A Dashboard Moment

This month marks my one year with The Brunei Times, and even today I still can't believe it has really been that long. It was only 12 months ago that I started my career as a probie reporter without any knowledge or experience in journalism. I still remember how it was like, all the struggle in learning the ropes of being a roving reporter and photojournalist. It took a lot of time and patience (and several nightmares), but it went pretty well after a few months.

Nevertheless, I'm still a learner today. In fact, I'm still brushing on my writing, communication and photography skills, acquiring new tips and tricks as I go through the days. There's so much more to experience and discover in this line of work. But indeed, it has been a pleasure working with the company, albeit only a five year old establishment, I see a potentially bright future of our publication. We reporters just need to work extra hard.

It's an exhausting job, getting dead ends meet every single day, chasing after stories before the sun sets, all the commuting, and so on. But I kinda got the hang of it, and the knowledge and experiences have been pretty worthwhile. So much so that it has taught me a great deal on life and how crazy the world can be out there.

It's a shame that sacrifices had to be made in order for me to fully adapt to this new life. I no longer had the luxury of joining the outings with the Brunei Forever photogs, weekends are considered working days for the media people, and I had to quit from the wedding photography business. Heck, there have been times when I just got too busy I neglected my blog for far too long. Yet I enjoyed this job, and I made my own outings every single day through my assignments. That has been my training ground over the months. And the people I meet everyday, young and old, they're like family to me now. There's always the thrill and excitement going down to events to make coverages shoulder to shoulder with rest of the journalists.

I believe this is only the beginning. New challenges are definitely ahead, yet the past will always be taken as lessons for the future. In the meantime, I'm just enjoying this dashboard moment as I make my way back to my workplace after a long day at one of my assignments. This is journalism.

My name is Al-Haadi Abu Bakar, and I am not a terrorist.


My humble throne

Putting Down The 'For Hire' Sign

I'm taking a break from photo-shooting weddings for the time being, due to time constraints. Ever since I've been working with the media, its tough to get weekends off to make way for weddings. Perhaps there'll be a time for me to return once everything is stabilized. For now, I'm just gonna do lots of photojournalism shoots, since that's where my field is at the moment.

Regardless, I'll be back photo-shooting weddings in the future. It has been a labor of love for me. I will use this long break to start investing on upgrading my gear; a second body, another external flash, an ultra-wide and a telephoto lens are just the artillery I need for wedding shoots.

Lights Up

I applaud His Majesty's decision to push back all events and ceremonies planned to mark His Majesty's 63rd birthday celebrations, in the wake of the Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak. It shows how caring our Monarch is for the welfare of his people. For the first time in the history of his reign, there will be no major celebrations in the capital on this year's 15th of July.

Cycling Anyone?

When was the last time we did our personal budgeting? And if you have pretty recently, its easy to notice that one of the big chunks which we have to deduct from our monthly income goes to the monthly car loan. As a fresh graduate who have started a career and earning that very first paycheck, I've conducted a thorough analysis on this matter.

We all know that in our country, the average household has at least two cars or more. That said, there are those who are paying for more than one cars a month, considering that he/she is earning from a high-paying job, and those who only financed for one car, the ones that he/she primarily uses for work or leisure. In my case, I'm categorized in the latter.

Having realized that I have to pay close to half of my monthly income for my car loan, I thought to myself what it's like to live without having to pay for my car, and break myself away from monthly deductions on my income statement. But considering the lack of proper and efficient public transportation services here (we only have purple buses and motorboats), I don't think anyone here could live without at least one vehicle to get to work, to send and pick up the kids, shopping for groceries or visit distant relatives in another district.

But after several research I've made on the internet on alternative commuting, I've discovered interesting insights on bicycles! Wouldn't it be great if we all commute with bicycles? Think of all the money you save annually from the costs of cars (including the payments, insurance, gas, maintenance, tickets & fines, parking, car washes, supplies, and after-market parts & upgrades). Would you like to not have to spend that money?

Cycling to work. A cheaper, 'greener' trend? Why not.

I know this sounds crazy, and I'm sure gonna get a backlash on this, but think about the benefits of cycling in the long run:

• For most town commutes, a bicycle is quickest door-to-door.
• Cycling gives you the energy and enthusiasm for your work and study.
• Cycling boosts your brain power, makes you mentally sharper, re-focuses your mind and improves your concentration.
• Cycling is healthy because it protects you from heart disease, obesity and much more.
• Cycling helps to prevent weight-gain. You will build healthy, lean muscle, lose fat and pump up your metabolism.
• Cycling is inexpensive. All you need is a bicycle and some bits of equipment.
• Cycling does not pollute. The only fuel you will need is a healthy meal.
• At times it is possible to reach your destination faster with a bike rather than a car, during those traffic jam moments.
• So what if it takes a little longer to reach your destination? It's definitely faster and far less tiring then getting there by foot.
• Statistics have shown that the number of deaths from cycling are very low compared to the staggering figures of deaths of car drivers.
  

As I've mentioned above, living without a car can be pretty tough, especially in the Brunei, where public transportation is frequently lacking and I'm sure everyone don't like the idea of getting soaked from the rain. That said, it's certainly possible, as long as you're willing to change your lifestyle. After all, bicycles are dirt cheap, and there are no added cost to it (unless if you're thinking of pimpin' it). Best of all, you don't have to pay that monthly car loan anymore. Yay!

Interesting fact: Most millionaires leave well below their means. Maybe this could be a good start of a debt-free life. Of course, you still need to be more precautious when cycling on the road, because you don't wanna end up like this guy:

Happy cycling!

So Much Work, So Little Time

My mind's been constantly running like clockwork, thanks to the long-hour job and odd days off. But I don't wanna complain much. Work is work and I've got financial obligations to fulfill. I just need to learn to enjoy what I'm doing. In fact, I'm starting to get the hang of it. Regardless, I'm beat. The good news is, I'll be off tomorrow. Yay! Zzzzzz....

A Whole New Canvas

At these troubled times when I don't have Adobe Photoshop CS4 on my mac, I thought I'd use Pixelmator as a temporary alternative to work on my photos. Not bad, really. The interface is pretty much identical to Photoshop, but it isn't a resource hog, which I like. Sometimes its best not to depend heavily on one photo editing tool.

Memoirs of a Blogger-Turned-Reporter

It's been 2 weeks since I began working for the press, and I've started to realize how much different it feels when writing a story for the newspaper and writing for my blog. I'm beginning to depend on editors to check for clarity on my submitted work at the reporters' office, but when it comes to blogging, I'm beginning to feel more and more handicapped. If only my cats at home could proof-read.

Hiatus

My, how much I have neglected blogging these past week ever since I'm employed in a media company. Work has taken it's toll (I work on weekends now), and an upcoming event requires me to design a video project which needs to be completed within a given time frame. Be back in a few days.

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.

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.

Hiero Turns 26

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.

Current Status: Still Job-Hunting

3 months have passed and here I am still waiting for my big break. Convocation's coming up and if I don't see any progress coming my way I don't see any point in graduating. I never expected it's gonna be this tough. Well, I just hope I see that light at the end of the tunnel pretty soon coz I am already losing steam here.

Facebook Taking Over

Aside from the fever I'm currently having, and the temporary setback of my photobucket account, I've been neglecting this blog these past few days thanks to the ever-growing popularity of Facebook. With the new tweeter-like interface and an abundance of things I could virtually do, I guess I've spent too much time in Facebook I forgot how fresh air smells like.

Site Maintenance

Apologies for the current condition of this site. Don't worry, this is only temporary. My bandwidth usage will reset to zero after a few days and all my images are still safely intact. In the meantime, I will rely on my flickr to redirect images into my new entries until everything is reactivated. I guess its time for me to upgrade in order to enjoy the unlimited bandwidth offer. I need a credit card.

Countdown To Convocation '09

PD/BNF/02, graduated in 2006
It's already been set. My colleagues and I will graduate next month and the Convocation will be held in ICC on the 23rd of April. I'm so excited now, coz this is indeed the moment I've been waiting for after all these years. I still couldn't believe that its close to the end of our course already, and 2005 still feels like yesterday. To think that I wanted this to happen so fast back when we were still sitting in campus.

We've gone through many challenges, passed so many obstacles, and for 4 long years we've endured all that. We made friends, we formed assignment groups, we held gatherings and events, we went through the pain and hardship together, and we made it to the end together. We remained friends until today, and we will forever cherish the moments we've spent together in the Business School since Day 1. And now, its time for us to graduate and move on, as new challenges and opportunities awaits us in our doorsteps. As one journey ends, another begins.

In light of this upcoming event, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who have given us all the support throughout the years of studying in The Business School for our National Diploma in Business & Finance. Our parents, instructors, friends, seniors, juniors, colleagues and of course, the Almighty. Our future has become a brighter one and we hope to take it further to the next level. See ya at the convo!

ITB Information Day

Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB) will be organizing an ITB Information Day (InfoDay@ITB) on Saturday, 7th of March 2009 at the University’s campus in Kg Tungku. The InfoDay@ITB is open to the public and prospective students from 9 am to 4 pm. The deadline for applying to the University’s degree programmes has been extended to the 15th of March 2009 due to changes in the programme structure.

The activities during that day are:

• Personal consultation with ITB academics on the range of the 4-year degree programmes available at ITB with explanation on ITB definition of ‘discovery year’.
• Exhibition on few of ITB students’ hands-on final year projects physical displays.
• University’s Engineering laboratories tour.
• HECAS officers will also be available during the day whereby the prospective students can consult them regarding the registration process. They will also be able to register on the day as registration facilities will be provided

Life In The Metropolis

5 days, and that's not even enough. There's just so much to explore in the urban jungle of Kuala Lumpur. And let's not start with all the shopping. KL is a haven for that. I didn't bring much with me as my purpose of tagging along in this trip with my group of friends was to unwind and take pictures. Besides I'm not a fan of shopping. I'd rather enjoy walking miles and miles to no end as long as there's plenty to look at. Sightseeing, anything that expands my horizon, was just the remedy I needed after all these years. I think I'm up for another round, maybe in the next new years eve perhaps? And this time, I'm goin alone.

I've finally got to explore KL with all the freedom I've dreamed off. The last time I went to Kuala Lumpur was years ago and it was only due to errands which i needed to fulfill (work related). Now I got the chance to wander boldly in the city streets and explore new territories. I loved the adventure. I loved the thrill. This was exactly what I've always enjoyed doing for the past few years. And Singapore wasn't even like this.


I loved all the walking. Its ridiculously tiring, mind you, but the thrill's there when you commute in a busy city. I tend to get hungry from every destination I went to. Its no wonder Malaysians are slim and fit. All that walking sure burned all the calories I swore I didn't take a crap for 2 days (and I was all freakin worried bout that). The food must've had evaporated from all the walking in the city. Speaking of food, I had to try almost all the fast food chains in the city. Did I ever mention that the KFC Original Recipe chicken over there tasted a lot better than the ones sold here?

Oh, and was it just me or was I the only one lugging around a digital SLR in the streets? Almost everyone there only carried digital compacts for convenience sake and when I was there with my gear, suddenly I was a pro! I mean, here in Brunei everyone's going for the dSLR craze which serves no other purpose except taking good quality pictures, but carrying one in KL can be such a hassle for those not up for street photography in such a huge city. And then there's a chance of being stolen. I recalled how some people actually gawked at me while I was busy aiming for a shot, It just didn't feel comfortable. But I've managed to avoid that by blending with the people.

As I said earlier, I'm looking forward for another round, hopefully again this year. There's more that I haven't checked out. I've yet to return to Shah Alam, a beautiful place I once visited, surely lots of photo opportunities there. And then there's the Putrajaya and a few museums I'd like to visit in the future. Maybe I could try climbing the insanely long stairs at Batu Caves?

I'm Back

It feels good to be back after 5 days in KL. I've got tons of pictures which I couldn't wait to post here. First things first, I'm gonna need a long shut eye. Haven't slept for 24 hours due to flight delay early this morning. (and I've got 98 messages in my Facebook inbox I need to deal with! *gasp*)