The begin of Transition Phase for Brunei Darussalam - 19 November 2021

As at 19 November 2021, we begin the transition phase where, in general, some restrictions have been lifted but with stricter measures to be taken in place. 

Restaurants, cafes, salons, barbers, sporting facilities and gyms (and other businesses as well) are now allowed to receive walk-in customers. Of course with following the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) set by the government such as, only those with Green and Yellow code and fully vaccinated individual can enter premises with limited number or 50% of its capacity. For restaurants and cafes, you can sit and dine but they will only be served using takeaway or packed food containers and cutlery. Everyone who are fully vaccinated now are asked to go back to office to work but the working hours are still the same (8.00am to 2.00pm). Every fortnight, employees are asked to do Antigen Rapid Test (ART) screening. If your result's positive, you need to do a proper swabbing at selected clinic and centres. The curfew also now change 10pm to 4am. Means you cannot go out, unless you have proper paperwork or permission, otherwise just stay home.

more info on Covid-19 situation in Brunei Darussalam, can go to www.moh.gov.bn or follow Ministry of Health instagram and facebook.

Into the 2nd wave of Covid-19 and Delta Variant in Brunei Darussalam

 Its been almost 4 months since the first case of Covid-19 in the 2nd wave. And more stricter rules had been implemented in order to lessen and stop it from spreading. But, we are only human. Many are still not abiding the law and many are already being fined a hefty amount too.

Why now? 

Why now you want to visit families?

Why now you want to gather around with families and friends, and thus not believing you might be a carrier of the disease and spread them?

Why now you feel like going out every night all of a sudden?

Since 04 October 2021, the Government has introduced a 'Stay-at-home' order called Ops Pulih. No one, except frontliners (ie: Doctors, nurses, registered health volunteers, police, army and other relevant agencies), are allowed to be out from 8.00pm to 4.00am. It's not that hard and that is mostly the sleeping hours too, yet every night there are those who break the rules and got fined from $100 per offense to now $500 and that amount is not a small amount to many. Its not that you are not allowed to step outside at all. You can still throw your trash, check your house surrounding and you can even wash your car if you want to. As long as you don't go mingle around with your neighbours and don't allow others to come to your house for a visit.

The economy are also hit bad. Restaurants closing. Salon and spa closing. Supermarket open hours shortened. But some business take another initiatives. Some restaurants and cafes offered food pick-up and food delivery. Some emerging personal shopper can do the shopping for you instead of going out all the time. We are opt to stay home and only go out when you really needed to.

Hope the virus die down very soon. And every one got vaccinated soon. We are moving towards our goal to reach 70 - 80 percent of fully vaccinated residents.

#teranahdirumah #stayathome #fightcovid-19 #staysafe #stayhealthy #behappy

Brunei Darussalam - 2nd wave of Covid-19

 

Its been 2 months now since the first hit of 2nd wave of Covid-19 in Brunei Darussalam.

It has caused a great number of death compared to the first wave. And this time it was confirmed a Delta variant. 

Vaccination are still widely urged for the people to take and every awareness had been publicize. Now, wearing a face mask is a MUST, thus buying and stocking up on them became a necessity. 

With stricter measures, many small business especially restaurants and cafes are badly hurt by this situation. But our government has been trying to minimize the loss too.

We hope we can get back to the new norm and live as normal as we can. 

 

more information: mohbrunei (instagram), gov.bn (telegram)

Brunei Darussalam Miniature Sheets

 Hello stamps collectors. It's been a long time since I last posted something. 

Here I have some of my Miniature sheets collection. A simple video... Also, I don't have all the mini sheets as some of them are of high value in denomination. 

 Hope you like them.

Sometime before Eid Al-Fitr (Hari Raya)

 There is something I always do. Started from 2nd to 3rd week of Ramadhan. It becomes a 'must-do' for me even if its only for a few.

Yes, the preparation of Hari Raya Greeting cards. It actually grows from the last previous years. Maybe next year I hope to get some back in return hehehe. But its still ok. I love the nostalgic feeling of sending greeting cards. We may have advance technology, but to actually get the greeting cards physically is still the best feeling ever.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

Maaf Zahir dan Batin

Ramadhan 1442 / 2021 (not in chronological order)

We are celebrating Ramadhan this year a bit different. Now, it's only the 3 of us. But Dad will never be forgotten. We may seem like not caring at all to some people, but we have our own way to remember him.

But, Alhamdulillah, we have been blessed with health and peace in heart too.

We are celebrating it. We have been going out and about too. Mental and emotional health is important too.

Here are some pictures, not in chronological orders, of some food we love while breaking our fast, what we call 'Sungkai' or some people may know Iftar.

Above : When we have our 'Sungkai' at Bann Nucha, The Mall. It was a Thai Indonesian Fusion Cuisine.

Above: Having supper at BBQ and Grill Restaurant and Catering, Kiulap, a Pakistani food restaurant. Love the Naan and the Pakistani tea. Their other food are nice too

above: When we had buffet for 'Sungkai'.... at Kausar Cafe, Kiulap.

We normally don't go for buffet, but we can accept it at Kausar Cafe. It was one of dad's fave place too.

Above:  This is when we crave for 'Ambuyat' set and we decided to go to the capital. There's a foodcourt at the Yayasan Shopping Complex building. And when you go for 'Sungkai' at the capital, you will get to hear the cannon 'BOOM' marking its time to break the fast or 'Sungkai' without worrying to switch on your radio or anything. That 'Boom' was loud enough to be heard in most parts of the capital city.

Below:    This was Pre-Ramadhan, means sometime before Ramadhan. Just a quick chill at Aminah Arif, Batu Bersurat branch, after visiting dad's grave. My nephew, Aqil, and 'Nini Bungsu' (grandmother's youngest sister) joining us too.

'Everyday is different now that there's only 3. Sometimes I forget that we are now 3. His very existence is still felt although its been almost 5 months now'.....

Note: Although I have mentioned restaurants and cafe, We went there on our own and pay with our own money. We are NOT sponsored to do so.

Incoming mail - My Giveaway winning prize :-) Yay!!!!

This is my first time ever winning something from participating in a giveaway post from instagram. Well the first time winning anything ever.  It may be a bit late, but hey better late than never and the happiness is always the same as the first time I found out I'm winning them.

Mailing some postcards 07 April 2021

 

 

Just a snippet of me mailing some postcards 😍😍😍

HOBBY ~~~ Journal, First Day Covers, Stamps, Reading, Cats

Hobby??

Things or activities that sparks interest in you and doing it in your own time.

 

But today, some hobbies become a business or money making  platform. I am here not to make money. Just listing out what I love doing in my free, but sometimes not so free, time. 

 

Having a hobby keeps me sane. Especially in this hard times. With my dad passing by the end of last year, with Covid-19, a pandemic that's putting the whole world hectic in some way. I need a hobby the most these times.

 

Writing Journal 

: Started writing journal for a few years. I don't write them everyday. Only when I think there's some important event or important matters to write them. I write when I am happy. Write when I'm bored. Even writing during my sad days. It's one way to let out what's building up inside. I don't do all the creative journaling type.  I'm rather old fashioned. Just plainly writing in a diary. I do bring them with me to work, just in case.

 

Collecting Official First Day Covers (FDC)

: I have been doing this since high school. At first its a continuation of what my mom has collected for years. I've gotten fascinated by it at one point. Since that, I have been collecting and adding up my collections whenever I can. During my high school era, I only buy what my allowance allowed me to. Now that I am working, slowly adding up those FDC I have been missing or didn't have enough cash back then. 

 

At first, I only collected Brunei  FDC. In recent years after getting to know more people who shares the same hobby, we started exchanging. I even joined one at an FDC club site.

 

 

 Collecting Stamps

: This is the same as FDC.  A continuation from my mom. But for stamps, I have my own preference. If it's not too much to ask, I only collected mostly on Brunei stamps, Royal Families (global), Postal related and Cats. 

 

I don't dare request much on stamps, as I can only exchange so little from our own here in Brunei, but they say that's why is rather unique. 

 

 

 

Letter / Postcard

: It has been since high school I love the idea of penpal and writing letter or postcard as a mean of communication. Back then we do not have internet, we do not have mobile phones so obviously the only way was through letter writing. How we got their address??, well through magazines or newspapers. Soon after, we got introduce to cyberworld, but some still prefer letter writing. There was MIRC, AOL, MSN chat, Yahoo! chat, myspace, communityzero, friendster and many more and we get to exchange mailing address from there.  

 

Nowadays, writing letters might be considered as old and boring. And so does postcards. But this kind of communication teaches you to be patient. hahaha. Because you need to be patient to wait for mails to arrive. I have joined Postcrossing.com for more than 2 years now and what's more surprising is that some don't even know Brunei. They didn't even know we exist. Same goes to letter writing through YouveGotMail.club. Some even through the wellknown Facebook and instagram.

 

 

 

Reading

: This is something I can do when I am taking a short break from the 3 above. Getting back to reading because of staying home most of the times. Also because of watching Booktubes 😉😉😉. I am a book hoarder but couldn't be bother with whats trending and whats not. I do still have books I bought 5 or 6 years ago but haven't read yet. But hey, words don't disappear. Just read when you have the mood to do so.

 

Today, currently reading Kat Cho - Wicked Fox (Gumiho) and really trying hard to finish it. Even thinking to DNF it but giving it another few chapters. At first I thought it was a standalone, but turns out it has a 2nd book. I don't usually read book reviews before finishing reading the whole thing but I just couldn't help it. I need a review that would give the book a hope for me to even reach the end. 1 or 2 stars??? Still thinking. I'm still stuck 1/3 of the book.

 

Cats

: This will be in another post. 

 

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Well there goes what's my take on hobbies. Those are my hobbies. I do have some other interests in other areas but not as much as these 5 above.

 

Want to know more about Brunei Darussalam FDC and stamps, can try reaching out our Postal Services Department here. 

Until next post.

 

Welcome back to me.....

 Hello everyone,

Currently trying to fill in the big gap of no postings.  Had stopped everything since the passing of my Dad on 20th December 2020 (night)...Shut down most of my activities too and that includes my favourite ones and thats Snailmails and Postcrossings.

With mails traveling rather slow, I guess its also the best time to take a break in those activities.

 Its more than 2 months since dad left, and I am slowly coming back to doing my activities. Slowly but surely. I even have a new PO BOX address. I have been eyeing on that PO Box number and now i finally got it. I have not check it though since I first register for it.

I'm looking forward to more mailing activities starting this month and so on.

At the moment, I am turning the extra room, which was once becoming more of a storage room than an extra bedroom, to be my home office / library. A dedicated room for my activities. My goal to finish the room makeover in 3 weeks. I am not a handy person. I just paint according how Youtube teaches me .. I know, not everything from Youtube is doable hahaha but I just do it anyway.

 So wish me luck that I can finish them in this 3 weeks time.