Unplanned bed & breakfast

28th September 2009

Last night we welcomed a guest from abroad. Saeed M. Al-Mubarak is working with Saudi's oil company, Aramco, and is a distinguished lecturer with the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). Unfortunately his flight schedule did not go as planned and Saeed had to find alternative ways in order to reach Brunei.

In the end, he had to fly through Singapore and arrived at almost midnight last night. Not willing to drive straight to Belait district (about an hour drive) due to the heavy wind and rain, I decided to welcome our guest to our home instead. My wife and I had earlier on prepared for his arrival and we are really delighted that our guest is very kind to accept our invitation.

We took some pictures during breakfast today. We prepared chicken rice, cereals and bread as well as hot drinks for our distinguished guest. To Saeed, thank you and we hope that you have enjoyed your brief stay with us.

Doa Selamat cum our second openhouse

26th September 2009

Last night, we organised our second openhouse for close family members. It was firstly meant for holding a small Doa Selamat (thanksgiving) ceremony for my youngest sister, Ain who will be departing to the United Kingdom tonight to take up her Masters degree.

We started reciting the prayers just before 7 pm followed by a buffet dinner. This time, on the menu was kelupis with beef curry sauce, fried vermicelli as well as beef and chicken satay. All were home-cooked by my mother-in-law and my wife and we happily received approximately 70 guests including children.

To my sister, make us proud. We know you can achieve success in your studies and we'll always pray for your safety. Good luck sis!

Our very first Hari Raya celebration

26th September 2009

This year marks our first Hari Raya celebration at this new home. It's a great experience and we are grateful that everything went well. As for the decorations, we keep it simple in order to avoid overspending. To mark this special event though, we had a dedicated display table especially for the Hari Raya cards from some of Brunei royal family members to share with others.

During the first two days of Raya, we spent a lot of time visiting family members to convey greetings and as such the house was closed to visitors. My wife and I started working on the third day of Raya and as such receiving guests was delayed a few more days.

Our first "openhouse" was on Thursday night as a special request from a few of my close friends. On the menu was rice with crispy fried chicken and cabbage, corn soup as well as my wife's delicious wet noodles. To all those who came (you know who you are!), thank you and we really enjoyed your company.

To all family and friends, we wish you Selamat Hari Raya!

Eid Mubarak 2009

The guest bedroom

4th August 2009

Last Sunday, my father and step-mom had their first sleep over. My wife and I made a little preparation in the morning before they arrive to make sure that our respected "guests" have a delightful and pleasant stay. My wife took some pictures of the room, celebrating another achievement of having our own home. Being a host so far is definitely something that we love to do, and more sleep overs is expected next week.

Enjoy these pictures:

Zikir & Doa Selamat (Thanksgiving)

30th July 2009

Alright, this update is definitely way overdue. Last 19th July, we organised a Zikir and Thanksgiving ceremony in conjunction with our moving in the new home. Approximately 350 guests came and we are very thankful that the weather was nice and sunny, despite heavy rains the days before.

However, everyone was in shock when a sudden gush of wind blew, lifting one of the tents set up at the side of the house. Luckily, the guests were quick and got hold of the tent before it flew up and probably damage some cars parked nearby.

Apart from that, everything went smoothly. On this note, a special thanks to my parents-in-law who sponsored 'daging salai' (smoked beef stew), rice and 'sayur umbut' as part of the main menu. Thanks as well to my family, and lastly a special appreciation to my sisters [Liza] and [Ain] for the great pictures.

The zikir team invited from the Pulaie Mosque. Zikir is the Islamic way of praising and remembering God and Prophet Muhammad which is put beautifully in a variety of melodies.

Hi-tea buffet exclusive for the Zikir team

Male guests

Female guests

My sister also took some pictures in the house. Hehehe... one benefit of having a sister who loves photography. Thanks sis!

The play room... supposed to be messy!

Our little princess's bedroom

My prince's bedroom. The baby in this picture is my nephew, Syahmi.

Our study room. After the ceremony was over we realised that Syafi and his cousin Adam were playing computer games the whole time.

His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei turns 63

15th July 2009

"Sembah Tahniah & Ucap Selamat Hari Puja Usia"
Sempena Hari Keputeraan

Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan
Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddien Waddaulah