Promoted

Cap'n Zeeko

RBAF Commander Major General Hj Aminuddin Ihsan (L), presenting the rank
insignia to Leftenant Hj Mohd Aisamuddin Hj Ali (R), who has been promoted to Captain.

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

My First By-Line

Delegates from Northern Illinois University visited UBD, May 27.
Finally, I've got my first by-line on the papers. Took me almost a month to actually be given one. Click here to check it out.

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....

Slides From Our Graduation Night

For those who have either missed watching the slides I've compiled for our graduation night held last night, or wish to relive the memories again, you can watch it here in all its glory. (Thank you iMovie and YouTube).

Now that my colleagues and I have graduated, we are entering a whole new journey, with new challenges and opportunities that awaits us in our doorsteps. Our future is brighter now. But we will forever cherish the moments my colleagues and I spent together since our first day we set foot in The Business School.

Life In The Press

Happy Labour Day

What a crazy month April has been; my 26th birthday, 2 weeks in the Infocom Federation Brunei and the graduation. May is finally here, and I got the offer as a full-time roving reporter for The Brunei Times, after a brief stint as an intern in BAG Networks. I never thought I would end up in a career in journalism, though I've been doing it (for free) all these years for my blog, I thought I'd give this a shot. After all, being a photographer would be an added advantage in the field. Looks like a fresh new start in my career (and I guess my weekends will no longer be the same either).

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

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.

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

As We Go On...

2 more weeks baby yeah....

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.

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

Frustrations of a Late Bloomer

Gambar ini adalah sekadar hiasan sahaja. Hak milik tercipta. Dilarang menduplikasi.
It's a tough world we live in. Age and O levels are still the factors in our nation when deciding to further our studies, despite the efforts some of us have made which, in foreign standards, are considered eligible for it. For most of my generation, these factors have become obstacles at this stage of life. It's quite a challenge for some, but also a waste of resources when we think about it.

Everybody deserves a second chance. A person who have struggled years of hardship and only managed to get back up again can be no different than the child prodigy. If they reject the next person who have successfully achieved outstanding results despite not qualifying the other criterias such as age (I mean, c'mon, seriously, what's up with that?), then they could've made a very big mistake. One decision can make a big change. What if that person could one day change the world if he had not been rejected?

I speak on behalf of these people like myself who have fallen before but managed to stand up again at this very day. Everybody deserves a second chance, and these people speak for themselves. Despite factors which have become obstacles that gets in their way, its the burning desire, drive and motivation to study which still exist in them that keeps them going. If these people, despite age, wishes to study, why stop them? Is education an investment or a cost in the future development of our nation?

Yes its true that we have to raise the bar in our education standards over the course of time in order to meet our vision 2035, but what about the responsibilities of fulfilling the promises of our late monarch, the architect of Modern Brunei? He envisioned that all, and I mean ALL of us in this nation deserve to live better and prosperous lives. As in the case, I am fighting for my future as its my rights. Its everyone's rights and everyone should stand and fight for it.

So let my experience be a lesson to all, especially to the teenagers who are currently enjoying the freedom given to you. We are living in difficult times. While you still have that freedom you think you deserve, do not take things simply for granted. We should be thankful that we are given education at no cost, so don't waste that chance and blew it. Opportunities are wide open at the early age. Don't end up with life full of regrets like the rest of us who could've done better when we had those chances.


One of the lucky few who have survived the education depression

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