What New Year?

[Note: I wrote this for 1st January 2007 blog. I updated it and submit it to Brunei Times and it was published on 1st January 2008 under the title of 'Which New Year Did You Mean?']WHAT NEW YEAR?By Rozan YunosToday is the first day of 2008 AD or to be nonreligious - 2007 CE (Common Era) as AD stands for the Latin word ‘Anno Domini’ - the year of our lord or as the Oxford Dictionary pointed out AD

Bandar Seri Begawan - a new city, an ancient capital

[The following article was published edited in the Golden Legacy column of Brunei's national newspaper The Brunei Times on 29th July 2007, 2 days before the expansion of the territory of Bandar Seri Begawan.]On 1st August 2007, Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei Darussalam will officially be enlarged to about 10 times the size of what it is today. The current size of Bandar Seri Begawan

Bedil - The Brunei Cannons

[Note: The following article was published edited in the Golden Legacy Column of Brunei's national newspaper, The Brunei Times, on 22nd July 2007.]As everyone stood rapt to attention at the Taman Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Saadul Khairi Waddien to the national anthem being played, the 21 cannon volleys reverberated throughout Bandar Seri Begawan thus marking the beginning of His Majesty The

History of Brunei Newspapers

[Note: The following article was published on the Golden Legacy Column of Brunei's national newspaper, The Brunei Times on 7th July 2007.]As ‘The Brunei Times’ celebrates its anniversary of being the new kid in the Brunei’s newspaper industry, it is worthwhile to look at how the newspaper industry have fared since newspapers began to be circulated in Brunei.Brunei’s media industry is relatively

Brunei's Currency Notes before 1967

Note: The following article was published in The Golden Legacy column of the Brunei Times on 30th June 2007.When His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam exchanged the new Brunei’s and Singapore’s $20 currency notes with His Excellency Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore on 27th June 2007 to

The Origin of 'Brunei Darussalam'

[Note: The following article was published in The Golden Legacy column of Brunei Darussalam's national newspaper, The Brunei Times, on 23rd June 2007]As one of the ancient kingdoms of the Malay archipelago, Brunei's historical legacy is long and can be comparable or if not exceeding that of other better known empires in the region.Among others, its strategic geographical location and well

Brunei’s Early Philatelic History

[Note: The following unedited article was published in The Golden Legacy column of Brunei's national newspaper The Brunei Times on 16th June 2007.]Brunei surprisingly, was the last among the Borneo states to have its own postage stamps.The Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) which included Kalimantan first issued theirs in 1864, Sarawak in 1869, the British Colony of Labuan, despite not being a

Memukun - Brunei's Unique Tradtion

[Note: The following article was published in Brunei's national newspaper, The Brunei Times under the Golden Legacy column on 9th June 2007.]One of the unique features of Brunei Darussalam's many ethnic traditions and cultures is 'memukun'. It is fairly hard to describe to an outsider unless one has actually listened to it.‘Memukun’ is a very Bruneian tradition where a group of people (usually

The Role of "Pengalu" in Brunei History

[Note: The following article was published in the Golden Legacy Column in Brunei's national newspaper, The Brunei Times, on 2nd June 2007]History sometimes overlooked the small people. Yet these are the people who mattered.In the Brunei history too, one of the overlooked group of people are the 'pengalu'. Among Bruneians, some of the words used extensively in its old history have been forgotten.

History of Brunei's Musabaqah Tilawatil Al-Quran

[Note: An edited version of the following article was published in The Golden Legacy column in Brunei's national newspaper, The Brunei Times dated 26th May 2007.]Like many Muslim countries, Brunei Darussalam treats the annual Musabaqah Tilawatil Quran or the Al-Quran Reading Competition with great respect. The winners will be given the honour to represent Brunei Darussalam in international

Padians: Women Vendors on Brunei Waters

[Note: An edited version of the following article was published in The Golden Legacy column in Brunei's national newspaper, The Brunei Times dated 19th May 2007.]“When the tide rises, the women go in boats through the city selling provisions and necessaries,” Pigafetta, the Italian chronicler with the famous seafaring adventurer Magellan wrote this of Brunei way back in 1521, almost 500 years

The Story of Brunei's Oil Discovery

Note: An edited version of the following article was published in The Golden Legacy column in Brunei's national newspaper, The Brunei Times dated 12th May 2007.The story of the discovery of oil in Brunei’s oil town, Seria has often been told even in school text books but no body remembers how difficult it was to find oil in Brunei Darussalam at the beginning. When we look at the approximately

The Mosque in the Capital City

Wherever we are in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei's capital city, we can't help noticing the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque dominating the skyline of the city centre of Bandar Seri Begawan. Mosques have long dominated the skyline in Brunei. In 1578 during the reign of Sultan Saiful Rizal, a Spanish traveler, Alonso Beltran described the main mosque as one made up of five layers.The Sultan Omar

2 Brunei Bay Legends

[Note: An edited version of the following article was published in The Golden Legacy column in Brunei's national newspaper, The Brunei Times dated 28th April 2007.]There are two islands on Brunei Bay which are more interesting than all the others. One is called Pulau Pilong-Piolongan and the other very much smaller, more like a raised sandbank called Lumut Lunting. Lumut Lunting is situated in

A History of Brunei Flight

Note: An edited version of the following article was published in The Golden Legacy column in the Brunei national newspaper, The Brunei Times dated 21st April 2007.When did Bruneians first fly? According to local civil aviation historians, the first airplane to fly over Brunei was a seaplane spotted over Tutong in 1922. Nobody knew whose plane that was.Despite the current modern international

Before the oil, it was coal

Note: An edited version of the above article was published in The Golden Legacy column in the national newspaper, The Brunei Times dated 14th April 2007.Since the discovery of oil in 1929, Brunei Darussalam had been known as an oil-exporting country to the point that it is almost impossible to remember the time when Brunei had to rely on other products for its exports. Believe it or not, there

Mysterious Grave in the City Centre

[Note: An edited version of this article was published in The Golden Legacy column in Brunei's national newspaper, The Brunei Times dated 7th April 2007.]Many people have walked past the walled small roof structure opposite the General Post Office Building in the car park yard of the TAIB Building in Bandar Seri Begawan. Many have in fact parked their cars next to it. However, not many have

The Tale of the Unfilial Son

[Note: An edited version of this article was published in The Golden Legacy column in Brunei's national newspaper, The Brunei Times dated 31st March 2007.]There was this tale of a local boy, who went away to better his and his family’s lot in life. After many years, he achieved success and wealth, married a a noblewoman and became the owner of a huge ship, forgetting his humble roots in the

Bersunat - Then and Now

Before my son underwent his circumcision, he was curious about what will happen. When I related my own experience, I realized mine was different from his. Since then I discovered that in the older days, there were variations to the ceremonies but also variations to which bits to remove.In the earlier days, bersunat is considered as the mark of a true Muslim. Immediately just before the

Ko Phi Phi

Regarded by travelers from all walks of life as being among the most beautiful tropical islands of the world, Phi Phi Islands have become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Thailand. In addition, the islands are famous as the location where the movie "The Beach" featuring Leonardo Di Caprio was shot. The islands, together with the nearby Noppharat Thara Beach, a total area of 390 square kilometers, were recently established as a national park.
Phi Phi Islands are located just 40 kilometers away from both Krabi and Phuket. Thus, despite the fact that both Noppharat Thara Beach and Phi Phi administratively are a part of Krabi Province, most tourists think that Ko Phi Phi is part of Phuket Province.
The islands and the coastal hills are composed mainly of limestone and are an extension of the limestone mountain range in Phang-Nga Province. The main characteristics of these mountains and islands are their steep cliffs, large caves and dwarf trees growing out of the rock crevices, like those in Phang-Nga Bay.
The island group is composed of two rocky, tree-covered islets Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Le. Phi Phi Don, the larger islet to the north, is well known for its fine beaches and coral formations. Above average tourist facilities and accommodations are available along two beautiful curved bays, namely Ton Sai Bay and Lodalam Bay. Several shops at Ton Sai can arrange diving and snorkeling trips around the island or the nearby islands - Ko Phi Phi Le, Ko Yung and Ko Mai Phai.

Phi Phi Islands which are equidistant to Phuket and Krabi Provinces can be reached by boat.

Trang province

Ko Muk and Tham Morakot (Emerald Cave)

Not just another interesting attraction, Ko Muk is the most outstanding attraction in the Trang Sea and an ideal destination for tourists enthralled with nature. The island, which is nearly opposite Hat Chang Lang on the mainland, has impeccable beaches suitable for swimming and camping and lovely corals around the island that are worth exploring. In addition, The island is comprised of high and majestic cliffs facing the sea to the west, a fishing village on the east facing the mainland and swallows that make the numerous cliffs their home.
Hidden in the jungle, among the cliffs is the awesome Tham Morakot. The cave entrance is a small passage on the islands western side that is accessible by boat during low tide. The cave itself winds for about 80 meters to the other exit, opening onto a clean white beach with an emerald color open pool which is surrounded by high cliffs.

To see real fishermens' daily activities, visit Ao Phangkha and the Muslim fishing village of Kua Laem, located at the southern end of the island.
To get to Ko Muk, tourists can take a boat from Pak Meng Pier in Amphoe Sikao for the 40-minute trip. The rental fee for the boat is approximately 1,500 bahts / day. Accommodations are available on the island.

The Final Posting

Are you reopening the Daily BR?Only for today. I thought I would clarify the air as I did not realise I had a cause a little stir in Brunei's blogging community. I haven't had time to read other people's blogs since I came back last Sunday so I don't really know what the undercurrent was. It was when I had lunch this afternoon with one of my avid readers that I realised the extent of the

World War II in Brunei

Nothing much for my final posting. Just the final set of photographs depicting scenes of destruction in Brunei during the Second World War as I promised about a week ago. The first photograph is the scene of destruction in the Seria Oilfields. The others are scenes from Brunei Town and Brunei District. These are just to remind us just how much progress we have made since then. Thank you to

Brunei Japan Partnership by RB

Mr. BR's entry on the protests against the Chinese Premier in Tokyo reminded me of another post when he was in Korea last year when Koreans were protesting against the Korea-USA FTA (Free Trade Area). Korea then only had one FTA with Chile, compared to us Brunei which has 8. I understand that Brunei is now in negotiation with Japan for a Brunei-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (BJEPA) even

Bahasa Melayu Bahasa Orang Brunei

Tak hendak seribu daleh, hendak seribu jalan. Bila terlalu banyak masa, terutamanya di waktu malam, apabila kesunyian di Kota Tokyo ini, banyaklah ilham yang didapati dan banyak juga perkara yang boleh dilakukan. Saya masih ingat satu pesanan yang telah dimasukan ke dalam kotak 'the shout box' yang menekankan bagi Bahasa Melayu untuk dipromosikan dan digunakan. Khusus untuk hari ini dan mungkin

A Bruneian Trapped in Tokyo

I am still in Tokyo. Yesterday during lunch time, we were caught in this massive traffic jam when we were heading back towards the hotel. We already heard the loudspeakers blaring whatever messages the demonstrators wanted to shout out during our meeting. Not being a nihon speaker we did not know what they wanted. When we came out, we saw an interesting sight of demonstrators with multicoloured

Thailand Hotel

Our sponsor links include 4-5 star hotels. You may find satisfied hotels and resorts that match your destination(s). Please remember that their facilities and services included are more important than the price, especially the guests from oversea travel for long weekend.

A Bruneian in Wet Tokyo

Our negotiations don't start till this morning. It ain't going to be easy - that much we know. So we spent the whole morning yesterday strategising and preparing at the hotel. It was late afternoon before we managed to get some free time but it was raining - so just soggy photographs of Tokyo. Forget about compositioning - just quick snaps from the car. We tried out the sashimi (the raw fish)

Chiangmai

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
Locals would say, You havent really gone to Chiang Mai unless youve been to Wat Phratat Doi Suthep. Truly, the place is the most important and famous Chiang Mai landmark. Built in 1383, this mountaintop temple has a chedi (pagoda) that houses holy Buddha relics. The gold-plated chedi lies in the middle of a square marble-tiled courtyard. The four corners of the chedi are adorned with parasols which represent royal regalia. The temples courtyard is lined by a cloister, which contains images and murals depicting Buddhas life. There are also two viharns situated in the middle of the east and west sides of the cloister. This temple is 15 kilometers from town and is 3,520 feet above sea level. It is the perfect place to get a birds eye view of the city. The temple can be reached via a steep Naga staircase comprised of 290 steps or railcars. The temple is open daily from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
To get there, drive along Huay Kaew Road up the mountain. Alternatively, there are song thaew services available at the foot of the mountain. It costs 30 baht/head to go up to Doi Suthep and approximately 50 baht/head to go further to Doi Pui and Phu Phing Palace. Note that these are one-way fares.

Ko Samui - Pha-ngan - Tao

The numerous islands along the coast makes Surat Thani (often known as Surat in short) a perfect hideaway for vacationers from around the world. The ideal destination for many is the Penang-sized Ko Samui, Thailand's third largest island, and its neighbour Ko Pha-ngan a celebrated island that hosts the biggest beach full moon party. North of Ko Pha-ngan is Ko Tao, renowned for its excellent coral reefs. To top it all is the dazzling 250-square-kilometer Ang Thong Marine National Park, where a stunning archipelago awaits to greet visitors with their charming palm-fringed beaches, crystal clear water and colorful coral reefs. The best time to enjoy one of these islands to the fullest is from April November.

A Bruneian in Japan

My apologies for those expecting something on Brunei - come back on Monday. For the next few days, travel blog photos from Tokyo. Today, place photographs from Ameyoko, the gardens of Imperial Palace, Akasaka Temple and Asakusa.Imperal Palace GardenTraditional Shops along Asakusa TempleAmeyoko Market in UenoAsakasa Temple

Kanjanaburi - West of Thailand

The Bridge on the River Khwae (the Death Railway Bridge)
Thanks to several films and books, the Bridge on the River Khwae has become notoriously famous and attracted both Thais and foreigners to the site. If an ordinary black iron bridge can tell a story, you can be sure it's a dramatic one.
The bridge spans across Maenam Khwae Yai which is a branch of Maenam Mae Klong. During the Japanese occupation of Thailand in World War II, the Japanese Imperial Army brought the iron bridge from Java. It was then resembled by Allied Prisoners of War (POW) under Japanese supervision. The bridge was part of a strategic railway route to Myanmar in which the Japanese aimed to secure supplies with which to conquer other western Asian countries. It was 415 kilometers long (about 303 kilometers in Thailand and about 112 kilometers in Burma) and passed through the Three Pagoda Pass in Sangkhlaburi District, the northern most part of Kanchanaburi province.

Construction started on September 16, 1942 at Nong Pladuk, and was completed on 25 December 1943. It is estimated that over 16,000 POWs from England, Australia, Holland and America died while building the bridge which was a target of bombing raids in 1945. In addition to this, approximate 90,000 laborers from Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia died during its construction.
Rebuilt after WWII, the bridge is still in use today with the curved portions of the bridge being that of the original. An attraction of note is the annual light and sound event at the bridge to commemorate the Allied attack in 1945.The railway currently ends at Ban Tha Sao or Namtok Station, a distance of some 77 km. from Kanchanaburi Station. A special train running from Bangkok to Namtok Station is available on weekends and national holidays. For further details, www.railway.co.th.

Chonburi - Pattaya

Pattaya at Night
The variety of nighttime activities continuing until dawn is so diverse that every person would easily find diversions appealing to individual tastes and moods. Most likely any fantasy can be fulfilled, especially after sunset. After dark, the extension of Beach road in South Pattaya turns into a promenade (disallowed only for public transport), transformed into one of the hottest nightspot. A hunting ground beaming with neon lights and music, where fellow holiday-makers youths & aged alike, find an endless array of dining, shopping or entertainment establishments.
Worthy of notice is the disco in Pattaya. A disco is not just a dance palace, but more of a hi-tech extravaganza filled with flashing lights, trendy music, and fun loving crowds. Pattaya is famous for its incredible nightlife activities, and South Pattaya is the jewel in its crown outshining the rest with an incredible array of things to see and do. One can enjoy Thai-boxing or some glaring erotic shows, a wide variety of fascinating shops, restaurants, bars, clubs, discos and other pleasurable establishments, side-by-side with all kinds of shopping. The only required skill is that of time management, so one can experience all the wonders and be on time for what is next.

Sanctuary of Truth (Prasat Satchatham)
The compound, which covers an area of more than two rais, is situated by the sea at Laem Ratchawet on Na Klua Road, North Pattaya. Within the compound is a gigantic temple-like structure entirely made of wood that is 105 meters high at the highest point which was constructed to withstand wind and sunshine on the seashore. With exquisite architectural features, the sanctuary was conceived out of the vision that human civilization has been achieved and nurtured by religious and philosophical truths, or visit www.sanctuaryoftruth.com for more information.

Thailand - Phuket in the night

Phuket Fantasea
Located on Kamala beach, Phuket Fantasea is dubbed as the ultimate nighttime cultural theme park of Phuket. It has won several awards from the TAT, among the distinctive ones are Best Attraction Thailand Tourism Award (for the years 2000 to 2003).

This large-scale night time amusement center is spread out over an area of 140 acres near the village of Kamala Bay, or just 4 kilometers north of Patong. Attractions include the Culture-Illusion Stage Show, Fantasy of the Kingdom, a spectacular buffet restaurant Golden Kinnaree Restaurant, shopping village the enchanted Festive Village, Cultural Parade & Street Shows, Traditional Games and Carnivals, Handicraft Demonstrations & Live Performances (performed in Palace of the Elephants).

Phuket Fantasea's stage performance is exceptionally extraordinary and beyond just a spectacular show. It is indeed a perfect blend of Thai cultural traditions and the latest modern Las Vegas style technology. Visitors can see magic elephants disappearing into thin air, gymnastics, musical fountains, and a circus. Tickets (including buffet dinner) cost 1,600 baht for adults and 1,100 baht for children, while tickets without buffet dinner cost 1,100 baht for adults and 800 baht for children. Call 076 385111 to reserve your seats or browse www.phuket-fantesea.com for more information. The park opens from 5.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. daily except Thursday. Show time is 9.00 p.m.

Suratthani - Southern part of Thailand

Tai Rom Yen National Park

The park covers areas in Ban Na San, Kanchanadit and Wiang Sa Districts. With a total area of 265,625 rai of land, the zone was declared a national park on 31 December 1991. The park is covered by lush virgin forests where rare plants can be found. The mountains peak, covered by mist all year round, is the origin of the Tapi River. Wild animals such as elephants, mountain goats, tapirs, chevrotains, wild boars, etc. can also be spotted here. Interesting attractions include Tat Fa Waterfall, Muang Thuat Waterfall, Khamin Cave naturally decorated with stalactites and stalagmites, and Camp 180 as well as Camp 357, which once were the base of the Communist Party of Thailand.

Thailand province - Ayuthaya

Bang Pa-in Summer Palace
Not only ancient places or temples, but also there are more places you may found in this long-historical province. A few miles down the Maenam Chao Phraya from Ayutthaya is the Bang Pa-In Summer Palace. The site was first used by the royal court as a summer retreat in the 17th century. However, the Palace was destroyed with the fall of Kingdom of Ayutthaya and was restored by King Rama IV in the mid-19th century. Most of the buildings that exist today date from the reign of King Rama V, who regularly spent his summers there. The structures represent a variety of architectural styles, set in a large park around ponds and waterways. The only royal residence open to the public is the Chiness-style Wehat Chamroon Palace, constructed entirely of materials imported from China. In addition, there is an Italian-style palace, a circular pavilion with steps leading down to a pool, the graceful Thai-style Aisawan Tippaya Asna Pavilion in the middle of a lake, and, across one of the waterways, a Buddhist chapel in the neo-Gothic style with stained-glass windows. Scattered around the extensive gardens are European statues as well as monuments ordered to be built by King Rama V in memory of members of his family, one of them a much-loved Queen who drowned in a boating accident.

Travel in Krabi

Ao Nang
Ao Nang is located approximately 6 kilometers from Hat Noppharat Thara and 20 kilometers from the town of Krabi. A large bay with scenic beaches and 83 small islands, Ao Nang has several famous beaches which include East Rai Le, West Rai Le and Tham Phra Nang (cave) which stretches to the foot of a prominent limestone range. A boat from Ao Nang Village can be hired for sightseeing excursions around Ao Nang, Hat Tham Phra Nang and Hat Nam Mao, all of which are only accessible by foot. Other offshore isles such as Ko Poda, Ko Kai, Ko Mo and Ko Thap, are popular destinations that can be reached by a rented boat from Ao Nang. An abundance of colorful coral reefs and lovely cartoon fishes make these islands ideal for diving and snorkeling.
Ao Nang has recently emerged as a 5-star tourist attraction due to its numerous 4-5 star hotels and boutique resorts complete with facilities such as diving shops and rental boats. Popular activities include sightseeing by canoe along the beachfront and paddling tours by inflatable canoes or kayaks of the coast and its mangrove forests, islands and semi-submerged caves.

Travel in Songkran festival

One of the best places to experience Songkran is in Chiang Mai, where it is celebrated on a grand scale with a flavour uniquely and entirely its own, attracting visitors from far and wide. This year, Songkran Thai New Year festivities scheduled for April 11-15, will be held at temples, in the vicinity of the city’s gates and around the city moat.
Devout Buddhists visit the temple for merit-making and to listen to sermons. Lustral water is sprinkled on sacred Buddha images, such as the Phra Buddha Sihing image, and also poured over the hands of monks in a gesture of reverence. Donations are also made to the temple. Enjoy traditional Thai cultural performances held in the temple ground.

One of the highlights of the festival is the 'Songkran Beauty Queen Procession' that takes place on Songkran Day itself - April 13. Meanwhile, many other events leading up to the main attraction are spread over several days and it is here that the visitor gets to see various aspects of Chiang Mai, first hand, — its culture, cuisine, arts and crafts, as well as the friendly people.

Circumcision in Old Brunei

In Brunei and in Indonesia, circumcision is known as bersunat but in Malaysia, berkhatan. In the earlier days, bersunat is considered as the mark of a true Muslim. Immediately just before the circumcision, the boy would be asked to recite the ‘kalimah sahadat’ which is the recitation every Muslims or would be Muslims undertake to declare themselves as Muslims – thus by saying it just before the

Brunei in the 2nd World War

I didn't realise there was a lot of interest in the WWII photographs I posted recently. I have a number of articles about the war and the invasion of Brunei. The one I found interesting was in the Time Magazine issue of June 25th, 1945, where an article entitled "Walkover on Borneo" described how the Allied Forces liberated the island of Borneo from the Japanese. The most interesting bit is the

Modern Circumcision in Brunei

My just turned 7 years old son was circumcised during the school holidays. He was scheduled to have done it together with a few of his cousins and anak buah last December but missed it as we were on holiday in KL. So this March, we had ample time to prepare. There is normally a fairly long queue at RIPAS, so it is best to book a time early. There are also a couple of private clinics which offer

Memukun - Brunei's Unique Tradition

I was staring at the computer last night raking my brain for today's topic when I heard someone being interviewed about 'memukun' on Rangkaian Nasional. Rangkaian Nasional has a program where people can actually sing through their telephones - a duet with another singer in the studio. I remembered in the 1980s when 'memukun' first appeared on national radio. A number of people who were trading at

Languages in Brunei

I haven't done a Brunei book review for quite a while. I thought I will do one on the many books that have arrived over the last couple of months.This book 'Language Use and Language Change in Brunei Darussalam' I thought was particularly interesting to people who study languages in Brunei. We take our languages for granted but apparently according to language researches, our beloved country

The Brunei Fort at Kinarut, Sabah

I was in Kuala Belait yesterday, and my brother-in-law who used to be the Chairman of KB/Seria Municipal Council told me that there is a road called Jalan Dakula in Seria. Dakula is the name of Sultan Hakkul Abdul Mubin's son who was raised by the Suluks in the Philippines/Sabah when his expecting mother was captured during the battle at Pulau Cermin. A grown up Datu Dakula came back to Brunei

Brunei in World War II

I was showing my old photographs collection when the topic of the second World War came up. Brunei as did many countries around the region suffered just as badly. A lot of our elderly Bruneians talked about how difficult life was. Unfortunately there were not many photographs available of Brunei during that war. Some of the few that I have are as follows (taken from the exhibits at Brunei Museum)

Pulau Cermin - Brunei's Historic Island

Since I was already on the water visiting the Jong Batu at one end of the Brunei River, I thought I might as well go to the other end and visit the other historical site of Brunei, Pulau Cermin.Pulau Cermin as many Brunei historians know it is the site of the temporary palace of Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin, the 13th Sultan of Brunei and is the site of the only civil war in Brunei History. Sultan

Jong Batu - Brunei's Rocky Ship

Even though I can swim (preferably on waters where I can see the bottom), I avoided doing anything on water. I have had my fair share of water travel. When I was a little boy, my father was the Temburong DO and we travelled about twice a week to and fro Bangar. I have even gone on the sea cruise with the Japanese SSEAYP program and a few other boat trips. But never ever on the water taxis. All

Brunei and the Empire

It's a long weekend and I needed something to fill in the daily entries. I browsed the internet looking for something on Brunei from others' point of view. I found many entries (non-Bruneian ones) and I kept some of them. I realised later that I could not find the original sites for me to link to. I will not make the comments on the writings, that I leave up to you. Here are some of their

Mauludin Rasul in Brunei Darussalam

I was watching television last night when there was someone from the Religious Affairs Ministry talking about the history of Maulud Nabi or as we now call it Maulidin Rasul - the ceremony to commemorate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad SAW. I was quite intrigued as he was talking about how grand the first celebration was which was surprisingly a few hundred years after the death of the Prophet.It

Brunei - the Proper Borneo

One of my father's old friends asked us when we arrived in Tutong for a Tahlil the other night "hujan di Brunei?" loosely translated "did it rain in Brunei?" When I was much younger, the first time I heard that I was taken aback. We were in Tutong - it's as if Tutong is in a different country.A wise guy would be tempted to say something along that line. But I refrain from doing so as I discovered

'Smoking' in Brunei by Awang Sihat

Do you know that RIPAS hospital is now officially a “No Smoking Zone”. There are billboards placed at every major entrance to RIPAS Hospital to remind people of this fact. This is one of many initiatives of the Ministry of Health in promoting a healthier lifestyle in our country, one of which is staying tobacco free.Unfortunately there are still many people smoking in the hospital especially

Brunei's New Definitive Stamps

On the Friday (23rd February) just before the 23rd National Day celebrations this year, the Postal Services Department released the new Brunei definitive stamps. Not many people seemed to have realised it but then in the era of the internet and skype, not that many Bruneians used the traditional communication methods anymore such as letter writing. As for me, other than for sending out Hari Raya

Brunei's Tasek Dam

I read on the internet about the recent World Water Day and the ceremony that was held at Brunei's oldest dam - the Tasek Dam. The Tasek Dam located in the heart of the capital, completed in 1964 marked a major milestone in the history of water supply in Brunei. Until then, there was no major water supply but with the Tasek Dam, it was the first main source of water supply to Pekan Brunei. The

Begawan Sultans of Brunei

Most people by now would have known our capital, Pekan Brunei was renamed Bandar Seri Begawan in honour of Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saiffuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien the Third, the 28th Sultan. If not, then you can read it at this post here. The name Seri Begawan Sultan was used by His Majesty when he abdicated or stepped down from the throne in 1967 thus installing His Majesty Sultan Haji

Indian Roads Experience

You know, a lot of people are still finding the Kiulap Roundabout to be difficult to go through. After spending four days on the Indian road, we discovered that they have a fool proof method when going through roundabout. If you are entering into a roundabout, you have the right of way, so you can ignore all the cars going around the roundabout - they have to stop for you coming in! The first

The Taj Mahal - More Photoshoots

Just arrived in Brunei yesterday afternoon. I haven't had the time to do a proper post yet, so I am uploading some of the photoshoots I took of the Taj Mahal and its surrounding areas. Note that the Taj Mahal itself is made out of white marble which was shipped in from about 300 km away but the rest of the buildings in the complex are made out of red stones available around the area. Hope you

No FRIDAY Posting

Just in case there is anyone out there searching for the Friday, 23rd March 2007 posting - there will be none. I have not figured out a way of how to post when I am 40,000 feet up in the sky just yet.

The Taj Mahal - A Wonder of the World

Yesterday we had some spare time, while waiting for our counterpart to prepare the text and go through the final process of cleaning up the languages, grammar etc for our signing later today, we thought why not go somewhere. And we did.We went to Agra to visit one of the World's seventh wonders - the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal was built about 400 years ago and took 22 years and 20,000 people to

A Bruneian in a Foreign City

Nothing on Brunei at all today, so if you are looking for one, read next week's entries when I am back in Brunei. For today, I am a photoblogger.Yesterday we had an interesting day. We spent the whole morning negotiating for the treaty and then spent the late afternoon and evening walking along the streets, using rickshaws and state of the art metro system opened just a few months ago and then

Brunei Wedding Tourism

For the next few days, I have to turn to writing about general observations about Brunei or turn into a tourist blog depending on whichever material I happened to have handy. It's a bit harder writing about Brunei when I am about a couple of thousand miles away from my library. While waiting for my car, I managed to snap a photograph of the local police car and their control post (complete with

200,000! And What I did on Sunday

After slightly more than a year on blogspot.com, I started on 11th March 2006 here, sometime today, the counter should read the above. There is not much for me to say but to thank everyone again for making the Daily BR your daily reading and hope that you all enjoyed the little snippets about Brunei. It's the little things that make us Bruneians Bruneians, you know what I mean.Yesterday, I took a

Brunei Cartoons by Lat

In 1981 or 1982, I remembered reading in the Singapore Straits Times, Datuk Mohammad Nor Khalid or better known as Lat, the famous Malaysian cartoonist went to Brunei and published a few drawings on his visit to Brunei. The Brunei series was published for around a week with about 6 drawings from that visit. At that time I was a student in Singapore and all the Brunei students in the hostel that

Origin of Tasek Merimbun

Tasek Merimbun is probably one of the more internationally known park in Brunei. It is the only one in the country to be declared an ASEAN National Heritage Site way back in 1984. The park has a total area of about 8,000 hectares. Two rivers flowed through to the lake named Sungai Meluncur and Sungai Bang Oncom. If you have ever been to Tasek Merimbun, the waters from the two rivers are fairly

Investment Treaties with Brunei

I have just been told that approval has been granted for me to lead a team from Brunei for an investment treaty negotiation with an Asian country. Negotiations will start Tuesday and I have to fly there on Monday with officers from the investment, legal and tax agencies for the third round of negotiations. It will be my second time leading the team. About a couple of weeks ago, a country from the

Will the Brunei Economy Grow in 2007?

I don't normally like putting my economist hat on. I do that in my day job and I like to go home and think, read and write about other things - and that's why I look at history and other things. However with the budget debate just over, sometimes I get people asking me what I think will happen to the Brunei's economy this year now that the budget has been passed especially given that that some of

Hidden Treasures - The Sungai Liang Park

The Sungai Liang Forestry Recreation Park is the first of two forestry recreation parks which you will find on the way to Labi. The other is the Luagan Lalak Forestry Recreation Park. Though this one is very much nearer to the main Tutong-Kuala Belait road, barely a two minute drive from the junction. Not many people know that this is the first of the Forestry Department's jungle recreation parks

Jalan Sultan

A very late night last night watching the Thailand-Myanmar Final. So I don't have time to do a proper write up for today. To make amends, today will just be a pictorial journey of Jalan Sultan from the 1940s to 1960s. These old four photographs are rarely seen. You can see the progress from the old kajang shops complete with kajang roofs towards concrete buildings. The fourth one was taken just

Serban Turban Lessons

If you have ever been on the haj, one of the things you would learn if you are a male, is how to tie the turban or better known in Brunei as serbans. Tying the turbans or as the Bruneians call it is to 'menambat serban'. Serban is that traditional headgear worn by Arabs but has more or less been accepted as an Islamic head dress. Wearing a turban usually signifies that the person has been on the

Legislative Council 2007 Sessions

Someone mentioned to me that some of the people he spoke to think that the Legislative Council is just a rubber stamp and that all the legislations have already been approved - indirectly, saying that this is a waste of time.I wrote about the Legislative Council process almost a year ago which I am sure not many people have read. Click on it, so that I won't have to bother to describe the

Support Our Andaman Youths

I received an invitation to the opening of a restaurant in Beribi. I told my secretary that I won't be coming. However I did not realise the persistence of the organisers. They called me up again and sweet talked me into attending it. I was wondering who these people were. But you know what? I am glad I attended because I think this is the group of people that we need for the future of Brunei -

Muhibah March/April 2007

I was quite surprised to see a photo of me in the Pelita Brunei behind the Royal Family when Brunei scored against Cambodia in the first game of the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy. Luckily it was taken a few seconds after my colleagues and I had literally jumped out of our seats to celebrate that goal. Unfortunately it was all downhill from there and I was saddened to hear that we did not make it to the

Labi - Brunei's Beautiful Interior

Last Sunday, I visited Labi together with my parents. For my father, it was a nostalgic trip. The last time he visited Labi was in the 1960s when he was an Officer at the Belait District Office and for my mother, like me, it was our first ever trip down the Labi Road. We have often passed by the turnoff going into Labi everytime we go to KB or Seria but Sunday was the first time, we deliberately

Padians of Brunei's Kampung Ayer

I was having a chat with my mother the other day talking about our visit to the floating market in Thailand when my father was in the diplomatic service. My mother told me that the floating market is strictly more for the tourists coming to Thailand. She said that usually by about 11 when all the tourists have left, the floating market traders would disappear too. There was hardly any local which

Travelling in Time

Whenever I drive down the Tutong-Kuala Belait highway (albeit the highway stops just before Telisai), I realised that the road linking Kuala Belait and Bandar Seri Begawan was built in my life time. It did not exist before 1961. If the road was not built, we would still be travelling from Kuala Belait to Pekan Brunei or Brunei Town via the beach.During the years before the road was built, cars

Hidden Treasure - Luagan Lalak Forestry Recreation Park

If you talk about Labi, you talk about the famous Labi oranges. For the diehard naturalist amongst us, they would talk about some of the more famous off the main roads beautiful nature spots. Unfortunately some of them may take a bit of an effort to get to such as Wasai Wong Kadir in Labi which is a 45 minute walk from the main Labi Road. For those who enjoy walking up and down jungle treks

The Third Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy

Brunei 2 Cambodia 2 was the final score last night. Brunei could have gone 3-0 up in the first 25 minutes but the missed penalty was a chance that we rued. Brunei's second goal by no.10 Mohd Najib probably was one of the best I have ever seen at the stadium. He was easily the man of the match. But the lethal combination of Cambodia's no.8, 9 and 10 is probably something that the Brunei defence

Tales of a Village

Imagine about a hundred years back when 'padians' were still selling wares among the houses in the water village. Among the goods and wares that the padians would be selling would be food and fruits. With Bruneians living on the water, someone somewhere would have to plant the food and fruits and someone would have to get them from somewhere. This was the job of 'pengalu' and not 'padians'.

The Local Brunei Writing Scene

I find it ironic that for Brunei Malays or Brunei Chinese that we are proud of whatever race we belong to, we speak the languages but surprisingly if I was to ask the Malays - do you read Malay books and the Chinese - do you read Chinese books - the answer I get is often the negative. Not many of us read books in our native languages yet we all race to the next best selling English novels. Some

Old Brunei Palaces

It would be quite impossible to find anybody in Brunei who don't know where Istana Nurul Iman is. The degree of knowledge obviously tapers off as you go down the list of Istanas or palaces in Brunei. Istana Nurul Izzah in Jerudong, Istana Darul Hana in Jalan Tutong, the guest palace Istana Edinburgh in Jalan Menteri Besar, Istana Darussalam in Kampung Sumbiling, Istana Manggalela in Belait and

You can't do that!

Last year, I was attracted to a book called "Don't sit on this book" written by Philip Cheong. It was an interesting book as it is a collection of Chinese taboos and superstitions. The things the Chinese can or cannot do. Philip Cheong is a Master at the Fung Shui Academy in Malaysia. He pointed out that one of the interesting things about taboos is that as they are passed down from generations

The Brunei Book Fair

The Book Fair is finally here. Book fairs in Brunei are a mixed affair. I don't know whether this is a reflection of our society as a whole or is it because of our small size or something else. I have been to book fairs in other parts of the world. There all I see are books and many and many more books. In Brunei, I see books but I also see computers, compasses and carpets among the book sellers.

Is Bukit Beruang (Bears' Hills) full of Bears?

I was at Bukit Beruang yesterday to attend another wedding. For those who sort of vaguely remember seeing the name - it's a resettlement area on the way from Tutong to Kuala Belait. Bukit Beruang was originally a small village until they turned the nearby area into another perpindahan or resettlement area. It's populated mostly by Tutong people and a few other non-Tutongians who applied to get a

National Day - the aftermath

There was a lot of nationalistic feeling yesterday judging from what I read and all the people I talk to. I certainly enjoyed myself marching with 112 people from my agency in front of His Majesty. The performance on the field despite having seen several rehearsals and knowing what to expect, was still as exciting as ever. I know the things that had to be done to get everything to go like

Happy National Day 2007!

Defining Moments in Brunei in Books

I thought I will share two books with you on the day of our 23rd National Day celebrations. These two are written in Malay and and one is written partly by our own Brunei historians. Both are published by Dewan Bahasa Pustaka Malaysia and both surprisingly published in 1995, though one of them has been republished in 2001. The two books entitled “Sejarah Brunei Menjelang Kemerdekaan” written by

Join the 23rd National Day Celebrations!

This morning as was yesterday morning, I will be at the Padang for the National Day rehearsal. Yesterday morning was the first time I was able to come and I got to see what everyone will be seeing on Saturday. It was a full dress rehearsal but our team was not yet wearing our full suit. I was told that mine is still making its way from a factory in KB plus the fact that the Admin Head Honcho

Makam di Luba

If you drive along Jalan Tutong, immediately past the Shell Filling Station at Kampung Bunut, you will see a simpang entering into Kampung Bunut with a sign that says "MAKAM DI LUBA". For the non-Malays, Makam means a grave normally associated with royalties or great men and women. I like many countless others have passed by that road sign so many times ever since we build a house further up

Visit Brunei Year 2008

My little boy, my better half and I spent our public holiday yesterday visiting some of our more touristy places. It was partly for fun as it has been ages since we last went there; partly for my 7 year old, a new interest in museums after watching ‘A Night at the Museum’ and partly for me, it was duty as these areas fall under my purview for funding and with the upcoming VBY2008, I have to be

Unusual Brunei Transportations

Today I thought I will share some very old photographs of unusual transportation in Brunei which for some reason did not catch on until today. If they were still around, it would be fun to see them.Both of these were operated by Brunei Shell about 40 to 50 years ago. The first is more common in other countries. But unfortunately in Brunei, there were used in only two places - one was in Brooketon

Gōng Xǐ Fā Cái, Hóng Bāo Nálái

Happy Chinese New Year to readers celebrating it. You know it’s funny. Whenever it’s time to look at the new moon to decide the new fasting or end of fasting, people will bring up their Chinese calendar expert – ‘…mengikut bulan Cina, hari ani guarantee nampak anak bulan – bulan china 3 hari sudah…’ etc. Yet, nobody asked if the Chinese calendar is a lunar calendar like the Muslim, how come the

Cinema Memories in Brunei

In the 1960s and 1970s I remembered going to the padang in Muara watching movies being played there. There will be lots and lots of people there – all watching black and white movies. I don’t think the movies were in colour then. I remembered my dad used to own one of those home movie projectors and every time we stayed at my auntie’s place in Seria, he would play one of those silent movies and

Chuchill Memorial Again

It took me a while but I finally got it - the elusive photograph of the Winston Churchill statute. It's here. The photo is from the back of the statute but at least for Bruneians who have never seen it, this is what it looks like. The statute was taken down sometime in 1991, almost 15 years ago. If you are aged 20 and below, you would not remember it even if you did see it in those days.I found

100th Anniversary of the Capital on dry land

Yesterday, HRH The Crown Prince officially opened the Exhibition to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Brunei Capital moving officially to dry land. It was the first British Resident McArthur who suggested that the capital to be moved to dry land in 1906. The capital began to take place on dry land where it is now. I wrote about this earlier.I have to admit the Bandar Seri Begawan Municipal

What do you know about Valentine's Day?

I wrote the valentine article exactly 12 months ago last year for my predecessor site on spaces.msn.com and prepared it sometime last week to republish it today. I didn't realise the Friday sermon would come first. The Imams are technically correct that Valentine's Day is named after St. Valentine. However even then, Valentine's Day was named to replace an even older pagan festival. Anyway, I

So, is El Ninõ coming?

A couple of weeks back the media was talking about El Ninõ - how that would bring severe drought to Brunei over the next couple of months after the heavy rain in December. My mother in law was worried enough to ask for her water storage tank to be inspected. She was worried about the drought as everyone did. For the uninitiated, El Ninõ is a climatic phenomenon occurring irregularly, but

National Flag and National Anthem of Brunei Darussalam

I was reading the program book that came together yesterday while attending the raising of the giant Brunei flag to mark the start of the 23rd National Day celebration. It contained a lot of information about our national flag and our national anthem. I thought I will share the information with everyone.I have touched on the information about our national flag in my post about the flag in July

Victim of hit and run

Assalamualaikum Mr. BR,This is a tough email for me to write...Anyway, you must have read or listen to the news, a 41 yr old man was killed in a fatal road accident this morning, 10 Feb 2006. That man was attending to a flat tyre at the highway when he was hit by a pick-up truck driven by a foreign national. That man was Allahyarham Haji Hussin bin Haji Mustapa, he was my brother-in-law, i.e. my

Clean Brunei?

The other day the Brunei State Mufti was talking about dogs in Hyde Park in London. Caught your attention, didn’t I? Anyway, he wasn't talking about the dogs per se but he was talking about the dog owners. He saw them picking up after the dogs and actually putting the droppings into a plastic bag. He even saw one guy putting the bag into his pocket. His point was that these people are responsible

Ministry of Education's Strategic Plan 2007-2011

The Ministry of Education launched its strategic plan for 2007 to 2011 recently. I wasn’t able to attend the launching itself but our agency's representative was able to attend it and gave me a copy of the plan. The launching ceremony was quite huge compared to most launching of government ministries’ strategic plans. I thought among others, the Ministry of Education’s plan for the future is

In memory of Brunei's Churchill Memorial Exhibition Building

I am writing an article for a travel magazine and one of the photographs I needed was that of the Churchill Museum. You remember? The famous Churchill Museum with the statute of Sir Winston Churchill and his famous two finger V shaped signature? (V actually stands for Victory but in the 1960s that two finger V shaped sign became a symbol for Peace.)And guess what? I could not find a single

Unique Brunei Durians

During the end of a meeting yesterday, my senior colleague was talking about an old friend of his, now very much his junior, who is based in Bangar, Temburong. My senior colleague was talking about that friend getting him Durian Senokoh which he said is very nice. I am not much of a local durian connoisseur but I am pretty sure I have not come across that particular name. So I looked through my

Pekan Brunei

On 21st August 1971, Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien, then known as Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan graciously consented to unveil a monument to commemorate the renaming of Pekan Brunei or Brunei Town as Bandar Seri Begawan at the Town Padang. That plaque still stands if you visit the padang. (By the way in that photo, you can also make out the old cinema, the Boon

The Ambuyat

The other night, our agency was hosting a bunch of international people here in Brunei. During dinner, I overheard one of my colleagues trying to explain to them about Brunei’s local food – the ambuyat – how it was prepared and where it came from. I realized that even though most of us Bruneians know what ambuyat is, and probably know a little bit of how it is prepared, some of us might know a

More on Brunei's Philatelic History

I thought I will follow up on my brunei stamp history to correct my earlier posting on Brunei stamp. In my previous posting I noted that "...it wasn't until 1952 before the government issued the first Brunei stamps with the picture of His Majesty Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saiffudien, the 28th Sultan thus beginning the modern era of Brunei stamps..." However I have since discovered that this is not so.

Hidden Food in Brunei

My posting on the banquet held in honour of the visiting Lao PM brought comments from both sides of the fence. I remembered when I mentioned to someone that I will be attending the Birthday banquet last July, someone begged me to take photos of the banquet and post it. I was a bit hesitant - there is the grandeur and the luxury and not everyone is comfortable with that. But I relented and did it

The Welfare Trap in Brunei

Sometimes my mind wanders. The other day, one of my officers was telling me a story about one of his relatives having 4 wives and 25 children - all living in the same house. I thought that was an extreme example of tolerance about people being able to stay together especially the spouses under one roof. Unfortunately we were talking about poverty, about his relative's children who had difficulty

Official Banquet for Lao Prime Minister

Last night, I was at the banquet hall of the Palace - Istana Nurul Iman – for the Official Banquet given by His Majesty in honour of Bouasone Bouphavanh, the Prime Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. The previous banquet for a visiting head was almost a year ago when it was a State Banquet for the visiting Indonesian President.I thought the food wasn’t as lavish as the last one as

Collection of Jong Sarat

I spent the whole day at Rizqun yesterday at the Mall in Gadong. No, I am not on leave. I was attending an executive forum on central banks’ reserve management. The speakers were from the World Bank Treasury. It was full of phrases like ‘strategic asset allocation’, ‘standard deviation of volatility’, ‘asset classes’ and ‘efficient frontiers’ – sounds interesting? Ya, if you are into it. Reminds

Kampung Sungai Bunga

There are three modern Kampung Ayer resettlement villages - Kampung Sungai Bunga, Kampung Bolkiah A and Kampung Bolkiah B. These three resettlement villages are the ideal (by today's standards at least) of what the houses should look like. No doubt, aesthetically there is much to be desired as the houses each looking like the other becomes rather characterless and aesthetically challenged but at

A Tutong Wedding

I was in Kampung Penanjong, Tutong for the wedding ceremony of a relative yesterday afternoon. I haven't attended a wedding in Tutong for quite sometime, so this time round I was watching the ceremony closely. The first thing I noticed was that after the usual 'pusing naga' (the three circles) the groom had to break a couple of bamboo pieces at the entrance of the house before going in to sit at

Old Main Roads of Brunei

For today, not much words are necessary. I thought I will post photographs of the beginning of the various main roads in the main city and towns of Brunei. The first one is obviously Jalan Sultan in the capital. I am not sure what year this is but the Customs Building at the end of the road has been built. Though all the shophouses remain intact as compared to the shophouses of today.This is

Short History of Brunei Aviation

According to observers, the first airplane to fly over Brunei was a seaplane spotted over Tutong in 1922. Prior to the second world war, there was no airfield in Brunei. The first runaway was built by the Japanese during the second world war at the current Old Airport Government Complex. After the end of the war, that runaway was improved upon and a proper airport was built. The first commercial

Glimpses of Authority

Once in a while, I run out of ideas of what to write. Not that there is nothing to write about - there are just too many things about Brunei that no blogs in the world can cover it. So for today I thought I will share with you the views from my office. I took the title of the posting from the links of a recently started blog about the Maktab Sains Class of 1979 which labelled The Daily BR -

Origin of Kampung Keriam

The first school I attended was the Sekolah Melayu Muda Hashim at Bukit Bendera in Tutong. It was on top of a hill and in those days I can see monkeys and squirrels swinging by on the trees behind the school. Most of the students spoke Tutong and I think I caught a few words here and there. After Primary 1, my family moved to Bandar, otherwise I would have been a fluent Tutong speaker. So Tutong

Brunei's Diehard Football Fans

I am not a diehard football fan. The world does not end when my team doesn't win but I guess when you support teams that are not expected to win most of the time, any win is a bonus but losses are not painful. I supported a couple of fairly unsuccessful teams which I mentioned a couple of posting ago but I didn't realise the extent of English football support in Brunei currently.When I was on the

Brunei's Street Lamps in 1960

Out of the blue, I received the following email from a Mike in London who wrote that:-"Although I have yet to visit Brunei, and I have friends there, thanks for posting the old photos of Brunei - it's a strange world, but I have recently being doing some research into old British streetlights - I told you it was strange - and there on those 1950s/60s photos are some old UK style concrete lamp

Made-up Words in Brunei

I was watcing Juara Lagu on TV3 last night when the presenter reminded that the word 'kugiran' is actually a made up word - kumpulan gitar rancak thus the first syllables of the three words making up kugiran. That reminded me when I first heard of the word many years ago about the days of the Beatles who spearheaded the boys band and in the Malay world, we had many other 'kugirans' following suit

5 Things Meme

If you are expecting something about Brunei today, I am sorry. I was tagged by Ms Maurina to do a 5 things meme(?). At first I am not sure what a meme is. I thought of reading the wiki entry on it but when I saw the mile long entry, I thought to myself - hei, I got better things to do than that. So I thought I will just read what everyone's meme is all about. Apparently the idea is to get to know

The National Football Scene

I got an email from the webmaster of Brunei's Manchester United Football Club wishing to exchange links. I checked out their website and found that the club is active and has just recently recruited its 100th member. That does indicate something. At least MU is a winning team and has its fair share of supporters in Brunei. I was wondering whether to reciprocate the link as MU is not exactly my

Maal Hijrah 1428

Tomorrow or rather this evening will be the beginning of the New Islamic Year, the Hijra of 1428. This evening, the celebration will be held at the Jame Asr Hassanil Bolkiah where the doa for the end of the year and the beginning of the new year will be read. I think there is also a presentation that will be done - the Hijra awards to the Tokoh Ugama - those who have contributed the most to the

Ahuta Sar Mata Seri Buhana

When I raided my dad's collection of books last weekend, I found one which I think should be read by those who are very interested in Brunei culture and which I really really hope that Dewan Bahasa will reproduce or reprint or whatever but at least make it available to the public again.The book is entitled "Ikhtisar Budaya" which was first published by DBP in 1976 and have been reprinted in 1982

Managing Natural Disasters in Brunei

Yesterday was another long drive to get to the office. The landslide at Tasek Meradun is not that far from where I live and we found that the road in front of the house is deserted as the police has closed the road heading towards Tasek Meradun from both ends. The driver decided that rather than be caught at the Jalan Gadong jam, we should to go through Sengkurong, Jerudong and the highway and

Old Muara Revisited

Does anyone remember the old Jin Tong's filling station at the end of the shophouses in Muara? It's no longer there as the Port has expanded right up to the edge of the shophouses. My better half told me that the late Jin Tong used to have another shop in front of Customs in Bandar. Anyway, I received an e-mail from a Muara resident or to be exact a Serasa resident when I posted the picture of

Old Brunei Coins

I think a number of postings had been made about Brunei money on this site as well as promoting the Brunei Currency and Monetary Board Gallery where visitors can come and see for themselves Brunei's currency throughout the ages where among others in the past, Bruneians were using miniature cannons and metal strips as forms of currencies. The cannons were not too bad as there are many other

Smart Girls Finish Last?

Yesterday, I only managed a cursory glance at the Bulletin and because of that, a string of articles which I thought was ironic caught my eye. Somehow I found them related to each other and in some sense can make one fairly caught in a bind as to which one we should follow.The first was an article by our infamous Ignatius entitled thought yesterday's Weekend Bulletin Smart Girls Finish Last.

Main Mosques in Brunei through the Ages

Brunei has been a Muslim country for about 500 years now. You would have thought that there would be lots of old mosques in Brunei. But the oldest I think are no more than 50 years old and most of the older ones have been demolished. Even then the older ones are not much older than say 80 or 90 years old. This is because practically all our older mosques are constructed out of timber so none has

Brunei's Churchill Museum and Stamps

I wanted to write about the Churchill Museum today and searched for a photo of the museum. That's when I discovered I don't have a single photo of the museum. I will have to ask my dad later on today if he has one in his collection. But what I do have are three Brunei first day covers depicting Churchill. The authorities clearly adored him in those days - the first first day cover was issued in

The Golf Spirit at the Empire

What I am about to narrate here is something that if it happened to someone else, I would have dismissed it and probably said that that person's brain needs a bit of a check up. I have heard many stories at the Empire and the RBGCC in Jerudong and have smiled everytime I hear those stories. But this time you read and decide.I am writing this immediately after I just got back from the Empire

57 Reasons Why I Like Living in Brunei

I found this interesting list entitled "57 Reasons Why I Like Living in Brunei" on the internet written by who I gather to be an American by the name of Steve Ryan. It was written 10 years ago in 1997 and some references are slightly out of date. It gave a different perspective to Brunei Darussalam:-1. Everybody drives on the wrong side of the road but head-on collisions are very rare.2. If you

Gadong Wet Market by Bruneian

The Gadong Wet Market is situated near the famous Mall Gadong. It is a one stop shopping center for chefs and the likes. Loads and loads of raw material for them here, waiting to be processed. Anakbrunei, zadm and I went there on Sunday to do a 50mm outing. It's a perfect place for it.The fish mongers were a little bit shy at first. We can hear them shouting "nah kana gambar tia, ada mukamu arah

Kampung Ayer: Heritage of Brunei Darussalam

I was going through a number of books in my collection searching for old Brunei photographs over the last few days. I have been scanning a number of them and to date I have about a 100 or more of them. I have made a small selection available in my previous postings. The oldest of them is as usual - that of Kampung Ayer. I did not realise that one of the earliest photographs of Brunei was that of

Old Bandar Seri Begawan

Jewelle commented that she loved to see old photographs and a few others commented the same. So I thought I will share some of my old Brunei photographs with you all today.On the left is a photo of a procession along Jalan Sultan. I don't know when this was taken. I am guessing around late 1940s or early 1950s. You can see the old HSBC building in the background. Use that as a focal point and you

Origin of You Know You Are Bruneian When...

I found the following piece about 'you know you are Canadian when...' and read an almost familiar piece about the peculiarities of Canadians similar to the 'you know you are Bruneian' postings. The postings that I di in July and November about 'you know you are Bruneian' attracted many comments from both sides - those who agreed and those who didn't. I came across a couple blogs which flamed me

The Jalan Tutong Jam

I saw a frustrated motorist commenting on HYS entitled "Tahniah Polis" - "Biskita telah membuat kerja yang baik sadaya upaya kan melancarkan perjalanan kereta di sapanjang jalan kilanas, tasek meradun bunut HARI INI. TAPI TIDAK BERJAYA BAIK PULANG KAMI PAKAI LAMPU SAJA. HARI ADALAH HARI PALING JEM BERMULA DARI KILANAS. SELALUNYA BERMULA HANYA DARI TASEK MERADUN TAPI HARI ANI POLIS ADA BERTUGAS

Old Brunei

I thought I will share some more photographs today of the old Brunei and one painting based on one scenery of Bandar Seri Begawan which is no longer there.If anyone remembers, the painting was the Jalan Sultan Lama (?), if I am not mistaken. It has been ages ago since I last saw it. That particular scene is where the current Portview Restaurant is. The Kampung Ayer used to go up right to the

Old Muara

I was at Muara at my brother-in-law's yesterday where we had our Hari Raya Haji gathering. As usual when siblings and in-laws get together, the talk turned towards history - what happened to who and how did this come about etc. My brother-in-law took out several photos - really really old photos - being the self-appointed keeper of all these stuffs and it was guessing time as to who was that 2

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Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy for aseantourguide.blogspot.com

If you require any more information or have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us by email at ayu.lindsay@yahoo.com.au

At aseantourguide.blogspot.com, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by aseantourguide.blogspot.com and how it is used.

Log Files

Like many other Web sites, aseantourguide.blogspot.com makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

Cookies and Web Beacons

aseantourguide.blogspot.com does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.

DoubleClick DART Cookie

.:: Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on aseantourguide.blogspot.com.

.:: Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to aseantourguide.blogspot.com and other sites on the Internet.

.:: Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html

Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site. Our advertising partners include ....

Google Adsense

Amazon

These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on aseantourguide.blogspot.com send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

aseantourguide.blogspot.com has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. aseantourguide.blogspot.com's privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites.

New Year Reading

It's a pretty wet beginning to 2007. Yesterday it rained practically the whole day. Luckily the only time it didn't rain was when my wife and I walked back to our car at JPMC carpark after attending a wedding ceremony for my colleague's daughter at JPPC. It's funny that I felt a bit tired yet that's exactly the same route and distance I had to walk for hole #1 and hole #2 when playing golf there