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……Pg.1 ……Pg.2 ……Pg.3 ……Pg.4 …...Pg.5 …...Pg.10 …...Pg.12 …...Pg.13 2 Hello again guys! Welcome to the 3rd issue of The Expat’s guide. This month we are looking at Brunei Darussalam. There is bucket loads of Wps and hints about where to go to eat, to play and to relax. This issue is very close to my heart as I am currently living in Brunei, so everything that has been wriYen about in here I have experienced and know firsthand how true all this informaWon is. In this issue we will look at, the effects of moving countries on small children, the top 10 must see places in Brunei, macaque mischief, lifestyle changes compared to Australia and a story about a fridge! I hope that you will find this info useful. I sure would have liked it when I first moved to Brunei! NEXT ISSUE: MOVING TO KOREA. 3 Is it worth the effort? Is it worth the effort? Should you take a step out of your comfort zone and experience a ‘parallel world’? Should you grab life by the neck and take that daring leap? Yes. Simply yes. Moving to Brunei is one of the most amazing experiences you could have and you benefit in so many ways. Kids. There is a whole lot of adults who stop and think, ‘I have kids is this even an opWon?’ Brunei is a brilliant child friendly country. The crime rate is extremely low. Brunei doesn’t even make the top 150 for the highest crime rates worldwide. Kidnappings are also a major concern for parents. Brunei on average has 0.1 kidnappings per year and murder and burglary are rare as well. In Brunei safety is taken very seriously and if your house alarm is set off they will call you within seconds to let you know and to ask you if you would like the police to check in on your house. Everyone in Brunei is very tolerant of kids. There are barely any restricWons on where you can take your kids. It is even acceptable to (only if needed) take your children to work. Almost everyone speaks great English so living is Brunei is easy as long as you stay open minded. Then living in Brunei will be just like an island holiday. The internaWonals schools in Brunei are fantasWc and provide a wide array of extra curricular acWviWes for your child. And because everything in Brunei is so cheap you can afford to send your child on wonderful, educaWonal excursions to Borneo, Penang, Temberong and many other places. These are once in a lifeWme experiences that your child will love and your child will have memories they will keep forever. Brunei Darussalam, ‘A kingdom of hidden treasures’ the billboard outside the airport reads. Some how this slogan sums up the whole country in one sentence, as hard as it may seem it does. Since I have moved to Brunei I have had some of the most bizarre, interesWng and fun experiences. I have been offered a puppy, a two-­‐week old porcupine, I have had one of the best red velvet cupcakes ever, some truly fantasWc food and have gawked at a few of the most amazing gardens, pools and buildings on Earth. Brunei is full of liYle gems; small restaurants with great home cooked fresh food and friendly people that if asked politely will always give help. Now a worry for some people especially Australians (like myself) are concerned about having to leave things behind for example my beloved Tim-­‐
tams, vegemite or bacon. This is not a worry due to the steady intake of westerners you can get all those things you loved back home. Here in Brunei we have KFC, McDonalds, Bakeries, Cafes and buffets. And just for those of you with fussy kids it is hard to find a restaurant that will not make them chips. Also for the adults Brunei is a dry country (no alcohol) but you can drive over the border and buy alcohol there. The limit is two boYles and 12 cans per person. Driving over the border is a great chance to experience Malaysia. When you cross the border you walk onto a liYle street lined with shops and stalls filled with food, there is music and everyone is very friendly and the whole process is very easy and a great excuse to see a part of Malaysia. So ease your mind and take the plunge you won’t regret the move. No maYer who you are there is something for everyone in Brunei. 4 The most important thing you need to remember about these Macaque monkeys is that they are wild. Go close and they will bite you. They will not muck around if they think you are a threat. One bite equals a trip to the hospital and it is almost certain that the monkey ahs injected some kind of disease into your blood stream. But the thing that we need to focus on is what goes on when your not home. Macaque monkeys breaking into houses is uncommon but not impossible. This happening is more of a threat to those who live close to a river or a jungle. I know firsthand that Macaques can be very aggressive. I was in an apartment with some of my parents friends, they had cut up some apples. They took kalf of the cut up apples outside to throw out for the monkeys and had lel the other half of the apples on a plate on the kitchen bench in the window. They closed the door and went outside. One of the monkeys spoYed the apples through the window and went and sat on the window sill. Then he proceeded to place his paws on the window, bang and make a lot of noise. We all rushed inside and locked the door and hid the apples in the fridge. The monkey conWnued to make a lot of noise and bang about but aler 2-­‐3 minutes he lost interest and wandered off. The moral to this story is don’t tempt the Macaque monkeys! 5 Do you have kids? No Do you like peace and quiet or do you like to Do you want be busy and Keep Fit cheap, easy meals keep fit? Peace & Quiet Classy surroundin
gs or entertainm
ent for the whole family? Classy Surroundings for the family or a nice buffet? Do you like swimming laps or enjoy a spa-­‐
like swimming pool? Spa like pool Jungle No Swimming Squash laps Do you want to hangout with friends and family or have some me-­‐
Wme? Me-­‐Wme Deep end All shallow JERUDONG PARK POLO CLUB POOL This classy pool is the perfect place for you! You can relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. You can also enjoy an ice cool drink from the swim up bar! Do you prefer the jungle or a playground for Playground the family? Cheap meals Buffet Whole family A pool with a deep end or a pool that is all shallow? Yes Are you an animal lover? Yes A walk on a jungle path or a game of squash or badminton? Jungle Do you want a casual stroll or Friends & Family a full-­‐on Workout workout? ROYAL BRUNEI RECREATION CLUB This fun, upbeat place is perfect for you to workout, play squash or take the kids for a swim or they can enjoy the large playground. Casual Stroll BERAKAS BEACH This place is definitely for the animal lovers. Berakas beach is a great place to get in touch with nature and see lots of monkeys, Wny sand crabs and lizards. 6 Story Hme: What does my refrigerator think about me? Open, close, open, close, open, close, open, close. That is my life from my birth but not to my death. I know from the Wp of my power cord to my silver non-­‐
slip extra grip handle that one day I will do something beYer. Something more worthwhile with my Wme than turning on my L.E.D light on for Sylvie. Ugh Sylvie don’t even get me started on her, she’s the worst of the worst. I mean decide what you want to eat before you open the door! Do you know how hard it is to keep myself at 7 degrees Celsius at all Wmes with all these hairless apes constantly opening the door. And get this right someWmes they don’t even take anything out to eat. As if you couldn’t offend a refrigerator more. It’s common courtesy. Open the door, take something out, you eat it. As simple as that. And then I felt a Wngle. My air condiWoning vents ha d a disgusWng smell flowing through. Destroying the smell of all the other food. Then I figured out what it was… a ro\en egg sandwich. All right. That is it. This is the last straw. I conjure all of the strength in my 2005 ediWon air con, open the door and expel the sandwich. It flies through the air and this is the best part. It hits Sylvie. 7 Story Hme conHnued: What does my refrigerator say about me? Square between the eyes. She catches the sandwich, screams and runs upstairs to take a shower. Now for the next part of my brilliant scheme to do beYer things in my life. I am going to move. I am going to use my stubby silver legs and I am going to walk out the door and away from this place. I don’t care where I go as long as I am not here. You know what. I am a preYy good looking fridge, maybe his majesty the Sultan will treat me beYer. That’s a fantasWc idea I am going to go to the Sultan. So that is the answer to all my troubles. I wanted to do something beYer with my life, and that beYer thing I will do is to be fridge to the Sultan. But there is one problem….. I am going to need a Wtle. How about #1 Fridge, His majesty Fridge, Emperor Fridge. Hmmm I will have to tackle this problem later, right now I have to get there. Okay here we go. I feel the power surge through me and I move. Well I don’t move. I feel the power surge through me again. But this Wme I really feel it, you know. And then I move. No. NO. How is this possible all that energy, all that emoWon and I haven’t moved an inch. Aler a quick 3 hr. therapy session of staring at the HOT oven. I realize that if I can’t move, then I’ll just have… 8 Story Hme conHnued: What does my refrigerator say about me? To stay here but I am not letng them open me. No way I am going to stay shut to that family forever. Never again will they insult me. At that very moment Sylvie walks down the stairs and straight towards me. She places her sweaty unwashed hands on my handles and pull. But I don’t open. She tries again. But this Wme she pulls harder, a good solid tug. But I refuse to open. She tries one last Wme. Using all her strength she rips at my door. Then she realizes that I won’t open and she kicks me. Hard. Very hard. Right in the tender area. Right in the freezer. She goes over to the phone and calls the grocer and orders more food but it will take 1 week to arrive. I see realizaWon spread across her face. 1 week. 1 whole week. She can’t survive 1 whole week without food or water. She is going to die. She considers going to the grocers. But then she remembers she has no car and her parents and siblings are in Phuket and the grocers is a 8 day walk. What can she do? Nothing. Nothing. One word has never made me so happy. Sylvie runs around all the cupboards checking for food but then she remembers that she put all the food in the fridge because of the ant infestaWon. She sinks to the ground and curls up in a ball and sobs. I watch this and it gets me thinking could I really… 9 Story Hme conHnued: What does my refrigerator say about me? Do this? Could I really take the life of a 14 yr. old girl? Well she brought it on herself. Yes. Yes she did now she can suffer. Sylvie looks up at the fridge tears streaming down hers cheeks. And she says. Sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. I didn’t mean to hurt. I am sorry. Then she rolls back over and conWnues to sob for her family. I feel a rumbling inside of me. What was I thinking? I can’t let her die! The rumbling force grows stronger. I feel Wngly all over. I start to tremble. All the food inside me rolls about like it’s on a rollercoaster. And then I open. A glorious white light comes from inside. Sylvie looks up the food has been transformed. It has gone from the old half-­‐eaten bowls of baked beans and the roYen egg sandwiches. To heavenly cakes, delicious muffins, chicken wraps and party food. All the best dishes you can imagine. Sylvie runs straight at me. For a moment I am worried we have gone back to level 0 and she is going to kick me. But she embraces me. And then she feasts . I think I finally feel at peace. Like I am where I belong. That I AM doing something important with my life. I feel happy. The morals to this story is: 1.  Be proud of who you are! 2.  Don’t make enemies with your fridge! 10 Jerudong Polo Club Pool
Jerudong park
polo club pool.
A place to
relax or a place
to take the kids.
Right next to
the beautiful
Jerudong
beach. Entry
B$3 11 per
person.
This is a great family restaurant (it is a chain so there is bound to be one near you!). The food is cheap and really good. These are some parWcular items on the menu I would recommend, Apple Juice, RoW John and Nasi Katok. This place is mainly for residents or Expats but you can visit too. Expats who have moved to Brunei should definitely join and become members. At the center they have: 2 playgrounds, a baby pool, a lap pool, a funcWon room, a gym, a ping pong table, 4 squash courts, 4 badminton courts and a dance studio. This is a great place to bring the kids or to get in shape. Jerudong park is a great place to bring your children or that big kid that you married! You buy Wckets for rides, the best deal is B$10 for 8 rides. Some of the rides include: electric scooters, a carousel, the pirate boat and a bungee jump trampoline. Jerudong Park Playground is also a great place for picnic, there are picnic tables everywhere! This hotel is the most beauWful hotel you will ever see! It is very large and extravagant. You can drop in and ask to look around but you cannot swim in their pool unless you are staying overnight. Bu t what you can do is go downstairs and visit a liYle café called Zest. This café is not to expensive and has quality food. The Empire hotel is a must see. 12 The Sultans palace unfortunately cannot be viewed at just any Wme of the year, the palace is only open for 3 days aler Ramadan. But it is definitely worth the wait. The palace ha spectacular grounds and the interior of the palace is exquisite! This is the adults retreat (kids can come to but it is a great place for a getaway). This pool is shallow but the deepest part is only approx. 1.5m deep. The pool has a swim-­‐up-­‐bar with everything from banana smoothies to French fries. The cost of swimming in the pool is B$3 which is a good price. The polo club pool is definitely worth a visit! The mosque is made from beauWful Italian marble and veneWan mosaicking Wles. The mosque is open to non-­‐Muslims between 8am and 8:30pm but not during prayer Wmes. This mosque is a must see! Healthy and tasty. How could it get any beYer? Kaizen sushi is a fantasWc night out. The food is brilliant, the service is great and the staff are super friendly. There is something there for every member of the family (even fussy children!). The shop is small and cozy and not too expensive. Once you’ve had Kaizen sushi you’ll won’t want any other! 13 Small shoes, Big perspecHve. WHO: Parents with young kids. WHAT: The affect of moving countries on young kids. WHERE: Moving to Brunei WHEN: Between the ages of 6 and 10 WHY: So you can beYer understand what your children are going through. Ever wondered what it might be like moving countries from the perspecWve of an 8 year old? How well do you know your kids? Do they truthfully tell you what goes on behind the scenes at school? It is very important to understand that moving countries takes its toll especially on kids. When you arrive in your new country (Brunei) it’s very exciWng and overwhelming. You travel and have fun with your kids but soon you have to send them to school this is where the main problem begins. This will probably be the first Wme your kids are truly on their own. One of the facts of life is some people you make friends with and others you don’t. StarWng at a new school is hard because friendship clusters are already formed and there will always be that one rude person that conWnues to make it difficult. Then your child comes home to a stressful environment as you are sWll seYling in and feeling your way around your neighbourhood. Although your child might seem to be enjoying their new life it can be very difficult and upsetng when you’re not around. Children are tough and put on a brave face for show and hide their developing anxiety from their parents. Children generally don’t want to talk about those lonely experiences, which unfortunately adds to the trauma. Depression and anxiety is olen well hidden in children unWl it’s too late. The importance of parent to child relaWonship is indescribable even more so if there is a major lifestyle change occurring. But with all the stress of finding a new rouWne, discovering who are your friends and who aren’t it can be hard to remember to take the Wme out to just be with your family and as your child sees less and less of you the anxiety deepens. Some children will start to fake being sick to get days off school so you can stay home with them. You may noWce them becoming more defensive and clingy around guests and/or other children. Small things that may seem unrelated e.g. sudden wetng of the bed (when they might not have done so for years), sleepless nights, frequent repeWWve nightmares and mood swings can be signs of anxiety or depression. Don’t panic. It rarely ever leads to suicide but the soluWon to all this mayhem is maintaining a healthy, honest relaWonship between you and your child. All this needs to be considered before you make the great sea change and move to Brunei. 14 FOOD AND WATER. Food is much cheaper in Brunei than in Australia but if you like western food it is going to be very expensive for you to live in Brunei. Whereas if you eat asian food you can get cheap and by cheap I mean you can have a meal for $4. Water cannot be drunk from the tap in Brunei you must buy it from the stores however some people do drink from the tap but it is not recommended. WATER AND ELECTRICITY BILLS. Water is very cheap here when it comes to using it at home e.g. washing the dishes, doing the laundry etc. It is very cheap e.g. our last months water bill was B$1.52. Electricity bills, well you don’t actually receive one what happens is you buy a prepaid card and top up your electricit meter when it is low. You can buy a $30, $50 or $100 electricity card. Even if you had air condiWoners running night and day the money you would spend on average is about B$60 a month. CAR FUEL. Car fuel is very cheap (like everything else) and will cost around about 15-­‐20 dollars for a full tank. Also the cool thing about filling up your car is that you don’t actually have to do it. You just sit in your car and the staff fill it up for you, then you pay them and drive on. AMAHS? Amahs are very common and you will noWce when buying or renWng a property in Brunei that the houses usually come with a room for the amah. For those of you who are unsure of what an amah is an amah is a person to cook and clean for you. The cost 15 on average 500-­‐600 dollars a month. Come for a visit to the lovely Berakas beach. The kids will love all the monkeys and wildlife. There is also swings and large see-­‐saws. Berakas beach is the perfect place for the family. For more informaWon visit the Berakas Beach website at:www.berakasbeachinfo.com.bn 16