Travelling The Emerald Green Road

Honestly speaking ... there's not much to do around in the old Belait town. Okay, well there probably is but nothing that sparks my interests much.

However, I was keen on getting reaquainted with the abundant nature that is dominantly the most available form of distraction the district has to offer. (Despite the fact I haven't stepped on a hiking trail since my mom dragged my sorry arse through hill and hell at Shah Bandar.)

I went to Sungai Liang with my family for my dad's 60th brithday.

It was a picnic celebration and I know my dad hasn't done much hiking eventhough he loves nature. I think it's because he rather have some company while he hikes. I remember well enough he use to bring me to the Sungai Liang forest reserve all the thime when I was kid. My brother as well but I don't know if he still remembers though. After every hike, my father would end the trip with a break at a kopi shop where he, my brother and I would always order roti.

I remember often enough there were often birds singing to one another in the forests. I once brought out my recorder just for kicks to see if I can get any reaction and I DID get one! It was amazing for me, a 15yr old, to be playing a recorder in the middle of the rainforest and have a bird replying back! Dad was impressed which was saying something cuz he can also make birds reply by picking up a leaf and making all sorts of whistles out of it.

Last trip we went, he picked up a different kind of leaf and make monkey shrieks. I tot it was for real! Cuz dad was ahead of us and I didn't see what he was doing. I tot there were real monkeys ahead! Dad thought it was a real hoot and continued making the noise all the way until we saw a real monkey, sitting on top of a rotting trunk some 10 meters away from us. I was scared it would try to attack us for food.

Some tourists and hikers leave food for the monkeys and think its' a real hoot but I consider this as a bad habit cuz then wild monkeys would associate humans with food and one day might become more aggrassive in search of it. Once at shah bandar I saw this 5 yr old tossing bits of food at the monkeys and having fun until one of the bigger monkeys dashed up to her and snatched the whole bag out of her hands. Totally shocked her. I just thank God the others didn't follow suit and search the kid for more food. So, remember, don't feed any wild animals.

Moving on...

I forgot how beautiful our rainforests are. It's like being in an entirely different world. Granted the Sungai Liang forest reserve is pretty tame compared to some of the bigger forests reserves in Labi and Temburong but at least they leave most of the wild alone.

Tall majestic trees surrounds the path which is concrete but because it's ben there so long, it's turned into a pretty emerald colour which suits the surrounds (however kind of dangerous if wet). The canopy overhead gave us a pretty good shelter from the fierce sun and felt like we were travelling through a kingdom of unfathomable complexity because there is something of interest in almost every 5 meters or so.

I dunno why but I was delighted to find the many wild fruits growing there such as durian, rambutan, jackfruit and bread fruit.

Hiking there is relatively easy, so easy that even I can go for one round and still be able to enjoy my surroundings without suffering too much. Haha. I managed to take some pretty nice pics too. Was so glad I decided to take my Lumix with me.

There were a lot of people there as well, some swimming (yuck!) in the pool filled with the natural water, bbq-ing on the side and hiking about. I didn't realise there would be so many people into the park these days. I guess it's because Bruneians are becoming more health conscious now and are taking full advantage of their natural surroundings.

Still, I rather enjoy a slow pace and lovely scenery than trying to work my butt off climbing a steep thing only to be passed by an ah pek hiking up the trail like some shirvelled up mountain goat on speed. Jialat.

Anyhoo...I've really enjoyed taking pictures while hiking and got some really nice pics! Hope you like them as much I do. ^_^ I think some are just fantastic!

Just In Time

I must admit that lately I've been neglecting many things.

*not because I was all the time fishing*

Even stuff that I'm most fond of. Reading, drawing, gaming, Chou Sing Tze movies...

Admittedly everything isn't peaches and cream but eventually it will be. I'll let you know why.

Beacause I'm on a break now. A lovely, relaxing, 10 days of blissful NOTHING.

*This is how I look napping, with no make up, on a fishing trip with my family, deal with it.* ***Takes mental note to kill sister who took this picture while I was asleep.***

That's right, since I don't have the time (mostly) to do what I want, then I take the time to devote myself solely in the spoiling of, yes you guessed it, MYSELF.

Although I must say, what time I did have during the weekends are well spent with my family and the occasionally weekend work demands but the rewards are far greater with grateful work colleagues and even more importantly, my relationship with my family.

Sad to say the 6 years I spent living on my own in Bandar made me rather blind to the changes that has happened in my family. Or perhaps it is I that have changed. Perhaps I have matured enough to see.

Whatever the case maybe, I felt it was a good move for me to live back and relate again with my family despite whatever moanings and groanings you might have heard from me. My itchy scratchy relationship with my mother is as static as ever however, we've grown accustomed to it and has even evolved to a sort of comfortable, abliet slightly bitter, banter between mother and daughter.

My father is more or less the same fella, although now he's growing more like those old men you see in the movies who likes to sit around, day dream a bit with a cig in hand and a cold beer on the table. He is now doing more gradening, a new hobby he's picked up over the last couple of years which I'm happy to see. Granted fishing is fun but I feel more secure to know he's at home instead of out in some cold wet spot, exposed to bugs and snakes and God knows what else. Not that he can't take care of himself, dad is a regular trooper when it comes to the outdoors, but he's not getting any younger and I rather he be close by.

My brother has grown more annoying than I could possibly imagine. I believe it's my mother's way of compensating for the amount of intelligence I have when she gave birth to me. Somewhere in her, tiny motherly cells were telling her to hold off on the IQ department when she was suffering from the smart mouth of her 4yr old first born. Therefore she has made her next born, my brother, more brawny than brainy. Although, she does have the tendacy to over do things a little bit. (Like too much grapefruit in the cheesecake she was making the other day.) I swear to you, my brother is an entirely new species of fruit altogether. Still, he is good at heart and his morals are straight eventhough not all the lights are on upstairs. He doesn't do drugs, steal or cheat, gamble or drink excessively. That much I am thankful for.

My adorable baby sisters are now young teens before I can say 'whoopsie daisy'.

The older one is in the midst of getting ready for her graduation night which is something of a high school musical (there will be a performance which she is part of) and a prom.

For the past two weeks or so, she has been talking about the 'graduation night', wondering what to wear, how to wear it and where to get it. Why just last saturday I took the girls out to the capital and we did nothing but shop for her shoes, shawl (for when it gets cold), bag and accessories. Her shoes alone took us one whole day! It's too high, too low, too expensive, too cheap, too ugly, too stylish, too colourful, too plain, yada yada yada. We shopped from Gadong, to Bandar and finally to Tutong where we eventually found the perfect pair. By that time I was thoroughly exhausted, sitting there like a melting blob, munching on waffles from the nearby Hua Ho.

The younger one is turning out to be an airhead wannabe. She's got a brain under that hood of hers but is just too lazy to use it. She loves the material and superficial things most teens her age loves. Absolutely addicted to facebook and her mobile, of course. Really a little delicate picky princess, from doing her own hair every morning before school to picking out her own choice of clothes. Ok, perhaps I'm expecting too much from her. She's got the right to do her own thing. But you know the best thing about her? She's absolutely lovable.

And I think that's important, especially to my mother cuz I must admit, mom doesn't get a lot of love from her other kids. Oh, we love her, of course we do but we just have a difficult time showing it. I don't know why. Nature perhaps.

Aaaaanyway, to wrap this up, I'm gonna say I don't regret moving back at all. Yes, it's a small town. Yes, I do get tired of all the uncles and aunties saying, "Aiyah! Ah Fah! Your eldest ka? Wah big girl now oh? Where she is working now? Ah? There ah? Oh, I know, I know. That's good right? My girl? Oh she is now with her husband in KANADA liao lor! Ya lo!...."

*sigh*

Where was I? Oh yeah, about how happy I am that I'm back in KB. Ya me.



lol. Seriously though. I am. Although I admit I miss my friends and the life I had in the capital, but time moves on, and I feel that now I'm in the right place on exactly the right time.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS7

Most of you know I've been combing the market for a digital camera for a while now.

After reading the 37th online review and 19th comparison reviews, I've settled for either a Canon or Panasonic.

Now a few years ago I wouldn't even consider Panasonic. I'd scoff at it even.

But when I read more reviews and actually used a couple of them, I realised, hey, they are not so bad after all.

Actually the Panasonic Lumix cameras have really come up into the world of digital photography in terms of making durable yet quality point-and-shoot cameras. With the power of the internet, people now know more, expect more and honestly realised they deserve more.

With the economy being as bad as it is today, the big brands are producing smaller, more user friendly and more multi functional cameras faster than you can say, "CHEESE!" So not so surprisingly, all the sudden the prices started dropping and I don't mean a small 'plop' drop. I mean like waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay drop.

Five years ago, these babies at 6 mega pixels would cost you a whooping $800 easy. Today you can get 10 megapixels for as cheap as $200 plus. Even more pleasantly, they start giving better stuff with each sale. Camera bag, memory card, extra battery....competition is that fierce these days.

So, I've settled on either a Canon or a Panasonic. Actually I also pondered about Sony but then again, Sony is like a status symbol more than anything. Plus their touch screen feature is not so appealing. It's fun but a hassle to use and Lord only knows how long that will last in my family's hands.

I'm not looking for the Ferrari of cameras, I'm looking for the Toyota of cameras.

In the end, I bought the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS7.

In blue.

I'm no pro in taking pictures. I just want to take what I see.

Sometimes it's frustrating when I see something beautiful but when I take a picture of it, the end result is always something stupid. When I moaned and groaned about this to Effy, she suggested I get a semi-pro cam. It's tempting, real tempting, but honestly, I don't think I should... yet, cuz after all I want a family oriented cam where it's easy and durable for everyone to use.

So here's the results of my first day of taking pics with it.

Normal

Natural

Sepia

Vivid

Cool

These a the few of my favourites I took that day.

So now I got a camera now, expect me to be a more active blogger. ^_^ Cheers!

Unwanted Vegetarian

I don’t ask for much out of life. I’m not an ambitious woman who wants to rule the world with an army made out of mechanical lego. I’m neither picky nor fussy. I just take things as they come along and accept what I got.

Then I get less than what I normally got…

And less…

And less…

Until there’s nothing.

I’m talking about food! Especially the meaty kind. My carnivorous self is gonna start chewing on the phone if I dun do something about this soon…

See, it all started like this. My mother (yes, her again) decided that now I’m back within her realm of control, she will do the nicest thing in the world for me. She wakes up in the wee hours of the morning and packs me lunch to take to work.

Awwww….

Now really, I appreciate her like no other. No one in the world does that for me and seriously, people, if your significant other or your siblings even, gets up early in the morning just to make sure you have sustenance later, you would have showered the person with love and stars.

And I do.

Except when her clever side over comes her loving motherly side. See she’s been trying to get me on a diet for years now. I figured, “Meh, slow and steady. I’m already eating healthy at home. Significantly less calories than I use to consume because back in BSB it was daily cup noodles, nasi kator or roti telur.”

Mom decided by herself, “If I can’t get her to diet my way, then I’ll get her to diet the sly way.”

For the past two weeks or so my lunches has become from nicey nicey boxed lunches full of home goodness to so so lunches and now has degraded to ‘I must eat this or I will starve’ lunches. I still remember the 1st lunch she made was fried rice with ‘char siew’ and mixed veggies. Today’s lunch is 3 slices of bread, 2 slices of cheese, a small tomato and a bunch of salad greens.

I like greens. I love salad greens, esp when there’s lots of them and the sound of a million crunches when you bite into a sandwich stuffed with lettuce.
But I love meat more.
Now I’m not asking much. I’m not asking for steak or burger or whatever, you know? Just a bit of tuna (no mayo is fine) or a slice of ham, maybe a fried egg once in a while. (btw, mom has banned eggs from the house, unless they are used for reasons like baking or sushi. She says the family eats too many eggs which I agree.)

It wouldn’t hurt me that much, right?

I’m not asking for KF freaking C. Just a little bit of tuna flakes…

… and maybe a mini gherkin or two.

But it looks like it’s just not meant to be.

What did I do? Did I adapt like a normal human being suppose to do or did I rebel with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s finest?

I did neither. Instead I spoke to her and asked her nicely if she could not make my lunches vegetarian anymore because last I checked, I didn’t sign up to become a nun at a temple somewhere in the remote regions of China.

I tot we understood each other.

Until Monday rolled in and I peeked into the lunch bag, 3 slices of bread, a medium sliced up tomato, a bunch of lettuce and ONE slice of cheese.

One of these days I’m gonna have a truck load of cold cuts delivered to the house. Maybe she’ll get the hint then.

I Heart Bamboo Fun

Recently I became the proud owner of a brand new Wacom Bamboo Fun.



This is something that is beyond my imaginings because I've always thought a tablet is too hardcore for me. That it's something people use to actually make a living out of their art.


Haslin convinced me otherwise. She volunteered her brother's Wacom Graphire4 tablet for me to try out. At first I was really skeptical about the outcome. Sure it helps an artist to lineart and especially colour their stuff but does it really help since I'm mostly doing pencil art?


Yes it does help, people. It helps ALOT.


Think of this. For years you've been cutting grass by HAND using the traditional sickle. Then one day your friend decided to lend you his lawn mower.

BAM! Now you know you've only been fooling yourself.

This is how good it is. Work is cleaner smoother and done faster. No more fiddling with the scanner's settings or wasting loads of paper to practice on. No more buying pencils, pens, markers and copics. No more end of the world when you make a whoopsie on a piece of art.


I had to get one of my own.



For a while I've looked for one and the only ones I can find are small sized ones OR the medium but really expensive ones. Singapore was the only place that has medium sized Wacom Bamboo Fun which is the one I wanted. It has the right size and price range. I had the means but not the location. XD


It's all thanks to Haslin who volunteered to get me one when she went visiting Singapore during the chinese new year. EEEeeeee! Joy of joys!

She even got me a discount and a tablet carrier bag. (I heart you so much girl!)


What are the resulting stuff I've been able to create from the Bamboo Fun? Check it out! ^_^

Monkey Zodiac for the Year of the OX 2009

Monkey people didn't have any significant performance in 2008, the Year of the Rat. They felt that someone or something blocked their luck all the time.

In the year of 2009, there are many Lucky Stars coming to Monkey people. So they have complete new luck and they can expect good news from career, money, reputation, love or happiness area. However, some tiny Unlucky Stars hiding beside the Lucky Stars in 2009. That means Monkey people shouldn't show too complacent and too conceited, because their enemies are still around. If Monkey people make any mistake, then they might lose their reputation, power or wealth.

Career: There are three major Lucky Career Stars appearing in 2009. Those signs indicate you will have an extraordinary and outstanding achievement in your job performance or business development. It's time that you show people about your talent, wisdom, skill. Many people will accept your idea and proposal. Your plan or project will show significant progress and impressive results. You have good chance to gain more responsibilities, own higher power and even win a job promotion. When you have better performance or hold a higher position, then many people become jealous to you. Someone might try to look for your shortcoming or mistake in order to impede your working progress and to damage your reputation. Fortunately, since your keen perception and quick response, you are able to a plan to protect yourself. Also, your supporters will help your to remove the hamper.

Money: There is a Lucky Money Star showing in this year. Since you have a good career luck, your salary fixed income will be satisfactory. If you work for someone, you might earn an extra bonus. If you own your business, then the company sales will have a significant growth. However, the Money Star is not a Windfall Star. The money won't come from gambling, heritage, gift or lottery. It's required your hardworking and time to earn all your income. Another sign show that you have a chance to lose your personal property and no way to recover it. Or an unexpected accident causes your money loss. Therefore, it's safer that do show off your wealth in 2009.

Love: One very Auspicious Star and a Happy Star are gathering in love area. That is the sign of success, happiness, joyfulness, smooth or marriage. If you are single, then you have opportunity to find your dream companion and enjoy the happy love life. If you are already in love, the relationship with your lover will become much closer. If both of you are ready, then you can consider the marriage. If you are married, you and your spouse have a endless love. A new born baby might come into your family. However, if you are a male Monkey guy, you have the chance to meet opposite sex outside. If you don't give in to temptation, you will get lots of argument with your spouse.

Health: Although you have many Lucky Stars coming in your astrological cycle. There also are some Unlucky Stars around you this year. This brings up the health issue. The career will make you busy in 2009. You will feel tired very often. If you have too much nightlife and too less exercise, then you will get sick easily. As long as understanding the health might become the problem, then you should limit unnecessary social life, keep healthy eating habit, maintain good sleeping quality and exercise routinely, then you will have a healthy life in the year of Cow.

Fortune: Monkey people have excellent career luck in 2009. They will work very skillfully and proficiently on their daily job. Their wealth will increase because of good job performance. However, there still is a potential unlucky event coming. Monkey people still need to pay attention on words and deeds. If you can spend more time in helping others, then you will win the good reputation, which could bring you more money in. The feeling of wealth, power, happiness and satisfaction will all come to you.

I really got to read this over and over again. It's soooo good.

Brand New Year ~ Brand New Change! POSITIVE THINKING IS POWAH!

Many of you know that I've been working at my current job for a long time now. Really long time. Like 6 years long time.

So when I got word from my brother of a job offer based in Anduki, I gave him my CV and think nothing of it afterwards. After a couple of weeks only my brother told me his boss wanted to interview me.

I was happy.

Well, I was kinda panicking cuz you know, I haven't gone for an interview for so many donkey years now, would I make an ass of myself?

Then the positive persona in me said, "NO! You have done a lot for your current company and you've accomplished many goals in your job. Implemented many ideas and marketing strategies. Supervised and trained a staff for an international franchise of high quality repute. HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF!"

And it's true. I brought out my positive person and walked into the interview, sure with tiny butterflies in my stomach, but I did very well and I thought the interview was smashing. In the end, she offered the job for me on the spot and I accepted.

WOOT!

Positive start to a positively faboo looking new year! Wonderful right?

Today when I was driving back to Bandar, I was istening to the DJ on the radio and she said, 70% of negative comments and crits actually comes from your love ones, your family. Which is very true and over the years I've slowly trained myself to turn a deaf ear to all that negativity. But I'm not perfect. Not fool proof.

It's one thing to get negativity from my elders, you know, parents, older siblings, cousins, etc, because they are older, they lived longer, they are more experienced and mature. Right? That's because I respect them at that level.

However to have one's YOUNGER siblings to start lecturing and going all negative on one is too much for one to stand for.

Seriously, I need to put up a professional front to work with my sibling in close proximity in the same company. Heck, as if we don't see enough of each other already at home.

I'm seriously considering renting my own place.

OK! Enough with the down and negative thoughts! OUT! OUT! SHOO!

Positive note again! I'm also seriously considering getting a family car for the family's use. Such as the ~


Toyota Vios! Manual of course cuz I can't stand auto. I dunno why though. I mean in jams auto is the easiet but I really like to feel in control of my own vehicle, so there ya go.

That's the colour I'm thinking of picking as well. So what do you all think?

XD

I'm so excited!

Happy New Year! 2009! WTF!

Okay, I thought that perhaps heralding in the new year means a fresh start. A beginning in the beginning. New year resolution and what not.

But noooo...

what happened to my new year?

Er, let's see, I didn't get celebrate in the 'traditional' sense because I'm sick. Yes, down and out with flu, runny nose, cough, sore throat, the whole package deal.

Then one my way home after a visit to the doctor my car broke down in the middle of the small roundabout near the petrol station in Beribi. What la!

Okay, don't panic cuz nothing good can come from panicking. I put on the emergency signals, tried to start my car again and again... it would run and then die again after a few meters... so there ya go, I basically 'crawled' my way to the new building of Baiduri Finance's parking lot and called in the tow truck.

After that I learned how to get recharge from the ATM (woah, it was freaking easy, I should do this more often, it's cool! -sakai-) and called in my parents, my friends, basically everyone who I thought would need to know that my car broke down or could send me back home.

In the end it was Del who came to the rescue. Ah, Del, man I really owe him one.

Ok!

No more bad thoughts and karma from this moment forth! Think GOOD THOUGHTS! Count thy BLESSINGS!

It's great that my family had my car fixed so fast. I hope to pick up my car soon. *sigh* You know, evertime some shit happens to my car I would thinkg, "Maybe I should get a new car." Every time. I mean it's just too temptimg sometimes yo. But then again, I would think, the insurance, the tires, the monthly payment for the next 7 years... *sigh*

Gak! NO! Good thoughts! Good THOUGHTS!

*ahem*

Well, positive side is that I get to meet Alex!!! Man, it's been so long I haven't seen the bloody fella. Alex! We gotta meet up proper next time yo! Seriously, I dunno anyone who can take things in like Alex and give you the outright no bullshit in your face opinion. Maybe Effy and I should arrange a trip to Temburong. Hee. What do you think Effy? *hint hint*

Alright, I'm off. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!