Brunei

I have to admit, based on what I have heard about Brunei, I would not have chosen to go there on a holiday on my own. However, since my wife had an assignment in Brunei, it was as good an excuse as any for me to go there. Any holiday time spent with my wife is always a pleasure. As it turns out, it was quite an interesting trip.

The 2nd largest town in Brunei, Kuala Belait, is only about 45 minutes by car from the Malaysian city of Miri. I actually flew in to Miri by Air Asia and drove into Brunei in a rented car. Its difficult to get lost as there are few main roads to get lost on and the signboards are fairly clear. It was actually my first experience driving in East Malaysia or Brunei, but it was really very simple. There were times when I did have to ask for directions, but people here were more than willing point us in the right direction. The ony thing that surprised me was the RM10 tol we had to pay to use the ASEAN bridge across the Baram river as we enter Brunei. Seems rather excessive to me for a less than 1 km span. Anyway, on the bright side, the toll on the Brunei side is only BND3.

I was a quite pleasureable driving in Brunei, with very little traffic to contend with and rather courteous drivers all around. It seems that the laid back nature of the country contributees a great deal to the seemingly stress free environment. See a video of a drive at dusk below:

I suppose the drive around Seria was most interesting to me. I had never seen a "nodding donkey", so it was quite an eye opener. Coupled with a visit to the Oil & Gas Discovery centre there and you have a good educational visit. The nodding donkeys are dotted all over Seria town, even in seemingly strange location like just outside a moqsue or next to someone's house! They seem to have crude oil pouring out of their ears over here!

Anyway, no visit to another country is complete without a sampling of some local dishes. The two that we were told to try were "mee kolo" and "ambuyat". Both were nice, but the "ambuyat" was not quite what we expected. It was essentially a bowl of clear starch had with a variety of meats dipped in tempoyak or chilli paste ( adds the spicy touch). It tasted pretty good though.

Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, has some of the most impressive mosques I have ever seen. Among these was the Jame' Asr Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque in the Gadong area. I was not allowed to take pictures within the mosque, but the picture of the exterior gives a good glimpse of what splendour and baeuty one might find within. Marble and gold inlays are found all over the mosque, and every corner is adorned with some wonderful Islamic motif. In general, all the mosques in Brunei are air conditioned for the comfort of the people, and most appear to have e-Islam kiosk to allow one to learn more about Islam via a touch screen computer.

One simply cannot miss a boat ride tour of Kampong Ayer in Bandar Seri Begawan. Some 10000 houses occupy a large area of shallow river area here. Everything is built on stilts and the only way to get around is to go by boat. It consists of all the necessary amenities one might think a established community would require. This includes schools, workshops, grocery shops, fire brigade, police and mosques - all built on stilts. Its really quite an awesome sight. The boat ride can be quite a thrill too as you navigate some of the narrow water ways. See the video below to get a flavour. Our boatman was quite friendly. He explained that each "floating" household had its own boat and typically they had unique names for their boats. In fact people are known better by the name of their boat rather than their own name. His was called "Darahkula" or Dracula.

All in all, I think it was a very enjoyable trip for both me and my wife. Of course, my dear wife had to work a little before taking a break, but I'm glad I tagged along. I don't however think I will be going there for another holiday very soon.

The New Beginning for Malaysia

So the elections yielded somewhat surprising results, at leaset for me. Its good to see the voice of democracy be heard, but on the flip side, its has been a rocky beginnin with the already apparent rifts between some parties (DAP & PAS) that form the opposition alliance. Thank goodness the menteri besar and cabinet positions have been filled. Now the government can get on with business.

I am however rather annoyed by the talk of documents in government offices being destroyed and having vanished. To me this is clearly a sign that the outgoing leaders had something to hide. If their intention was to just make it difficult for the opposition to rule, then frankly, it only reflects on the lack of maturity and professionalism they practiced in their job. More importantly, the documents are official documents related to government transactions, a government that is elected to serve. So destroying the documents, to me, is a breech of pubblic trust. I think those involved should be taken to court.

Either way, the freebies such as summonses waivers that the opposition administrators are dishing out seem tasty, but I wonder if they have really look at its implications overall. It would be a pity if it leaves a bitter after taste for everyone who have put their trust in them. It hardly seems fair to those who have diligently paid the summonses earlier. What justice is that? There are still many tall promises that will need fulfilling. Lets see what happens, especially after April 15th, when Anwar Ibrahim's ban from politics comes to an end.

Election Fever

As the election fever heats up, it seems more and more people are having "kopitiam" discussions that revolve around this subject. Its very interesting to hear the different stories and views that emerge on the ground. Its hard to say how many stories are true, but one cannot easily ignore what is said by a trusted accquaintence.

This has certainly been the case for me. I read an article in the papers of a local politician claiming that he will hang on to his seat since "he has brought so much progress to his constituency". I had to think about that for moment, and I still can't see any progress that he mentions. It then of course came as no surprise when I heard that his car was badly damaged by furios villagers who had voted for this person at the last election. He went to their village to renew his mandate but was driven off because he failed to keep his promises.

Even though the Hindraf case appears to have been swept under the rugs, it appears there is still a lot of tension brewing in the Indian community. I was made to understand that a local politician made a fleeting negative comment about Hindraf. The Indians at the function refused to eat and demanded that he apologise. They said they need not apologise for fighting for their convictions. They even mentioned of Hishamuddin pointing his keris as an invitation to war and not having to apologise for it. Sounds to me like a rather volatile situation. Makes you wonder just how well the government is managing the multi-racial country. Anyway, this is, of course, what I have heard and not witnessed myself, but it does worry me somewhat. In my opinion, some old hats who have been in power too long need to step down and allow for progress.

I even a joke recently: " Samyvellu and Badawi were on a helicopter together. Badawi said if he dropped 2 RM200 notes over KL, he would make 2 people very happy. Samyvellu, not wanting to be outdone, said that if he dropped 200 RM1 notes, he would make 200 people happy. The pilot overheard their little conversation and said if he dropped both of them overboard, he would make 27 million people very happy" ;)

The moral of the joke? Sometimes its important to know when you have reached a final destination. Don't overextend your stay, especially when you are no more welcomed by the host.

Kota Kinabalu

I just came back from a great weekend in Kota Kinabalu. I facilitated a team away day at the Sutera Harbour Resort in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah over on Thursday and Friday last week. Although I had been to Sabah before, I was not able to take time off to see the sights in KK. This time was even more meaningful as I was able to bring my wife along.

The team I facilitated had team building on Manukan Island, a 15 min speed boat ride away from Sutera Harbour. This was great fun, and the BBQ lunch was pretty fantastic too. I think I must have exceeded my seafood intake allowance by at least 20 times over the course of the few days I was in KK. The seafood here is fresh and abundant.

The away day I had put together went pretty well, and seeing the participants in a good mood atthe end certainly left me feeling satisfied and energised, so I was really looking forward to the weekend. I have a long time friend in KK, who I have known since we studied A-levels in the same college in the UK many years ago. I was really good to catch up with him, and go around Sabah with him. It was the first time he met my wife as well.

On Saturday, was my wife's birthday, so I surprised her with a birthday cake during dinner with the team. I had arranged this a few weeks before, and it was good to see it go as planned. The smile it brought to her face was well worth the effort.

The next day we were picked up by my friend and went off to Kundasang, a stone's throw away from Mount Kinabalu. This is about 60 km from KK, but it takes a good 2hrs by car as the "highway" is a single lane, windy road though the mountainns, used also by trucks. I was told that this is currently the primary road route to the East of Sabah.

When we got to Kundasang, I was even more surprised that my friend had a holiday retreat of his own in Kundasang, with a beautiful view of Mount Kinabalu. The climate here is cool and refreshing and the people everywhere are very friendly. There is also the Kinabalu Park nearby which offer a number of jungle lodges to stay at and many jungle trails for the adventurous. We did'nt have time to really do much, but we at least caught a glimpse of the awsome size of Mount Kinabalu. As if to add to its mistery, the legendary mountain is only visible in the early morning before being shrouded by thick clouds. The locals believe that the spirits of the dead rise to the peak of the mountain to rest.

After we got back to KK, we spent a little time and Beach 1 and Beach 2 near the Prince Phillip Park. Beach 1 is pretty hip, having been done up with swanky eateries and a cheerful looking promenade. The name of the beach, however, was not particularly inspiring.

We had a quick bite by the park and then headed off to the ariport. My wife was travelling Air Asia, and the new LCC terminal in KK was pretty inpressive. What's more impressive was that he flight was on time, while mine, a MAS flight, was delayed by 2 hours. I am beginnig to think that I might as well just stick to AirAsia for all flights, for leisure or business. Paying the extra money does'nt seem to buy me more reliable service on MAS.

My wife and I did enjoy the trip, and I think we will be going back there in the future. A longer stay in Kundasang will definitely be in the plan.