Encourage the young to ask ...

CQ was reading last week's Weekend Bulletin, when a portion of an article caught CQ's attention.

The first two paragraphs made CQ smile. Is it true that the local young are not being encouraged to ask questions? And if they do open their mouths to ask questions, they are marked for being disrespectful!?

So, in order to show respect, the young will conform to what are being told to them not to do. That means they are being obedient. If they disobey, then they are being disrespect?

Respect and Obedient are two different 'characters'. Yes! Naturally these should be instilled and nurtured when the young are growing up. Encouraging them to ask questions when they are doubtful, does not deemed the young to be disrespect nor disobedient. But if they are asking senseless questions, then be tactful to make them stop! Do not embarrass them by shouting at them to stop.

One of the most important things parents can teach their children is respect. Parents play a significant role and have the most influence in molding their children to become respectful individuals. Respect is not the same as obedience. When children obey, that means they are afraid. However, if they respect you, then they will obey because they know you have their best interest at heart.

The best way to teach our children the meaning of respect is to show respect. When they experience respect, they will know what it feels like and will begin to understand how important respect is ...and being obedient will come naturally.

Respect is an attitude. Being respectful is being responsible and it will help a child not only in school but in his/her life later on. Like adults, children too have human dignity. If we want our children to be respectful, we as parents and peers must also be respectful ourselves. Remember! Children are our mirrors. If a child shows respect in his/her home, it is likely the child will show it outside the home too.

Therefore, when the young are asking questions (irregardless whether logical or illogical), that means their minds and brains are working perfectly well. If they don't ask questions, then they are not thinking.


??? Never feel shy to open your mouth to ask questions when in doubt.

Seri sungkai @KB

One time sungkai at Serikandi Restaurant, will definitely make you come back for more trips in the month of Ramadhan.

A great line-up of menus awaits sungkai diners with Wow! affordable price at the buffet counters.

Somehow, CQ missed the live performance by a gulingtangan youth group ~ Iramabahtera, at last night's sungkai at Serikandi Restaurant. The group entertained diners with their lively music.

Iramabahtera

The one and only U-shaped Gulingtangan group in Brunei ~ Iramabahtera, which consists of young male and female members.

Gulingtangan is a unique traditional musical instrument in Brunei that produces a gong-like sound. It is a heritage that should be protected and exposed to the young generation so that the gulingtangan culture will not vanish in the midst of high-rise of modern music.

A walk to remember

Have you ever taken a walk down memory lane of your childhood history? While sipping a cup of hot tea or espresso, have you wonder how you survived your childhood.

If you were a kid in the 50's, 60's, 70's or even early 80's ..how did you survive your childhood?

Back in the sixties, when we were growing up, we never wore seatbelts in the car. As cars in those time did not have any airbags. So ..can you imagine if unwanted incidents had happened?

In those sixties and seventies, riding on the back of a pick up truck was very common and an adventure to most children that we still remember it! Now, you hardly see children ...only adults who are usually constrution workers or as means of transporting goods.

When we were babies, we put in our cribs that were painted with bright colors (paint which was full of lead) and parents of the yester-years were not so paranoid as compared to today's parents (now sudah pandai) who are blessed with guide books on how to care for babies.

There were no childproof medicine bottles nor did our parents ever childproof our house. No bar or grill gates or bars or any prtective gears in the kitchen to ensure the safety of young children in those years. If you fall down the stairs or knocked your head, you will be picked up and hushed away to stop crying. Today, kids will be 'blackmailed' with gifts to stop the never-ending cries ...huhu

It was never a must to wear a helmet when we rode our bikes around the neighbourhood areas. Today's parents will insist you wear your helmet or you will be screamed at.

Growing up in the past means we got to be as mischievious as kids ...we would drink water from the faucet or from a hose in the backyard (not bottled water) or even from the well which was quite a common sight in kampong areas.

Cell phones were not available yet, so our parents were never able to reach us - awesome isn't it? =)

We would get scrapes, bruises on hands and legs, break bones, lose teeth, but we would never sue for these accidents. In today's world, when accidents do happen, either foul language will on air or you will get an invitation to visit Court-room.

We would eat cakes, bread and butter, drink sinfully sugary drinks yet we were not overweight because we were always outside playing that burn away calories and breakdown body fats. But today's generation ...errr CQ will leave to you readers to make the judgment =)

A group of four friends would share a drink and we would all drink from the same bottle; but that was not gross nor would anyone get sick. Today, one would be so paranoid to share from the same bottle of drink.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo 64, X-boxes, video games, cable TV with over 100 channels, VCR's, surround sound, cellular phones, computers, online chatrooms - instead we would have tons of FRIENDS. Today, toddlers are more advance ...they are well-versed with remote controls as their first toys.

Some of us were not as bright as others but when one would get left back that was no big deal. They would not get taken to a psychologist nor did they ever suffer from dyslexia, hyperactivity, ADHD, ADD ..etc yet they would simply repeat the grade until they passed. Today, many of these services centres are mushrooming worldwide.

We had freedom, mishaps, successes, responsibilities and we would learn to deal with them.

The question is ~ how did we survive? And above all, to become the Great people that we are today. Are you from one of these generations? Walking down your memory lane is a time era to remember ...

They deserve a second chance ...

Just few days ago, CQ had an interesting conversation with few friends over coffee at one of the famous Malls.

While enjoying our light snacks and deeply engrossed discussing about courses and other academic issues, CQ could not help seeing a couple of youngsters working as cleaners.

Now! CQ is NOT against the job 'cleaners' ...but do these youngsters have ambitions or perhaps to have a will to better themselves? They may not be smart in the brains but they could excel in practical studies or courses.

CQ knew of a young boy (CQ will name him Mikey) who had dropped out of school at the age of 14 years old! Reason being that he was so shy to be a 'repeater' in Form One. So, till today, he is still out of school, doing only odd jobs available. CQ had seen him washing cars and cleaning tables at a Mall. He is a bright and friendly young chap, though is shy at times when bumping into CQ while cleaning tables.

Is there a second chance for these youngsters to better themselves? Is there any vocational schools that conduct or offers short courses or worshops for them to enrol in? With proper skills acquired, a certificate in hand and a positive attitude, CQ believes these youngsters can find a better employment in the real world.

Short basic courses for beautician, waitering, plumbering, basic clerical or any other courses that are relevant to the market demand, should be made available in order to allow these 'older' school dropouts / leavers or uneducated adults to earn a simple certificate, which will be easier for them when applying for a job. It may even motivate them to further upgrade themseleves and sees at least a little reduction in the unemployment % among youths.

Don't we want everybody to be educated? =)

Quote of the day

"Map out your future, but do it in pencil."

– Jon Bon Jovi

An inspirational quote ...enough to look back on the plans and aspirations we have had made for future undertakings. This is especially for youth and parents to comprehend the meanings of these words.

Though, we may not achieve or be able to fulfill our initial dreams, be sure to have back-ups or some may call it the 'contingency plans'.

How you map out your future, there are bound to be blockades and obstacles ahead. If you can't go through route A, maybe you could make a little U-turn and take the possible route B or C.

Results of the recent June 2008 'O' and 'A' Levels Examinations are out. There were happy and sad faces. The happy ones will move on to the next level, but what about the sad ones?

Have they got any other alternatives plans or moves? CQ hopes that whatever they decide, always remember that it is their sheer determination and optimistic mind will bring glory and success in many ways. It is only their 'will' that will make the difference in their life. Opportunities are plenty out there, you just got to grab them! The choice is yours!

Can we have more libraries?

There are not enough libraries in the country. CQ learnt that the only public library available in the Brunei-Muara District is the Dewan Perpustakaan located in the capital. CQ is not too sure about the existence of any library in the other three districts but somehow, CQ was told there is one newly opened in the Belait District...?? hmmm

CQ believed that as the country’s population is growing and more housing areas are being built, there is a need for at least a library in each ‘kampong’ (village) or ‘mukim’ (town). Building a library should be in collaboration with the town’s planning council.

We can see that shop-houses and other businesses are mushrooming around housing and strategic areas, so why not build a library too?

What is a library? It is a public facility. It is a place, room, building or institution where a collection of books, journals, manuscripts, reading materials, newspaper, permitted magazines, records, tapes or anything that are valuable for research purposes or leisure reading. In the modern and up-to-date libraries, one can find collection of software or things for use on a computer – for instance programs or diskettes- and also other range of facilities such as access to electronic databases and audio-visual.

School libraries are meant for students use only. What about those people who are living far away from Dewan Perpustakaan? What about those people who enjoys reading or would like to do their research but are living miles away from that one library??

A library can provide several interesting activities and play an important role in cultivating the passion to read. It can be a place for students to do group study after school hours; research; have events like launching new books by writers, reading/writing essays campaigns, story-telling or spelling-bee contests – at mukim/town/area-level or even district-level; even housewives who love to read can spend their leisure time in the library near their housing areas.

Besides all the above-mentioned, a library can also encourage youths to instill good reading habits, create a bookworm community and improve on the development of their vocabulary or maybe school drop-outs will even be tempted to continue their studies by going for night classes and make use of libraries as their research or resources centre.

Of course the standard rules and regulations of a library will apply to any possible new libraries to be built in housing areas, so as not to allow any unwanted hang-outs or lepak-ing on the premises.

CQ hope there will be more libraries …say in the next three years?? hmmm CQ can’t wait to spend time browsing through library books :)

Excellence without drugs!

CQ caught this colourful advertisement on the side of the famous purple-coloured bus from CQ's car at a traffic light junction.

It's very catchy with a message to ALL particularly today's youth ~ 'cemerlang tanpa dadah' , literally means 'excellence without drugs'.