Brunei - exploratory trip

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hi all,

the last time i checked in was to write about my silicon valley trip, usa....this time in may, i was sent on a exploratory trip to see if there's any possibility of tie-ups with Brunei schools and also if our gals can go there for attachment...yea..it's a working trip...so gotta do report and all 😞

i've never been to brunei, heard that it was a boring place (hey hey..don't kill me...that's what i hear from many many friends!) and also that they are rich...teeming with oil and also drive nice cars there...😊

my own assumption before the trip was that brunei was a safe place and with lots of $$$ and also oil and quite like malaysia and indonesia...and i gotta dress decently..yep..no short sleeves and no shorts and singlets...(which can be quite tough for me - a singlet lover and one who tries to dress down whenever i'm not working - yep - given a choice, i'd like to be a PE teacher and wear shorts and tees to school everyday !!)

the trip lasted 3 nights and 3 full days and we were on our feet from morning 7am to 10.30pm...guess the organisers wanted to give us max exposure to the brunei culture and also to max our time spent there... (at this juncture, i'd like to thank karen and casey for the great networking they have done...we were accompanied by a mobile policeman the whole trip..and treated like vips everywhere we went!!)

it was quite interesting..an eye opener and also a time to re-learn about our neighbours....yep..it's only 1.5 hours to 2 hr flight ...courtesy of Royal Brunei airlines and i luv short flights !!

i also made some friends in edn line...learnt that two out of the 16 "know" me actually due to a talk or course we attended....not sure if they were happy to c me again..but hope that i was not a pain for anyone on the trip...and actually found that one member was my new neighbour...*grin...

i like the students (yep..they are really nice and polite) and also the friendly ways of the people we met...

another pleasant surprise was that there were lotsa of water villages (kampong ayer) and that brunei is really clean and organised...

as for shopping...well..let's say that u should do that back home lah..just buy the keropok and the ice-cream (real cheap at 25cents each bar!!) ...

okay..enuff of rambling...have fun with the pix!!

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Photos

batik assignments
the students did batik painting as part of their art work..we were given a piece of batik as souvenir :)

principal and her deputies
the very first lady principal at Sekolah Menegah Sultan Jamalul Alam School

copper tooling
some of the artwork on display

a folk game
Playing folk games – looks like wei qi but it’s not!

village headman's house
trying out the cooking..which was a disaster

water village
bruneian water village...very different from the water village in china!

a local kueh kueh staff
local wet market which sells lotsa goreng pisang for $1...

the water village
water villages in brunei are pretty self contained and they have a hospital, schools - both pri and sec, houses and even museum..here's i'm at the entrance of the museum which has quite an interesting array of things

the village headman
his house was opulent and it was interesting to see chandliers, victorian furniture and even nice carpets as part of the setting in the sitting room..There were many pix of famous people who have visited his house...

with some of the delegates
with some of the delegates..principals and teachers from s'pore

the longhouse
one of the attractions - longhouse which houses many families..each long house is quite deep in and there are no beds..only mattresses!

the longhouse
children at the longhouse

ride to the nature reserve
ride to the nature reserve

at the summit
we climbed up one of the hills in the forest reserves...it was a good workout...

at the summit 2
with casey

Maktab Sains Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan
with the p of the famous school for sultans...a very unassuming and intelligent lady

pewter done by students
pewter done by students from Brunei Arts and Handicraft Training Centre. The centre was started to provide training in the arts and handicrafts and to revive the arts and handicrafts of master craftsmen and women weavers.
They run 5 courses for youths below 35 years old that have completed their Form 2 or higher. They are: weaving, silver smithing, wood carving, brass smithing, basketry and “songkok” making.

engraving on elephant's trunk
making things fit for the king...literally...the sultan and his family is much loved by bruneians...

chung hwa school
one of the chinese schools we visited..it's well regarded in brunei

sitting on the chair made for kings
nice reception area at the Brunei Arts and Handicraft centre