Say No to Violence!

Hello dear readers,

I've been busy attending a 3-day workshop this week organised by the Brunei Women's council in regards to Violence Against Women held at the SEAMEO Voctech. I certainly find the workshop useful and very good especially in raising awareness of such important matters, in addition to learning better counseling techniques as well as getting important information on the psych of gender stereotypes and how the relevant agencies work together in order to handle such issues. The workshop has been an enjoyable experience especially in getting to meet new people of different backgrounds which lead to better sharing of ideas and knowledge. Below are some piccies from the workshop! :)

During an activity

Panel forum on the last day

Some of the participants

The 3 presenters

With my MSW colleagues also attending the workshop :)

With a fellow participant :)

Me & Anis :)

Chris :)

Me and Ka Zilah :)

Tinni & Rashidah :)

Group photo with guest of honour of the closing ceremony :)

Til the next post!

A night in the dark

As most of you probably know, there was a massive power outage last night. Our neighbourhood was no exception. That was the first black out that we had during the Eid celebration this year. In addition, there were two black outs during puasa time as well but those were not as bad as last night's was since they were less than an hour. Last night, the black out started at 7:35pm in our neighbourhood and lasted more than 4 hours! The electricity finally came back up at 5 minutes to midnight. Unashamedly, my sister and I jumped up and down in joy when the electricity was back, hahaha, since we were dreading a sleepless night especially in the heat! Like I said in one of my twits, how easy it is to take things for granted ey.

We lighted up a couple of candles in some parts of the house and had to change some a few times when they eventually burn out. One time, we even went inside the car kan berair con, hahaha. We heard that the power outage is not only in our neighbourhood, but it also affected other parts of the country as well such as jerudong, sengkurung and belait. We passed the time listening to the radio from mobile phones, waiting for any news regarding the outage. I heard that some other areas had their electricity restored later than us and some earlier.

Tonight, so far, we had electricity here. My uncle's place in Kiarong is having a black out just now, but I am not sure if it has been fixed. But thank you to all the engineers, electricians and all those who are working hard to remedy the situation and are prompt in taking actions! :)

The view outside! Very dark.. lights were from an incoming car..

Someone playing fire works in the neighbourhood.. Sampat lagi tuuu.. membari tekajut saja especially since it was so sunyi!

Candle light dinner... :)

Candles here and there

Mun reading newspaper near a light source at the front door to pass time hehe

It was 9:58pm. Couldn't stand the heat, so ber air-con in the car skajap! hehe

11:55pm.. electricity's back upppp!!!! :D

Til the next post!

The quest for the hand sanitizer

The swine flu cases here are increasing in number. In two days, the numbers have increased very fast it seems. Just in the news tonight, the cases has increased from 66 cases yesterday to about 93 today and one death.. Innalillah.. That is a big leap in new cases. Imagine the new fear it brings to everyone. Now we have to be extra careful and take more precautionary measures in this matter. I am trying to be more cautious from now on and try to stay at home at most times. This not only apply to us here, but also to friends and family where ever you are.

Late this afternoon, I went to the Mall to pick up my sister (this was before I knew about the rise in cases :p) While waiting for her, I wanted to buy hand sanitizers which are recommended to prevent the flu. But I couldn't find any in stock. I went to Guardian at the Mall, then to Winmark, and then to the Utama Grand store to look for it. Then my sister and I went to Sin Kiew but also to no avail. We then decided to walk to Jaya Hypermart. No hand sanitizers there and the Guardian there is also out of stock with it. I then decided to check out Guardian at the Giant superstore. They also said that the last sanitizer has been sold this afternoon! After going to 7 stores, I have not managed to buy any hand sanitizers which are in very large demand right now. He said that new stock will only be available this weekend at Rimba branch if you guys are also looking to buy them. I assume it will also be the same in other branches.

Hence that is the tale of my quest for the hand sanitizer late this afternoon..

Other than that, nothing much has happened since my last post. My cousins slept over last night. On Tuesday I went out to lunch with Tiyah and Rahmat at Coffee Zone. Other times, are spent at home.

Till the next post. :)

Myspace Layouts

Prevention is better than cure

Let's learn about some of the basic facts of swine flu that we should know about.

What is swine influenza / swine flu (H1N1)?

Respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus.
People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen.


What are the symptoms of swine flu?

Symptoms are similar to regular human flu. These include:

Chills
Fever
Sore throat
Muscle pains
Severe headache
Coughing
Weakness/Fatigue
General discomfort
Vomiting and diarrhea (in some cases)


How is swine flu treated?

Vaccines to protect humans from swine flu is still under development. However, 4 different anti viral drugs are available for treatment of influenza.


What preventative measures can be taken to prevent spread of germs that can cause respiratory illnesses such as influenza?

1) Covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after using.

2) Wash your hands often with soap and water. Alcohol-based hand cleaners can also be used.

3) Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth since germs spread this way.

4) Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

5) Stay home from work or school if you are sick.

According to the WHO, as of 4th May 2009, 21 countries have officially reported 1085 cases of H1N1 cases.

For more information, visit these sites: Medline, WHO and CDC.