Shopping in a Souk

The old city of Damascus, enclosed by the old Roman city walls, is a thriving place for worship and shopping. There are about 15 mosques and in the Christian quarter there are 12 churches. This is in an area of less than 2 sq km!

People go to the old city also because of its famous souks. There are a number, the most famous is the Al-Hamidiyah.

This photo is taken from the entrance of Al-Hamidiyah souk also showing the old wall to the left. Souks are the commercial street or market in the Arab world. It is here where you can find jewellery, clothing, spices, wooden sculptures and other goods at a bargain.

Mesjid Ummayad

On the second day I was brought by my colleague who used to live in Damascus to the old city and the world famous Ummayad Mosque.

This is one of the world’s largest mosques. Walking in this mosque is quite an experience, the architecture is superb and uncomparable. Built by Khalifah Al-Walid back in 86 Hijrah, it took 10 years to built. The reign of the said Khalifah is considered as the height of Islamic power.

Inside the mosque is a shrine which is said to contain the relics of Nabi Yahya honoured also as prophet (John) by Christians. The previous Pope, John Paul II visited the mosque back in 2001 to visit the relics. It was the first time a pope ever paid a visit to a mosque.

Damascus Trip

The trip has been cancelled twice but I am finally off to Damascus in Syria for work. It is a city of 5 million and expanding with 1 million Iraqis sheltering from the chaos in their home country.

Syria has always been protrayed being the bad guys in Western media because of the totalitarian rule under its former president for 30 years and its alleged link to militant groups, Hezbollah and the killing of Rafik Hariri. But the people here are quite nice and the city is safe.

It is full of history – an understatement when you realised that it is the oldest inhabited city in the world. It was part of the Roman Empire before been captured by the great Khalifah Umar. The city became the capital of the Umayyad Empire - the greatest Islamic empire of all time expanding from Spain to India.

International Day

The great thing about international school and being part of the cultural mixing pot is an opportunity to learn from others. This year's international day was a success. Under the banner of our Brunei national flag, exotic local food was on display. There was kelupis, wajid and pulut pangang to start with (flown all the way from Brunei). Then the usual takeaways in a small box (so typical of our culture!). Books, photos and what have you that the ladies could find in the house was on display.

To cap it, our Chieftain (Pengiran) managed to produced a unique powerpoint with video insert showing our marshall art - silat. Other countries took a more concerted effort by being a bit more extravangant in their stage show. Well our students in the school is only made up of 3 families here.

Subtle Message

Its two years in a row the team has won something in the annual Rafting Klassik. First was for the most entertaining team, later for the best costume. Its a perfect fusion of team building, exhilarating fun and trying to express something in an inconspicuous way.

Initially dubbed the EEZ bandit slayer, the team apparently became desperate to later called themselves the Pirates of the EEZ. The well-laden raft is probably no match for the big guns out in the rich water out there. But in the real world the team is slowly but surely pacing itself for a final glory.

Town Hall in Spui

Between The Hague Central Station and the Centrum is this large white building (actually two buildings) which houses the civil servants of The Hague.

The amazing thing about the building is it got a huge and transparent atrium laid down between the two buildings. Above the two buildings are connected by an array of walkways. It is another good example of modern and beautiful architecture which if you think about it – is it worth spending money just for that?

Next to the Town Hall is the square called Spuiplein which has a unique water fountain - the water sprays directly from the paving bricks giving a bit of fun for people crossing the square.

Turkish Mosque in China Town

This mosque along the main China Town street is located right at the heart of the Hague. It is just a few minutes walk from Spuistraat the main shopping alley in the Hague. Going along with the Turkish traditions are two distinct minarets and elegant floor carpets for prayer.

Apparently there are more mosques in Holland than in Brunei. With a Muslim population of 1 million or so, literally there are more muslims here than in UK. In the Hague, the various ethnic groups are catered by multitude of Dutch, Turks, Moroccan and Indonesia mosques. The gathering for Indonesian, Malaysian and Bruneian is the Al-Hikmah mosque. The Friday sermon is conducted in Bahasa Indonesia.

Formula One starts......

The new season starts at Melbourne this morning (4 am Hollands' time). It promises to be a more competitive year with Schumie finally bowing out. As usual the season starts with unfamiliar car paint and pre-season expectations. There are also new drivers, new logos, new tyre rules and no more tobacco advertisement.

The most talked about driver this time is Lewis Hamilton - the Tiger Wood of F1. Like Tiger, he is not white and got strong support from his dad from very young age. He started go-karting at the age of 3 and has been kart and racing champions at every level. Today on his debut in F1, he got a podium spot! This photo was from Sepang last year when Fiz and Ish were there as well.

Spring is coming…

One of the first flowers to bloom in spring is the so called "Dutch crocus". Although it is still not spring yet but the daylight is getting longer with sunset now at around 7pm. In two weeks time the clock will be reversed by an hour prolonging the day light by an additonal hour into the evening.

Spring starts when the average day temperature rises permanently above 5 degC to even high temperatures in the afternoon. Today maximum temperature was 14 degC and you start to realize that its coming to good period weather when lots of people starts to go outside.

The prolonged light is good for the beginning of the so-called growth period for the early spring plants such as crocus and willows. The time of new live goes on through spring with colourful tulips start being prominent on the background everywhere you go in Holland

Shoarma Kebab

A trip to the Beverwijk Bazaar is not complete without going for a hefty lunch at one of many kebab restaurants. Walking past any of these restaurants, you will really get hassled and tempted to sit by the owners who offer free tea and extra portions.

Food in each restaurant are not too far different. But its the way they decorate and shape the place and how the owner treats you. We have our own favourite which we frequented all the time. The owner is an Egyptian and the place is run by his family.

Beverwijk Bazaar

Walking in this place is feel like being not anywhere in Holland. The place is located close to the coast of Holland just North of Amsterdam and takes about 30-40 minutes to reach from home.

Open only during weekend Beverwijk is apparently the largest covered market in Europe started from a flower auction place 25 years ago.

Most of the stores are mainly run by old and new generations of migrants from Morocco, Turkey, Afghanistan as well as the Dutch natives - a real cultural mix.

This is one huge place and take time to walk through all the stall spread out in many large halls, with its own unique culture, goods and atmosphere.

The main ones are the Black Market, the Oriental Market, the Flea Market, the Computer Market and the Grand Bazaar. It is said there are some 2,500 stalls or shop units selling clothes, shoes, furniture, antiques, books, computers, household items etc.

The whole complex is currently being modernize, old halls demolished for new ones. The place can be quite cold as we found out yesterday being close to the sea - its not out of winter yet!.

Chicken Tikka Masala

While in America there are a Chinese restaurant on every corner, in England it's an Indian restaurant. Recent count was something like over 8,000 Indian restaurants in Britain.

In The Hague, you can find several Indian restaurants but this one is run by an Indian and a Pakistani muslim. The place is frequented by staff from the Saudi and Malaysia embassies as well as the local Imams in the area.

Taking about Indian food, Britain's most popular national dish which is also our kid's favourite is chicken tikka masala or chicken tikka in a tomato gravy. It is eaten with rice or scoop with naan. The vegetable dish we like is aloo gobi, a combination of potato and cauliflaower with spices.

Visiting a Medieval Courtyard

Its not just about shopping. One could experience the rich European history as well which always give me the great suprise how advanced the society and political system were hundreds of years ago here.

Compare that to back home, we can only be proud of out Kampung Ayer (although a bit neglected now) and a hundred year of Bandar history. May be European history should be made an additional subject rather than just the local history.

This enclosed courtyard is again in Buitenhof where you will find yourself surrounded by architecture from the 13th up to the 19th century, with the normal crowd sitting around enjoying the sun.

Shopping in De Passage

Smacked in the middle of the Hague shopping area is a glass-roofed shopping mall, unique to the Netherlands, called De Passage.

Its history goes back to 1882, more than 115 years to make it Holland's oldest shopping centre.

The mall is home to many specialist shops. It also sit next to Novotel Hotel, Pathe cinema and the other main shopping alley in the Hague -Spusitraat. In all it has 3 entrances linking to the other well known part of the Centre of the Hague.

Go Karting

Its the start of another weekend. This time we went to a place on the outskirts of The Hague called de Uithof which got ice skating, indoor skiing, climbing and go-karting. We went go-karting of course, 5 chaps in all.

It was thrilling but also gave severe headache especially as we were pitted with some good drivers who seem to be having their best fun pushing and banging us aside during the race.

I found out there are two basics to fast go-karting. You can scream down a straight at top speed but the art is in the cornering in being able to pull the kart around it at its maximum speed. The other one is overtaking, the key to this one is simply confidence.

Happy National Day

I cannot help noticing since 1983 when the population was only 200,000, Brunei now has 400,000 mouths to feed. That's a lot of young people amongst the populace now. Throughout the 23 years, Brunei has experienced great peace, progress and prosperity. But now these young people are starting to enter the job market. One sign of a vibrant economy is whether you can keep the best and brightest of a community's young people at home. That means having good jobs available, but it also means nurturing young talent and showing them what is available.

Though Brunei has many merits, it still nevertheless also has other shortcomings. There are people living in this Abode of Peace who don't have access to the basic necessities of life. In the Brunei of my dreams there will be no poor people. The other simple dream is for a proper motorway between KB and BSB- that's only 100km of black top. Not too much to ask for.

Nasi Lemak on Sunday

Today we went to Toko Mix Restaurant to have Nasi Lemak for lunch. It was great. So much so that we only had some light fillings for the evening.

In the afternoon, Chelsea was playing against Arsenal young guns in the Carling Cup. It was a nice attacking game with lots of incidents. But at the end the overpaid Chelsea won - but just.

In the meantime my team of 29 years won 4-1 today against Bolton.

Antwerp in Belgium

Last Saturday we went on a worthwhile trip heading South. First stop was Rosada Factory Outlet, an hour drive located in the outskirt of Roosendaal smack in-between Rotterdam and Antwerp. This place is smaller than the one in Roermond.

Then we moved to Antwerp to an American-style shopping mall called Wijnegen Shopping Center. It was mainly window-shopping and having alook around.

Towards the evening we went to the Centre of Antwerp hoping to find a well known Malaysian restaurant. We found the place - called Satay House next to the Central station but decided to go back and have our dinner in The Hague.

Knight Hall in the Hague

The knight Hall is a building in the Binnenhof (Parliment) Courtyard in The Hague. The building is known as Ridderzaal, literally means Knight’s Hall. It dates back from the 13th century. The outside walls of the hall is said to have a thickness of 1.2 meters.

Each year, on the third Tuesday of September, known as the Prinsjesdag, the Dutch Queen holds her annual speech in the knight hall.

E46 in red

The E46 is the name for the automobile platform for the fourth generation BMW's 3 Series. This red one is powered by the powerful M54B25 engine, a 2.5 L (2494 ccm) power-horse giving an output of 184 hp (143 kW) at 6000 RPM with 175 ft.lbf (245 Nm) of torque at 3500 RPM if it at all means anything to you.

Why red? Red is associated with anger, blood, passion and most importantly love! Red is of course one of the three primary colours. Red light has a certain wavelength range, frequencies lower than this are called infrared, or below red and cannot be seen by human eyes. Not that you cannot see this car, it just happened to be red when we saw it.

No More Leaves Standing

During Autumn, the normally green leaves change colour to red or yellow before eventually falling during Winter. The phenomenon resulted in a really beautiful time during Autumn commonly called Fall or Autumn colours before turning into a really dull sight in Winter where no more leaves are left standing on the trees.

But alas, spring is coming. Can't wait to see the tulips blossoming again and filling the colour of the countryside in Holland especially the area around Noordwijk and Harlem.

Circular Glass Roof

Beyond providing functional characteristics, architects nowadays heed many aesthetic qualities to improve the environment within a building. A good one is this massive glass roof in Centro located above a promenade which house some 20 food outlets and hundreds of seats for diners.

It brings with it a great sense of openess, great space and at the same providing natural lighting. It also makes good sense in this era of increasing awareness of global warming and energy conservation.

Oberhausen in Germany

Last Saturday we drove for two hours in the direction of Germany to a city called Oberhausen. Its a straight drive from The Hague plying through A12 and A2 motorways, passing through Utretch and Arnhem before reaching Oberhausen. Destination was Centro Shopping Complex, a place we often frequented the last time we were here 10 years ago. It was then the largest shopping complex in Europe.

The place is still really big with over ten thousands parking spaces! The surrounding area has now been developed with theme park, sealife, convention centre etc. Generally items sold here are quite a bargain compare to what you pay in Holland.

Car Wash

It cost 4 Euro for basic wash without drying and up to 10 Euro to include hot waxing and drying. Sunday late afternoon seems to be a popular time of the week for this activity.

Today petrol is selling at 1.30 Euro per litre, that's equivalent to B$2.86 per litre. In Brunei it only cost 53 cents per litre. That 5.1/2 times more expensive here. Imagine how much the Dutch government is gaining from fuel tax.

Amsterdam’s Dam Square

Dam Square is the historical center of Amsterdam, approximately 0.8km south of the Amsterdam Centraal Station.

It connects with Kalverstraat, the busiest shopping street of Amsterdam. It's named after the kalvermarkt (calves market) that historically took place over there.

Several times a year, such as near Christmas, there is a big funfair on Dam Square. Especially when it's getting dark, it brings a nice warm atmosphere to the place.

Bicycle Shed

Today we went to Amsterdam. Parking our car near the Centraal Station is a convenient but very expensive (3.40 euro per hour) exercise. Standing on the canal bank next to the Centraal Station is a multi-level parking lot for bicycles. Easily there are more than a thousand bicycles in this parking lot alone.

In the Netherlands, cycling is very popular. Bicycles are used for various reasons, including recreation, travelling from city to city, tourism or just simply to cycle to the local high street to shop at the supermarket. Many roads have separate cycle lanes marked along it.

Over the Dead Sea

Taking off from Amman, my flight passed through the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, the West Bank and Israel before reaching the Mediterranean Sea. I took this photo showing the Dead Sea from above while the plane was still gaining attitude. The Dead Sea is a body of hyper-saline water measuring 67km long and 18km wide. It is the Earth's lowest point, at 418m below sea level, and is located on the border between the West Bank, Israel, and Jordan, and lies in the Jordan Rift Valley.

Today in the news, there are more clashes between Palestine and Israel’s security at the ground of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerussalem. For me being 5000m above is the closest I have been to this holiest site.

The Heshemite Kingdom

After 3 long hard days, its time to head back to Holland. That's tomorrow! Jordanian that I worked with were vey nice and helpful. Most were curious where I am from - are you from China? Japan? Korea? NO NO. The mention of Brunei suddenly sparked life like I was a long lost friend.

Jerussalem is only 45 minutes drive. There is a lot to see and learn here. May be next time.... hopefully soon!

I got this image from one of the guy here. The Jordanian monarchy was set up in 1921 by the help of the British. Abdullah I was made the first king of the new Hashemite dynasty. The dynasty originates in the Hejaz, a region in the northwest of present-day Saudi Arabia. Photo: names from right: Sherif Hussein, Abdullah I (1921-51), King Talal I (1951-52), King Hussein I (1952-99) and King Abdullah II (1999-present).

4-Seasons Hotel

Its a strange place. First a vehicle check 100m away from the hotel by gun-carrying , black balaclava security people and then walking through airport-style body screening before entering the hotel lobby. Inside is totally another world.

Today a group of American was seen entering the hotel, heavily guarded, apparently having a break from assigment in Iraq. Jordan is not blessed with lots of oil like its Arab neighbours but seems to be doing not too bad. Main industry being tourism, agriculture and some helps from Uncle Sam. People seems to be happy and enjoying life. Restaurants seem to be always lively and full, but if you can't stand being in the company of chain smokers, this place is not for you.

Snowy Holland

Amman is cold, Holland is colder!

Apparently heavy snow has showered Holland for the past two days. Fiz sent this photo showing Zim and Ish playing in the backyard after school yesterday. Traffic was bad and many reaching school or office pretty late.

Hey where's the snowman?

Cold Amman

Paris Charles de Gaulle is not a friendly airport to catch your connecting flight. The place has got 3 big C's- chaotic, crowded and confusing. From Paris its a 4.5 hrs flight to Jordan.

In Amman, entry visa can be obtained for 10 Jordan Dinar (equivalent to 10 Euro) upon arrival. Then its short drive to the city. Amman is an expanding city of 2 mln people, located close to some of the current world's 'hot spots' - bordering Iraq, Israel and Syria.

Weather here is suprisingly cold (6 degC) and rainy. There are no skyscrappers or significant landmark to orientate where you are. Amman is built on top of 7 jabals (mountains) with valleys in between -so it can be very confusing. Here's a snap of Amman from the 10th floor.

One Way to Travel

One way to go to the office - The Hague has a fabulous tram system which has been around over a hundred year.

The trams are very dependable and easy to use, all you need is a tram map, 1.80 Euro (a strippenkaart or monthly pass would be a much better deal), and you're off.

Tram are like miniature train with their tracks partly or wholly laid in streets. Trams are given priority at traffic junctions and are on the go all the time.

A great Take-Away

Donner Kebab, made up of sliced lamb or chicken loaf slowly roasted on a vertical rotating stand, has become a common sight in almost every main street in Holland. Doners can include various salad ingredients such as carrots, red cabbage and fresh mint as well as a number of creamy sauces or even hot sauce.

The original form of today's doner kebab is grilled horizontally and the slices are cut thicker, served on a plate with rice and a hot sauce with melted butter and ground paprika. Today, doner kebab is typically served as a pita sandwich (flat bread).

Oranje Facts

The Netherlands national football team does not wear the colors of the Dutch flag of today, but instead plays in bright orange. Orange is the historic national colour of the Netherlands, originating from the coat of arms of the Dutch founding father William of Orange-Nassau.

The title of Prince of Orange became synonymous with the Governor of the Netherlands. Prince of Orange is a title of nobility, originally associated with the principality of Orange in the valley of Rhone in southern France. Since 1983, the heir to the Dutch throne, whether male or female, bears the title Prince or Princess of Orange.

Clever Cow

Standing in the middle of a shopping alley in the Hague, this clever way of advertising a clothing line provoke a moment to ponder. Why is the cow wearing human clothes? (Because it's funny!) If it is truly a happy cow, it would be outdoors eating grass and making milk. This cow looks more sophisticated, though. It probably use Apple computers and got shares in faraway stocks ... well, may not.

Now I'm just being utterly ridiculous.

Blessings of Muharram

It is the first month of the Islamic Calendar. In Holland, first Muharram falls on Friday 19th.

There are many bounties of this month, especially the tenth of Muharram. The day is named Ashurah. There are several Hadiths that refer to the importance of the day. It is recommended to be generous on this day towards family members and parents and to fast.

O' Allah! Bless us to perform good deeds. Make the new year one of unity, cooperation and success.

Morning Snow

After two freezing nights below zero degrees, snow finally arrived early this morning albeit a sprinkle or two forming a thin coating on the road.

The next few days is of mix forecast depending whether the system is more dominant from the Arctic north or the warmer air stream from the Atlantic to the south.

Turkish Bread

Today we ate at Tadim Restaurant, a Turkish restaurant along Kempstraat Road near the famous Haag Market.

This restaurant is a bit unique as it has a large grill place where you can sit and have meal around it while watching your mix grill being cooked.

Turkish bread is normally served while you wait, to be eaten with yogurt sauce.

The Backyard

At the back is a small garden store and quite some space as well. Can't wait till the weather is a bit warmer to do outside activities again and perhaps do some barbeque.

This week the temperature is supposed to plumet and a small chance of snow shower. Watch the space!

Home Sweet Home

View of our house from the front.

Its a corner house with tall hedge all around and plenty of greens on the side and back. Built in the 70's, this multi-split level design has a garage at the base, kitchen and living room, followed by 6 rooms in the top 3 levels (including the attic).

Rental is at Euro3300 per month and that excludes utility costs!

Binnenhof

The Binnenhof is a collection of buildings in The Hague. It houses the Dutch parliament since 1446.

The grounds on which the Binnenhof now stands was purchased by Count Floris IV of Holland in 1229, where he built his mansion. More buildings were constructed around the court, several of which are well known in their own right:

- the Ridderzaal (Knight Hall), where the Dutch Queen holds her annual speech.
- het Torentje (the small tower) has been the working space of the Prime minister of the Netherlands since 1982.

The City of The Hague (Den Haag or 's-Gravenhage in Dutch) is internationally recognized as the world's capital of international Justice. After New York and Geneva, The Hague is the third UN city in the world.

Dinner at Museum Bredius

Invited for dinner at this Museum together with a group of high level visiting Government delegate. This small Museum can be booked for corporate functions such as entertaining business partners or visitors - quite a brilliant concept.

Located right across the lake in front of the Parliament House in The Hague, the Museum is named after Abraham Bredius, known mainly as a Rembrandt expert and collector.
Bredius lived from 1855 to 1946 and was born in Amsterdam to a prominent family. In 1922 when Abraham Bredius left Holland to live in Monaco, he gave all his art collection to the municipality of The Hague.

Skating Season

This year's winter might be mild but that does not stop the enthusiasm of the populace to skate. Here's a temporary skate rink put at the centrum of The Hague.

But skating on frozen canal is even more interesting. Back in 1997 when we were here, the last Elfstedentocht or Eleven-cities Tour was held.

The skating tour, almost 200 km in length, is conducted on frozen canals, rivers and lakes between the eleven Frisian cities in the province of Friesland in NE Netherlands. There is minimum requirement that the ice must be a minimum thickness of 15 centimetres along the entirety of the course.

Since 1909, the tour has only been held 15 times. That 1997 race was the the most recent one. The winner took 6:49 hours to complete at an average speed of 29.3 km/h. Some 15,000 amateur skaters also joined the race.

The Big Storm

Gale-force winds and heavy rains hit the Netherlands in what is the worst storm in years.

Workers were advised to go home early. Across Europe at least 40 people dead with winds packing up to 200 km/hr. Here's the fatality statistic : Britain (11), Germany (11), The Netherlands (6), Poland (6), Czech Republic (3) and France (3).

The photo is of a fallen tree close to our home blocking the main access road. The emergency services however were very efficient and managed to clear the tree within hours.

My boy is hooked to RuneScape

With over nine million active free players and more than 850,000 paying members, RuneScape is rated among the most popular online games in the world.

RuneScape takes place in the fantasy realm of Gielinor which is divided into the 3 Kingdoms and various other areas. Each region offers different types of monsters, materials and quests.

Players are shown on the screen with medieval customes. They set their own goals and objectives, deciding which of the available activities to pursue. Players can engage in combat with other players or with monsters, complete quests, or increase their experience in many skills. Players interact with each other through trading, chatting, or playing combative or cooperative mini-games.

A walk in the Ardennes

Last October, Zim went on a school trip to the Ardennes for 4 days. It was her first trip on her own.

It took 4 hours by bus, the place itself is deep in the Ardennes Forest, suitable for doing all sort of outdoor activities. She did the lot - canoeing, trekking, rock climbing, archery, river crossing, some team work etc etc.

She looked really tired after all that but she really enjoyed it. It was a good experience for her.

What's in Fiz Mind

I found this in our shared drive. Looks very interesting and tells a lot of story.

Apparently it is one of Fiz making. Emm...

Warm Winter

It has been the hottest Autumn on record i.e. 300 years. And the mildest Winter if it stays like this.

Temperature only dipped below zero only once. Technically we are in mid-winter but the day temperature outside is hovering around double figures.

But I also hear people saying that winter seems to come much later lately and snow might appear in February or even in March.

Entertaining New Trainees

It turned out to be a big crowd. 9 chaps were on training here and we managed to entertain them with a good array of Malay food at the Toko Corner Mix Restaurant.

Owned by a family who originated from Kelantan, this restaurant is definitely another favourite hunting ground. The owner has been living in Holland for 27 years.