Going Back To Kuching!

It has been quite some time already haven't update my blog. Well, tomorrow I will be driving back to my kampung at Serian and it will take about 10-12 hours drive by land.


Hopefully we can depart safety and arrive back to Bintulu safely too. But still have plenty of office works need to be settled once I got back from the holiday.


So see you readers next time and till we meet again!

Christmas Caroling At Tanjung Batu

Last night went for another caroling at one of our church members at Tanjung Batu. Quite a huge number of members turned up and all of us sing the Christmas songs. Here are some of the pictures taken during that time:

Christmas Caroling ISIS CAFE Bintulu

Last night (18/12/2010) we had a Christmas Caroling at ISIS CAFE Bintulu, an eating place managed by the Lee's family. The members of the St. Thomas' Parish of Bintulu are there to sing out their beautiful voices with a couple of songs from the choirs then by all of those who were present there. Before the meal was partake, Sub-deacon Japet Jain say the grace and after that we all help ourselves with the delicious foods that had been prepared. I like the fish most and so does Russel (Acel). Here are some of the pictures taken and on the very bottom of this post is a short video taken by me in HD. SO enjoy:

Lastly, we would like to thank Mr Johnson Lee and his family and also to all the management and staff of ISIS CAFE for the foods and great venue. As for the rest who are reading this and wanted to go there, ISIS CAFE address is:

ISIS CAFE

Survey Lot No. 4083,

Parkcity Commerce Square,

Phase 5,

Jln Tun Ahmad Zaidi,

97000 Bintulu, Sarawak.

Open from Tuesday to Sunday (8am-2pm and 6pm-11pm)

CELCOM 3G Coverage

I'm back now after weeks of caroling and now to update my blog. Wonder why did I choose CELCOM 3G topic for today? Well the reason is very much straight forward. Lately (actually few months ago) the 3G signal on my smart phone keeps changing from 3G to EDGE and to GPRS. Initially I  use the Blackberry 9700 smart phone but after frequent line drops, I change to iPhone 4 with CELCOM's line but with same problem.

Yeah, by the way I've been using CELCOM for more then 10 years ago in which my first line was the 010 than the 013 (TM TOUCH) and now 019 (CELCOM). I have been using quite a lot of package already with the latest that I'm currently using is the P148 (CELCOM BIZ) plan with unlimited 3GX data.

What now disappointed me was that currently in Bintulu not all area are covered by 3G. Before this happens, the 3G lines are fair but as I mentioned earlier, it becomes less and less. I stayed at the Kidurong Residential area, where the 3G lines are bad compared to last year. 3G lines drops, changing back from 3G to EDGE to GPRS and more worst is when it's raining. Another area in Bintulu where the 3G signals fluctuation can be observed is within our St. Thomas' Church at Jalan Sultan Iskandar.

Maybe it is due to the communication tower that is not transmitting well enough because at my work place at Shell MDS (M) Sdn Bhd, the 3G line are better then the other place. Not only that, sometimes when I was in a middle of a call, suddenly the call drops due to the changing of the 3G signals to either EGDE or GPRS.

Hopefully that CELCOM can upgrade their service for all the end user like me and the rest cause if this problems still drags on for sure there will be many customer changing their service provider by using the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) and keeping their existing phone number. Remember that Customer Is Always Right and strive for their Vision and Mission :

1.	To delight our customers.
2.	To build a profitable enterprise that maximizes investor returns.
3.	To empower, develop and reward our people, to become Malaysia’s preferred employer.
4.	To build win-win relationships with all our business partners, based on mutual trust, respect and support.
5.	To work to bridge the digital divide, to build our nation and to enhance its standing abroad.
6.	To maintain the highest levels of transparency, integrity and professionalism.
7.	Together with all our stakeholders, we will make Celcom Malaysia a premium brand: a brand that symbolizes the spirit of freedom, aspiration, confidence, dynamism, timelessness, universality and globalism.

Our brand vision is about pleasing our customers and exceeding their expections. It is our goal to empower them with choices and innovative solutions that will give them greater control and freedom to live it to the fullest.

1.	We pledge to delight our customers in every aspect of our services.
2.	We pledge to be committed to the pursuit of excellence.
3.	We pledge to maintain the highest level of integrity and professionalism.
4.	We pledge to be always optimistic, positive and dynamic in all we do.
5.	We pledge to constantly reflect warmth friendliness and approachability through our service and our work.

Hopefully that I will continue to be CELCOM's loyal customer for another 10 years if they can improve their services for it's customer.

Bintulu 2010 Join Churches Christmas Procession

As promised, here I posted the video of the Joined Christmas Procession from the Boys' Brigade In Malaysia, Bintulu. This the the formation from 1st Bintulu Company (Eng Kwang Methodist Church), 2nd Bintulu Company (Ming Ong Methodist Church) and 3rd Bintulu Company (St. Thomas' Anglican Church). Enjoy the video:

Join Churches Christmas Procession

Tonight just finish the Join Churches Christmas Procession. Apart from meeting my friend Victor there, I also met Russel (Acel) there also. Even lately our friendship seems like not good because of some misunderstanding but now I guess it's ok. Took a couple of pictures and posted it here here but tomorrow will include some videos of our Boys' Brigade. Enjoy the pictures here:

Last Night Of Christmas Caroling

This is the last night of caroling at our MLNG area. Been quite a busy night this week. Tomorrow will be the join churches Christmas Procession and the Boys' Brigade will be following. Here are the pictures taken during the caroling tonight:

4th Christmas Caroling

Just come back from Christmas Caroling. Past midnight already. For this entry, I would like to show an Advent Candles that stole my attention during the caroling. Quite nice it our church have one like it. As for the rest of the program, here are few pictures taken during our 4th Christmas Caroling:

3rd Night Of Christmas Caroling

This is the 3rd night caroling at our area. Total of 6 houses we visited. There is one particular house that serve us some kind of water, what I called as Air Hijau or in English "Green Water". It is made of peppermint and with strong kinda of smell like in the mouth wash kind of smell. I took s small snip of the drink and once it goes into my throat, I felt some kind of burning sensation inside my body. No wonder the host gave only a small amount of it, less then half a glass. It made me kinda of drunk where I laugh a lot and joke a lot after drinking it. Luckily I still can manage myself as the next house I lead the prayer and luckily also that I say the Christmas prayer rather then a wedding or other kind of prayer!

Shell MDS (M) Christmas Lunch

Today all the SMDS staff are having an early Christmas celebration at our Kemboja Cafe. Our Turnaround Manager, Dave Cunningham became that day's MC and told us the meaning of Christmas and also the four Advent weeks before Christmas. The four weeks, each represented by four candles gives the meaning of HOPE, PEACE, JOY and LOVE. Here is what I got from the internet about Advent week:

The theme of readings and teachings during Advent is often to prepare for the Second Coming while commemorating the First Coming of Christ at Christmas. With the view of directing the thoughts of Christians to the first coming of Jesus Christ as savior and to his second coming as judge, special readings are prescribed for each of the four Sundays in Advent.

The usual liturgical colour in Western Christianity for Advent is purple or blue. The purple colour is often used for hangings around the church, on the vestments of the clergy, and often also the tabernacle. On the 3rd Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, rose may be used instead, referencing the rose used on Laetare Sunday, the 4th Sunday of Lent. In some Christian denominations, blue, a colour representing hopefulness, is an alternative liturgical colour for Advent, a custom traced to the usage of the Church of Sweden (Lutheran) and the medieval Sarum Rite in England. In addition, the colour blue is also used in the Mozarabic Rite (Catholic and Anglican), which dates to the eighth century. This colour is often referred to as "Sarum blue". The Lutheran Book of Worship lists blue as the preferred colour for Advent while the Methodist Book of Worship identifies purple or blue as being appropriate for Advent. There has been an increasing trend to supplant purple with blue during Advent as it is an hopeful season of preparation that anticipates both Bethlehem and the consummation of history in the second coming of Jesus Christ. Proponents of this new liturgical trend argue that purple is traditionally associated with solemnity and somberness, which is fitting to the repentant character of Lent. During the Nativity Fast, red is used among the denominations of Eastern Christianity, although gold is an alternative colour.

In Advent, the Advent Prose, an antiphonal plainsong, may be sung. The "Late Advent Weekdays", December 17–24, mark the singing of the Great Advent 'O antiphons'. These are the antiphons for the Magnificat at Vespers, or Evening Prayer (in the Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches) and Evensong in Anglican churches each day and mark the forthcoming birth of the Messiah. They form the basis for each verse of the popular Advent hymn, "O come, O come, Emmanuel".

From the 4th century the season was kept as a period of fasting as strict as that of Lent (commencing in some localities on 11 November; this being the feast day of St. Martin of Tours, the fast became known as "St. Martin's Lent", "St. Martin's Fast" or the "forty days of St. Martin"). The feast day was in many countries a time of frolic and heavy eating, since the 40-day fast began the next day. In the Anglican and Lutheran churches this fasting rule was later relaxed, with the Roman Catholic Church doing likewise later, but still keeping Advent as a season of penitence. In addition to fasting, dancing and similar festivities were forbidden in these traditions. The third Sunday in Lent was a Rose Sunday, when the color of the vestments was changed and a relaxation of the fast was permitted. The Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches still hold the tradition of fasting for 40 days before the Nativity Feast.

In many countries Advent was long marked by diverse popular observances, some of which still survive. In England, especially in the northern counties, there was a custom (now extinct) for poor women to carry around the "Advent images", two dolls dressed to represent Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. A halfpenny coin was expected from every one to whom these were exhibited and bad luck was thought to menace the household not visited by the doll-bearers before Christmas Eve at the latest.

In Normandy, farmers employed children under twelve to run through the fields and orchards armed with torches, setting fire to bundles of straw, and thus it is believed driving out such vermin as are likely to damage the crops. In Italy, among other Advent celebrations, is the entry into Rome in the last days of Advent of the Calabrian pifferari, or bagpipe players, who play before the shrines of Mary, the mother of Jesus, the Italian tradition being that the shepherds played these pipes when they came to the manger at Bethlehem to pay homage to the infant Jesus.

In recent times the commonest observance of Advent outside church circles has been the keeping of an advent calendar or advent candle, with one door being opened in the calendar, or one section of the candle being burned, on each day in December leading up to Christmas Eve.

2nd Night Christmas Caroling

Tonight is the 2nd night of Christmas Caroling. Plenty people turned up despite of the rain. Here are some of the pictures taken during the caroling:

My first blog!

My first time writing a blog. Hopefully that it will not be the last on tho!