That's Life!

I know it's been a long while of me updating this blog. Sometimes I wish there are more than 24 hours in a day. I can tell you my life has never been busier..(Can I do another PhD?!). Busy at work and equally busy at home. A boss at work, an amah at home hehe. That's life!

Actually there is so much in my head that I'd love to write about. Maybe one of these days.

For now, I just want to wish all Muslim readers, Happy Fasting..let's embrace the last 10 nights of Ramadhan..and at the same time Selamat Menyambut Hari Raya..
A reminder to myself and readers, Spend wisely! Buy Needs, avoid Wants! In the words of one very distinguished religious Pehin, "Tidak Kedekut, Tidak Membazir" (Not miserly nor wasteful).

Salaam

Thanks Malay Mail

Apparently this blog has been featured in the Malay Mail: Cyberspot. Thanks!

DONE

After having a 50-minute viva, I'm done! Yeayyy! Well I still have some corrections to do but Ya, I'm in Cloud 9..
Thank You to my darling husband and my beautiful daughters for their support and understanding in the last 4 years. Mama's coming home soon...!
Thank You to everyone who's been reading my ramblings for the past 2 years or so. Well, now that I'm about to go home and work (back to reality), there is a BIG possibility that I won't have the time to write as frequent as I want. Plus, I probably cannot write as freely as I want (in terms of topic)..so never say never, but there'll be less of me.

It really has been a pleasure...

Salaam

Life

Life has been busy in the past one month (hence, the absence of post). First of all, I am very pleased to announce that I did it! I’ve finished and submitted my thesis in under 4 years (Alhamdulillah) and now I’m waiting for my viva. I don’t mean to brag but a few of my colleagues asked me how I managed to do it considering I also have a family to look after i.e. being a full time mom and a housewife.

Well, I must admit it was not easy and without the help from my husband, I don’t think I could manage (Thank You, Abang!). But most importantly I guess, is to keep on doing your work, every day. If you ask me, I don’t have any pattern. I would do my work anytime of the day, whenever and as long as I could (this ranged from only 15 minutes to 2 hours per day). If I had to follow a pattern, say only night time or early in the morning, I don’t think I could finish. What is also important I think is that once you start doing your work, you need to focus. When your concentration is gone, then stop doing your work or try to do something that requires very little or no thinking. There has to be some quality with the work you’re doing. There’s no point in sitting in front of a computer for 5 hours if nothing comes out of your head. You only end up bidding for handbags in ebay (which unfortunately happened to me a few times :p) and become upset when you don’t win them.

Oh and don’t forget to pray, du’a to Allah S.W.T to give you the understanding, the memory and to be always full of ideas and thoughts that can assist you in your study.

Anyhoo, I would like to say to those moms or would-be-moms out there who are now studying or who are thinking of going back to school, you can do it! Insya Allah, God will help you.

Salaam.

"Glory be to You, we have no knowledge except what you have taught us. Verily,
it is You, the All-Knower, the All-Wise" (Baqarah 2:32)

Eid Mubarak 1429/2008

Eid Mubarak!

May the Blessings of Allah

Fill Your Life With Happiness

And Open All the Door of Success

Now and Always.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, Maaf Zahir dan Batin.

Terkasar Bahasa, Tersinggung Perasaan, diPohonkan Kema'afan.

Salaam.

ALMOST THERE

This is just a quick post. I’ve been busy in the past weeks to finish my work. Alhamdulillah, the first draft is now ready. So I just have to wait and see what the supervisor says. If it goes well then this heavy burden (of 3 and a half years) will finally be lifted off my shoulders (I mean this literally and metaphorically!). In the mean time, Ramadhan Mubarak!

Salaam

Working Boss

In a few months time, I’ll be going home to Brunei. Believe it or not, I am actually looking forward to resume work with the HOPE that I can make full use of what I have learnt to help the development of Brunei’s economy. But of course this excitement would probably not last for a long time (I will give myself 2 weeks!) especially if I end up not doing things that I think I should do and/or if I don’t work with the right team and/or if the work place is boring and/or if the bosses are…

I remember my conversation with a family friend many months ago. He was a head honcho of a government department in Brunei and our conversation drifted to whether or not I was looking forward to go back to work. And he asked me ‘what’ could excite me to resume work in the office. Well, my answer was ‘the bosses who are working’. (It was also interesting when he told me that as a boss he was also looking for 'working officers', who according to him were scarce).

You see, nothing motivates me more than a ‘working boss’, who unfortunately is hardly to come by in Brunei. And nothing turns me off than a boss who ‘I ask you, you ask me’, who unfortunately exists in a large number. What I mean by a ‘working boss’ is a boss or a HoD or a director who does his/her own thinking, who conveys his/her thoughts clearly to the officers, who knows what he/she wants and who shows that he/she is more capable to do virtually all tasks than any of the subordinates. Don’t get me wrong, I am not looking for a boss who knows everything but a boss that I can look up to, or in the words of our family friend, a mentor.

I am honoured that in the few years I’ve worked I had the opportunity of working with two working bosses, one of whom was the late Professor UBD’s Vice Chancellor (may Allah bless his soul). These two bosses had somehow trained me to love thinking, to believe in what I could do and to be passionate with what I do with the sole objective of developing the country. They were my mentors and I always think to myself, if one day I can be half as good as they were, I’d die a happy woman!

Anyway, I can’t say much of my future bosses as I have yet to work under their leaderships. What I can say for now is I can’t wait to see them and I look forward to our first substantive (intelligent) conversation.

Salaam.

Unputdownable

A few months ago somebody left a comment in my tag box, recommending me to read ‘Confessions of an Economic Hit Man’ by John Perkins. It was an interesting read although I don’t know if I believe him. To me, the book is more about politics than economics. Nevertheless, it is a good book and thank you to whoever it was who recommended it. I'm now eyeing 'Rogue Economics' by Loretta Napoleoni (now sitting on my bedside table) which probably is similar to Perkin's but hopefully will have more economics (I was quite surprise to find this book at Borders, with that title and its woman author).

But 'Rogue Economics' needs to wait for a bit because currently I’m reading Lee Kwan Yew’s Memoir: The Singapore Story - From Third World to First. Now, this book is what I call ‘unputdownable’. It is 700 pages (I’ve finished two-third) and the second book of his 2-part memoir. I read the first book when I was pregnant with my eldest daughter and it was an OK book (too much history, and I’m no good with history). But this second book is excellent! He is one of the best writers I’ve come across. He used only simple, straight-forward English, with hardly any jargon or big words, yet his description of the numerous events were alive. I felt as I if I was in his head.

Most of all, I feel this is one of those books that policymakers (especially in Brunei) should read. The book is loaded with economic and development policies. There are many (Singapore) policies that we can relate to and perhaps can ‘try, test’ with probably some modifications based on our resources and our own national objectives.

Speaking of good writers, I also follow with interest Dr. Mahathir’s blogsite. I’ve read most of his books but I love his speeches more. He has the ability to speak and write (especially his blog posts) clearly and delivers what’s in his mind structurally.

Don’t get me wrong, besides the serious stuff, I also read fiction novels. I am a Harry Potter’s fan. Until today, I have yet to find another writer who can rival J.K. Rowling’s HP. (Any suggestion, out there?). My interests also vary. I read Dan Brown to Neil Gaiman to Jeffery Archer to Jodi Picoult to Sophie Kinsella, of course. And I am a sucker for romance too (hehe) especially historical romance. I’m now into children’s novels (that Young Bond books look interesting).

Anyway, I hope one day I will also get to write an ‘unputdownable’ book too. In the meantime, I'm going to curl up in bed and finish the Singapore Story.

Salaam.

Meritocracy

I've been busy in the past few weeks finishing the final chapter of my dissertation. Alhamdulillah...it's done. But work is not over for me. I need to revise my earlier work. Time flies fast. It's almost 4 years. I can't wait to get to the end. Insya Allah, I will get to the end.

My husband has also finished his course which means it's just another step for him to become a fully qualified international architect. I'm sure he will.

Anyway, both of us believe that education is a lifetime investment (and equally, a lifetime pursuit). Admittedly, it is tough and not easy. There are also times when we question ourselves whether it's worth it. The time and the money we spent - We could have bought a BMW or a Mercedes (that's what I always said to my husband, haha). But most of all, we wonder whether or not we can use what we have learnt to contribute to the development of Brunei?

I'm sorry but Brunei has yet to prove that it's a nation of meritocracy, where people are rewarded for their contribution (regardless of the age) and not for their length of service or worse, for certain 'birthrights'. If Brunei wants to change, it needs to accept and adapt new ideas and new technologies that Bruneians have acquired abroad or even within the country. It needs to listen and encourage its people to question, to debate and to offer solutions. There should also be a two-way communication. Only then Brunei can breed intellectuals and thinkers among the entrepreneurs, the professionals and the policy-makers, who I believe will help create a much diversified Brunei, a dynamic Brunei.

Salaam

Sadness

The past few weeks had been very difficult. It is still difficult. The pain is still raw. There were mixed emotions: shock, angry and sad. At times how I wish I could just curl-up and cry myself out or I would sleep and sleep until I wake up and find everything is just one hell of a nightmare.

There is no regret and I will never ask Allah why. I know He Knows best and the Most Merciful. It was heartbreaking to see the man who brought me into the world, lying helpless and was in most unimaginable pain. When the doctor told me his condition, I prayed so hard that if there was any good deed that I had done which had been accepted, please God exchange it with mercy to my father. Please take away the pain. Merciful Allah, I seek solace in the thought that he didn't suffer long.

My only regret is that I didn't get to give him a better life. Seeing him looking strong, healthy and always jolly made me took things for granted. Never once I thought he would leave us now. But as much as we love him, Allah loves him more.

To everyone reading this, I Thank You. It is not my intention to share this sadness in my life. I only ask you to learn from my mistake. For those of you who are still blessed with a mother and/or a father, please shower them with your love. Make them happy. Ask for their health. Help their problems. Give them presents. For there is no other person in this world that we owe more than our parents. We owe them our lives.

Salaam.

A Tribute to My Father

Dear Bapa,

You Shall Be Missed and Remembered.
I wish I've Said it Before but I Love You.
Never Said It, Always Meant It.

I Promise I Will Carry Your Name and I Will Make You Proud.

'Al-Fatihah' to My Late Father who passed away peacefully on 14th May 2008 (8 JamadilAwal 1429) at the age of 63.

Public School vs. Private School

One of the decisions we need to make upon returning to Brunei is choosing which school to send our children to. Like other parents, obviously we want the best for them. And this would probably mean a private school instead of a public one. But I keep asking myself how do we really define ‘the best school’? And why do we Bruneians always have the perception that a private school (in particular the primary level) is better than the public school.

Here in England both my children go to a public school. And fortunately for us (and them) the school is one of ‘the’ best schools in this part of England. Parents are willing to move in the area just so that their children can go to this school. I remember the headmaster was telling us that the number of children who were applying for the reception class (kindergarten 2) was always triple the number of available spots. That’s how good it is.

But most importantly, my children love their school. Even if they are unwell, they will want to go to their school. They’re happy, we’re happy. We are even happier when last month, during parents-teacher meeting, we were told that our children were doing extremely well in school. Our eldest daughter who is only 6 and in year 1 seems to be on advance levels in most of her subjects. And I don’t know how their system works, but my daughter proceeds with her advance learning in her class, instead of waiting for the rest of the children.

Now, somebody tell me where can I get a similar school in Brunei, without burning a big hole in our savings account? Is there a public school in Brunei as good as this? And most importantly, what makes a good school?

I don’t know about you, but I believe ‘teachers’ make a good school. For example, there are many other schools in our area where we live, with the same system, the same facilities, but my kids’ school is ranked one of the best. If all schools are the same, then the only differences between them are the teachers. So, a good school must be due to good teachers. The same must also apply in Brunei. However, I have yet to hear a good public primary school (the one that every parent wants to send their children to).

This brings me to the next question, why do we Bruneians always think that our children will do much well in a private school? The MOE’s statistics shows that 43 per cent of about 69,000 children go to private primary schools despite a higher teacher/student ratio in the private school (1 teacher to 15 students in the private schools and 1 teacher to 9 students in the public schools). [Is there statistics on the performance of public/private students in exams?]

Using the above reasoning (since almost all schools follow the same curriculum set by the MOE), then could the reason why people think the private scholls are better is because the teachers and/or the quality of teaching are better than those in the public schools (who I believe are more well paid and more qualified with schools which have better facilities)? If this is true, then I would love to know WHY then our public teachers are not doing well? If this is not true then why do public teachers and the MOE’s officers and staff (who are looking after the quality of public schools) send their own children to private schools (which just show their own lack of faith in the quality of their own teachings/system)?

Or is it because of our ‘materialistic’ mentality? Where our society sees public schools, despite better facilities and more qualified teachers, as second rated. Where parents would rather have a mountain of debt, then be seen sending their children to a public school?

All the talk about the Ministry of Education’s SPN21 is quite interesting and I hope the results will not only improve our education system in Brunei but can also help change the general perception of the public schools. Because at the moment, as much as I want to argue and convince myself that both my husband and I are the products of public schools and we turn out to be OK, I still cannot make myself send my children to a public school. Simply because I don’t have the faith :(.

Salaam.

Getting Organised

I am not an organised person. I tend to misplace A LOT of stuff especially journal papers, printed out articles and other (1001) knick-knacks. And whenever I have some free time and a clear head (which comes probably only once in six months), I would try to sort the paper mountain on my desk into files.

Anyway, I thought I'd do some organising to this blog as well, as I realise that I've been linking papers and websites in my posts, which I believe one day would be useful to me and to anyone who remembered reading it (but too lazy as I am to browse the past posts). So, I've added 2 sections: 'Reading List' which gives the link to all papers, reports and articles I refer to in my posts, and 'Websites' which gives the link to all websites that I refer to and any others which I think would be useful for Brunei. To make (my) life easier, I've put the dates of my blog posts that refer to each paper or website.

I am also recommending a few bed-time readings which are interesting and worth buying (and NOT too expensive). First, it's Krugman's earlier book The Accidental Theorist which is a collection of short articles he had written in various magazines. It is highly informative and entertaining with his witty style of writing and 'easy' english. I feel this is one of those books that can be read by anyone.

For a more thought-provoking book, which I am currently reading, I'd recommend The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. This book is about uncertainties and random events that underlie our lives.

Finally, Slate has also recommended Predictably Irrational : The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decision by Dan Ariely who "has done a huge amount of firsthand research on decision-making, and he demonstrates that emotions, expectations, contexts, and social norms all play a huge role."

All of the above books are in my MUST READ Recommended Books.

Salaam

Our Story

My mother passed away when I was 16. I was lost but I grew up then and there. I have 2 younger sisters, at that time they were 14 and 10. I didn't know what I should do. While my friends my age were playing beauty and experiencing teenagehood, I experienced life. We were never spolit. After my mother passed away, my father was the sole bread-winner. We made do with what we had but never asked for more. And that has always been my principle in life.I never regret any of those things. Infact, I'm thankful because it taught me one great thing in life. To be Independent.

People said I was lucky because I had 'the brain'. I always came top in my class, from my kindergarten year until I graduated. Was it luck? No, it was hard work. When my mother passed away, I studied extra hard. I promised myself, one day I would provide my children what my parents could not provide us. That was my motivation.

I met my husband in the UK. He's not from a wealthy family. When we graduated in 1998, Brunei economy was badly hit by the Amedeo collapse. Employment was scarce. Again people said I was lucky because I found a job even before I graduated. I don't think it was luck. I worked for it. Having a First Class Honours certainly had the advantage. Offer of jobs came knocking on my door. To this day, I'm thankful.

But my husband, along with a thousand other graduates, were stuck. There was no employment. My huband managed to find employment in one of a private firm. But after a few months, the firm went down and had to cut its cost. One of the redundants was my husband. He waited for new jobs openings. An offer for a teacher's post in one of a government institution came. But he turned it down. Not because he was choosy. But because he was not trained to be a teacher and he said he did not deserve it.

Then one day, he said God gave me a well-functioned brain and 2 arms. Why should I wait for a job, when I CAN do a job. He decided he wanted to do a free-lance service. At that time, no body supported him. People thought it a better idea for him to just wait for a job. So, he asked for my help. I lent him some money to buy a computer and a printer.

Alhamdulillah, a family of a family heard he was doing some free lance work for a small fee. He asked my husband to give him some proposals for a house project. He loved it and my husband got his first client. Others heard. And a few came knocking on my husband's door.

After about a year in my new job, I was asked to further my study. We wanted to get married but we didn't have the finance. My husband obviously could not take up any personal loan. I went to do my Masters, my husband's business took off. After 3 months leaving Brunei, my husband called me and told me the good news. He made a tidy sum of money for us to get married when I finished my study. We got engaged while I was in the UK (i.e. I was not present when his family came). I worked hard on my Masters. First, I wanted to finish as early as I could and at the same time I was also preparing for my wedding. I had no one to depend on to. My sisters were still young and I didn't want to burden my father. So, in between studies, I planned my wedding.

I came back, earlier then the date my course actually end. We got married 4 weeks later. A year and a half later, we had our first girl. It was joy! When she was four months old, I was promoted. Luck? No. I worked hard in what I did. While many of my colleagues turned down some of the 'difficult' assignments, I came forward. I never see it that way though, I always say it was 'rezki Allah Taala'. A gift to my baby.

A year and a half later, our second girl arrived. Another gift from God. When she was 6 months old, I was offered to further my study. I wanted to turn down. I didn't want it. I wanted to spend time with my babies. But it also made me realized that probably 'the further study' actually came along with the promotion that I received so early in life. So, that became my responsibility.

I couldn't afford to bring my family along. My husband tried to get a scholarship to further his study. But NO. He was too old for it. I went mad thinking of leaving my 2babies. But my husband was my strength. He was very supportive. Never once he said No or asked me to think about it. He told me Fi Sabilillah. God has given me 'the brain' it would be selfish of me not to make use of it and in time will help to develop the country. Don't worry about OUR children, he will take care of them. And this is why I declare him the MOST UNDERSTANDING HUSBAND in the whole wide world :)

I came to England. Alone. It was crazy. A young mother being apart from 2 young adorable babies. The guilt I felt consumed me. I couldn't work properly. I broke down several times. I broke down in front of my supervisor when he said 'family is the most important thing in life' and asked me to be stong. I was thankful for his kind understanding. He didn't pressure me during my first year and helped me in whatever he could.

But life was shit for me. I asked one of my bosses as to the consequences of me quitting my study. He told me it would give a bad impression on me and on the department. To console myself, I prayed for God's strength. I prayed for His help. And thought if God brings you to it, surely God brings you through it.

My prayer was answered. My husband's business took off really well. He expanded. And managed to save quite a sum of money. The intention was for him to come to the UK and further his qualification. At the same time, there was an opportunity to buy a piece of land. Again the dilemma. In the end, we bought the land from the saving and there was some left for his study. However, it was not enough to finance a 2 year course in the UK. I came back and went to the bank. I took up a loan to partly finance my husband's study. We agreed that the loan was for a 'life investment'.

Then God even answered my prayer, the Government reviewed the terms for the In Service Traning Scheme. It was such relief! I thank whoever it was doing the review. With the extra money, I could provide a nice home for my children and could even futher helped my husband. (I thank the government for providing me and indirectly, my husband to further our education - the new scheme really managed to kill 2 birds with 1 stone). Had I known the scheme would be reviewed, I wouldn't take the loan. But we didn't have the time to retun the money back. It has now become our 'emergency fund'.

We sold our cars. We sold some of our furniture (we didn't have many anyway, our landlord was SUPERB). We returned the amah. I talked about this in my previous post. Our decision not to bring an amah. Well, because we couldn't afford it. Bringing 1 would mean we would need an extra room. The rent here in the UK is crazy. Besides, the house here is not that big. It's manageable. And the children go to school and are only home in the evenings. I can cook (edible lah hehe) and my husband and I share the housework.

Before coming to England, financially we're OK. Besides the loan I took for the financing, we are debt-free. Not even a credit card loan. We have a few credit cards which we used solely for travelling. We ALWAYS pay what we owe once we're back (And to this day, I don't understand why my bank raises my limit every year! I hardly use it hehe). My husband's companies are also DEBT-FREE. A good Chinese friend told him 'If You Can, Avoid Hutang. Never Hutang'. In fact, MANY companies and individuals owe my husband.

I save 30% (besides TAP) of my salary for the rainy days, for the children's education and for our retirements. I still think it is not enough. I hyperventillate thinking about our future. We share our daily expenses; the bills, the grocery etc. We always live within our means. That's our principle. At times, of course we wanted to treat ourselves. But only if we have the extra money. If not, it's not the end of the world. We don't have a Mercedes or a BMW not even a Tag Heuer let alone a Rolex. Our priority in our shared life has always been the children's education. We know for the fact that we cannot depend on anyone but ourselves to provide good education. We never know what the future will bring us. If our children are bleesed with intelligence and good brains, Insya allah maybe some financial help would come. But until then we will never know and have to prepare ourselves.

Our next priority is to build a house. I know we will need some financial help on this one. But my husband says, "If We can, we don't have to". Insya Allah, I believe him. Niat, Usaha and Tawakkal. But even if we have to, we know our limit.

The reason I'm writing this and telling you our boring life story is because I want to share our principles in life. NEVER live beyond your means. NEVER depend on Others. And there is NO such thing as LUCK. A little help along the way are God's blessings but NEVER Expect More.

I don't mean to say that these principles are the best and for you to follow. I don't even think we are a very good example. I would LOVE to hear more advise on how to have a better life and a secure a better future.

Salaam.

Which Bank? - Reply to Anonymous

I received this comment/question in my previous post. At first I just wanted to reply in the comment box but as I was typing, my reply got longer haha! So, I've decided to put this as today's post. The person has also gathered some information about banks in Brunei which I feel could be useful to those who are in the same situation as hers/his.

Which bank do you feel offers the best service here in Brunei? I just
started working and have been using the bank (TAIB) that my parents have
allocated - which is basically the normal you get the card - passbook, withdraw
your money but non-interest being accredited if I'm not mistaken.I realised, the
non-abundance of ATM machines available for TAIB which annoyed me to some extent especially when the nearest TAIB ATM machine has been out of cash. So I started to think about the competition, and did some research of my own by getting the tariff of charges, services offered through each banks' website. I found out that HSBC and Baiduri Bank have the most ATM machines here in Brunei. But then again when I check the tariffs/service charges for HSBC, it is shockingly steep!
Just having an ATM card is BND 20 per year, and if your balance falls below the
minimum thats another charge. Standard Chartered offers considerably less, with
BND 12 per year for the ATM card. Baiduri Bank however did not disclose their
tariffs/service charges - sometimes it makes me wonder if that is why they have
been cited as the "Bank of the Year" by the Banker's magazine. "Bank of the
Year" in this context is which Bank gets the most profits in the country -
typically from ATM charges, services charges and foreign exchanges transactions
- possibly from Investments, I'm not quite sure. Should I just stick to TAIB
Bank, no-frills account with the free ATM card, no penalties whatsoever for
having only the minimum balance? I would be happy to know your views - it could be insightful to read.

Hello Anonymous,
Thanks for regularly visiting this blog.With regard to your banking question, Gosh I don't know what to say really. I'm no expert to say one bank is better than the other (unless they pay me to hahaha) because each bank has its own services, charges etc.

Anyway, I think you have done your homework (i.e. comparing bank charges etc) and now what you need to think about is what services of a bank that you are looking for. Is it just for an everyday banking (where you can deposit/withdraw money at any time of the day) or is it for a long-term saving (such as time or fixed deposit)as dif banks have dif products.

Personally, I put my money in a few banks in Brunei. NOT because I'm rich (hehehe who knows one day?) but because of the different services. For instance, my gaji and my everyday banking is in 1 local bank (which has many ATM machines located in convenient places). For my regular saving I use another local bank which offers a better return than the first bank and also gives me freedom to withdraw the money whenever I want (unlike some local banks which require you to write a letter etc). For our time/fixed deposit we (my husband and I) use another bank which obviously offers the most competitive rate and islamic. And lastly, because I travel a few times in a year, it gives me a peace of mind to have a bank that I can access to wherever in the world. So I use 1 international bank which gives me this service (of course with a cost/fee). So, there you go!. 4 banks in all and I'm not even remotely close to being a millionaire hehehe.

With regard to my opinion of the banking service in Brunei, well I've had my shares of good/bad experiences and let's say generally I concur with the general opinion that banks= money leechers HAHAHA. But I tell you, with wit and proper research, you can beat these banks at their own game! The Rule of the Thumb however is to try NOT to borrow money from them. Or even if you have to (eg. credit card) you MUST always pay what you owe ON TIME.

I must say you all are very lucky that you don't get to be tangled up in a big-bad borrowing situation. Thanks to the government's directive on personal loan capping introduced a few years back. I tell you, it WAS madness! People were borrowing beyond their means the moment they were employed (in the government sector of course). And those borrowed money were spent mostly on some unnecessary items such as big, expensive cars and large and lavish weddings. (If there are people out there who borrowed for some worthy cause, then I respect.) They were even some idiots (sorry but I HAVE to use that word) who borrowed at 9% interest rate and put those money back in the bank in a form of fixed deposit which only had about 3-5% return. I mean HOW did these people think, is still beyond my comprehension!

Anyway, good luck with your new job and finding a good bank. And thanks again for reading this blog. My hope is that something good would come out of it. I never intend to belittle anyone. I just hope we Bruneians get to think before we do something that sometimes can be life-altering. Haha look I've become emotional!

Salaam.

P.S Anyone working in the banks are WELCOMED to sell their services *wink*

A Pleasant Surprise

I've been busy the past week that I didn't even get to visit my own blog until this evening when my good childhood friend emailed me asking whether the 'rogue economist' was me. Well, thanks N for visiting! Would love to hear your comments.

Anyhoo, I was quite surprised to see the number of visitors had dramatically risen. When I checked the stats, most of them came from Brunei's own Mr Brunei Resources! Thanks Mr. BR for recommending this blog to your readers :)

However, at the moment I'm quite tight with lots of ENDLESS stuff to do. Besides trying to ensure my children read their books, becoming their referee (to their constant bickering), cooking and doing the laundry (credit to the hubby who is doing the house cleaning), I am also trying to finish my PhD thesis (which is actually still FAR from the finishing stage!) and in the past week I've also been involved in a project here in England. Hehehe how I wish there were 30 hours instead of 24 each day...

Anyway, to all new visitors, welcome to my blog. Please feel free to read all of the posts and make comments on any one of them. I'd love to hear your views. To my existing readers, thanks for your continuous interest. I will try to post something new by the end of the week.

Salaam

Hands Up If You Love Reading Books!

I love books. And I love to read them. My love affair with books started the moment I learnt how to read. I guess, I was 6 or 7 (I know! In those days we only started going to school at the age of 6! Darjah 0 hehe) and I used to ask my dad to send me to the library in Bandar. While other kids went to the library to play, I went there to read. I would borrow some of the kids’ library cards, so that I could borrow lots of books. Sometimes I would take home about 8 books at one time.

Now, I still love reading. I could go mental if I don’t read anything in one day. I have to read before I go to sleep. I read almost anything. I’m also grateful that my 2 girls also love books. My eldest, who is 5, now can read and she loves it. Everytime we bring our kids to the town centre, they would always insist to go to the library or a bookshop. We're also lucky that here in the UK, books are cheap especially if you buy online. Children books are cheap too. Plus there are heaps of charity shops which sell second-hand books. My favourites are the Oxfam bookshop and the Children Society. I can get ‘almost new’ books at only about a quid each ($3). So if you ask me, I’m in heaven!

Unfortunately, reading is not loved by all. And especially in Brunei, reading is still far from being a culture. Unlike in UK, Japan or Singapore, you see people read everywhere. In the bus, in the tube, in the train, in the cafes, old and young. It is a culture. These are all developed countries. There may not be a correlation or causality between the two but I can’t help but wonder. It is possible that a developed country makes reading its culture. Or it could also be that ‘reading’ makes a country to be developed. It makes sense to me. With books, comes knowledge. With knowledge, comes power. Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.

I remember when I was back in Brunei a few years ago. I was about to enter a bookshop. Then came this lady with her little boy. The boy asked her mom to go to the bookshop. He said he wanted to buy a book. And you know what the mom said? Nothing interesting in there! We’d just be wasting our time! At that moment, I felt so sad. I actually wanted to approach them and offered to buy the boy a book.

Anyway, you can’t force people to change their habits. Moreover, books are also expensive in Brunei. Books are wrapped in plastics. The bookshops sometimes put off even people like me. But then again, who would want to invest in an expensive bookstore (or an international book franchise) if the people don’t read? The bookshops are after all ‘shops’ and selling books are businesses to make profit.

Nevertheless, I strongly think reading should be encouraged especially to our children. I don’t have to list down the benefits. I even think that it is not over-rated if 'forming a reading culture' to be made as one of the national development objectives (or perhaps the national objective is to build a knowledgeable nation, and 'reading as a culture' becomes one of the main strategies). It could well be one of the remedies to the aggravating social illnesses.

However, if Brunei wants to make reading as a culture, serious steps have to be taken. Having a book fair once a year is NOT enough. Even in the UK, they have a literacy campaign. There is a ‘one book one child’ scheme or something. A few months ago, my children were sent a free story book each. They do this once a year. The local council on the other hand promotes the local libraries. They send leaflets with information about libraries. They even conduct sessions for adults who are not confident or do not know how to read to children. Now, this is what I call serious.

Now, what about our national library? It's been ages I haven't been there. Needless to say, the library doesn't look inviting. Seriously, I think we should have a bigger, fantastic looking national library. A library, is afterall the soul of a country.

Anyway, enough of my rambling today. In case you haven’t notice I’ve put up a couple of Amazon banners in this blog site. Well, the purpose is not to gain any extra income but to encourage you people to read. You can find lots of bargain especially from the Amazon US. Now that the US dollar is down, I think it’s worth buying some.

Oh well, probably I would open my own bookshop one day.

Salaam.

A Home Without Books is a Body Without Soul

Congrats darling

I would like to congratulate my darling husband for getting the highest grade in his final project. I'm very proud of you, darling!

I believe I'm one of his biggest admirers (though I don't think he knows that!). I'm not saying this just because he's my husband but he has these qualities that I don't often see in many others, including myself. Let me tell you his story.

We graduated in the year when Brunei's economy was really badly hit by the Asian economic crisis and the Amedeo crisis. There were very limited job openings and I was one of the lucky few who got a job immediately, for many others it was bad news, including my then-boy friend (my husband lerr).

Like other unemployeds, his pride and self-esteem were affected by the day, especially during the times when my dad asked him whether he had found a job (although I am pretty sure my dad was sincerely asking that question, but knowing men, I know his ego was a bit bruised).

After like 8 months, there was an opening to be a teacher/instructor at the technical college. My husband flatly shot down the idea because he said he didn't deserve it. He was not trained to be a teacher so let someone who had the right qualification get that job. He said he didn't want to 'makan gaji buta'.

After like 1 year of waiting for the 'right job' he gave up. He said God gave him a brain and 2 well-functioned hands, so why not use them? He then started his own business. He didn't have any capital. He's a very proud person. He didn't want to ask any help from his family because he said he knew they would ridicule him before they helped him. I then lent him some money to buy a computer and a printer. And that was it. He worked really hard trying to get his business going(well at that time we wouldn't even call it a 'business). I guess he was trying to earn a living. I still remember how proud I was when he had his first project. (I guess we are indebted to a few people who had faith in locals, and especially had faith in my husband).

Alhamdulillah...at the times when many Bruneians were crazily borrowing money from the banks to have the grandest car, the grandest 'hantaran', the grandest wedding, my husband managed to save some money for our wedding and totally be debt-free. We wedded after 3 years of him opening his business.

Fast forward to today, he has a couple of businesses rolling. He employs 8 people and 6 of them are locals (locals are his priority, unfortunately we have had bad experiences with local staff, from stealing to shirking to poor discipline and so on. I will blog on this some time. However, he still believes in giving the locals the first chance). He is now earning a lot MORE than what I'm earning and totally debt-free (not even a credit card debt!) What makes me even proud is that he looks after his employees very well. His motto is 'Pay your employees first!'.

Now, he's doing his post graduate study in one of the UK's good institutions of his field, SELF-SPONSORED. He works really hard in every assignments and projects. And today, again he has made me proud for getting the highest grade in his end of year project (and I suspect he's the best student in his year).

Sometimes, I think to myself, Brunei just needs 100 like him in order to make a big difference especially in the private sector. He has the right ingredients to be a good successful person: honest, diligent, pride and modest as in 'ukur baju di badan sendiri'. (I tell you, he is so honest that I have never seen him lie to even a stranger!)

I also declare him as THE most understanding husband in the world (to me, of course!), as he always support me in whatever I'm doing even if it means having to make some sacrifices.

Anyway, this is not meant to be a lovey-dovey post. I am writing as a person who admires someone ,who (thankfully) happens to be my husband. The moral of the story is NEVER GIVE UP! No matter what you do, albeit studying or starting a business or even working as a government employee, the road to success is HARD WORK. Insya Allah, Usaha, Niat, Tawakkal, you will be rewarded!

Salaam.

Academic Writing

This afternoon I spent like 1 hour trying to compose 2 sentences for the abstract of my economic paper that I'm thinking of sending to a journal. I tell you, it's not an easy writing. Then I asked my officemate (he's from Guyana and he speaks and writes good english!) to help me. In the end we spent like another half an hour thinking of the right 2 sentences that could capture the message that I want to send across.

For those of you who are not familiar with academic papers, an abstract is a piece of writing that you put at the beginning of your paper that tells the gist of the paper i.e. the objective, the methodology and the result, in usually not more than 2 paragraphs. So, it is I would say like the 'heart' of the paper.

Needless to say, these 2 sentences are still playing in my head. I think I'm going to sleep on them and hopefully with a clearer head tomorrow, I might just compose 2 most meaningful sentences ever in my life hahaha.