Belait Crocodile
A Mr. RM emailed me this crocodile photograph last night. This photograph appeared in Borneo Bulletin last Thursday and I remembered a few of us discussing it when we were in Temburong. We were not sure judging by the black and white photograph in BB whether such a crocodile could have walked up a ramp and watch it peeked into a house. Afterall photoshop experts abound.Now that I have seen the colour photograph, I am convinced that it is real and did happen. So I thought I will share that photograph with you all out there. Now, imagine if you happen to be sitting in the house and a crocodile peeked in. How fast can you run?
Comments
"Beanie Bean said...
Just now, a few whiles back, i was going to voice out some critical issues, addressed to specific or perhaps, a majority of government officials. Being rather harsh and straighforward it sounds for Brudirect Have Your Say, I somehow declined to act and post it, for fear that it may mislead the younger generation minds and create undesired public outrage and hiatus, so i just kept that to myself in a small blackbook diary. Being 28, single and unemployed with abundance of educational achievements do not seem to pave way for me to live a decent, fruitful and meaningful living. All those previous miserable times and unfortunate turn-of-events now lead me to a standstill. My faith in Islam no longer holds. As a pure Malay Bruneian, this is rather corny feeling. But yet, this actually happened and i could not avoid that at all. Generation of people like you, Mr Rozan are times better-off..but i must say Bruneians nowadays are degrading in faith, minds and lifestyles. Personally, for myself, in the coming times, i feel i can no longer live in this country, but to migrate and even change my citizenship. Living in Brunei only suits the royal brood, the noble and the likes. And not for commoners like us. Moreover, the massive immigrants of indons and filipinos may well be better-off as the new citizens of Brunei.
Sunday, August 03, 2008 11:38:00 AM"
I really must thank our young Bruneian brother or sister, beanie bean, for sharing his/her personal thoughts in Brunei Daily Resources’ blog. Although beanie bean obviously directed his/her concerns to the blog-owner, Mr Rozan, I am obliged to respond as a concerned citizen of Brunei Darussalam (being older but not necessarily wiser).
When I was beanie bean’s age, I had made a satisfactory career move back then. My life was kind of crazy but sort of wonderful, too. I was keen on focusing on my job and trying hard to improve. My career path was on the sharp incline with double promotions within five to eight years. Although my own life has been going downhill after that, I face it like a man.
In the same vein, my much more successful and highly-educated peers like the one and only Mr BR was moving up the scale of Bruneian ‘Powers-that-be’ Society in a better conditioning and more stable environment. His rise to the heights of his career was and still is phenomenal by any world standard. Attaining the best post-graduate qualification was a boost to any aspiring leader’s career goals in life and deservingly so.
Many more of my former childhood friends and schoolmates have reached their pinnacles of success in the Civil Service and the Private Sector – either through sheer hard work and/or privileged backgrounds, fortunately or unfortunately.
Now, beanie bean, at 28 is finding himself or herself (probably like most of his/her peers, too) in a quandary. He or she is as intelligent as Mr BR (and I presume highly-educated as well). Still, beanie bean, strongly feels that he or she is being marginalized and deprived of opportunities due to prevailing circumstances in the Abode of Peace.
I can truly understand beanie bean’s predicament, assuming that he or she has gone through tough years of academic struggle starting from kindergarten until primary school certificate (PSR) examination right up to Lower Secondary School (BJCE but now PMB) exam (plus 6 years of Religious schooling, too) and all the way to ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels (on to Higher National Diploma in Institute Technology Brunei or ITB for some) before finally graduating with a university degree abroad in the UK or locally in UBD. I for one salute such tenacity and willpower so congratulations are still in order for beanie bean!
I have heard of a similar case wherein such a hardworking and determined young Bruneian guy (same age as beanie bean, incidentally) who got married along the way and are now blessed with a couple of kids. After umpteenth times of interviews (at least 10 written tests in the Public Service Commission – PSC or SPA – and countless job interviews during which he has been competing with hundreds other job applicants!), all he has been getting are regret letters.
Job openings come and go but still tough luck for him:( Luckily for him, his wife is working and his father is a senior government retiree who at 70 plus now is getting his full salary back again (one of the rare few pensioners to have benefited from it). As frustrating as his life gets right now, he keeps on trying to the best of his sincere and honest efforts… Obviously this young father is not a risk-taking enough person to venture into self-employment or business. He does know only too well the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalam (Peace be upon him) that goes, "Nine out of ten doors to opportunities and seeking fortune in this temporary world is in doing one's own business or trade". Lame excuse this may be but lots of hurdles and obstacles to overcome before delving in such a thought in the Brunei context.
Do we now blame it all on this poor married father, stranded in a jobless situation even though he had toiled blood, sweat and tears cracking his brain to gain a Uni degree? Is beanie bean to blame for his or her swaying faith in his/her spiritual belief and in the whole bloody system of governance supposedly transparent and optimistically dynamic?!
They are not the only two ‘marginalised’ unemployed degree holders or should I say Bruneian ‘victims of circumstances’ because believe you me, they are now in the hundreds if not thousands! Most of the jobless now are getting older, too, with lots of excess baggage in terms of financial burden and family responsibilities…:( So the societal ‘time-bomb’ is ticking ever faster and it is just a matter of time for it to explode with a real big bang!
I can hear people say up to this point I am trying to make my case clear, “What the heck are you gonna do about it, now smart-alec cow you?!”
What can I say but to simply throw my arms in the air and admit that I am no smart-alec to be able to solve this social menace in one clean swoop, single-handedly. No way, Jose!
But I can only advise angry beanie bean and the frustrated father that the age-old idiom, “every cloud has a silver lining” does hold true (“Mungkin ada Hikmah di sebalik apa yang telah berlaku”). It makes sense, naturally.
If we were to go back to basics on this issue of misfortune or misadventure, whatever, one can always make a 360 degree turn back to the light at the end of the dark tunnel. Seriously! I am reminding myself this that as a Muslim, all we have to do is simply perform the act of divine devotion five times a day without a miss in the Masjid (mosque is one English word I find revolting, actually) or the House of Allah the Almighty. The obligatory prayers are the magical answer and simplest solution to all our worldly problems! I am no "Alim Ulama" to say this but this is the real deal to cope with the issue.
In fact, we should try to make it a habitual daily routine to drop by the Masjid before we start our day and stopped over to the Lord’s House again even before we enter our home sweet home after work or to end our day. Self reflection and seeking forgiveness is a must before we rest for the night. That would be a fitting approach to and holistic way of life, I think. Yeah, easier said than done and do I even practise what I preach?! I sure hope so, Insya Allah...