EmmaGoodEgg

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Diary Of A Marathon Wife

Dear Diary,

The husband is running the Brunei Marathon again on Sunday the 10th of December 2006. Last year's 'land, sea and jungle' route went from The Empire Hotel, down the highway towards Berakas, back up the beach, back down the highway. Then through UBD campus, down the highway to Shahbandar, up and down seven hills. After that the Jerudong Park Country Club. A circuit around the Country Club, down Jalan Jerudong, do a U-turn and back to the Empire. That's 42 kilometers. This time the organisers have promised a "town track" which starts from the Taman in town, down to the Istana, then back towards town, then out to Kiulap. From Kiulap to Mabohai. Mabohai to Mentiri and back. THEN from Mabohai, through Kianggeh, past the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, back to the Taman. That's pretty far man. I have neither the will, nor the desire to pound my feet on asphalt and dirt, kilometer after kilometer, in the hot sun. At least I know I am a delicate flower. But Bobby wants to be be a marathon runner. So guess who's been in training?

AT least I try and help.

Supportive Marathon Wife To Do List

1. Ignore the fumbling in the dark when husband wakes up at an unGoldy hour of the morning to go for his run.

2. You would disappoint your mother if you don't wake up from a deep delicious dawn slumber just to mumble incoherently about routes and estimated time of arrivals with husband because you should feel sloven on those rumpled sheets while favourite marathon runner wants the body to get used to going long distances in the sun. It's okay to go back to sleep though.

3. Buy pasta.

4. Buy 100 plus.

5. Buy a sports utility belt with pockets for small containers and mobile.

Here's Willow showing her support.

Love, Emma xx

The Broccolis Are Good For You

She may have a vegetable for a family name, but Barbara Broccoli have got to have one of the best jobs in the world. Barbara, 46 (but the woman doesn't look a day over 36), is the daughter of Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli. Cubby has produced all the James Bond films since Dr. No in 1962, until his death in 1996. Since then, his 64 year old stepson Michael Wilson, who has a cameo in Casino Royale, playing a policeman arrested in front of a Montenegro hotel, and Barbara, who previously dated Timothy Dalton, who was leery, are the producers of the James Bond franchise. Under her watch, 007 have been played by metrosexual Pierce Brosnan (always thought as 'the good call') and currently, less metrosexual more deadly just as charming, Daniel Craig.

Now why am I not surprised that a woman had a hand in the casting of Daniel Craig as double-oh-swoon.

Well played Broccoli, well played.

It's Monday. I'm Calling In The Big Guns.

14's cleverly sarky funny drawings @ Gallery of the Absurd is a good start to the day I say.

I love this depiction of TomKat's wedding.

But in THIS post, whose punchline is another picture of Tom Cruise, 14's talent knows no boundaries.

Hilarious, and as good as coffee.

The Legislative Building, Jalan Kebangsaan

On our way home from sunday grocery shopping at Supasave Mabohai, we passed the sprawling and imposing structures of soon-to-be completed Legislative Building on Jalan Kebangsaan. The building complex, designed by local architect Pengiran Ismail and his team, is expected to be completed sometime next year in 2007. The Legislative Building will house Brunei Darussalam's seat of government, where the Legislative Council (11 state officials, including His Majesty, and 10 nominated members) approve, and recommend, our country's legislation. Even with the steel girders, it looks like it is going to be a magnificent (and definitely not understated) monument.

It looks like it means business.

Titi & Drew's - Emma's Point Of View (I'm A Poet, And I Didn't Know It)

Driving home from work on Friday I was thinking I could use some new books. And since I can already smell the weekend, a viable winding down activity could be browsing bookshelves, so (at Zippy's suggestion) I paid a visit to the recently reopened Titi & Drew's Rent-A-Book. Titi & Drew's (T & D's) previous locale was the Halimatul Saadiah Building in Gadong. Now it is located at the same building as the recently shut JustToys in Gadong. My first impression of the bookstore was that the owners are tentative. Their bookshop is contained in one large room and simply functional; there is a cashier desk, a table and some chairs makes a seating area (I liked the large window) and a couple of low shelves. Books were nicely spaced, which made it easier to browse. T & D's also had a good mix of reading materials; new titles, the usual commercial suspects, Chick-Lits, some gems from my childhood, new teenage series, short romances, fantasy genre, a shelf of books translated to German and, some of Tintin's Adventures. After a few minutes of some quiet browsing, a couple of young girls walked in and talked the girlie chatter over choosing which romance book to read first. If I closed my eyes, I swear I was in a girl school in Brunei during lunch break. I think the ambience could be a little quieter, but perhaps this is what makes Titi and Drew's Rent-A-Book appealing. It suddenly felt like a school library, without the 'Silence Please' signs. They did well in catering for the younger crowd. There was some hip music piping from a boombox somewhere. The whole renting-a-book experience is also a novelty of sorts. You walk in and you choose a book you like. You rent it according to the price on the inside cover, and you make a promise to yourself to return the book within the stated time (usually one month) and get back the money you paid for the book, usually at a dollar less. For the young this is the nearest to signing a hire-purchase form. It feels adult.

The bookshop serves primarily as a book rental for those who are not attached to the books they read, or those who like to give books a proper try before returning the duds and start afresh and young voracious readers who have less money and thus, renting books are a wise option. On the other hand, the bookshop imposes no penalty for a late return (except perhaps a guilty conscience) and the book renter has the option to keep the book. I have all the good intention to return the books I rented yesterday, but I may not, and Titi and Drew's have made it easy for a lazy-ass like me.

The major plus point about a book rental shop is that it makes books fairly affordable to everyone. T & D's needs more books as the place looked a little bare, but maybe they are still testing the waters. I hope they jump in and keep the books circulating, bring in current favourites (for the young, old and in-betweens) and trawl the jumble/carboot sales for old gems. The bookshop also scores major points in its charming and knowledgeable Shopgirl who definitely ended my experience on a high note. I wanted to rent Judy Blume's Forever, a book I had (secretly) read during my teens. Before she registered the book, thinking that I could be buying the book for my child, she told me it was not a book for younger teens despite the book's youthful cover design. I remembered how saucy the book was, and I was pleasantly surprised that this young woman knew that too.

She was the stuff Book Shop Girls are made of and made me want to return.

He's Looking For YOU

Updated Advert - Closing Date For CVs is Wednesday 29th November 2006

I love the radio. I think its the voice and character behind the microphone that does it for me. Faceless yet a voice that surrounds. If they're good, of course. If not, just pop in that CD or turn on that iPod. I love choice don't you? That is why the search for new DJs for a brand spankin' new radio station soon to be hitting our airwaves, is a cause I support. So all you people out there who think you can be entertaining on our airwaves, here's your chance. That is if you fit the criteria above, and if I may add another - No Mumblers.

Of course if I had my way, I want a DJ like Adrian Cronauer.

Go on. I dare you.

Morning Musings

Nine Inch Nails (NIN) are not known for fluffy happy music. In fact, singer/songwriter Trent Reznor could give morose Morrissey a run for his money. Trent is a good friend of Marilyn Manson, who is scary (and presumably Dita Von Teese, who is very hot, but perhaps a post for another day). The troubled Nine Inch Nails frontman has been in the news lately. Apparently he's happier and PETA is his friend. NIN are a favourite of my beloved sister Inny-Pooh, who plays the Bass Guitar and used to rock in a band, made up of her friends and family. She's a wife and a mother these days, and she could still play a mean bass riff.

[I can't imagine anything more sexy than a woman playing bass guitar, and I maintain that if we lived in Seattle, she would be snapped up by the Stone Temple Pilots. Although as her Manager (of course before we have that spectacular bust-up as Manager and Stars do and tell fuck-all on The Oprah Winfrey Show), I would insist on Prince.]

My love for Nine Inch Nails maybe limited to listening to my sister and friends jam to their songs and sometimes Head Like A Hole when I feel less happy-clappy, more rage. But my favourite NIN song is the only NIN song you can dance to, which is Only (from their album With Teeth). The video for Only is directed by David Fincher, who also directed Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in The Fight Club.

Turn up the music if you need some self-affirmation and/or get out of a funk. Because if dark and oft-depressed Trent Reznor can do almost happy, you can too.

Get video codes at Bolt.

So let's look on the bright side life, the weekend is near. Have a good day everyone.

Lambak Kanan Is Happening

The girls and I met for our usual Thursday lunch at the newly opened WyWy restaurant in Lambak. Apparently there is also a WyWy restaurant in Kuala Belait at Pandan 5 and Sengkurong, exactly where in Sengkurong, someone would have to enlighten me. We wanted somewhere fresh to go, and Wywy, located at the same building as NorAlizah & Iskandar House of Curry and TAIB, met our basic criteria of having a pleasant enough outside seating. The restaurant was packed, which is usually a good sign, so we settled into our seats and had a look at the menu. A looong look at the menu, which is a large, heavy, thick menu with large colour pictures. 15 minutes later we were still undecided over what to eat, or drink. WyWy's menu is extensive. Seriously. With a variety of drinks; blended juices, bubble teas, mocktails, shakes, pearl drinks, colourful drinks. Ditto Chinese Food; the usual suspects and then some. And Western Food; Burgers, Pizza, Salads, Sandwiches, Steaks, Pasta. Then Desserts galore. Plus Dim Sum. And Oyster Omelette! It reminded me of the menu at Excellent Taste in Gadong, a one-stop restaurant vibe, its food decent, its drinks colourful, and its not fine-dining.

Perhaps its a little teething problem, being that its fairly new, but we found the menu overwhelming and with the considerable lunch crowd that flocked to the place, it needs more waiters. The bill system requires the waiter to write down your orders, word for word, in a receipt book and place a copy on the table, while good for error-prone staff, was a tad time consuming for patrons who wanted their space. None of us raved about the food, and no one complained either and I must say that the Siew Mai from the Dim Sum menu was rather good. WyWy could be overwhelming for your first visit, but the restaurant is well designed and its ambience pleasant (its easy on the wallet too, given the large portions), so it looks like the Kittens and I would return.

We were minus one kitten.

Till next week chicas.

Farewell Syawal

Muslims in Brunei bid farewell to Hari Raya Aidilfitri, celebrated in the Islamic calendar month of Syawal, and welcome the month of Zulkaedah (or Dhu al-Qi'dah as Wikipedia spells it) on the 21st of November 2006. We celebrate Aidilfitri in Brunei (and overseas) bedecked in our baju melayus and visit family and friends at numerous open houses where the host lays down a mean buffet. When you've been on the scales and recoiled at the weight you've piled on eating Rendangs galore, you know it's been a good Hari Raya.

FidBit and Ilham-bear on the first day.

Zara turned one year old during Syawal and had a grand birthday do.

Iman and cousin during our visit to their grandparents.

Nadi and TimTim in their pretty bajus posing for me.

We met Jordan while visiting his grandmother who lives in Kampung Selayun.

Jennifer and Kevin's little girl at M & A's Open House.

Iman, Nabilah and friends at DeeT's.

We celebrated interracial harmony.

The Aunties (minus one) and their girlfriends, at The Last Open House at Auntie Zubs.

Till next year everyone. Be good.