking of reviving Aura and turn the image above into a concept design of a magazine front cover. Presto!

Featuring Dancers Photoshoot

Yesterday's photo-shoot at Empire Hotel was a success, thanks to these photogenic dancers all the way from UBD. It's been awhile since my last model photo-shoot and I'm glad I had another round yesterday for these guys. The whole strobing was really fun.

The Big Three

Better save up now. Summer flicks are gonna be huge once again this year so there's gonna be a lot of going to the movies starting next month. I can't wait for the big three. And then there's Angels & Demons, Star Trek and the next Harry Potter which are also worth to watch. So that's 6 movies, that's 50 dollars (including the popcorn) I have to save...

... I need a job.

After Dark

Can't Afford an iMac?

We all know iMacs are ridiculously expensive, but you can have all the fun with this highly affordable desktop computer by Asus. I've made a preview of this product last November, and now Asus has finally released the EEE Top 1602 Desktop at very affordable prices. The all-in-one's sleek design and user-friendly touch interface make it a great choice for users seeking a basic but fun desktop system. Of course, when it comes to power, the iMac is king. The EEE top is based on netbook components, powered by a 1.6GHz Atom processor and running Windows XP Home, but for the basics (such as surfing the internet which pretty much what we all do on our computers these days), the Eee Top will get the job done.

Garden Kitty

Arghh! These things, they just kept multiplying in my house like rabbits! Anyway, here's one which happens to be my personal favorite. I haven't got a name for him or her yet. In fact, I haven't figured out if it's a he or a she. I guess time will tell.

Doctor Fish

Viva La CS3

At these jobless times, the one thing that's been keeping me occupied is acquiring new techniques in image editing, which I think I still need to brush up, so I made a little experimentation on my stock photos and did my magic. Nothing beats multitudes of layers and brushes to achieve a gritty surreal imagery of a busy night street scene in KL. I should travel more and do this more often. Long live CS3!

Get Your Tickets Today

The rehearsals have been going on very well and its only a couple of weeks left before the main events. I'm pretty excited about it myself. I went to the last play 'The Sunshine Boys' back in 2007 and it was hilariously fun. From the rehearsals we've been having for this upcoming Macbeth comedy play, its gonna turn out really great as well. Tickets are available for purchase today. Do not miss this play as its gonna be a one time event in Brunei!

Synopsis: A classic story about a group of ladies who attempt to stage Macbeth as their entry for a Drama Competition. The heavens conspire to ensure everything possible goes wrong, with series of mishaps occurring. But the valiant ladies struggle on regardless, though no one is quite good enough to save the day.

Show times:
April 17, 2009 - 8.00pm
April 18, 2009 - 4.00pm
April 18, 2009 - 8.00pm

Venue:
6th Floor
D'Anggerek Hotel

Prices:
Student - $5
Normal - $10


Images courtesy of Mr Syaf.

April Fool!

And no, I'm not selling my stuff and shutting down this blog, so just go back to your regular lives and enjoy the rest of the evening of April 1st. Oh, and just to cheer you guys up, I ordered pizza for everyone and they'll be coming to your doorstep in half an hour...

...unfortunately you will have to pay for them yourselves. Haha. Peace.

The End

...besides, I dunno what else to shoot anymore.
Guess what, I'm getting rid of all my stuff because I've lost the motivation and interest in photography and blogging. For those interested to purchase my full set of equipment I'd be willing to negotiate the price. I'm selling em off at $1,000. That includes the body, lens and flash (and other accessories that came with them). That's quite a bargain if you ask me. Anyway, this is my last entry in this blog as I'll be shutting it down for good. I'm off to pursue a new hobby; RC Drift!

Farewell.