Category Archives: Pojok

What you need to know about Brunei

Pojok

The total population of Brunei Darussalam is approximately 428,000 (2010) of which around 130,000 live in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan.The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes rice and housing.All Brunei citizens have access to free health care from public hospitals.
The official language of the nation is Malay, even English is also widely spoken.

Islam is the official religion of Brunei, and the sultan is the head of the religion in the country. Two-thirds of the population adheres to Islam.

The sale and public consumption of alcohol is banned. Foreigners and non-Muslims are allowed to bring in 12 cans of beer and two bottles of other alcohol (e.g., wine or spirits; no distinction is made for alcohol content). This limit used to apply to every entry; in 2007, however, this was changed to one limit every 48 hours. After the introduction of prohibition in the early 1990s, all pubs and nightclubs were forced to close.

There are four local newspapers in Brunei:
Pelita Brunei – A free bi-weekly Malay-language newspaper
Borneo Bulletin – The sultanate’s first English-language daily
Media Permata – The sole Malay-language daily
The Brunei Times – An English-language broadsheet daily

As for mass media, the Brunei government owns and operates six television channels with the introduction of digital TV using DVB-T (RTB 1, RTB 2, RTB 3 (HD), RTB 4, RTB 5 and RTB New Media (Game portal) and five radio stations (National FM, Pilihan FM, Nur Islam FM, Harmony FM and Pelangi FM). A private company has made cable television available (Astro-Kristal) as well as one private radio station, Kristal FM.

The government regulates the immigration of foreign labor out of concern it might disrupt Brunei’s society. Work permits for foreigners are issued only for short periods and must be continually renewed. Despite these restrictions, foreigners make up a significant portion of the work force.

The Brunei Government actively encourages more foreign investment. Companies in Brunei must either be incorporated locally or registered as a branch of a foreign company and must be registered with the Registrar of Companies. Public companies must have a minimum of seven shareholders. Private companies must have a minimum of two but not more than 50 shareholders. At least half of the directors in a company must be residents of Brunei.

References :
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunei
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Brunei

Education in Singapore

Pojok,

In Singapore, English is the first language learned by half the children by the time they reach preschool age and becomes the primary medium of instruction by the time they reach primary school.

Most schools commonly follow the kind of grading system awarded at the Singapore-Cambridge GCE “O” level examination, which a student sits at the end of four or five years of secondary education, taking at least 6 subjects. The level of achievement in each subject is indicated by the grade obtained, with A1 being the highest achievable grade and F9 the lowest:

* A1/A2 (Distinction)
* B3/B4 (Merit)
* C5/C6 (Credit/Pass)
* D7 (Sub-Pass/fail, that is, passing at a lower standard in the exam or fail)
* E8/F9 (Fail)

A student’s overall academic performance is measured through several points scoring system (such as the L1R5, L1B5 and L1R4 scoring system) depending on which type of post-secondary institution a student is intending to apply for. Each grade has a point value respective to it, for example, with grade A1 being 1 point, A2 being 2 points, and B3 being 3 points. Thus, the fewer the points obtained, the better the score.

Singapore currently has two full-fledged public universities (National University of Singapore & Nanyang Technological University), and two full-fledged private universities (SMU & UniSIM). However, UniSIM accepts only adult learners in general, so A-level and Diploma students may apply only to SMU, NUS, NTU, several foreign university offshore campuses, and more than ten other private tertiary institutions offering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

Parents are seeking additional help at home to improve their children’s grade and to empower them with the latest practical education strategies to achieve their full potential academically.

Meritocracy is a basic political ideology in Singapore and a fundamental principle in the education system which aims to identify and groom bright young students for positions of leadership. The system places a great emphasis on academic performance in grading students and granting their admission to special programmes and universities, though this has raised concerns about breeding elitism. Academic grades are considered as objective measures of the students’ ability and effort, irrespective of their social background. Having good academic credentials is seen as the most important factor for the students’ career prospects in the job market, and their future economic status.

Education policy in Singapore is designed to ensure that no child is left behind in education even if they do not have the financial capacity to pay school fees. Therefore, school fees in public schools are heavily subsidized, so that students pay as little as SGD 13 for fees. In addition, there are many possible assistance schemes from either the government or welfare organizations to help students cope with finances during their studies. Some of these are listed below.

Critics of the education system, including some parents, state that the education system is too specialized, rigid, and elitist. There have also been complaints about excessive educational streaming at a young age. The best students are streamed into the best and normal classes, while the others are streamed into the foundation class, where teachers usually allow them to get worse, since they are part of the “ungifted” class. This ability-driven education has since been a key feature behind Singapore’s success in education, and was responsible for bringing drop-out rates down sharply.

References :
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Singapore

Pearl Price (Harga Mutiara)

Pojok, , ,

The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other shapes of pearls (baroque pearls) occur. The finest quality natural pearls have been highly valued as gemstones and objects of beauty for many centuries, and because of this, the word pearl has become a metaphor for something very rare, fine, admirable, and valuable.

The most valuable pearls occur spontaneously in the wild, but they are extremely rare. A “natural pearl” or “wild pearl” is one that forms without any human intervention at all, in the wild, and is very rare. Cultured or farmed pearls from pearl oysters make up the majority of those that are currently sold. A cultured pearl is formed in a pearl farm, using human intervention as well as natural processes. Pearls from the sea are valued more highly than freshwater pearls.

Quality natural pearls are very rare jewels. The actual value of a natural pearl is determined in the same way as it would be for other “precious” gems. The valuation factors include size, shape, quality of surface, orient and luster.

The value of the pearls in jewelry is determined by a combination of the luster, color, size, lack of surface flaw and symmetry that are appropriate for the type of pearl under consideration. All factors being equal, however, the larger the pearl the more valuable it is. Large, perfectly round pearls are rare and highly valued. Teardrop-shaped pearls are often used in pendants.

Pearls come in eight basic shapes: round, semi-round, button, drop, pear, oval, baroque, and circled. Perfectly round pearls are the rarest and most valuable shape. In general, cultured pearls are less valuable than natural pearls, whereas imitation pearls almost have no value.

Earrings and necklaces can also be classified on the grade of the color of the pearl. While white, and more recently black, saltwater pearls are by far the most popular, other color tints can be found on pearls from the oceans. Pink, blue, champagne, green, black and even purple saltwater pearls can be encountered, but to collect enough of these rare colors to form a complete string of the same size and same shade can take years.

The Pearl Price :
Sea Pearl Color Yellow / Gram 26USD(retail price) and 22USD (agent price)
Sea Pearl Grey Color / Gram 18USD(retail price) and 15USD (agent price)
Sea Pearl Black Color / Gram 34USD(retail price) and 29USD (agent price)
Sea Pearl Gold Color / Gram 40USD(retail price) and 35USD (agent price)
Sea Pearl Yellow Color(Oval) / Gram 15USD(retail price) and 13USD (agent price)
Sea Pearl Yellow Greyish Color / Gram 15USD(retail price) and 13USD (agent price)
Freshwater Pearl /pcs depends on size and color start on 9USD(retail price) and 8USD (agent price)

References :
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearls
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl#Pearls_in_jewelry

Game and Free Full Download

Pojok, , , , , ,

Everybody like games, and so do I. In the last 2 decades, the game grows very fast, from 2 dimensions into 3 dimensions, from shooting to planning. Sometimes game can cost you much money, from Nintendo, PlayStation and Wii. Thanks to the internet, that makes anything is possible. We can browse many games for free in the digital world. We can get 100%free download game, or we can pay some money to download the game.

I like everything that is free for me. Since I like planning game, I like some kind of games that I can find easily online for no charged.
Here is the some games that I played for free, you can download that now.

Fashion Dash
Ini adalah full download game-nya.
http://rs51.rapidshare.com/files/130073337/0FashDASH.rar

Fab Fashion
Download free trial game here.

Than download full version of the game here.

Fashion Fit
Download free trial game of Fashion Fit here.

Download full version in here.

Doggie Dash
Download free trial here.

Full version here.

Fitness Dash
Download free trial here.

Full version here.

Very Girly Game
wah..aku menemukan website ini secara kebetulan, ketika aku sedang mencari-cari gaun cheong sam yang banyak digunakan para wanita di Olimpiade Beijing. Wesite-nya berisi game-game yang sangat girly.
Seperti kita bisa mencoba-coba banyak pakaian pada satu orang, dan kemudian mencetak hasilnya dalam kertas hitam putih. Ini cukup bagus untuk ibu-ibu yang mempunyai anak-anak perempuan untuk keperluan belajar mewarnai. Ada banyak pakaian yang bisa dicoba, dari pakaian olimpiade beijing sendiri, baju balet, wedding-gown, etc.
Gamenya bisa ditemukan di http://www.dressupgames8.com/flashgames/princess-dress-up/Jenny-Doll-Princess.html.
Berikut contoh hasil hitam putihnya yang bisa di-print…Tidak jelek kan untuk latihan mewarnai ?

Ada juga game, untuk keperluan mengatur rumah, seperti ruang tamu, ruang tidur. Gamenya bisa ditemukan di http://www.sueoyna.com/

Movie download, cek this one www.mysoju.com

Komik Topeng Kaca online, click this one http://topengkacaindo.blogspot.com

Selamat menikmati…

Olympic Beijing 2008 – Opening

Pojok, ,

Olimpiade Beijing
Luar biasa…Akhirnya setelah menunggu selama 16 tahun, China berhasil menjadi tuan rumah Olimpiade. Tahun 2008, dipilih oleh bangsa China sebagai tahun untuk menyatakan dirinya bahwa ia telah membuka dunianya bagi dunia international. Si naga telah bangun dari sarangnya.

Pada tahun 1992, China, Australia dan 3 negara lain bersaing untuk menjadi tuan rumah Olimpiade 2000 (milenium). Sayangnya, yang terpilih saat itu adalah Australia. Sehingga, China harus bersabar menunggu 8 tahun untuk menjadi tuan rumah. Kenapa China tidak memilih tahun 2004 ? Saya rasa alasannya sudah jelas bagi orang China, yaitu karena ada angka 4 (artinya mati dalam bahasa China). Maka, jelaslah pilihan China adalah tahun 2008, yang mempunyai angka keberuntungan, yaitu 8. Hal ini semakin terlihat dengan jelas, pada saat pemilihan tanggal pembukaan adalah tanggal 8 Agustus 2008, jam 8 malam (waktu setempat).

Olimpiade Beijing
Pada tahun tahun 2002 Beijing terpilih sebagai tuan rumah Olimpiade untuk tahun 2008, maka sejak itulah perencanaan dan persiapan dilakukan. China berinvestasi sebanyak 43 miliar dolar AS (Rp 396 triliun) untuk keperluan Olimpiade 2008. Sekitar 100 juta dolar (Rp 900 miliar) dianggarkan hanya untuk upacara pembukaan dan penutupan, dan jumlah ini dua kali lipat dari dana Olimpiade sebelumnya di Athena, Yunani. Bukan hanya acara pembukaan dan penutupannya saja, semua aspek dikerjakan oleh Pemerintah China dengan sangat brilian.

Olimpiade Beijing
Mereka membangun stadium nasional, yang dinamakan Bird’s Nest, karena emang desainnya mirip dengan sarang burung. Arsitekturnya adalah konsultan China, yaitu Ai Weiwei. Pembangunan stadium ini memakan biaya US$ 423 juta.

Tentunya kesan yang mendalam adalah penting untuk membuat para tamu kagum. Karenanya Pemerintah China juga membangun international airport yang benar-benar berkelas. Untuk pembangunan airport ini, Pemerintah China mengeluarkan dana sebesar $3,5 milyar. Airport ini merupakan perluasan dari terminal yang sudah ada (terminal 1 dan 2). Terminal 3 ini merupakan airport terbesar di dunia untuk ukuran luas dan kapasitas (kira-kira 986,000 square meter).

Olimpiade Beijing
Mereka menyiapkan segalanya dengan baik, keamanan, persiapan supir taxi yang mampu berbahasa inggris, persiapan uang negara lain di bank-bank, transportasi, konsumsi, hotel, bahkan hingga persiapan kebutuhan rohani. Two thumb up..

Upacara pembukaan dimulai dengan atraksi ribuan penabuh drum dengan stik drum yang bercahaya. Permainan cahaya, music, tarian dan teriakan benar-benar menyajikan atraksi yang mengagumkan.
Sang sutradara, Zhang Yimou, bener-bener berhasil membawa 5000 tahun sejarah China dalam 1 malam. Penampilan pegawai-pegawai kerajaan, berbagai tarian dan budaya, taichi, lukisan, nyanyian, karakter tulisan bahkan hingga baju, semuanya menjadi satu sajian yang memuaskan.


Olimpiade Beijing
Pertunjukan demi pertunjukan, semuanya menggabungkan antara teknologi dan manusia (China memiliki populasi terbesar di dunia). Begitu juga dengan aliran pertunjukan, dari 5000 tahun yang lalu terus hingga ke masa kini, di mana China berhasil mengirimkan pesawat ulak alik dan kru-nya ke luar angkasa. Yang mengagumkan lagi adalah munculnya bola raksasa yang tiba-tiba menjadi bola dunia, yang menggambarkan ‘one world one dream.’

Acara pembukaan juga semakin meriah dengan dihiasi pameran kembang api. Diawali dengan 28 letusan kembang api sebagai simbol 28 cabang olah raga yang dipertandingkan, selama acara pembukaan telah menghasilkan 29 ribu kembang api. Wow, angka yang fantastis.

Olimpiade ini akan berakhir pada tgl 24 Agustus 2008, dengan memperebutkan 302 medali, yand dikuti oleh 11 ribu atlet dari 205 negara.

Kehidupan di Brunei

Pojok, , , , , ,

Road Safety – Tell a Friend

Brunei

Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) adalah perusahaan minyak terbesar no 2 di dunia. Di dalam menjalankan usahanya, BSP sangat memperhatikan safety di segala aspeknya, bahkan yang kita anggap hal-hal yang kecil, tapi bagi BSP hal kecil itu malah menjadi aspek penting yang harus diperhatikan dalam menjaga keselamatan karyawannya. Sebagai contoh : peraturan menaiki/menuruni tangga, setiap orang wajib selalu berada di posisi sebelah kiri, dengan tangan kiri harus memegang pada pegangan tangga. Jika kita lupa dan tidak menjalankan peraturan ini, maka kita akan diingatkan baik oleh petugas security ataupun orang di sekitar kita.

Pada bulan Juli ini, BSP melakukan campaign Road Safety – Tell a Friend. Yang dimaksud dengan Road Safety adalah beberapa peraturan mengenai keselamatan dalam menggunakan fasilitas jalan, baik sebagai pengendara maupun sebagai pejalan kaki.
Peraturan ini simpel saja (dan saya rasa semua orang sudah tahu hal ini), tapi bagi BSP hal ini sangat pening dalam penerapan keselamatan di jalan raya.
Peraturan tersebut adalah :
– selalu menggunakan sabuk pengaman pada saat mengendarai mobil (supir maupun penumpang)
– kecepatan berkendaraan adalah maksimal 80 km /jam
– dilarang menggunakan handphone pada saat mengendarai mobil
– bagi pejalan kaki yang akan menyebrang jalan, diharapkan menggunakan zebra cross
– bagi pengendara motor, diwajibkan untuk menggunakan helm

Sedangkan yang dimaksud dengan Tell a Friend adalah BSP meminta keterlibatan para karyawan dan para vendornya untuk memberitahukan ke lima point Road Safety di atas kepada semua orang.

Thanks BSP…

17 Agustus-an di Kuala Belait – Brunei
Hari Minggu lalu, tgl 31 Agustus adalah peringatan 17 Agustus – Hari Kemerdekaan Indonesia di Kuala Belait, Brunei Darussalam. Puncak peringatan itu diadakan di BSRC (Brunei Shell Recreation Center), dimulai pk 7 pagi hingga 2 siang. Acaranya dihadiri oleh sekitar 120 keluarga…wah..cukup banyak bukan ?

Brunei

Sebenarnya acara peringatan ini telah diadakan dari jauh-jauh hari yaitu sejak bulan Juli dengan dilakukan perlombaan2 olah raga, kesenian. Olah raga yang diperlombakan yaitu bulu tangkis, sepak bola, voli, basket, tenis, tenis meja, golf, catur. Sedangkan kesenian ada karaoke, serta bermacam-macam game, seperti makan krupuk, lomba balap karung, lomba melukis, dll. Setelah banyak final game diadakan dan didapatkan pemenangnya, maka pemberian hadiah untuk pemenangnya disatukan dengan acara puncak peringatan 17 Agustus.

Aku datang pukul 9 ;p…wah, semua yang datang sudah memakai baju seragam merah putih, termasuk balita-balita. Harga per satunya 12B$, alias 82 ribu. Ada topinya juga lho….
Aku datang dan aku makan…hahaha
Makanan paginya banyak sekali. Makanan ini disediakan oleh para ibu-ibu dan istri-istri yang ada di Kuala Belait. Ada mie goreng, kwe tiau goreng, tahu goreng, lemper, pukis, klepon, buras, sosis, ayam goreng, baso, ada macam-macam juice (apel, jeruk), ada macam-macam buah (pepaya, lemon, anggur, semangka), ada es krim dan es lilin. Kenyang deh…hehehe…

Selesai makan, aku lihat berbagai perlombaan yang diadakan, kebanyakan untuk anak-anak seh, untuk dewasanya sudah diadakan sebelumnya. Pukul 11, kita menuju ke hall. Di sini akan dibagikan hadiah2 kepada pemenang perlombaan, sekaligus diadakan pertunjukan tari2an, dari daerah sampai modern.
Yang anak-anak menyumbangkan tari Bali, modern, remaja putri dan para ibu menyumbangkan tarian modern dan bapak-bapak ga mau kalah, ikut menyumbangkan tari poco-poco. Sambil menonton pentas seni, kita menikmati hidangan makan siang.

Brunei

Di akhir penghujung acara, diputarlah music video buatan rekan-rekan kita. Lagunya adalah lagu-lagu nasional dan aktrisnya adalah orang Indonesia yang tinggal di Kuala Belait. Wah…lucunya, mendengar mereka bernyanyi. Suaranya…memang jauh dari artis-artis…hahaha. Tapi memang video klip ini membuat acara ini jadi berbeda. Selamat merayakan Hari Kemerdekaan Indonesia!

Sultan Brunei’s Birthday
Happy Birthday Sultan !
Hari ini tanggal 15 Juli 2008 adalah hari ulang tahun Sultan Brunei, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah yang ke 62 tahun.