The Brunei Eye

Moved to thebruneieye.net

2011-11-02T17:33:00.001+08:00

Daily updates on http://thebruneieye.net !

JIS Footy Fun Day

2009-01-08T01:22:00.003+08:00

From a few weeks ago, at Jerudong International School in Rimba. Thanx to Sudiru and the Missus for the ride.

Gears used was 28mm F2.8 on the 400D and 100mm F2.8 on the 40D only. Wasn't really sure who won the matches, tho. :P

Jamie Yeow ! and Andy Penders

2009-01-03T01:30:00.001+08:00

Hosts from ESPN's Nokia Football Crazy came to Brunei to promote their show and Host a couple of programes during last November's DST Roadshow to promote their 3.5G web based contents. Awesome Sport's related fun abound, but seriously, the only reason my camera came out that night was to capture Jamie Yeoh's heavenly self. :P

And yes, I do have another folder full of her photos ! :D And yes, I realised there's 2 pics of Andy and 4 pics of Jamie, it's intentional. :P

Me and My Salipar Jipun Part Cuatro

2009-01-01T07:47:00.007+08:00

Me and My Salipar Jipun again, this time it's the first Sun Rise shot of 2009, Happy New Year everyone !!! :D

Had another outing recently, Sun Rise at Batu Marang to celebrate the coming of 2009, with the BFF-ers, as always, organized by the ever wonderful airbiscuit. Thanx, dude !

Had the 40D with me, the 28mm 2.8 on for the early shots, when there was a bit more light, switched to the 10-20mm for wider angle of view. Hence the high ISO and the noticeable noise on the photo. :P So please, "Mind the Noise !" Not much PP done, except for sharpening, reduce noise (which was next to useless in this case), colour mixer and contrast.

Again, Happy New Year and Selamat Menyambut Ma'al Hijrah, guys and gals ! And thanx for visiting me these past year or so. :D

Good Morning, Miri !

2008-12-24T13:21:00.006+08:00

Had'nt posted anything here for a while, been too busy with assignments and work, so I figure I'd post something artsy, if you consider grainy pictures artsy anyway. :P And this is by request, too. :D

Taken during a recent 3 day working trip to Miri City, Sarawak. Was staying at the Imperial Hotel and Apartments in the heart of the City. Woke up from a very, veryyyy looonnnggggg night, saw this in front of me, couldn't help myself but to capture the moment.

2 layers, first layer for the foreground, made it black and white, reduce exposure to make it darker, and lastly gave it film grade grains ! Second layer for the background, i.e. the window, colour mixer, shadow highlights and sharpen to heck ! :D Ahhh, the things I do for art. :P

Moon Cake Festival - The Fool

2008-10-07T02:02:00.005+08:00

The Fool, or Jester, is a staple character in traditional stage plays, be it in English or in any other language. The actor who plays the Fool usually acts in a charactised way, i.e. doing flamboyant moves, over acting to situations, and doing many ridicolous facial expressions. The part of the Fool usually carries light but very deep dialogues and are brought out during scenes of very high emotional tension.

This set of the Fool was taken during the Moon Cake Festival stage plays, ( not so :P ) recently held at the Tapikong Chinese Temple in Bandar Seri Begawan.

Hope you enjoyed them, if you didn't, well, "I pity the fool who didn't enjoy my set, I do, I pity the fool !" :D

Me and My Salipar Jipun Part Trois

2008-09-22T23:11:00.001+08:00

The Mooncake Festival or The Lantern Festival is a Chinese Mid Autumn Harvesting Festival celebrated for twelve days in the 8th month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar from the 15th day onwards, second in importance only to the Chinese Lunar New Year. During this festival, the Chinese community everywhere celebrates by giving each other mooncakes and lighting up lanterns, both in various shapes and sizes.

Locally; in Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore; the Chinese communities there would also put up Chinese Opera shows in their local temples. Most of these operas would be based on the Beijing Opera, which prominently includes traditional Chinese string and percussion instruments, with the acting based on allusions, hand gestures, foot works and body movements.

Which brings us to these two pictures which were taken at the Tapikong Chinese Temple in Bandar Seri Begawan during the local celebration of the Mid Autumn Festival. It was a photographic outing with the Brunei Forever guys and gals, and was not to be missed.

More pictures to come, hopefully. :P Enjoy ! :D

Me and My Salipar Jipun Part Two

2008-09-06T18:39:00.005+08:00

Suhoor is the pre-dawn meal which is eaten during the fasting month of Ramadhan, and suhoor in Brunei usually ends at 4.30am, so there's usually some time to kill between Suhoor and getting ready for work at around 7am-ish. And this is where the idea for the sun rise shot originates from.

It was around 5 in the morning, and had earlier planned with Aku to do a Sun rise shot in Serasa beach. So woke up at 3am, had suhoor at 4.15am, took the half-hour drive down to Serasa beach at 4.45am. Voila !, Me and My Salipar Jipun version Sun Rise at Serasa Beach.

Never realised how beautiful the sun rise was in Brunei, especially from the vantage point at the tip of Serasa beach. Enjoy ! :D

Brunei Grand "Sails" ?

2008-08-24T19:18:00.009+08:00

Well, it's not really for the Brunei Grand Sales, but couldn't help working that pun in ... :P

These pictures are a continuation of the last post; "Me and My Salipar Jipun". These are the actual sailboats, or better known as Lasers, they're about six feet long, and are single manned only. They're not as fast or as big as actual sailboats but it was a thrill to see them sail all over the Serasa coast.

Again thanx to Cam and the Royal Brunei Yatch Club for the invite. :D

Me and My Salipar Jipun

2008-07-07T23:10:00.007+08:00

This is " Me and My Salipar Jipun ", to the uninitiated, or non-Malay :P, Salipar Jipun tranlsates from Malay to English into Japanese Slippers, or what is more widely known as flip-flops.

The picture was taken a few weeks ago, from the deck of a speed boat cruising near the Serasa coast during the annual Brunei Laser Challenge, and yes , Laser as in small sailboats. :D Had a lot of fun, thanks to Cam of the Royal Brunei Yatch Club for the gracious invite.

And also this is a throwback to airbiscuit's idea of " Me and My Adidas ", he's also the guy who set up the lights for the " Puff the Magic Dragon " shot in the last post. Thanks a bunch, ab.

Puff the Magic Dragon

2008-06-18T22:21:00.010+08:00

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called honah lee,

Little jackie paper loved that rascal puff,

And brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff.

oh !

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called honah lee,

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called honah lee.

Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail

Jackie kept a lookout perched on puffs gigantic tail,

Noble kings and princes would bow wheneer they came,

Pirate ships would lower their flag when puff roared out his name.
oh!

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called honah lee,

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called honah lee.

A dragon lives forever but not so little boys

Painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys.

One grey night it happened, jackie paper came no more

And puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.

His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain,

Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane.

Without his life-long friend, puff could not be brave,

So puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave.
oh!

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called honah lee,

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called honah lee.

Was having a strobe session at BE a few weeks ago, 3 lights on light stands and one in hand, all fired using Cactus wireless trigers.

And Puff The Magic Dragon shall remain unnamed ... :D

50mm at Kampong Ayer

2008-06-10T20:38:00.001+08:00

Had a little soiree at Kampong Ayer a few weeks back, was limited to the 50mm Prime lens, here's some of the shots from that day.

Using the 50mm exclusively means getting up close and personal with the subjects, especially if they are people. So if you're shy, the 50mm would be good way of getting over that. :D

A very big thanx for the people, especially jIM747, who organised the little event. :D

Who doesn't love Milo ?

2008-05-19T21:12:00.005+08:00

Stampede during the 7 Hills Challenge from the last Hill, i.e. Bukit Shahbandar. As you can see, everybody loves Milo. :D

10mm, F14, 1/4 seconds, ISO 100 and handheld. No major PP except for saturation, contrast and slight sharpening.

Davis Cup Asia / Oceania 2008

2008-05-13T14:00:00.007+08:00

Did not know that the Davis Cup was a Men's tourney ( thanx to Reeds for clarifying ). No wonder the ladies didn't show up to play. :P

Pyjama Movie Nite

2008-05-04T10:01:00.002+08:00

Had a chance to join in on the Pyjama Movie Nite, organized by Mr. Reeds of AnakBrunei.org, in support of SMARTER Brunei. It was a great night, had a few local celebrities, and a who's who of the Bruneian Blogging Nation.

The movie on the silverscreen was "P.S. I Love You", a good romantic comedy film. Was just expecting Leonidas to start shouting lines from 300, but sadly, that didn't happened.

Thanx to Reeds for organizing; and a big, giant thanx and wet kisses to Aku of WithAku.com for the seats. :D

Slow Exposure - Driving Around

2008-04-25T13:28:00.001+08:00

A Photographic Technique brought up by Jim747 and AirBiscuit, I think, during one of our Jing Chew sessions.

All using minimal set up; 10mm, ISO 100, slow shutter speeds (approx. 30secs), wired shutter release and a basic tripod crammed into the back seat of a blue Hyundai Tuscon.

The outcome, as per the usual, was awesome ! :D

BFF 1st Anniversary Celebration feat. Aku

2008-04-22T19:05:00.001+08:00

Photos from my Canon Ixus 850 IS Point and Shoot, camera was mine but all shots was courtesy of Aku of WithAku.com, that's his mug at the top. By the way, Aku has an assortment of mouth-watering Canon equipments in his Crumpler bags, but he chose to use my humble point and shoot. Cheers, bro ! :D

Thanks again to Aku for supplying me with all the awesome photos he took and leaving them in my memory card. :D

BFF 1st Anniversary Celebration - The Guys

2008-04-19T13:05:00.002+08:00

Bruneian

AnakBrunei

Ber360

CPS.Brunei

PhoenixLancer

Headache

DineyFoto

These are the folks you'll meet in a regular BFF gathering, most of them are guys, because, well, BFF consists of mostly guys. :D

BFF 1st Anniversary Celebration

2008-04-16T18:06:00.001+08:00

23rd March 2008, BFF is now a year older, all the photogs, be it Nikonians, Canonites or Sonyians alike, are now a year more mature, photographically speaking.

It was a great gathering, held at the ever excellent Blue Eden ( Inderaloka Biru ), one advise is always bring your dark glasses when you're in a room full of photogs, because a dozen flashes firing at the same moment would make anyone freeze and hurt your eyes, I'll attest to that, even I froze when I was making my introductions.

Well anyway, here's to another great year and to a million beautiful photos ! :D

Maulidur Rasul BSB 2008

2008-04-13T18:16:00.002+08:00

My first time going down to Bandar Seri Begawan to capture the scenes of a Maulidur Rasul.

One lesson, always know the route taken, and memorise the short cuts for these routes. Second lesson, always dress appropriately, "nada majlis" is not a situation you wanna be in. :D

A great experience, had a steep learning curve, but in the end, was worth the hard lessons.

DST Women's Sports Meet 2008

2008-04-09T09:19:00.004+08:00

A few weeks ago, DST held a week long Women's Sports meet, and invited a few of the Government Ministeries and a few Companies from the Private sector to send their delegates to represent themselves at the sports meet.

In the end MOE came out on top, because they fielded a very strong team. And many thanks to hayatdee and H20, of DST, for inviting the BFF photogs to come over.

And not suprisingly, the actual winners were ... the photogs ? :P

Sarawak Tourism Board - Out and About with AdventureZack

2008-04-07T12:49:00.001+08:00

Went out and about with AdventureZack, a fellow BFF Canon Photog, and had nowhere specific to go, except for The Mall. When we reached there, lo and behold, a roadshow was being held there by The Sarawak Tourism Board, along with a bunch of local Travel Agencies.

Traditional dances, free gifts (including the lil' kitty cat below) and a world renowned Sape player ( Jerry Kamit ) equals a very good show indeed.

TESL Brunch Affair featuring Ally and Yean

2008-04-02T00:12:00.000+08:00

Sisters, Songbirds. :D

National Day 2008 - Armed Forces

2008-03-27T14:01:00.000+08:00

The Armed Forces are one of the main attraction during the National Day celebrations, and there weren't a lack of scenes to shoot. It's always great to take pictures of the Army personnels, especially when they're in full camouflage mode, the way the colours blend and interact with the background. And the fact that they could stand the heat while standing around under the sun for about three hours, the dedication just amazes me.

That's it for the National Day celebrations 2008. Hope you guys enjoyed it. :D

National Day 2008 - Ambience

2008-03-24T19:35:00.000+08:00

These are the scenes you would expect to see during National Day in Bandar Seri Begawan; students walking around, getting ready for their performances; Army personnel getting ready to march; on-lookers just "on-looking"; groups of girls standing around together, posing for the cameras. :D Just alot of fun things to shoot ... :D

National Day 2008 - People

2008-03-22T13:05:00.000+08:00

People, people, people, people. Expect to take a gazillion shots of people during the National Day and expect to find more than half of it being a great picture. Candid, posed, it's all good. :D

TESL Brunch Affair Part 2

2008-03-19T18:19:00.000+08:00

Part Two of the TESL Brunch Affair. I've included the Group Photo and you all could see there were actually some guys in attendance, who were not really evident in the othere pics. :D

TESL Brunch Affair featuring the BFF Boys

2008-03-17T19:25:00.000+08:00

Picture of the BFF Photogs in action during the TESL Brunch Affair at Berakas Forest Reserve. There were a bunch of us there, as you can tell, and you all can probably guess why we were there in droves.

National Day 2008 - First

2008-03-15T18:50:00.000+08:00

From the National Day celebrations 2008, Brunei Darussalam is now a non-protectorate of the United Kingdom for 24 years. And incidentally, this year was the first time I came down to Bandar to join in the celebrations.

More than 40 (Forty) photographers affiliated with Brunei Forever Forum came down to celebrate the National Day and capture the moments in Bandar. I personally took about 1000+ photos, and it was impossible to sift through all these photos and try to pick some to post here.

So these are the photos I took, hope you guys get the feeling of how exciting it was and what a great feeling it was to be involved in something like it. Enjoy ! :D

TESL Brunch Affair Part 1

2008-03-12T11:11:00.000+08:00

TESL is a course in UBD for Teaching English as a Second Language. And very, very fortunately, we, the BFF Photogs, were invited to their BBQ Brunch which was held at the Berakas Forest Reserve.

There were many, many things to shoot; it was a very good event, in the humble opinions of most of the BFF guys. Great food, great music and great scenes to shoot. :D

And to the TESL guys, sorry there weren't many of your photos (except in the group pictures, I think). But the TESL girls, on the other hand ... :D

Lion Dance at CHMS 2008 - The Second Lion

2008-03-09T04:24:00.003+08:00

The second Lion, like the first Lion, did a great performance and enthralled the audience with their acrobatics. A few of the tricks they performed were above average tricks, and were very entertaining. All in all, both performances by the Lions were memorable and are not to be missed.

If you guys missed it this year, come on down next CNY to Chung Hwa Middle School in Bandar Seri Begawan and catch one of the highlights in the Bruneian calendar. And if nothings in the way, you'll probably find me there, too. :D

Lion Dance at CHMS 2008 - The First Lion

2008-03-07T20:33:00.001+08:00

Since this is the first time I've participated in a CHMS Lion Dance outing, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there were two Lions performing, each with their unique styles. Not really sure wether this is the usual situation every year, or maybe just for this year, but no complains here. The more Lions, the more pictures to take.

The show was amazing and the first Lion did a great performance, jumping here and there, very acrobatic. Suprisingly the bottom was my friend Louis, didn't know he was a Lion Dancer. :P

Coming up next, the second Lion.

Lion Dance at CHMS 2008 Part 1

2008-03-05T09:33:00.000+08:00

Taken during the Annual Lion Dance and Chinese New Year celebrations held at Chung Hwa Middle School in Bandar Seri Begawan.

More pics of the dance coming soon, and since there were two separate Lion Dances done by two different Lions, will do separate posts for each Lion. Hope you guys enjoy the pics. :D

CNY @ Bandar Temple 2008 Part 3

2008-03-01T11:59:00.001+08:00

Pictures from the CNY Day ceremonies at the Chinese Temple in Bandar. Couldn't believe the amount of photogs who came. There were tons of us. And all in all, it was a great outing for all of us.

Enjoy the pics. :D

More of Wu Chun and the Fire Crackers

2008-02-26T23:11:00.001+08:00

Wu Chun posing in front of the lit Fire Crackers, which continued to explode and make noise for at least thirty minutes. This event was held in the parking lot of the Palm Garden Hotel, owned and ran by Wu Chun himself, which is situated in Kiulap, Bandar Seri Begawan.

To all Wu Chun fans, this might be one of the last post on Wu Chun, it's not that I don't have anymore pictures (well, I do have more, maybe enough for another 2 to 3 posts worth), it's just that I can't find the time to post process them all. If there's a huge (and I mean HUGE) demand for them, I might ocassionally, maybe sporadically, post more of his photos, maybe a post or two of his portraits. And that's a big maybe.

And finally, just enjoy these photos. :D

Note: All Photos are available to the public for viewing, and can be reposted elsewhere as long as nothing is changed digitally, the watermark remains unchanged; and the photographer, Zul Abdul Rahman, and the source site, http://thebruneieye.com/, is given credit. Thank You for your cooperation. Email zul@thebruneieye.com for further enquiries.

CNY @ Bandar Temple 2008 Part 2

2008-02-25T20:50:00.001+08:00

This was the first time for me to enter the Chinese Temple in Bandar Seri Begawan, it was just as I imagined, it felt sacred and taboo, and when I entered, it felt like I was trespassing.

But I had to keep that in the back of my head so I can concentrate on my camera and these were the outcome. Hope you guys enjoy them. :D

CNY @ Bandar Temple 2008

2008-02-23T13:51:00.004+08:00

Photos from the Brunei Forever Chinese New Year outing. These are the guys I regularly go on photography outings with. Just a few shots of our prep time before the actual CNY ceremony shots.

Will post on the CNY ceremony at the Temple in Bandar next.

Wu Chun lights up Firecrackers for CNY 2008 Part 2

2008-02-20T07:07:00.001+08:00

Note: All Photos are available to the public for viewing, and can be reposted elsewhere as long as nothing is changed digitally, the watermark remains unchanged; and the photographer, Zul Abdul Rahman, and the source site, http://thebruneieye.com/, is given credit. Thank You for your cooperation. Email zul@thebruneieye.com for further enquiries.

Korea, first glimpse ...

2008-02-18T10:20:00.000+08:00

This is the first processed shot of my recent trip to Korea, it's a landscape shot of a river in Nami Island. If you don't know where Nami Island is, it's where they filmed the drama series Winter Sonata, that signature shot of the guy embracing the girl in the middle of the forest, with the lined trees framing the scene, that's Nami Island.

The river was frozen over, because it's still the middle of winter. Which means I was freezing my ass off. :P

I'll post more when I've processed all of the photos, will take a while, about 1400+ photos to go thru.

Hands (and Feet) Across Brunei Part 2

2008-02-17T00:01:00.002+08:00

I realized I have some leftover photos of hands, and I didn't think I should just let them go to waste. So here's Part 2 in the series.

One of my photographer friends suggested that I might've taken all those photos of hands (and feet) to learn composition, and to have a general idea of skin tone and lighting. Well, his reason sounds better than "because I have a hand fetish". So I'll accept it for the time being. :P

And just to mix things up a bit, here's a photo of a baby's feet.

Lion Dance in honor of Wu Chun and Family

2008-02-15T22:55:00.002+08:00

A Lion Dance ceremony was held on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, in front of the Palm Garden Hotel, in honour of Wu Chun and Family, to bring good luck and prosperity to Wu Chun's business, which include the hotel and gyms.

The performance included some acrobatics performed by the Lion Dancers and a "Choi Chang", where a red packet (ang pow), attached to a lettuce, was hanged above the front door of the business and the Lion would try to grab it, doing so while entertaining the guests.

More pictures will be posted soon, need at least a day or two to do proper processing. :D

Note: All Photos are available to the public for viewing, and can be reposted elsewhere as long as nothing is changed digitally, the watermark remains unchanged; and the photographer, Zul Abdul Rahman, and the source site, http://thebruneieye.com/, is given credit. Thank You for your cooperation. Email zul@thebruneieye.com for further enquiries.

Back In Brunei

2008-02-14T21:30:00.000+08:00

Alright, back in Brunei, and two eight hour flights in one week does not make the body feel good. Will start posting more of Wu Chun's pictures, and maybe a few shots from Korea, and will start processing the photos from the CNY ceremonies from the Temple in Bandar. Gonna get back to the flow of work, and the flow of photography and photoblogging.

The Wu Chun headshot is just to tide the thirst of Wu Chun's loyal fans out there whom all have waited patiently for me to get back from my holiday and start posting more of his photos. To Julia and Kaka (Rebecca_sg) of Baidu; wuchun_sg_fan, jaja and agnes q, this photo of Wu Chun is specifically for you guys ! I know Wu Chun would be proud to have you guys as fans. :D

Note: All Photos are available to the public for viewing, and can be reposted elsewhere as long as nothing is changed digitally, the watermark remains unchanged; and the photographer, Zul Abdul Rahman, and the source site, http://thebruneieye.com/, is given credit. Thank You for your cooperation. Email zul@thebruneieye.com for further enquiries.

IKON ASEAN 2008 - Vina, IKON Philippines

2008-02-12T07:07:00.000+08:00

"Vina ! Vina !, " shouted the crowds, it's not just for anyone, it's for Vina Morales, IKON Philippines. The whole time she was on stage, the energy she conveyed was palpable. You can see it, you can feel it, you can taste it. A real entertainer, a true entertainer.

After her emotional, moving rendition of her hit "Pangako Sayo", there's no doubt she is a true ASEAN IKON. In an interview, Vina said she would love to do a Malay song, and if she does one, let's hope she comes to Brunei again to perform it.

Have been trying to post this last set of photos from the Toyota Corolla 2008 launch's IKON ASEAN showcase performance by Vina Morales, but didn't have the time. But finally, all the perfomance sets have been posted and this is the last one.

So that's it for IKON ASEAN 2008 in Brunei, held at the Mall and brought to Brunei by NBT (B) Sdn Bhd. It was a great showcase of talents, not to be missed, but if you did miss it, at least enjoy the moments I have captured. :D

Wu Chun lights up Firecrackers for CNY 2008

2008-02-11T23:26:00.000+08:00

Second set of photos of Wu Chun back in Brunei, and this time he's lighting up the traditional red fire crackers for Chinese Lunar New year 2008, in the Palm Garden Hotel in Kiulap, Bandar Seri Begawan.

In Chinese culture, the lighting up of fire crackers during the Chinese Lunar New Year symbolizes the act of scaring or shooing away evil spirits and/or bad luck, and helps to usher a Healthier and Wealthier New Year.

The fire crackers was so long that the noise did not die down for at least 25 to 30 minutes. Let's hope that all that loud noise actually scared away the evil spirits and bad luck, so that not only Wu Chun will have a great year in 2008 but all of us, too.

And to all of Wu Chun's loyal fans, there'll be more pictures, I'll start posting slowly, since I'm still on Holiday in Korea. :D Hope to see Won Bin and Jang Nara here and take some great photos of them.

Note: All Photos are available to the public for viewing, and can be reposted elsewhere as long as nothing is changed digitally, the watermark remains unchanged; and the photographer, Zul Abdul Rahman, and the source site, http://thebruneieye.com/, is given credit. Thank You for your cooperation. Email zul@thebruneieye.com for further enquiries.

Preview - Wu Chun in Fitness Zone Q-Lap for CNY 2008

2008-02-08T00:01:00.000+08:00

Wu Chun, a famous Superstar well known World Wide, especially in the Asian region and in the International Chinese community, was back in Brunei Darussalam to celebrate the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year with Family, Friends and Fans.

The event, which included an acrobatic Lion Dance showcase, and a very lengthy display of fireworks, were held at the new Fitness Zone in Qlap, which also housed the Palm Garden Hotel, both owned by Wu Chun himself.

Wu Chun made himself available to his endearing fans, who came in droves to meet and greet him and to take photographs, for about 2 hours. This is the first picture among many which will be posted here.

So Wu Chun fans, hang on tight, there'll be more pictures coming soon. :D

Note: All Photos are available to the public for viewing, and can be reposted elsewhere as long as nothing is changed digitally, the watermark remains unchanged; and the photographer, Zul Abdul Rahman, and the source site, http://thebruneieye.com/, is given credit. Thank You for your cooperation. Email zul@thebruneieye.com for further enquiries.

Gong Xi Fa Chai 2008 Greetings @ NBT from TheBruneiEye

2008-02-07T01:33:00.000+08:00

As per the usual, NBT came up with the wonderful goods again with their decorartions for their storefront during this year's Chinese New Year celebrations. There were cute rats all over the place, and the red blinking lanterns were hanging everywhere.

When I was there taking pictures, I met some cute girls who were happy to have their pictures taken. Well, that just means its not a night wasted. Enjoy the pics, and Gong Xi Fa Chai to all my Chinese friends out there. May the year of the Rat 2008 be a Healthy and Wealthy year for all of us. :D

Sungai Kedayan - Among Nets and Poles.

2008-02-04T08:58:00.001+08:00

Sungai Kedayan is one of the most prolific river in Brunei, it cuts through Bandar Seri Begawan then swerves through Gadong and trickles down Menglait. During the monsoon seasons, the water level gets dangerously high and might even flood a large part of Gadong and Menglait.

But apart from the floods, Sungai Kedayan is a great place to fish, either with a pole or merambat with a net during low tide. Enjoy the photos, and if you have time, come on down to Sungai Kedayan and you might find me there with my camera. :D

IKON ASEAN 2008 - Astrid, IKON Indonesia

2008-02-01T09:45:00.000+08:00

Her fingers' are not showing the Peace sign or the Victory sign, it's for the number Two (Dua), as in, "Jadikan Aku yang Kedua". That's Astrid, IKON Indonesia's hit single of 2007 and it was a hit during the IKON performance. It was an upbeat track, people were moving around to the groove and singing along to the song.

Astrid performance as a whole was kinda on the slow and bland side, of course, that was until she belted out "Jadikan Aku yang Kedua". Not a bad performance, everyone had fun watching her.

Coming up next, the ever energetic Vina Morales, IKON Philippines.

IKON ASEAN 2008 - Dina, IKON Malaysia

2008-01-30T01:01:00.000+08:00

Dina, the IKON Malaysia, had a great performance during the launch of the Toyota Corolla 2008 at the Mall. She belted out a few of her international hits, and wowed the audience with her vocal range and interactions with the audience, especially with the little ones.

Great performance by Dina, she said she used to work on the management side of showbiz but when you see Dina do her thang on stage, singing her heart out, you would be better to believe she was born to be in the frontlines of showbiz.

Next up, Ikon Indonesia, Astrid.

Hands Across Brunei

2008-01-28T01:01:00.001+08:00

I like photography, I like writing, so it wasn't really a big step when I started photoblogging. But the thing about photoblogging (or blogging, in general) is that you need to blog regularly.

You can stop and pause for a day or two, it's no problem, but when you go a week without posting something up, you'll start to get lazy. And I've seen many cases on the Internet where bloggers go missing for a week, two weeks, and then they don't show up anymore, they just disappear.

They lost interest, they don't have anything to post, they just have no ideas. Which was why I went trawling through my harddisks looking for interesting photos. And I saw an interesting pattern. I took a lot of photos of hands, I don't know why, but there they were. Is it a fetish ? Maybe. It's a conundrum, I know, but let's just enjoy the pics shall we ?

IKON ASEAN 2008 - Zul F, Local Star

2008-01-26T08:28:00.000+08:00

Local star, Zul F, performed during the launch of the new Toyota Corolla 2008 held by NBT (B) Sdn. Bhd. at the Mall. He performed a few of his hits, had great interaction with the crowd and was generally a great performer. He had great repartee with Paula Malai Ali, too.

Zul F was a great performer, wouldn't be suprised if he'll do a full blown concert locally soon. And if he does do one, I'll be there taking pictures.

Next up, pictures of IKON Malaysia, Dina.

IKON ASEAN 2008 @ The Mall

2008-01-23T19:22:00.000+08:00

Earlier this month, NBT (B) Sdn. Bhd. launched the Corolla 2008 at the Mall, and during the launch, NBT invited IKON ASEAN 2008 to entertain those in atthendance during the launch.

Paula Malai Ali was the emcee of the event, and what a stunner she was. First on the stage was local star Zul F, next came IKON Malaysia Dina, then IKON Indonesia Astrid, and finally, IKON Philippines Vina.

Great show all around, especially Vina Morales, who made the crowds wake up and shout til their throats were sore. And to those who missed it, well, you guys missed one heck of a show. More posts coming up on each individual act, great photos of all the IKONs and Zul F, just wait for it.

Consumer and Food Fair 2008 Pt 2

2008-01-21T14:12:00.000+08:00

Part two of the Consumer and Food Fair 2008, a lot of interesting events happened in the middle of the Fair, and I've posted pics on them already but one or two posts won't suffice to cover this big event. So Enjoy, this is the last one !

Another expo closes, but for sure in 2008 there will be more. So expect more photos to come as the days keep on rolling.

The Loneliest Seat

2008-01-18T01:01:00.001+08:00

I went on a Photographer's outing a few weeks ago, with my regular group of photogs (this was before Brunei Forever), to Tasek Lama in Bandar. It was a great outing, and very successful. In total, about 1200+ pics were taken, if this was during the era of film, I shudder to think how much the rolls of film would've cost.

This photo was taken during that outing. It's a photo of a bench with the waterfall in the background. This was taken on the hillside, to the left of the waterfall. I was sitting on the bench, gasping for air, after the challenging climb up the (non-)steep hill. Thinking up ideas for the angles of attack, over thinking obviously.

Should I take a low angle shot, a wide angle shot, should I zoom ? When it hit me. Step back, add the bench in the shot, frame it so that the waterfall is included. After I took the shot, the title for the shot just automatically appeared in my head --

-- The Loneliest Seat.

There are other photos from that outing, but this was the first to be processed. The other photos might be coming soon, they might not. But for the time being, just lean back, relax and enjoy the view from the Loneliest Seat.

Colours of the Consumer and Food Fair 2008

2008-01-15T23:01:00.001+08:00

With Five days of Fun, Food, and Games at the ICC for the Consumer and Food Fair 2008, if you walk around the booths enough times, you start seeing all these beautiful arrangements of Colours. Here's some of the samples of the kaleidoscopes of colours. Enjoy !

If you guys didn't make it to the ICC for the Consumer and Food Fair 2008, you guys missed one heck of an event. So don't forget to catch the next one.

Brunei Cyber Games @ the ICC

2008-01-13T16:44:00.001+08:00

From The Brunei Cyber Games held from January 2nd til the 6th at the ICC in conjunction with the Consumer and Food Fair 2008, the event was co-organised by RanoAdidas and Sunlit Advertising. It was great being in the midst of the crowds, watching the finals and shouting in support for the players, if I was an active Gamer, I would not have second thoughts about joining; the winner's purse was respectable and the venue/crowd was great. Games played was Guitar Hero 3 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2008.

On a sidenote, the news on the streets are humming on about a 2nd Cyber Games, probably in April. I would suggest that you guys who missed the last one should come down and check the next one out. And if you're a gamer nothing can keep you away from competing. As this last pic would suggest, check out the gamer on the floor, if the game is fun enough, no disability will keep fans away from it.

So Let's Game On !!!

Consumer and Food Fair 2008 Pt 1

2008-01-12T00:03:00.000+08:00

The Consumer and Food Fair 2008, the first large expo held at the ICC from 2nd til 6th January. The event attracted a total of 40,000+ visitors, not anywhere near the 60,000+ expected, but it was still a smashing success. A lot of companies participated, and SunLit delivered on the 200+ booths provided. A lot of exhibitors equals a lot of photo opportunites. So Enjoy part 1 !

And yes, I'm not really sure what's happening in the last pic either. :P

Brunei's Longest Painting

2008-01-10T09:00:00.000+08:00

Brunei's Longest Painting, one of the mini events at the ICC during the Consumer and Food Fair 2008. All you had to do to be a part of this small, yet great, event was to sign up, pick up a brush and start painting.

The organisers told me that this sign would be used in the four districts during His Majesty's birthday this year. And that green leaf pictured above, that was my spot, I painted the whole spot. Cool ain't it ?

Consumer and Food Fair 2008 Pre 2

2008-01-08T11:01:00.000+08:00

Just some more pics from the preparation of the Consumer and Food Fair 2008. It's very interesting to see what happens before the actual Fair, and I was lucky to be there to see and take pictures.

I'll start posting on the actual Consumer Fair soon. Thanks again to SunLit for the invite. And did you guys join in on the Longest Painting in Brunei ? I did, and the pictures should be up soon, too.

End of Year Fair 2007

2008-01-05T13:25:00.001+08:00

It was the last days of 2007, specifically 27th to 30th of December, and the Mall is still bustling with shoppers. It's the End Of Year Fair 2007, organised by ANR Fatabarak. And here's some photos from the last Expo of 2007, held at the Mall.

That's it for 2007, there are other photos but this is it for Expos in 2007. Hope you guys enjoyed the photos, I'll post more in 2008, probably starting with the Consumer and Food Fair 2008 and Brunei Cyber Games 2008, and from there who knows.

Consumer and Food Fair 2008 Pre 1

2008-01-04T13:30:00.000+08:00

Here's some photos from the Consumer and Food Fair 2008. It's not the actual fair but the preparation for the fair. I got a temporary pass and I took some behind the scenes photos of the Fair, hope you guys enjoy them. I'll get a few more sets from the Fair, and I'll post them as soon as possible.

And yeah, I like how everyones' working with their shoes off. And thanks to Gavin for the Temporary Pass.

Family Shopping Bonanza 2007

2008-01-03T10:01:00.001+08:00

You know it's December when every week there's some sort of exhibition or other happening at the Mall.

What is it about December ? Is it because the expected crowd turn out is high ? Is it because the Government releases bonuses during this period ? Is it because it's the Holiday season ? Is it because people just buy things in preparation for the coming New Year ?

Whatever the reason, the Mall was jam-packed again, with consumers and exhibitors alike. And since we're not gonna find the answer soon, let's just enjoy the photos, and I hope I'll see guys next December. And I got one more expo to post, the End of Year Expo held at the Mall (again) organized by ANR Fatabarak. And it's the last one for December, too.

Kids and Toys

2008-01-01T20:08:00.000+08:00

Kids and Toys, Children and Innocence, don't you think this is an appropriate topic for the first post of the New Year ? Don't you just love watching kids with their toys ? I could've taken a hundred photos of kids passing by the toy racks, pausing to stare and stare until their parents come to take them away. It's sad, funny, heart-warming and endearing; all at the same time.

Don't you just wish that kids would just stay innocent forever ? Reminds me of all the innocence I've lost through all the years I've been through in life, makes me feel old. Well, let's hope the year starts off with something good and full of hope. Happy New Year 2008 !

And to tell the truth, even I paused for a few seconds when I passed that particular toy rack. Spiderman toys are just way, way too cool for school.

Thank You, Call Again

2007-12-31T23:59:00.001+08:00

Here I am, sitting in front of the TV, watching multiple, simultaneous feeds of New Years celebration on satellite TV, with my laptop on my knee and eating some snacks, wondering what the heck have I done in 2007, which warrants any mention at all. And I'm thinking it's me discovering Photography.

From the first time I held my camera, to these last moments in the fringes of December 31st 2007, my camera has been with me through the whole Photographic journey. And that's about it really, it's me and my camera. I just need to mention that. Also a special thank you to Alan of Alan40D for letting me touch the 400D for the first time, and letting me fall in love with it and how it felt in my hands. Thanks, Good Buddy !

And so these are the last words of 2007, and this is my post dedicated to all of you guys who've read my blog, and came back for more. This is just one of those random pics I shot, that I have stored in my harddisk, and it expresses my sentiments exactly.

So please, join me for more in 2008, for the next page in our ever expanding adventure.

And once again, 'Thank You, Call Again.'

GHK Year End Sales

2007-12-28T10:01:00.001+08:00

It's that time of year again, when cars roll into the middle of the Mall and are put on display. It's GHK's annual showcase of cars for the End of the Year.

Cars on displays includes the Mitsubishi Colt Plus, Airtrek, Pajero, the LandMark, the Geely and a few others from Chevrolet, but the Chevy Captiva weren't on display. I would've liked to try out that car.

And of course, the sales representatives there were very helpful, and the Emcee was entertaining and had a lot of info to give out on the promotions there.

And the last photo is not a can of soup, but an engine component found under the hood of the Landmark. Does anyone know what it does ? I sure as heck don't know.

Bokeh Crazeh in JJT888

2007-12-26T00:03:00.001+08:00

The other day my friend Alan (of Alan40D) was on his way to JJT888 in the Mall, he invited me over to join him there so I tagged along. Inside this store, there was a lot of little mystic Oriental trinkets like Dragon figurines, little gold coins, little brass mirrors, tiny colourful (probably) magical beads, black Onyx horse heads and other cool things. Couldn't resist but to draw out the 400D with the 50mm lens attached.

And you guessed it, I went Bokeh crazy and started taking dozens of pics.

I don't think you can just go in and take photos, but my friend's a regular customer there. So the rest of you try to ask for permission or just buy some small trinket first before clicking away. And if you do buy something, the staff there will do this cool Oriental ceremony before releasing the goods (sadly, I don't have pictures of it).

And because there were so many mirrors there (mirrors being somewhat lucky and mystical), I couldn't help but capture a self potrait again. So enjoy the pics.

Merry Christmas, and a Wonderful New Year to all !

2007-12-25T00:03:00.000+08:00

Here's some Christmassy pics of Christmas decos I shot recently. And I'm typing away here at home, while watching A Christmas Carol on the Hallmark channel; Ebenezer Scrooge (played by Captain Picard) , my Laptop and some hot Milo, can it be a less typical Christmas ?

This post is dedicated to 'C' of http://blindaseachother.blogspot.com/, and her twin sister, who just won't stop singing carols, not even at 2 in the morning. And C, the glasses looks HAWT !

Well, 2007 has just been a major blast, hope to see you all in 2008. Have a Merry Christmas everyone. :D

Home and Electronic Fair 2007 Part 2

2007-12-23T00:13:00.001+08:00

Here are some more shots I took during the H & E Fair 2007 at the Mall. My favourite is the one of the guy sleeping upon the chair. Poor guy, he looked so worn out.

I have a bunch more but these are the ones I found personally interesting. And on a sidenote, ain't the kid getting hugged just too adorable, especially with his huge, Bambi eyes ? Enjoy the pics and I'll post soon on the GHK End of Year 2007 roadshow.

Monkeys in a Barrel

2007-12-22T00:05:00.001+08:00

Taking pictures of regular monkeys in my backyard ( yes, I live in the deep jungles of Borneo with monkeys as my neighbours ) probably doesn't compare to taking a boat ride around Temburong and capturing photos of those long nosed Proboscis monkeys.

But these are all I could do right now, and the pic of the monkey in mid jump ain't that bad if I say so myself. And I'm sure if I keep taking pictures, one of those monkeys might feel like I'm intruding into their personal space. I can see the headlines now, "Photog eaten by Rabid, Zombie Monkeys !" So gotta run. Enjoy the photos !

Home and Electronic Fair 2007

2007-12-21T00:03:00.001+08:00

Every year, the Home and Electronic Fair held at the Mall, never fails to attract a lot of people to the Mall. A lot of Electronic vendors would showcase their products, including Masros Brunei for Sony and Hitachi, Concepts Computer for ACER and W.T. Brunei for Sharp.

They would be entertainment in the form of performances by local artiste, colouring contests for kids and showcases of local talents, where this year the talents were local potrait artists.

And also not to be missed were the exclusive Bruneian unveiling of the new MP3 player from Sony, nicknamed the Rolly, which can be programmed to do dance performances according to the beats of music, it's to be internationally released in 2008.

If you guys miss it this year, then check it out next year, it's well worth the time, especially with the abundance of entertainment for both kids and adults alike. Hope to see you guys in the Home and Electronic Fair 2008, I'll be the huge guy clicking away taking pictures.

A bad boo-boo

2007-12-19T20:34:00.002+08:00

One of my closest friend has recently sprained her wrist because of a slight driving mishap, and had to pay a visit to the doctor. Not sure if my urut techniques actually worked on her tiny wrist, maybe that made it worst.

So keep that chin up, do what the doctor tells ya, don't do too much strenous work and get well really soon.

Chocolate Suprises

2007-12-19T07:06:00.001+08:00

Today we were all mildly suprised when one of my colleagues gave out little bags of fun-sized chocolate candied goodies to everyone. All of our sweet-tooths started to scream with extreme pleasure by the end of the work day, and most would regret it when their stomachs would start complaining the next day.

And thanks to Alan of Alan40D for creating the new watermark for me. Thanks, good buddy.

NBT's Festive Christmas Greeting

2007-12-18T22:44:00.000+08:00

NBT's been around for years, and they have recently became the highlight of the festive seasons. Be it Hari Raya Aidilfitri, the Chinese New Year or Christmas; they'll be masses of people there, clicking away taking photos of their festive decorations. This is my first NBT festive deco post, so enjoy and don't complain if the pictures are a little unorthodox. And yes, the reindeer was suppose to look serene but in the end, he kinda looks scary and menacing.

And lastly a self potrait, that's a reflection of me in the large round Christmas Ornament.

Enjoy the pics everyone, and if you have time, it's worth the effort to come down to Gadong and see the Christmas decorations yourself. And don't forget to bring a camera. Merry Christmas !

My New Toy

2007-12-17T03:37:00.002+08:00

Just bought a new ACER Aspire 2920 laptop, state of the art Core 2 Duo processor with 2 gigabytes of RAM and Windows Vista installed. I'm telling you, it's the sweetest mobile electronic device ever. Beating mobile phones, Ipods and, point and shoot digicams (all these I already own). But of course, my Canon Digital Rebel XTi rules them all, just like the One ring.

Had the laptop quality checked (QC) by experts, like Pro-QCers Alan of Alan40D, Qis and Eda. Thanks guys for giving the laptop two thumbs up; way, way UP.

And funny thing, a pic of my laptop came out first on Alan's site, before it came out here. Thanks again, guys.

Congrats to Dayangku Amallizza !

2007-12-16T23:59:00.001+08:00

Close friend and colleague, and also local artiste, Dayangku Amallizza is the First runner up of the PrimeMedia Karaoke Idols 2007 held at the Mall recently. She is well-known in the local Bruneian entertainment scene and have joined a few of the local contests, getting the First Runner up for a Singing competition for His Majesty's birthday this year. She belted out a song from Shima, which I wasn't familliar with but she sang her heart out and won the hearts of the audience and the judges.

And on a sidenote, after the show was over, Dayangku Amallizza was invited to join the N'Destine, of Maria N'Destines fame, for their jamming sessions, since they lost their lead singer Maria, who is now pursuing a solo career. Interesting news for the local entertainment industry. Could 2008 be the break out year for Dayangku Amalizza ? We'll wait in anticipation.

Dinner at CDP Curry House

2007-12-13T03:01:00.001+08:00

It was a night to celebrate, twelfth day of the twelfth month, the birthdate of Alan of Alan40D. He took his close friends and family to dinner, picked the CDP Curry House in Gadong, near the Little Bean Electronic store and ordered with a flourish and without doubts.

It was a gastronomical delight of astronomical proportions. We had the Shanghai style Chicken, the Fish slice curry, the Baby Kailan with Scallops, the Sizzling Tofu, the Salted baked Prawns and Fish maw soup. It's a good thing I wasn't picking up the check. It was alot of food, good thing I was there, I am a professional eater. My skills were evident that night. Thanks again Alan, for dinner and a fun time.

Happy Birthday, good buddy !

Kenali Negara Kitani.

2007-12-13T00:08:00.000+08:00

I work at the Mall, regularly. Everytime there's an exhibition, we'll get invited, we'll join. It's as simple as that, hence, my regularity of being in the Mall.

This is December; End of year Expo, Back to School Expo, Holiday Sales Expo. All of them means I'll be at the Mall more often than not. Starting to feel like the Mall's my second home, my second office.

But in late November, we joined the Kenali Negara Kita (KNK) expo. It was great. A lot of people attended, met a lot of interesting people, saw a famous DJ from Kristal FM. It was quite a good exhibition, and a good experience for me.

The idea of KNK, is very good, but it'll take time to work. It emphasises on locals visiting local sights. Not really gonna work, not unless a lot of Bruneians still have a lot of money to burn on traveling overseas. Even I might be flying off to Korea in February.

But, there's a big BUT here, because I like taking pictures, I would rather take in the beautiful local sceneries and sights, and post it on the web rather than taking pictures of foreign lands and promoting those places. I am a proud Bruneian promoting Brunei.

Which brings us back to the KNK exhibition and the pictures.

And on a sidenote, I might take up on the offer of taking a boat ride around Temburong, sounds like there'll be many interesting opportunities for great pictures, especially of those large nosed simians.

No longer Bustling Bandar.

2007-12-08T16:50:00.001+08:00

I'm not really sure when but I read an article by Ignatius Stephen in the Borneo Bulletin, that's a local newspaper with one of the highest circulation in Brunei Darussalam, and as I recall, he wrote that Bandar Seri Begawan is now akin to a ghost town. Especially, with a lot of well known businesses moving out and opening branches in other parts of Brunei like Gadong, Kiulap or Batu-bersurat.

I can't believe this, I am a proud Bruneian. And I'm proud even though we are a small country, Bandar Seri Begawan is still recognised as one of the capitols of the world worth visiting, for the SOAS mosque, for the Royal Palace, for the Kampong Ayer. We have a lot of heritage in this country, and it shows. Which means that we can't have Bandar Seri Begawan dying in front us.

So I had to see it with my own eyes, and I went on a trip to Bandar at night. And what I saw was shocking, it was seriously empty. Mind you, I didn't go there at midnight on a Tuesday, this was 8.30 pm on a Saturday, and during the start of the weekend bazaar held there. It was empty, there were nearly no cars on the road, and as I looked closer at the stores, it was true, most of them have moved or closed down. Even the Borneo Cinema was closed down, my first memory ever of watching a movie was there, I watched Isabella there, starring Search and Ramona Rahman. And now, that part of my memory doesn't even have a physical connection anymore, it's just a memory.

Which brings us back to the photo above, that's a picture of an alleyway behind the many buildings in Bandar, and now it's empty, no cars passing by, no cars parking, just a solitary sitting figure, probably trying to figure out where to move his shop. It doesn't look like the bustling Bandar in my memories anymore, but that's what it was, just Bandar. It's a good thing I had my camera then, and I took a lot of pictures of Bandar, so I won't lose most of my memories there.

Reflections and Ruminations

2007-12-06T01:06:00.001+08:00

About a few weeks ago, sometimes around mid November I think, I attended a Canon Product Launch held at the Jerudong Polo Club. I went there early, and I think I was one of the early ones there. At the entrance of the Hall where the Launch was held, there was a group of Bruneian musicians playing traditional instruments like gongs and gulingtangans. This was a very good photo opportunity but like an idiot, I left my camera in the car.

This was not a problem really, but the guests started to arrive, and these are not normal guests, these were Professional Photographers. And they brought their cameras. So there I was sitting through the Launch, going green with envy, while these Pros were happily snapping lots of good photos left and right. And I didn't have time to slip away to grab my camera, held captive in the car.

About an hour and a half later, the Launch ended, I said my goodbyes to the Canon representatives, grab my goody bags, and left. On the way home, as I was passing by the Jame' Asr mosque, I couldn't get the idea of taking photos out of my head so I parked my car at the Arch on Jalan Pasar Gadong, and started strolling around the Highway Roundabout clicking away happily on my camera from every vantage point I can think of.

I took about a dozen photos which came out great, which brings us, in a roundabout way, to our photo above. That photo is of a reflection in my morning tea, not this morning's tea mind but tea I had a few weeks ago. A reflection of a photo used as my desktop wallpaper, of the Jame' Asr mosque, which I took that night of the Roundabout Night Excursion. And that's the whole story of our photo.

If you want to see pictures and articles of the night of the Launch, please visit http://www.ranoadidas.com/, http://shimworld.wordpress.com/ and http://bandar360.blogspot.com/. They were there, too, and, of course, they did bring their cameras.

Hopefully, the first among many ...

2007-12-04T20:53:00.001+08:00

Hello all ! And welcome to my first foray into Digital Photography and PhotoBlogging. I'm Zul Abdul Rahman from Brunei Darussalam and this is my first post on my blog. As the title suggest, this is a photoblog which emphasises a Bruneian's view (mine) and the views and vistas of Brunei (most of the photos to come).

On to my first picture, since this is my first blog/pic, I'm posting the obligatory photo of the SOAS Mosque situated right in the heart of Bandar Seri Begawan. Named after the 28th Sultan of Brunei, the mosque, which is seen as a symbol of the Islamic faith in Brunei. The building was completed in 1958 and it is one of the main sights in the capital and the country in general.

This photo was taken a few months after I got my Canon EOS Rebel XTi (400D), which means that when the photo was taken I wasn't as familiar with the camera as I am now. This view of the mosque has been used many times by other photographers so I was trying to mimic them a bit, and the photo suprisingly turned out well. I do have better pics of the mosque from different angles but those will come along in the future.

I want to thank Alan of alan40d.blogspot.com for giving me the idea for this blog and helping me along. Thanks Alan. So that's it, enjoy the picture, and the pictures to come ! And wish me luck !