EmmaGoodEgg

I Heart Auntie May

24-7 Assist goes live daily on Kristal to give Brunei their traffic reports during the lunch time rush hour.  They also have an advert running starring a breath of fresh air from the market, Auntie May, who calls 24-7 for some roadside assistance, gets help in a jiffy and flirts with Mr. 24-7 dude.  Some clever marketing ensued and we got DJ Jenny with Auntie May in an interview with 24-7 last Thursday.  I was lucky to catch it for ol' Auntie May was in good form.  For those who haven't heard of Auntie May, she's the chinese auntie character who is unashamedly loud mouthed in her Chinglish accent and very funny.  Auntie May is, short of a better word, fabulous.  Laughing at her funny banter reminds me of a time when we all found Wang Jambol funny in the 80s.  Where is Wang Jambol anyway?  Kristal should do an advert with the two together.

I've gained a new found respect for Kristal FM for their cheerful advertisements and current programming style.  I dig their we-don't-take-ourselves-too-seriously vibe.

Picture of Auntie May and the 24/7 posse at Kristal FM studios from realjade.  You can listen to the interview here (you need to register and then click Auntie May on the right bar).

We Are The World - Japanese Impersonators Version

Japanese TV shows rule. Impersonating the entire We Are The World cast in song is serious TV man. The Cyndi Lauper part of the song is spot on, perhaps because Cyndi sounds like a Japanese banshee anyway.

Thanking God its Friday folks.

Who's a Mini GoodEgg?

Dear Mimi,

Since I last wrote you grew some hair.

Okay, no you didn't.  That's you wearing the wig your father wore when he was John Lennon a few weekends ago.  It's actually a 'Rachel' wig I got at Winmark, but best not to tell your father that since he wore it in polite society. 

As you know, you dislike having things on your head.  Mama would love to buy you cute hats but you'd have them on your head for not more than 2 seconds.  But guess who donned the wig??  You preened and cooed in front of the mirror and thought 'I look AWESOME'.  I think you've become girlier.  Mama is happy with this development because your first word aside from babababababa and mamamamamama is CAR!  I blame your father for this because he had put a car calendar in your room.  Every morning the two of you look through the calendar and spot the colourful Porsches on each month, so it really is no wonder that you can point out a car in a magazine or on the road in two shakes of a ducks' tail.

You were crawling the last time Mama posted about you, but now you've found your feet.  You try and walk everywhere these days.  Every evening after we read books you shimmy your little bum off the bed and away you go, exploring your parent's room with gusto.  These days you also know how to make demands.  Like asking Mama to read you a particular book (Unngghhh!), or to give you some of whatever it is on the plate we happen to be holding (Mamam!).  So we're also starting to set you some boundaries lest you turn into a lil' monster.

You still love your food, and since I last wrote your meals are considerably more interesting than porridge with mushy peas.  I think you enjoy eating out for lunch because we order your food from the Kids Menu.  Sometimes we sneak you some ice-cream. 

It's amazing to watch you grow, learn and experience new things.  Your latest gig is picking up Mama's mobile, placing it near your ear and coo softly to Bapa.  That's also your cutest gig.  That and how you love (and look like) your father.   

You are a sight for sore eyes after a long day at work.  But darling, since I last wrote you have yet to grow more hair.

Love,

Mama xx

Outward Bound Brunei Darussalam - Tale of a Suburban Teen

Beloved Son is enrolled with the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at the International School of Brunei.  Azim is a laid-back surburban kid who needs motivation, so as a parent one of the main reasons why I encouraged him to undertake IB is the CAS or Creativity, Action Service, which is an "extracurricular aspect of the IB Diploma involves student engagement in social work or community service (Service), participation in sports (Action), and initiative in creative activity (Creativity)". 

One of the compulsory CAS activity in ISB is a 3-day stint at the Outward Bound Brunei Darussalam (OBBD). The Outward Bound is an organisation that encourages personal growth and social skills by of participants by using challenging expeditions in the outdoors.  In Brunei what better outdoors is there than that of the jungle interiors of Temburong. 

So last Friday, a boat full of suburban teenagers left the dock at Kampung Ayer for Brunei's 4th district none the wiser to what was in store for their pampered lil' bums.  The same morning Azim said his goodbyes with hair all gelled and wearing trendy board shorts.  I kissed him on the cheeks, got gel all over my fingers as I ruffled his hair and told him to read the salawat before peeing behind a bush. 

We had no news from him until he came home on Sunday evening rather hysterical.

Me:  So how was your trip to Temburong?  Did you have fun?

Beloved Son, gesticulating madly:  Oh my God Ma!! Fun??  Did I have fun?!?  Are you joking?!?  We had to trek through the jungle, the jungle Ma, you know J-U-N-G-L-E, for half a day!  In the rain Ma, in the effin RAIN!  Carrying a backpack twice as heavy as Mimi!  And Mimi's heavy you know Ma!  AND we had to climb up hills and the hills were like at an 80 degrees angle!  In the rain!

Me:  Mimi's not heavy, she's big boned. 

Beloved Son:  We had to clear some jungle with a parang Ma, a PARANG and then pitched our tents in the dark.  We got a fire going with some wood and spirits and then cooked noodles.  In the dark and everything was covered in mud.  And then I couldn't sleep Ma.  I had to share a tent with one big boy and one very big boy.  It was like a hotdog in a tent!  And then we had red ants, see I got bitten Ma!  I missed my room.  I missed my laptop!

Me, finding Beloved Son's hysterics quite amusing:  So how did you go to the toilet?  Heh heh.

Beloved Son the Suburban Teen:  Mama are you laughing at me?  We have to dig a HOLE in the ground with a small shovel, do your business and clean up with whatever is lying around, then cover the hole up!  I gotta go Ma, I haven't pooed in 3 days and now I'm constipated.

Me, with no sympathy whatsoever:  Good.  It'll put some hairs on your chest.

Contact the Outward Bound Brunei Darussalam @
Ministry of Culture,Youth and Sports
Simpang 336 Jalan Kebangsaan
Bandar Seri Begawan BS4415
Brunei Darussalam
Tel: 673 (2) 382970/1
Fax: 673 (2) 382972
E-mail: [email protected]

Camping strip grabbed from here.

John Mayer on TMZ

I am a fan of John Mayer and I'm not sure what I think about his TMZ clip on YouTube.  The clip shows him being hounded by paps until he says everything he wants to say about his recent break-up with Jennifer Aniston.  He's a bit weary, sage and pissed off John is...

...but not looking too shabby in a buzz cut.

Dita Von Teese

From Marie Claire Online: "Dita Von Teese has debuted her new Wonderbra lingerie line." What a swell side-line job for Dita, the undisputed Queen of Burlesque.

poll by twiigs.com

Life Goes On Brah, Lala How The Life Goes On

It was Beloved Husband's birthday recently and I booked our usual band to help celebrate with some tunes from the Beatles.  A few days before the day, my father rings me at an Un-Godly hour of the morning and tells to me that he and his band will be my Fab Four.  "You have a band?!?"  It was all I could muster being that it was early.  Naturally I had my concerns.  We already had a band booked.  How are we going to fit 2 sets of instruments? I meekly said to Dad after calling him back at a reasonable time of day when my brain was fully functioning.  He would not be deterred, texting me a day later to ask whether he and his mates should come in costume.  A whole lot of Beatles songs, costumes and vibe ensued.

A day after our Beatles do, my father text me this:

"Bobby wanted to sing Helter Skelter...band wasn't up to it so they settled for Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da.  It WAS helter skelter!! Nonetheless, I enjoyed the party and sang about 15 Beatles songs! I had to leave cos my friend Hj Z wanted to (we came in 1 car)...it was a bit of a culture shock for him I guess. Kiss Mimi for me."

To my father the aging rockstar: You're a bit of a konon but I'm still Daddy's girl. I'm also Beatle-d out, so here's the uber talented Sungha Jung playing the song when he was only 10 years old for you. xx

Desmond has a barrow in the market place
Molly is the singer in a band
Desmond says to Molly - girl I like your face
And Molly says this as she takes him by the hand.

[ Chorus: ]
Obladi oblada life goes on brah
Lala how the life goes on
Obladi Oblada life goes on brah
Lala how the life goes on.

Desmond takes a trolley to the jewellers store
Buys a twenty carat golden ring
Takes it back to Molly waiting at the door
And as he gives it to her she begins to sing.

[ Chorus ]

In a couple of years they have built
A home sweet home
With a couple of kids running in the yard
Of Desmond and Molly Jones.

Happy ever after in the market place
Desmond lets the children lend a hand
Molly stays at home and does her pretty face
And in the evening she still
sings in with the band.

[ Chorus ]

In a couple of years they have built
A home sweet home
With a couple of kids running in the yard
Of Desmond and Molly Jones.

Happy ever after in the market place
Molly lets the children lend a hand
Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face
And in the evening she's a singer with the band.

[ Chorus ]

And if you want some fun - take Obladiblada.

Ps/ I thought Bobby brought the house down with this song.

Usain Bolt Post-100m Finals

No one says it better than Philip Hersh in his 'You can't accuse Bolt and not Phelps, can you?' story at the LA Times Blogs about Usain Bolt's jaw-dropping record-busting 9.69 secs win in the Beijing Olympics 100m Men's Finals. 

Photo by Matt Dunham, Associated Press

Harry Potter Harry Potter

We're coming to September and running out of summer movies, so I was looking forward to the next Harry Potter movie instalment, Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince, scheduled for release on 21 November 2008.  But now we'd all have to wait longer because The Guardian says although the movie is already 100% completed, execs decided to take advantage of extra earnings that could be earned during a Summer 2009 release.

So to Potter fans everywhere, here's an ode to tide you by. I give you the fabulous Potter Puppet Pals And The Mysterious Ticking Noise.

I apologise if the song is now in your head.

No not really.

The Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council In Defensive Mode

[From BruDirect's Have Your Say - 13 August 2008]

BDNOC Clarification on Beijing Olympic Games 2008

The Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council (BDNOC) would like to clarify with regard to “Brunei expelled from Beijing Olympics Games”, “Brunei excluded from Olympic Games” and “Brunei failed to register athletes on time for the Olympic Games” as follows:

The participation of Brunei Darussalam athletes any International Sports event such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and the regional Southeast Asia Games must have the prior sanction from the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports, Brunei Darussalam, who are responsible for preparing and selecting athletes subject to meeting the preconditions and requirements for selection.

The BDNOC had officially written in March 2008, to the Youth & Sports Department under the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports, and identified two potential athletes from the Athletic sport events, Shot Put and swimming who could be most suited to represent Brunei Darussalam at the Beijing Olympic Games given the fact that they had done well at the recent SEA Games 2007 in Korat, Thailand, and also base on their achievement locally.

Furthermore, the International Olympic Council (IOC) had accepted the participation of these two athletes after they had been given the go ahead by the International governing bodies of their respective sport namely, International Association of Athletic Federation (IAAF) and International Swimming Federation (FINA) to partake under the “unqualified athletes” quota. The IOC had accepted and approved the participation of more than 20 other National Olympic Councils (NOC) including Brunei Darussalam under this category.

Brunei Darussalam’s participation in the Olympic Games is based on the Olympic Charter where under the by-law on Rule 28-3, it states that:
“The NOCs have exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games and at the regional, continental or world multi-sports competitions patronized by the International Olympic Council. In addition each NOC is obliged to participate in the Games of the Olympiad by sending athletes.”

From March 2008 until early July 2008, the Council did not receive any communication on the proposed choice of athletes from the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports on their decision to send or not to send athletes to the Olympics. However with the deadline 23rd July 2008 for “Sport Entry Registration” looming nearer, the Council took the initiative to register both these athletes while still eagerly waiting for an answer or approval from the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports.

With no reply as of 4th Aug 2008, a BDNOC member left to attend the “Delegate Registration Meeting” (DRM) in Beijing, which is compulsory for all the NOCs to attend and confirm their participation. Early in the meeting, BDNOC were informed not to attend this DRM as a result of non-confirmation of athlete’s participation to the Olympic Games. The outcome and consequence of this IOC decision was the President, officials and guests will not have accreditation cards or passes to the Opening Ceremony, Games village, Sports venues and other designated areas. The IOC had given BDNOC until midday Friday, 8th Aug 2008 to confirm the participation of its athletes to the Olympic Games, but to no avail.

The Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports in a letter dated 7th August 2008 addressed to the BDNOC, received on Friday 8th August at 11.45 hrs, through the Embassy of Brunei Darussalam in Beijing, informed its decision of non approval for the two athlete’s participation due to injury and no Regional and International achievement. Consequently, BDNOC confirmed to the IOC that Brunei Darussalam would not be participating in the Beijing Olympic Games.

The following is an extract from the IOC letter dated 8th August 2008, addressed to the President of BDNOC, received after the deadline for registration at 13.00 hrs on Friday 8th August 2008.

Quote…“Following a number of discussions with your NOC over the past few days, it transpires that, due to the restrictions on the athletes who were due to participate, your NOC will not be able to enter them to participate in the Beijing Olympic Games.

Unfortunately, the deadline that the IOC had set to remedy this situation has now passed and therefore we would like to formally confirm that we have instructed the Beijing Organizing Committee to take all appropriate measures to exclude the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council from participating in the Beijing Olympic Games. Therefore, all accreditations for your NOC (athletes, officials and guests) will be cancelled forthwith, access to the Opening Ceremony for all guests will be denied, all references to your NOC will be removed from the Olympic venues (in particular flags) and any reference to your NOC will be removed from the Opening Ceremony’s programme (parade, flag, announcement of delegation).

The IOC Executive Board will be informed of this situation and will undoubtedly take all the necessary measures with respect to an NOC that has failed to live up to its obligations as stipulated in the Olympic Charter.

We deeply regret this situation knowing that we have worked tirelessly to guarantee the participation of at least one athlete in the Games. We remain at your disposal for any clarification you may need.” .End quote.

The decision by the IOC to bar Brunei Darussalam from participating in the Olympic Games is a standard procedure by the IOC on its members failing to discharge their obligations as stated in the Olympic Charter, hence missing out on a great opportunity to be part of the “One World One Dream” theme of the Beijing Olympic Games.

The Council wishes to clarify to its citizens, that the failure to register the athletes on time was due to its inability to get necessary approval and the belated decision from the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports not to send the two athletes to the Olympic Games.

It is much to the regret of the Council, that this assessment of not intending to send both of the athletes due to reasons of injury or non achievement of standards, could have been conveyed to the Council much earlier, enabling the Council to take right measures, to avoid misunderstandings between the Council and the IOC and clarify issues and state its position on significant matters as the governing body for sport in Brunei Darussalam.

This post was submitted by bdnoc.