BruONZ 2013 Overall Winner : SYDNEY!

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamualaikum. Its been a while since we last updated the blog... which means that we owe you many stories to tell here! Allow us to start with BruONZ '13 overall results. (we know it happened 4 months ago.) Better late than never, yes?:)

                 Figure 1: BruONZ Official Logo.

Hahaha so much for report writing, we now number all our pictures LOL

Anyway..

2013 proved to be a year for the Sydneysiders after all, as we emerged as the overall winner! YAHOOOOOOO! :DDD

Alhamdulillah!:) Good job well done to everyone who worked and played hard in making the event a success. A big shout-out to the organisers, BASS Committee 2011/2012 for all their hard work! *paging our then president, Nadiah Yaani, and Co.* :)

Let's have a look at the results..

FUTSAL                                                                       

1st: Sydney A                                    

2nd: Perth                                                         

3rd: Melbourne                                       

NETBALL                                                          

1st: Sydney A 

2nd: Perth 

3rd: Kiwi (NZ)    

4th: Brisbane

FRISBEE (Let's salute our pink warriors!)

1st: Brisbane 

2nd: Sydney A  

3rd: New Zealand                                                                   

4th: Sydney B

BASKETBALL

1st: Perth

2nd: Sydney

3rd: Brisbane

4th: Melbourne

BADMINTON

Men's singles                                                   

1st: Afi (BNE)                         

2nd: Suan Loong (SYD)     

3rd: Lau S Tiong (MEL)                      

Women's singles 

1st: Hafizah (BNE)  

2n: Annemarie (NZ)

3rd: Zuliza (NZ)    

Men's doubles  

1st: Tan Thiam&Alan (MEL)  

2nd: S Tiong&Harry (MEL)

3rd: Afi&Hazmi (BNE) 

Women's Doubles 

1st: Yen&Annmarie (NZ)

2nd: Zuliza&Faizah (NZ)

3rd: Hanisah&Miza (SYD)

Mixed Doubles

1st: Afi&Hafizah (BNE)

2nd: Suan Loong&Jasmine (SYD)

3rd: Sylvester&Hanisah (SYD)

And the standings are...

     * One gold scores 3 pts, silver 2 pts and bronze 1 point.

We'd also like to congratulate our talented MVPs of BruONZ2013 Summer Games namely Dk Nur Azimah Pg Anuar from Sydney's Netball Team A and Ak Mohd Nasrullah Hakim Pg Abdullah from our futsal team. Well done! And also to Perth's Lim Liang Wei for emerging as the best among the basketballers.

And here is a quick look at Sydney's shirt for BruONZ13. (Jadi model skjp ah Chris, this is the only decent photo of the shirt that we have.) And not to forget, congrats to the person who designed the shirt for us this year. (He/She still wishes to not be named) We ALL love the shirt this year!

Salah seorang peserta futsal Sydney

And so, that concludes our post on BruONZ. All in all, we hope that everyone benefited from the event.. after all...

Ciri-ciri seorang individu Muslim itu adalah seseorang yang kuat tubuh badannya, ataupun dalam bahasa Arab "Qawiyul Jismi" :)

We hope to see everyone STRONGER, HEALTHIER, HAPPIER and MORE ENTHUSIASTIC than ever in the next games! Insya Allah.

Wassalam,

BASS 2103.

Credits go to Dk Aqilah and BASS Commitee 2011/2012 for the pics. 

More on BruONZ, visit http://bruonzofficial.blogspot.com.au/

Graduation day for 3 chemical Students

Dear Albert, Sylvester and Wei-Wei,

Today becomes a special day 
When you are truly on your way 
To gather all the knowledge gained 
Each moment spent so wisely framed 
We wish you luck in all you do 
With all that's good and right for you
To seize the day with all it's power 
Accomplishments of all the hours 
Each day a new road that you see 
To bring you knowledge constantly 
Know that you have done your best 
Proud that you have reached your quest 
So on this day of perfect light 
We see the glow so very bright 
And there's a world for you to see 
A place that holds you sacredly

Congratulations and we are so proud of you and your achievements!

Raya for Bruneians Around Sydney Society (BASS)

This article is meant to be published in the BT, but was not able to go through :(
 Special credits to both Ain Zahiah and Khairunnisa for your marvelous works!

Raya for Bruneians Around Sydney Society (BASS)

By: Ain Zahiah bte Hj Shazli and  Nurul Khairunnisa bte Jupry

Being away from home does not stop Bruneians studying in Sydney from celebrating a joyful Raya this year.

Dk Nurul Aqilah Pg Masuni, a second year student at University of New South Wales, stated that the Raya atmosphere here in Sydney is “better than she had expected.”

“On my mind, celebrating Raya outside the country feels depressing because your family is not around but looking at what I’ve been going through so far this Raya, it has been fun, joyful and more happening than I expected for here your friends become your new family.”

On 10^th September, a group of fourteen students travelled by road for six hours from Sydney to Brunei High Commission in Canberra to attend an open house organised by the Bruneian officers.

“The trip to Canberra was part of the climax of our Raya. Meeting the elderly and some Bruneian officers who were very welcoming made it feel like home. We even got to eat some Bruneian dishes that we have been craving,” added Dk Nurul Aqilah.

On the other hand, Abdul Anas Mohammad Ishak, has a different opinion about his first Raya here in Sydney.

“My first day of Raya was quiet.  Eventhough I feel happy to celebrate Raya in Australia with my BASS family, at the same time I feel sad because I am not with my real family. The raya here is not as happening because there are not many open houses to be attended. There are also less ‘duit raya’, less ‘tapak kuda’ and less ‘kuih raya’. “

The second year Chemical Engineering student also added that he could not get the real feel of Raya when in Sydney.

“There is no raya atmosphere here because for me, the highlight of raya is to ask for forgiveness from other people especially our parents. However, this year, I did not get to do that.”

Mohd Yusri Efandi Ibrahim, a third year Petroleum Engineering student said that last year’s Raya was much better than this year’s.

“Raya so far is just okay, not as great as in Brunei. On the first day, I could not attend the mass Sunat Eid prayer because I had a presentation at the same time. Compared to last year, the first week of raya fell during our mid-semester break, but not this year. Last year we could have a gathering after Sunat prayer, but this year, we could only have it on the third day of Raya. I feel that the raya atmosphere is really missing this year, even during the BASS takbir raya gathering.”

Yusri also compared his Raya celebration in Brunei and in Sydney, saying that raya feels like normal days here.

“In Brunei, the night before raya, we would be busy doing preparation. Cleaning up the house, fixing the neon lights, ‘pelita’…. These things do not happen here. My hope for next Raya is that on the first day, we could have a gathering and help each other to make that day the most important day out of the 365 days that we have in a year.”

It is a different story for Md Zarifdana Zinal Abadin, a fourth year student in Petroleum Engineering, who has “mixed feelings” about celebrating his final Raya in Sydney.

“I feel sad because it is my last Raya here but I am kind of happy at the same time for I’ll be in Brunei next year, Insha Allah.”

He also talked about celebrating Raya at Brunei High Commission in Canberra.

“The food was great and I got to meet more Bruneians there and it felt as if I was in Brunei.”

When asked about what Raya in Sydney has taught him, the 21-year-old has learnt to appreciate his family’s presence.

”I would like to spend and cherish more time with my family when I come back to Brunei because I have been missing them during Raya here. But I will definitely miss the people in Sydney.”

Engineering Students Seek Bright Future At UNSW

Bandar Seri Begawan - The career opportunities for petroleum engineering graduates are bright. Many students are taking advantage of the strong partnership between the Institut Teknologi Brunei and the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia.

UNSW is located in Sydney's eastern suburbs and is the destination of choice for international students, looking to combine a top quality education with lifestyle advantages.

The UNSW Bachelor of Engineering (Petroleum Engineering) degree is internationally recognised and enjoys strong support from the global petroleum industry.

In fact, the key to the UNSW School of Petroleum Engineering's ongoing success is its close industry links.

UNSW is one of Australia's top ranked universities that offer a vibrant campus life.

Over 120 countries are represented amongst the student body, with one in every four students from overseas.

Currently, there are 43 students studying at UNSW from Brunei, many holding sponsorships from Brunei Shell Petroleum and the Brunei Ministry of Education.

Nadiah Haji Mohd Ya'ani, 20, and Azimah Jofri, 20, are both second year UNSW petroleum engineering students, sponsored by Brunei Shell Petroleum.

Arriving at UNSW can be a rollercoaster ride for students. Many students are excited to be a part of their new surroundings, however for many; it is their first experience living away from home.

Azimah says, "I am very family oriented - I was very homesick in the beginning."

UNSW offers many mentoring and peer support schemes to help with the transition. Azimah and Naidah are personally guided by Dr Yildiray Cinar, Senior Lecturer in Petroleum Engineering.

Additional support is offered through UNSW Student Development International (SDI). SDI assists international students with services from airport pick up to assistance with housing.

Shell-sponsored student, Ak Muhd Amal Nur Qasman Metussin, 22, was part of the first group of ITB Petroleum Engineering students to join the ranks at UNSW.

Qasman lives in the recently completed UNSW Village with six other students, mostly fellow compatriots from Brunei.

In addition to the convenience of living on campus and the proximity to his classes, Qasman also enjoys the "good facilities (including) study rooms and fast Internet connection".
There are plenty of facilities for students at UNSW.

Naidah says, "For me, everything is here. Even if I'm not on campus, everything is online." Naidah is referring to the My UNSW portal, where students can access their notes, assignments and even interact with other students.

The extended opening hours of UNSW's world class library are a definite advantage for Azimah, as studying without the distractions of home increases her concentration.

Azimah and Naidah live in Randwick, just five minutes from the university.

Azimah says, "It's a good place to stay. It's safe and quiet."

The beachside suburb Coogee is also just minutes away, and the girls like to visit the beach when they are not busy studying.

Yusri Efandi Ibrahim, 23, lives in the nearby suburb of Kingsford.

He says living in an area as diverse as Kingsford has definite advantages, one of which is the availability of good quality, Halal food in the area.

"I wasn't expecting to find that in Sydney!" Yusri says.

Yusni began his career in Bruneian bank before assessing his future prospects and deciding to instead study petroleum engineering. Indeed, UNSW alumni enjoy challenging and successful careers around the globe.

Petroleum engineering graduates command excellent starting salaries between A$60,000 and A$110,000, and it is common for graduates to progress quickly through company ranks.

With so many opportunities awaiting hard-working UNSW graduates, Naidah offers some sage advice: "Always remember what your priorities are, study hard, but once in a while, remember to do something fun for you."

-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin dated 09th June 2011

(Some of the information in the above article were incorrectly stated)