The world according to stercus accidit

Weather Conditions from The Weather Channel

2012-01-31T23:58:00.001+01:00

This message was sent from a friend.Weather for Geneva, Switzerland10-Day Forecast:Tuesday(null) -17°C / -5°CPrecip: 20%WednesdayMostly Sunny 0°C / -8°CPrecip: 10%ThursdayPartly Cloudy -2°C / -10°CPrecip: 10%FridaySunny -4°C / -11°CSaturdayPartly Cloudy -4°C / -11°CSundayPartly Cloudy -1°C / -10°CMondaySunny 0°C / -8°CTuesdaySunny 0°C / -4°CWednesdaySunny 3°C / -3°CThursdayMostly Sunny 6°C / 0°

ASEAN Family Night

2012-01-31T23:22:00.001+01:00

I really love my kids. They are such a joy to watch. They enjoy doing things together. I guess that is the consequence of having to spend away from everyone else in Brunei they end up relying on each other for company. Yes, there is the occasional sibling rivalry but not that serious. On our first two weeks here, we had the annual ASEAN Family Night. Each country would show case a cultural

IMG00479-20120131-0754.jpg

2012-01-31T07:55:00.000+01:00

Its snow again!

2012-01-23T23:23:00.001+01:00

My youngest son haziq couldn't find his spelling book tonight and he got panicky. He asked me if I saw it. I couldn't help but snapped at his incessant questioning. he got this habit of asking me for things whenever he lost or misplaced them. I told him he shouldn't accuse anyone if it was his own fault for losing his own stuff. As always I got a comeback. He said to me in a calm voice he wasn't

Geneva rush hour

2012-01-20T18:05:00.001+01:00

Now the winter break is over, the normal rush hour has already begun. It is already 6 pm and the rush hour doesn't appear to be abating. I took this pic minutes ago from my office window. This is the reason I would rather stay in the office and avoid the rush hour as I might end up sitting in a car for an hour when I can normally reach my house in less than 10 minutes. If you suffer from bad back

Vevey

2012-01-14T10:37:00.001+01:00

If you drive up about 50 mins from Geneva to the northern tip of Lake Geneva, you will find a small town called Vevey. Take a stroll along the lake, you will come across many beautiful sculptures one like this shaped like a giant steel fork standing stuck in the shore of the Lake. Close to Vivey is a city of Montreux which is famous for its summer jazz festival. I will post some pics of the city.

Swiss tabby

2011-12-28T08:40:00.001+01:00

Last evening I took the kids for a walk around our village. It was freezing cold but I wanted to make it a regular routine for us here just like how we used to do it in Laos after dinner to keep a bit of the fat away. When we crossed the park where we normally went for our weekend ice skate, we were followed by this little tabby out of nowhere. It was quite a strange coincidence as my kids were

Our first ski trip

2011-12-26T16:25:00.000+01:00

On Boxing day, we went to chamonix-mont blanc. The place is about 50 miles from Geneva. A very well known ski resort. It is located at the foot of mont blanc or the white mountain. I was so thrilled to make this visit as I have never skied before. But it ended with some pain as I twisted my knees when I fell down the slope. As I had previous surgeries on the cruciate ligaments, the thought of

Frolicking in the snow

2011-12-21T18:52:00.000+01:00

The winter break for the kids began a few days ago and thankfully the snow began to drop. My kids spent no time immediately playing in our back yard and enjoying the snow covered compound with snow ball fights and rolling themselves down the gentle slope. The snow does bring back old memories of my time spent in the UK living in a beautiful countryside in north yorkshire in a village called

fun in the snow

2011-12-19T08:39:00.001+01:00

IMG00220-20111218-0820.jpg

2011-12-18T08:21:00.001+01:00

First snow ball fight in geneva

New house

2011-12-15T01:02:00.001+01:00

its almost 1 am and I have trouble sleeping. We just moved into our new residence since we arrived a month ago. Somehow I got awaken by "someone" knocking at my bed room door every morning. I'm not kidding. There must be a story about this house and I am determined to find out. Sent from my BlackBerry® Smartphone supplied by Swisscom

Happy Birthday to the woman of my life

2011-12-13T09:00:00.000+01:00

Happy Birthday to the woman of my lifeMy woman,I want you to know, Now and Tomorrow,Never will I cease,In saying I love you,Ever and ever.Minnie, I love you :-)Sent from my iPad

The untold love story of Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi

2011-12-13T08:53:00.000+01:00

The untold love story of Burma's Aung San Suu KyiMichael Aris, Aung San Suu Kyi and their first son Alexander, in 1973Photo: ARIS FAMILY COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGESBy Rebecca FraynLast Updated: 8:38AM GMT 11/12/2011Aung San Suu Kyi, whose story is told in a new film, went from devoted Oxford housewife to champion of Burmese democracy - but not without great personal sacrifice.When I began to research

IMG00181-20111211-1442.jpg

2011-12-11T14:43:00.001+01:00

My first sunday stroll near my new residence

IMG00177-20111210-1433.jpg

2011-12-10T15:05:00.000+01:00

This is lunch...kebab sandwich. We do groceries at Carrefour just across the french side, which is five minutes drive from our new residence. The kebab cost 4 euro each. Slightly cheaper than in Geneva. I used to recall in the old days when the French still used their franc, things were way much cheaper but not anymore. With the current euro crisis, I wonder if they will ever go back to their old

IMG00175-20111210-1143.jpg

2011-12-10T11:44:00.001+01:00

The beautiful lake geneva

IMG00150-20111204-0853.jpg

2011-12-09T09:12:00.001+01:00

Final day breakfast at Royal Manotel. This morning is our final day having breakfast at the hotel where we have been staying since the day we first arrived here. Its a cozy little hotel right along Rue De Luasanne one of the main streets in the heart of Geneva. We quite like the hotel. It has all the basic amenities that one can expect in a 4 star hotel. A small kitchen for us to have our

PERISYTIHARAN HAK ASASI MANUSIA SEJAGAT 1948

2011-12-08T22:28:00.001+01:00

UN HUMAN RIGHTS DECLARATION 1948what would you do if your life time ambition to become a doctor dashed out because your application to study medicine at a University was denied simply because you failed to submit a sufficient number of photos required all because the admission office lost some of your photos without any fault of yours?what would you do when you were arrested by the police and

The Escalade

2011-12-03T22:53:00.000+01:00

The EscaladeTomorrow Sunday will mark one of the major festivities in this new home of ours Geneva, the Escalade. This right from the history book celebration commemorates an attempt in 1602 by the Savoy army to scale up the Walls of Geneva. The story that went down in generations was that an old woman who lived in a house overlooking the city wall was busy late at night with a large cauldron of

IMG00146-20111203-1354.jpg

2011-12-03T14:17:00.001+01:00

We are having a lunch outing with the kids at Istanbul a turkish fastfood right infront of Gare Cornavin, the central train station at the heart of geneva. I'm still not used to looking at the price tags here without thinking of converting them into our local currency. A can of coke can buy me 5 cans back home never mind the kebab which on average costs 10 swiss franc each here which is around

IMG00140-20111201-2010.jpg

2011-12-01T20:11:00.001+01:00

Swiss knives, chocolates, watches and treaty making...

2011-11-28T00:04:00.001+01:00

Swiss knives, chocolates, watches and treaty making...I have not written much in this Life journal of mine. Much of it that you see since we arrived in Geneva is just photos uploaded real time from my handphone. Keeping one open blog about this journey We call life and a private one about my work can be quite a daunting task at times if you lack the discipline. We have been here in Switzerland

IMG00120-20111127-1428.jpg

2011-11-27T14:32:00.001+01:00

A stroll along the lake. When all the shops close on sundays, taking a walk along lake Geneva is an enjoyable experience especially when the sun is out shining.

IMG00101-20111127-1045.jpg

2011-11-27T10:48:00.000+01:00

Sunday morning is always reserved for reading time.

IMG00100-20111126-1537.jpg

2011-11-26T15:39:00.001+01:00

Trying out the kinect for xbox 360

IMG00063-20111122-0659.jpg

2011-11-22T07:00:00.001+01:00

In front of the boat marina Lake Geneva at 630 am

IMG00059-20111120-1722.jpg

2011-11-20T17:24:00.001+01:00

The yellow boat crossing lake geneva

IMG00058-20111120-1155.jpg

2011-11-20T12:09:00.001+01:00

IMG00057-20111120-1149.jpg

2011-11-20T12:08:00.002+01:00

House visit for a pot luck lunch.This is our first pot luck lunch at my staff's residence situated in a corner of a little village near the Geneva airport. We have this get together as mrs is doing some cooking for the coming UN food bazaar. I am told Its an annual event organized by the spouses of the diplomats based in Geneva. We had similar experiences in our last posting where each mission

IMG00037-20111118-0755.jpg

2011-11-18T07:56:00.001+01:00

I guess a lot of people are familiar with this UN Body

IMG00035-20111118-0752.jpg

2011-11-18T07:53:00.001+01:00

Right in front of Palais des Nations, the seat of UN in Geneva

IMG00034-20111118-0750.jpg

2011-11-18T07:51:00.001+01:00

Bus service in front of ITU

Piece of new art

2011-11-17T07:58:00.001+01:00

Captured this. A piece of Maison de Art noveau

IMG00014-20111117-0711.jpg

2011-11-17T07:12:00.001+01:00

Jogging in the wee hours

Waiting for the tram

2011-11-16T17:08:00.001+01:00

The compulsory medical check up

2011-11-14T13:17:00.001+01:00

Palais des Nations

2011-11-13T09:51:00.001+01:00

Geneva est tres belle!

Simply impressed!!

2011-10-29T02:16:00.000+02:00

Simply impressed!!I caught a flight home from Bangkok to BSB on our national airline the Royal Brunei and I have to say I was Very Very impressed with the improved quality of the in flight service. I could hear an Australian couple who were seated behind me were also very impressed as well. the husband was also impressed with one of the male flight attendants on how clear his English was. Being

2011-10-22T14:46:00.000+02:00

Thanks to all my sis..luv u all too:-)

The mighty Mekong river

2011-10-15T04:51:00.000+02:00

Just checked in Pakse south of Laos. what you see is the Mekong river from my hotel room. There has been a light pour since I arrived by plane 30 mins ago. The flight took 1 hour from Ventiane with Lao Air which uses the french ATR. I'm here to attend our usual bi monthly meeting which this time is held in the south of Laos, Pakse which is the capital of Champasack. Pakse is a booming city thanks

Weekly groceries

2011-10-09T13:08:00.000+02:00

2011-10-07T09:49:00.000+02:00

Lao airline

2011-10-07T09:46:00.000+02:00

Boarding the plane to go home

Xengkoung tourist attractions

2011-10-07T08:41:00.000+02:00

Fireplace

2011-10-07T08:21:00.000+02:00

Winter can be as low as 0 celcius here. So a fireplace on every house is a must.

2011-10-07T06:20:00.000+02:00

I learned from Yai, the owner of this cafe, his is the first and only cafe in Xengkhoung. The cafe has been running for more than a year now and it has free internet for the patrons. It is serving freshly brewed arabica from Pakxong a world known coffee producing area in the south of Laos. My verdict: délicieux!Nope, I don't get any free coffee for posting this entry. Just a hand of friendship..

Kek's brothers

2011-10-07T06:04:00.000+02:00

Say hello to Kek's spitting images...

Jars Cafe

2011-10-07T05:51:00.000+02:00

Found this good cafe in the heart of Phonsavanh and as it turned out it belongs to the brother of my finance clerk. What a small world!

Picturesque Xengkoung

2011-10-07T02:40:00.000+02:00

having breakfast on the balcony of the hotel overlooking a quaint little village down below with a mountain range in the backdrop is breathtaking. The view is simply very calming. This does remind me of Switzerland....

view from my room at 6 am

2011-10-07T01:24:00.000+02:00

Today is my final day covering the north east of Laos. I will take a flight to Ventiane which is just going to take 30 mins. By road it would have taken me a grueling 10 hour trip. I don't know if I will ever come back to this part of Laos but the whole trip had been very exhilarating and a truly memorable one.

Plain of jars

2011-10-06T11:53:00.000+02:00

No visit to xengkhoung is complete without a visit to the Plain of Jars

cliff hanger

2011-10-06T09:53:00.000+02:00

Return to Xengkhoung

2011-10-06T09:43:00.000+02:00

We are returning to Ventiane via xengkhoung today. That will probably take us more or less 7 hour by road through the mountains and meandering road. We were bid farewell by the Governor who joined us for breakfast. I have been overwhelmed by his graciousness and warm treatment since the first day we arrived to his hometown. This visit has been a very memorable one and one that I won't forget.

2011-10-06T09:41:00.000+02:00

Reached Xengkoung at around 230 pm today starving that I could eat a horse. Found this indian muslim restaurant in Phonsavanh. We stopped for lunch before we head to the hotel. as I'm posting this realtime, I'm still waiting for my food to arrive. the weather here is very pleasant as its a few hundred metres above sea level. Will update this post later...

Farewell dinner

2011-10-05T15:06:00.000+02:00

My visit to houphan province ended with a farewell dinner....

Overlooking Xam nue at night

2011-10-05T14:08:00.000+02:00

Xam nue capital of houphan province

2011-10-05T10:29:00.000+02:00

Xam nue boat race

2011-10-04T09:54:00.001+02:00

Hotel with a view

2011-10-04T02:31:00.000+02:00

Its past 7 am and I'm now having breakfast on a balcony overlooking a little village. I can see mountain ranges and the well known plain of jars from the distance. The latter is why tourists flock into this part of Laos. the huge granite jars that can be found scattered in the plain are mind boggling as there are numerous theories on how they came from and their original use. Ok got to go now. I

Xengkoung

2011-10-03T10:06:00.000+02:00

I am currently in Xengkoung on the way to houphan. That is north east of laos near the vietnam border. The weather is pleasantly at 20 c but the wind can be chilly. I will update later

That Luang

2011-10-01T11:08:00.000+02:00

The most famous land mark for Lao PDR the That Luang. That means stupa and LUANG means huge or big.

1 million $ emarald

2011-09-30T09:25:00.000+02:00

The closest I will ever get to owning a million $ emarald is to just give it a try on wearing one at the top jeweller here. I just can't understand why anyone would spend that amount for a stone. Ok its rare but hey there are still millions of people starving out there. I do sound like the have not, don't I?

My sunday foot massage

2011-09-26T04:25:00.000+02:00

For 5 usd an hour, Ventiane is a massage heaven bestowed upon the mere mortals like me! foot massage is a must for me and mrs especially after a round of golf. Walking 6 km on a golf course can be torturous on the feet and what can be more heavenly than a pampering massage on the tired feet...

Trip to hair salon

2011-09-24T09:32:00.000+02:00

They never cease to amaze me

2011-09-13T05:47:00.000+02:00

They never stop, do they?Sent from my iPadBegin forwarded message:From: Réjeanne Reimann Date: September 13, 2011 10:19:59 AM GMT+07:00To: Subject: HelloDear Sir/Madam,You were listed as Heir to my late client funds (Eight million, Five Hundred Thousand Euros) deposited with a Bank. This is a summary for privacy purpose. For more details on legal

2011-08-16T03:03:00.047+02:00

Age- mind over matter What does turning 42 mean to a man? Conventional wisdom says (or some might say), for men life begins at 40. Well, that was two years ago. Now at 42, much of that over-hyped cliche seems to suggest anything but true- at least for me. Ever since I turned 40 two years ago, I am in constant struggle to stick to my daily mantra of "eating less & exercising more". Yes, I do get

USA: a good debtor no more?

2011-07-28T18:32:00.001+02:00

with the US debt deadline looming I am watching with eagerness whether there will be a compromise in the US House between the Democrats and the Republicans on how best they will deal with the debt ceiling. For most of us outside the USA, we probably think that this is not our problem even if the USA defaults on its debt repayments. As a consumer, I probably will be happy if the US dollar goes

Finally..

2011-06-22T07:52:00.000+02:00

Finally..Finally...Managed to get onto the next flight..(sigh) i can see lil haziq and nizam are just so thrilled seeing the yellow striped aircraft landing and parked right infront of the lounge we are being put in. I just hope everything will go on smoothly. InsyAllah. As usual I would ask the kids to say our prayers before every road trip we take.Ya Allah kami memohon Kepada Mu, permudahkanlah

Mmmm....as soon as I posted on my blog about my little (to some) predicament, I got this in my inbox..I guess our national pride and joy has its own bigger predicament to surmount. I quite like the last bit on the first paragraph, "enhance the customer service experience" I wish them good luck on that one...

2011-06-21T19:15:00.000+02:00

Mmmm....as soon as I posted on my blog about my little (to some) predicament, I got this in my inbox..I guess our national pride and joy has its own bigger predicament to surmount. I quite like the last bit on the first paragraph, "enhance the customer service experience" I wish them good luck on that one...Here is the information release:Royal Brunei Airlines to suspend five services Royal

Story of our day

2011-06-21T19:06:00.000+02:00

Story of our dayThis is the story of our day. Our first official leave out of the post came to a bad start all because the airplane that was supposed to take us home could not take off due to some technical problems with the aircraft and now we are stuck in a newly opened hotel with a strong smell of fresh paint that is about to suffocate me!We were supposed to be whisked away on a noon flight

Home sweet home

2011-06-20T04:42:00.000+02:00

Home sweet homeWe are all packed and ready to go home sweet home. Today is officially the start of my 18th month posting leave. That means I can go back to Brunei with my entire family on an all paid leave. Actually its been more than 21 months my whole family have not been back to Brunei. So all of us a very excited. I told the kids to come up with a to do list and we will need to priotize them

The French Clinic

2011-06-16T03:58:00.002+02:00

I am now at the French clinic trying to get an appointment with a doctor. This clinic caters mostly for expats as there are no private hospitals here.The clinic is small but amazingly it is well equipped and the doctors are really nice. I happen to know one of the doctors whom I met at one of the farewell functions hosted by my good friend the Indonesian Ambassador. The doctor happens to be half

100% or more than 100%

2011-06-13T17:47:00.000+02:00

A friend sent me an email on this today and I thought it's hilarious. Please pardon me on the slight vulgarity of the language used but it is part of the whole joke.Mathematics:This comes from 2 math teachers with a combined total of 70 yrs. experience.It has an indisputable mathematical logic. It also made me Laugh Out Loud.This is a strictly mathematical viewpoint..it goes like this: What Makes

Eat Pray Love

2011-06-11T01:05:00.001+02:00

Eat Pray LoveAsking a man to read the best selling book "Eat Pray Love" is as cruel as forcing a eunuch to read the Kama Sutra. Honestly, I had the book like 20 months ago but somehow I havent got the time (as an excuse) to even read through the first chapter. I even bought the DVD, it's movie adaptation and tried to watch it but somehow fell asleep with only barely 15 minutes after I switched on

Happy 11th birthday my Princess Ameerah, my perfect angel.

2011-05-17T17:16:00.000+02:00

Happy 11th birthday my Princess Ameerah, my perfect angel.To my little princess, I wish you a very happy 11th birthday. I am writing this post especially dedicated for you my little sweet heart, my little angel. Babah will always love you.You never forget to kiss me before you go to bed. You never forget to hug me before you go to school. You never raise your voice even when you are upset. You

Usual weekend hang out with the kids

2011-05-01T15:46:00.000+02:00

2011-04-17T04:39:00.000+02:00

2011-04-17T04:37:00.000+02:00

Pi Mai day 1

2011-04-17T04:33:00.000+02:00

2011-04-14T09:16:00.000+02:00

2011-04-14T09:13:00.000+02:00

2011-04-14T09:10:00.000+02:00

Pi Mai

2011-04-14T09:07:00.000+02:00

Sabaidee Pi Mai (Lao New Year)

2011-04-09T16:39:00.000+02:00

Pi Mai is arriving and we can expect plenty of fun and mostly water-splashing and throwing celebrations in the coming days in just about everywhere in Vientiane and the entire country. Just like in many Buddhist majority countries in the lower Mekong basin the Lao New Year often coincides with the water festival that is celebrated in Thailand, Cambodia and as far as Sri Langka and India.Like

Greener Brunei

2011-03-24T17:20:00.001+01:00

Greener BruneiWhen the USA sneezes the whole world catches a cold. When the USA makes the rule, the whole world will have no choice but adopt the same. That is a fact of life with the world's biggest economy and consumer. But that is not a bad thing if the USA leads the world for the betterment of this small planet we call earth. With the oil price hovering in the $100 mark, it now makes more

A short lesson on history: the runaway Limbang, whose fault was it?

2011-03-14T01:39:00.011+01:00

It was Winston Churchill who said that those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it. Brunei did also have a very interesting history that we must learn from it or we will be doomed to repeat it. Okay, let me first ask this question in the opposite. How many Bruneians have not heard that it was Rajah Brooke that took away Limbang from Brunei? Every Brunei historian will

Is Robin Hood a thief?

2011-03-10T07:11:00.002+01:00

Is Robin Hood a thief?Would you call Robin Hood a thief? Afterall he stole money from the rich and gave them to the poor so the legend says?I have said before that the road to hell is often paved with good intentions. People have this habit of justifying their wrong doings for some innocous and at times seemingly acceptable causes. When I was still in the law enforcement and a deputy public

AFC qualifying Laos vs Taipei

2011-02-16T13:48:00.000+01:00

Live score 1-1 with 1 min remaining Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone on Tigo

Is it time for us to have our own Stock Exchange?

2011-01-17T18:32:00.001+01:00

It does bother me to know that Brunei will be the last country in ASEAN without a Stock Exchange. With Laos launching its first floor trading at its newly built LEX on 11.1.11 and Cambodia following suit, I am somewhat taken aback by the thought that a LDC country and a new comer to ASEAN have built their own stock exchange of their own. Of course one of the main objectives of having stock

Happy new year 2011

2011-01-01T16:37:00.002+01:00

I guess the first post for the new year is to wish everyone a very happy new year and may this year bring prosperity and joy to everyone. We greeted the new year by hosting a get together at our residence by inviting our close friends in the diplomatic circle as well as friends here to a mee siam treat. This is now the second new year that we celebrated here in Laos and I am at least very happy

Blackberry world

2010-12-22T12:21:00.002+01:00

Hello... I'm now posting this on the move with this nifty little gadget that is blackberry. I can't help but join the millions others who are already hooked on bb. If the powerful man from the USA swears by it-he was even quoted 'not even the CIA will take away my bb, dont blame me if yours truly is also hopping on the bandwagon. So when I was transitting at Changi on the way here, I splurged

Facebook ban?

2010-12-17T04:33:00.000+01:00

Facebook ban?If that happens, that would be the most daft thing done ever. We cannot have a knee jerk policy simply because of some stupid idiots abuse facebook for some unsavoury activities. Facebook like the internet is a double edged sword. It can be a useful communication and information tool. Even President Obama and other world leaders use them. Organisations like crimes fighting agencies

Happy bday to my loving wife

2010-12-13T12:32:00.000+01:00

Happy bday to my loving wifeTonite we are celebrating a special bday treat for a girlfriend of more than 22 years, a loving wife and a mother to the beautiful angels on earth.No, I wont post any corny messages here but I have loved you simply because of who you are and you are always there for me.I love you sayangSent from my iPad

our weekend ritual

2010-11-25T15:25:00.001+01:00

aahh..finally we managed to get my siblings together after 1 week stay. The president visit was over and we we were glad that it went well. Alhamdulillah. And now we could lay back a bit, visit our parents and relatives. The Schedule has been hectic with night and lunch outings up till the end of the week. We could only see mum on the 1st day. She is no longer active as she used to and could

Entitlement mentality

2010-11-13T17:50:00.000+01:00

One young academically excellent man went to apply for a managerialposition in a big company. He passed the first interview. However, the CEO of the company would have the final say. The CEO discovered from the CV, that this young man had an impecabble academic record all the way, from the secondary school until his postgraduate. Impressed, the CEO asked "Did you obtain any scholarship?" and the

2010-11-12T01:29:00.000+01:00

Gala night to welcome delegates to the first state party conference on the convention on cluster munition

2010-11-12T01:24:00.000+01:00

40+years+on,+Laos+still+faces+threat+of+cluster+munitions

2010-11-11T00:08:00.000+01:00

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/features/article_1596569.phpSent from my iPad

The Rule of Law

2010-11-04T08:02:00.000+01:00

Here is a true story that happened in a neighbouring country that I thought worth sharing. an 18 year old student was disqualfied from sitting a medical school entrance exam because her application to sit for the exam was missing a photograph. She had dreamed of becoming a phychiatrist one day and her hope was dashed when she learned that she could not sit for the exams as her application was