Bleed for a Good Cause!

This morning, I attended a blood donation campaign organized by the Rotary Club of Brunei which was held at the Lexus showroom in Gadong. I must admit that I have not been donating blood for quite awhile; the last time I donated was in September 2008 and this is my 11th time. The guys at the Rotary Club and Lexus were very friendly and promised to sms me whenever they have such activities in future. The doctor who examined me said my blood pressure was too high and after a brief rest and a cup of tea, I was examined again and was given the green light to donate. I noticed there is a new form to be filled in this time (they said it is a new procedure) which consisted quite a few personal and intimate questions which I will not go into details! All donors were given a drinking bottle as a souvenir but with or without the souvenir, I will still support such meaningful activities!

76th Birthday of HM The Emperor of Japan

Last night the Embassy of Japan celebrated the 76th Birthday of His Majesty The Emperor of Japan at the International Convention Centre in Berakas. Among the evening's programme were a cake cutting ceremony performed by the guest of honour, Pehin Rahman Taib, the Minister of Education, martial arts performances, presentation of a medal (order of the rising sun) to Dr. Chin Yam Chin and some floral arrangements. There were lots of Japanese food, catered by various Japanese restaurants in the capital while the buffet spread was prepared by an international chained hotel. I had a photo opportunity with Mr. Rano Iskandar, a popular blogger and the owner of ranoadidas.com, a site which I followed. I also took this opportunity to get acquainted with some old (and new) friends and do some networking as I haven't been active in the diplomatic circle lately!

Tarindak Restaurant @ JPPC

Had dinner at Jerudong Park Polo Club (JPPC) last night with some friends and noticed some changes to the establishment; it's now called "Tarindak Restaurant" which also has an outlet at the Arts & Handicraft Centre, overlooking the Brunei River (both restaurants have the same name). Guess I haven't been to JPPC for quite a while (I was a member of JPPC many years ago)! The "Asprey" cutleries were replaced with normal stainless steel ones (except for the teaspoons) and the lighting in the restaurant is way too bright (lights should have been dimmed a little) which spoils the atmosphere and ambience of the restaurant. For such a grand place, the menu needs some attention as it is not impressive and dull looking! On the plus side, the presentation of the dishes we ordered was very good and the food was fantastic. My compliments to the chef!

Cheque Presentation @ Pusat Ehsan

This afternoon, the committee members of Brunei Association of Hotels (BAH) lead by its President, Ms. Cynthia Bong presented a cheque of B$10,000 to Tuan Hj. Ahmad, Chairman of Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam at the latter's premises in Kg. Bengkurong Masin. This amount was raised from BAH's 2nd Charity Gala Dinner held at the Empire Theatre on 7th November 2009. A big "thank you" to Ms. Cynthia Bong and her team of volunteers for their tireless effort and commitment to help the needy and less fortunate.

Gabriel & Rachel's Wedding

Last night was Gabriel Lim and Rachel Tan's wedding held at the Phongmun Restaurant in Bandar Seri Begawan; incidentally, Phongmun Restaurant is owned by Gabriel's father, Mr. Lim Chai Huat who is an old friend as both of us hailed from West Malaysia and both of us have stayed in Brunei for more than 28 years. I can see that the dishes on this occasion were specially prepared and were delicious. I managed to snap 3 photos before my camera battery went flat! The photo of the newly weds were taken on my Nokia E71 which is why the quality is not so good! Anyone with better quality photos, please e-mail to me; thanks... Update: Managed to get a copy of Gabriel & Rachel's photo from Richie's Facebook profile....