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A wise man from Yangon

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On January 3, 2011

In Rambling

He waited for me at the door when he saw my car pulled over to empty parking space. An old man with frail frame put a genuine smile on his face to welcome a foreign visitor to his apartment near Tamwe township in Yangon, Myanmar. The wife was equally excited to receive a simple me, only in normal unironed t-shirt. I heard about him from his daughter and he must have heard about me from her too. He was a retired Myanmar supreme court judge. A knowledgeable man indeed. He asked about me, my family, my country and he wished someday his country would be as advanced as Malaysia or Singapore. Then he talked about the history of Laws inherited from British. Then I sought his view about one pending case at office. Outsourcing noncore personnel from Myanmar labor laws perspective. He talked slowly, in difficulty but clear English, probably due to his health condition. Just came back from getting medical treatment in Singapore, where one of his daughters was staying. I was served fresh fruits together with some juices I bought at Citymart at Yankin enroute here. 

He is the father of one of my national staff at office. 

It was a good conversation. Before I left, I gave him a book on introduction to Islam as a present to him. May this friendship last. Ya ALLAH, berikan hidayah kpdnya.

>>> posted from mobile device via wordpress for android. language may be compromised.

Malaysia Airlines dengan pesawat baru B737-800

By

On January 3, 2011

In Travel

I was expecting a new lighter and faster and more fuel efficient flight from KUL to Miri today on MH2592 but alas this much talked about plane did not ply this route as yet. More abt this plane later.

>>> posted from mobile device via wordpress for android. language may be compromised.

Kampung Ayer (“a village on water”) in Brunei

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On December 27, 2010

In Travel

If there is only one place you have time to visit in Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB), it must be Kampung Ayer (loosely translated as a village on water). People live, work and travel on the water, which is actually a river, a huge river leading to South China Sea.  There are houses, schools, grocery stores, offices, police station, mosques, gas station and everything else a society needs to lead a common life. Yes their daily activities and transaction are done on the water. They travel from houses to house and other place in the motorized boats.  Kampung Ayer reminds me of my trips to Venezia, Italy (2006) and also Inle Lake in Myanmar (2009). Unlike Inle Lake, they don’t grow vegetables and fruits on the water — they must have bought it at the supermarkets along the river banks. I was told that the number of families making Kampung Ayer their home are getting smaller and smaller as many move to the river banks.  But it is really a refreshing experience for big city boys and girls to cruise around the Kampung Ayer on water taxi with nominal fees. Bring along the camera to shoot at waving kids. Water taxis available at the jettty at negotiable rate. We paid only B$10 per boat to the young boatman for a 20-minute boat ride. He had no passengers at that time and he just obliged. Beware that safety jackets may not be available on all boats. Have fun at own risk, so I said. Some photos below.

How to get here?

Kampung Ayer is right in the heart of Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. You will never miss it. It is right across the road from Yayasan piazza and shopping center. Water taxis can be found and hailed from the jetty and fares are negotiable.  As a caution, safety jackets may not be available on private boats. How to get into Brunei? Royal Brunei Airlines flies to major cities in Asia Pacific and Middle East and other places. Catch one of their return flight to Brunei from your nearest airport. So easy ha! From Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Airlines fly directly daily to BSB. If you are already in Miri, Sarawak, just like yours truly, just catch the express bus Miri-Brunei. You need a valid passport of course, and if you are not Malaysians, you may need a valid visa. Check with your embassy, before getting on the bus or the aircraft. Read my other posting here for crossing land border Malaysia-Brunei from Miri side.

Bandar Seri Begawan, BRUNEI

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On December 26, 2010

In Travel

November 2010:
 
 Brunei, located in the northern Borneo, is one of the last remaining Sultanate government in South East Asia. It is also one of the three governments in the world ruled by monarchies under a dynasty claiming descent from Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him). Brunei, despite relatively small size comparing to its neighbouring Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah, has more to offer to unhurried visitors, in term of natural landscapes — unspoiled forests, rivers and beaches. The capital city is Bandar Seri Begawan (aka BBS).  Population of Brunei with all 4 districts (Belait, Tutong, Bandar Seri Begawan and Temburong) is about than half a million people only. Despite the size, the country enjoys among the highest GDP and purchasing power per capita in the region, and considered the developed country by IMF standards. Read on below for another story of the road, this time Brunei. Pictures quality may not be that good as  I was using camera phone SE Xperia X10 running on Android 1.6.
 
I was often informed by colleagues that it takes only one day to discover Brunei, but I did not think so, upon my first visit to Brunei. Yes you can travel end to end , i.e. border to border, within 5 hours non-stop, but to appreciate people and places in Brunei, you need more than that. BBS deserves a day or two for discerning travellers. Kampung Ayer is a must to visit. Town centers of Kuala Belait,  Seria or even Tutong are all off main highway, which require a detour and of course time if you want to visit them. Gadong is a suburb of BSB and just about 10 minutes drive to the BSB downtown area.
In summary, the key tourist attractions in BSB include:
1. Kampung Ayer. It reminded me of my trips to Venezia, Italy (2006) and also Inle Lake in Myanmar (2009).   I wrote about Kampung Ayer in Brunei my other posting here.
2. Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque
3. Sultan Hasanal Bolkiah Mosque in Gadong suburb.
4. Palaces (Istana Nurul Iman and Istana Darul Hana). Can just see from outside.
5. Royal Regalia Building. It is a museum containing treasures of Brunei Sultan. Free entry.
6. Yayasan shooping center, near Kampung Ayer jetty.
7. Modern shopping centers (The Mall & Jaya supermarket) in upscale Gadong area. Many expensive hotels nearby. Also fast food outlets like McDonalds and local competitor Jollibee restaurant, can be found there.
8. Jerudong Park. It is an amusement park. Good for kids and adults only.
9. Tamu Kianggeh. It is an open market selling perishable foodstuff, fish and vegies and others. (Unfortunately we reached there in the afternoon and already closed).
10. A mosque near royal cemetery (sorry, don’t know the name of the mosque, but it is rather big)
11. RBA Golf Club. It is near the airport (if you are golfers, of course)
See some photos on BBS below, as captured by amateur photographer (as for now):
How to get there:
Royal Brunei Airlines flies to major cities in Asia Pacific and Middle East and other places. Catch one of their return flight to Brunei from your nearest airport. So easy ha! From Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Airlines fly directly daily to BSB. If you are already in Miri, Sarawak, just like yours truly, just catch the express bus Miri-Brunei. You need a valid passport of course, and if you are not Malaysians, you may need a valid visa. Check with your embassy, before getting on the bus or the aircraft. Read my other posting here for crossing land border Malaysia-Brunei from Miri side.

Masjid hijau yang besar antara Miri dan Bintulu (Sarawak)

By

On December 25, 2010

In Travel

November 2010:
Travelling in Sarawak in November 2010, this masjid caught my attention. By Miri standard, it is quite a huge masjid, looks new with spacious compound. The masjid is next to the main Miri-Bintulu road. Image quite bad — taken by X10i phone camera on the moving vehicle.

Masjid baru berbumbung hijau di jalanraya Miri-Bintulu

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