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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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