Wealthy Nation

Did some catching-up with my uni classmate from HK, whom I haven't met in quite a while, and he send me some very interesting video links by TVB (hosted by Eric Tsang, Zeng Zhi Wei)about my country - Brunei... He was marvelling at the exuberant wealth flaunted in the video...

I thus took a look at the TVB production - 向世界出发 (literally translation: Advance Into The World), and lo and behold, it was an eye-opener as some scenes in the Royal Palace I have never seen before!!! It also featured our highly-reputed 5-star hotel : Empire Hotel. There are 6 parts in all, and I have only completed 2.5 parts so far, with each part about 20 minutes. Hence I have no idea what other parts are about....

I think this is a subject of poignant interest, so let the pictures do the talking.....

An aerial view of Brunei's Royal Palace, Istana Nurul Iman, one of the largest inhabited royal residences in the world - with 1,788 rooms and 257 bathrooms.









His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajjah Saleha during celebration of His Majesty's 60th Birthday









The huge main entrance of the palace into the main lobby where celebrations will be held










Crystal chandeliers in the palace, each weighing about a tonne, with estimated costs of HKD2 million each. There are about 12 of them in this main foyer, hence some HKD 24 million worth of chandeliers are dangling above...







It is noted in the production that the royal family's feet was placed on a cushion and not on the ground when seated. The glittering crystal shoes worn by Her Majesty is estimated to be around half a million dollars.







The wooden building behind Eric Tsang serves as the previous royal palace of Brunei, until Istana Nurul Iman was built in 1984. This was the very humble beginnings of the nation, at a time when the nation was still very poor, until the discovery of oil and gas in 1929 made Brunei a prosperous nation it is today.






A beautiful view of Masjid Jamek located in Bandar Seri Begawan. It was built by His Majesty as a gift to the His subjects during his 48th birthday. The dome is estimated to be weighing 2.4 tonnes and is made of 24k GOLD. Though the humble government of His Majesty did not disclose the costs, experts estimate it to be greater than HKD 300 million.

(Picture courtesy of Brunei Tourism Website)








Another view of Masjid Jamek in the background with Eric Tsang.








The 5-star Empire Hotel in Brunei - located along the scenic Brunei coastline. Built in 1995, and is divided into 5 prime areas which is mentioned in the clips.








From the pillars of the main lobby in Empire Hotel. Been in the hotel once, and all the gold-like patterns seen in the pictures, are actually REAL gold (21K). From the main lobby, you can get a panoramic view of the blue South China Sea.






An beautifully-engineered landscape with an artificial beach. There are altogether 4 of such artificial beaches although the coastline is only a stone throw's away.






Another view of the landscape. The swimming pools are designed to look as if they are joined to the South China Sea.





The golf course in Empire Hotel - Signature Hole.

(Picture courtesy of Brunei Tourism Website)

Golden tap in the washroom in the Queen's suite in the hotel. If I didn't remember wrongly, it is approximately some $70k per night in the Queen's suite. The green rings I think are made of jade.




An indoor swimming pool in the Emperor's suite. Right beside it is a jacuzzi. It takes about 10 minutes' walk from the main entrance to reach this pool. There are attendants here serving drinks. A night at the Emperor's suite will cost around $130,000 and it is reputed that even the rich have to queue for this suite.





A bathtub in the Emperor's suite. One can take a bath here and at the same time enjoy the breathtaking view of South China Sea. Bill Clinton is reputed to have been here.








The bowling alley in Empire Hotel. Nice seats...

(Picture courtesy of Brunei Tourism website)

Cinema lobby in Empire Hotel. Went here to catch some movies a few times.


(Pictures courtesy of Brunei Tourism website)











The links to the some of the clips are given below. The clips are in Cantonese but Chinese subtitles are available.

Part 1: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/Ydoi5u3hxdQ/
Part 2: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/HiSctE6v5hY/
Part 3: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/ZwzKa2WiaN8/
Part 4: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/MfmDiyTTozc/
Part 5: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/qjBE7Hkf1Vc/

Random Post

Just returned from my community work in Buangkok a few hours ago, feel so TIRED!! Didn't had any meals until evening as I woke up rather late... It was quite an eye-opener for me, as it was my first time participating in this event and I met many nice people there.

AN interesting point to note is that 2 local JC boys voluntarily participated in the event, much to our joy and awe. Normally Singaporeans are a rare sight in community works.

The whole event was rather enlightening, and at the same time it enable me to get to know people of other nationalities. At least I don't have to grapple with the unfathomable motives and sickening facades of people around me together with their dubious trustworthiness, which I have to bear every now and then...

However, my coordinators describes me as COY!!! Am I a shy person?? I guess I could just be described as stoic... Maybe I need some time to be affiliated with my team and my works...

Went out with my ex-poly friends, now my uni juniors (lolx!!) to watch a Joint Dance Concert by NTU CAC held at Singapore Chinese Girls' School Auditorium yesterday... Some pictures of the concert below, and please pardon me as some pictures are blurred when enlarged, partly due to my jerky hands and a not fast enough shutter speed...

First Performance - Jazz Dance, I think

Contemporary Dance

Chinese Dance - title I think is something related to HALF-MOON

N.Y. (New York) Street Dance

Some South American Dance if I didn't remember wrongly

Another Chinese/Tibetan Dance

Though I am not a very cultural person, but the show is far from boring... The auditorium is jam-packed with crowds, and I guess many will share the same sentiments... In my humble opinions, I guess it's a nice change from the normal routine of watching cinemas or dramas....

Next week is E-Learning Week, meaning I don't have to attend ALL lectures, as they will be recorded and posted online to be viewed as ONLINE lectures... At the same time, 3 of my friends will be celebrating their birthdays, all on the SAME day... What a coincidence!!

I think I better buck up for my final semester and wrap up all my labs...

Train Matters!!!

Submitted my FYP report yesterday... Felt so relieved!! However, my supervisor suggested me to do something extra to boost up my grades... Just great!! At least I don't have to write any follow-up reports, for the meantime... Spent the whole afternoon zealously studying Robotics - the adverse mathematical equations... Finally managed to understand some bits here and there...

Spent the night lolling around and found a website that caught my attention: TRAINS!!! I have always had a knack for trains, probably due to the fact there are no public trains in Brunei... I used to try and take the MRT whenever I can when I first arrived in Singapore, though the frequency is much lesser now.

I have always wondered how trains in other countries look like. Found a website - Virgin Vacation, listing the TOP 11 Underground Transit Systems in the World. Only trains from 4 Asian cities made it to this list(in order of ranking) - Tokyo Subway, Seoul Metropolitan Subway, Beijing Subway, Hong Kong MTR.

Seoul Metropolitan Subway

Wow, I wonder if the seats are cushioned. Looks very comfortable.

Beijing Subway

Reminds me of Singapore's MRT - the yellow lines, advertisements on train bodies, interior arrangments. They did not erect any underground barriers though.

HK Disney MTR Station

The Disney MTR station is so spacious!! Must visit some day to see for myself.

HK MTR Interior

Hmm... Could vaguely remember how HK trains looks like... The last time there was some 10 years back. All I remember was taking the wrong line, taking 2 hours to reach a station that was supposed to be only 3 stops away.

Sao Paulo Metro, Brazil

Honestly the seating arrangements seems very nice. Have yet to board a train like this.

All pictures above are courtesy of Virgin Vacationwebsite. You can visit for full information on the train rankings.

Based on anecdotal perspective, I do find find train rides rather pleasing. I always enthusiastically take trains, or public transport when I went overseas. There's this unknown animosity between me and taxi rides while on vacation, and I only use them to and from the airports.

So far among places I've been to, I realized that only the KL monorail/light rail uses the old magnetic striped cards. The monorail is quite unique that it has only 2 carriages, filling up only one quarter of the train station. It can be pretty claustrophobic during peak hours.

Trains are cheaper, and easy to navigate. It could probably be faster too as it doesn't get caught in traffic snarls, or unscrupulous drivers who just drive you round and round just to earn some extra bucks.

In addition, it is quite interesting to discover how tickets are issued. Most stations now use the EZ-Link like system, albeit in variable forms. I was astonished when the ticket I purchased at Bangkok Metro turns out to be a black plastic token, but functions like EZ-link!!

Ah trains - one of the wonders of modern technology.....

Back Online!!

Finally the internet is back on... Was reading some articles on the web the night before when all of a sudden, I got disconnected from my MSN around 12, and subsequent sites I tried to access end up with a resolute message: The page cannot be displayed!!!

I can't help but wondering what happened to my computer... I tweaked internet settings, restarted it but all to no avail... I concluded the internet was down and went to sleep... When I woke up the next morning, the computer was again unable to connect to the internet... How peeving!! Then I realized the whole campus network was down, computers in my lab weren't able to access internet either... Finally things were back to normal by evening.

Lecture today was damn boring. Nothing penetrates my brain, and the peculiar mathematical formulas and equations makes no sense at all. I seriously don't have the faintest idea why they were magically there.

Finally told my parents that I contemplate obtaining a driving licence back home. So will return home again (for the third time in 6 months) in June. Right now I am ambivalent as to which of the 3 airlines should I take - Royal Brunei Airlines, Singapore Airlines or AirAsia.

Among the three, AirAsia is the cheapest, only around RM300++,but ALAS!!! My visa to enter West Malaysia has all but expired, meaning I had to renew it soon. A whopping S$30 for a piece of sticker permitting entry into West Malaysia in my travel document - $20 agent fee and $10 visa fee. Sad case Malaysia High Commission only accept applications from agents now... Haiz...

The other airlines are ridiculously expensive... Almost S$700++... Convenient but throat-cutting!! Hopefully some promotions turn up...

Driving Licence??

Based on my previous post, I still haven't progress much in my FYP... Taking a break by blogging here, and then resume my work...

I have decided to take up my driving licence in Brunei tentatively during the month of June. Can do with the extra hands-on practice back home and is also cheaper than taking in Singapore - $1k (private).

Most of my friends and classmates already possess driving licences, time for me to get one. It is very inconvenient to move around in Brunei without knowing how to drive. Also, this May and June holidays are one of the longest holidays I will ever have again, and I think it would be better if I try and get a driver's licence then before I commence employment.

Obtaining a driver's licence opens up new exploring possibilities. Yay!! I hope to be able to complete some of these after obtaining driving licence in the not-so-distant future:

1. Visit Bangar Town of Temburong - The only district in Brunei I have never set foot on before. It is the eastern-most district separated from the Brunei mainland and is completely surrounded by the East Malaysian territory of Sarawak. The SAF Lakiun Camp is also located in this district. To drive to Bangar, one has to exit into Malaysia at Kuala Lurah, and then pass through Limbang town before reaching Temburong.
   
   
   
   
2. Visit Tasek Merimbun in Tutong - Haven't really visited Tutong District. They do have really nice "panggang" in Tutong. Only read about this lake in Geography lessons, but haven't been there. Hopefully it is still as nice as described in my secondary texts. It is one of Brunei's largest lake with an island sitting right in the middle. Hmm... seems to provide a good place for a small escapade from the hustle-bustle of urban environment.
   
   
3. Maybe will consider visiting Lawas or Labuan or even Bintulu after visiting the above mentioned places.

Quite some mini-adventure planned up there, but unfortunately I don't have any really close friends or travel buddies. Lost trust in friends years ago, and anyway most people I know always put up some kind of facade for show. It getting harder and harder for me to trust others. Thank goodness right now I do find solace in being solitary. Maybe I can hop my family along - additional stress as their safety is in my hands........

Although driving seems fun, it sure comes with responsibilities and stress... I do know of some friends who are part of the accident statistics... Hopefully I can become a responsible driver...

I guess I better go back to continue my fyp... It is getting late...

Tying Up Loose Ends....

Haven't been very productive lately... Haiz, I have no idea what I have been doing since I returned to Singapore...

Finished watching 帝女花(Perish in the name of love) - story revolves around the last emperor of Ming China (Emperor Chongzhen) until when Ming Dynasty was overrun by Qing army and also stages a famous pair of lover in Chinese classics, Princess ChangPing and Zhou Xian. Despite efforts from the emperor, the Ming empire succumbed due to a corrupt and defunct bureaucracy.

Next drama on the list - Prison Break Season 1....

Aargh..... There are tons of stuffs waiting to be completed, so many distractions... My final year project wasn't completed yet - yet to expand my design and do some researches, haven't even begin writing the final report and the deadline is looming - a mere 2 weeks away... I really hope I can get everything done by then... At the same time, I haven't done any revisions yet, and exam is only a short month away...

Bought a Chinese history book from NTU book fair at Canteen A... I am so engrossed in the stories within... Fortunately I only read one chapter per day, otherwise my report will surely be gone case...

No matter what I will try to overcome my sloth... I cannot do with a bad FYP grade!! Wish me luck...

Untitled Post

Today is the last day of Chinese New Year... How time flies!! We are already 15 days into the year of the Boar. Went to my mother's friend house in Buona Vista for a home-style buffet and eat a little too much... Have to find a way too shed off the additional weight the following week, else my BMI will be too much....

Sort of miss CNY in Brunei... The atmosphere was so alive in Brunei but so dead in Singapore, which is an irony, as ethnic Chinese is the majority in Singapore, and the opposite in Brunei...

My neighbors invited at least three different lion dance troupes into their home the first day and another two troupes on the second... Guess this is when I started gorging down loads of junk food, beginning at Wang's open house - gathering point for all of my secondary classmates... But surprisingly none of the girls from my class turn up...

Lion Dancing at my neighbor's (dunno from which school)

Lion Dance At Wang's house

Gathering at Wang's house

Lion Dancing in my house

Other days were subsequently spent visiting and touring around. Went around some parts of KB and took some photos... Ah, the convenience of owning a personal transport!!

Flags were seen everywhere in towns and homes. Brunei's 23rd National Day (Hari Kebangsaan) falls on 23rd February, 6th day of CNY. HAPPY NATIONAL DAY!! Being a patriotic citizen (soon to be), I stayed on in Brunei till after the National Day Celebrations.

Flag of Brunei, proudly waving in the wind

More flags atop a building in town (left) and atop one of the tallest building in KB (right)

National Day Banner plying main roads in BSB (capital) in Jawi and Bahasa Melayu

National Day Celebrations in capital (courtesy of Brunei National Day website)

Took some random picture shots before I left the country, to remind myself of some views/buildings from Kuala Belait.

View of Belait River from my house

Largest mosque in town

An Istana in KB

Seriously I never knew that an istana existed in Kuala Belait, until when I studied for my Malay Exam (Ujian Bahasa Melayu) for obtaining citizenship, and have been wondering where is this Istana Kota Mangalela. Glad that I found it!!! Another place of mystery to me is the Rumah Tengkorak (House of Skulls).

Tamu within walking distance from my house

Tamu, I guess is something uniquely Bruneian. It is a dry market, selling mostly perishable groceries, like onions, fruits, vegetables and such, which opens weekly. Yet at the end, there are people selling fishes, prawns and such. Many people buy their stuffs and supplies from the tamu. Apart from a trading place, it is also a meeting place for many people and friends alike.

A busy week ahead. Sianz, quite a number of important deadlines to meet... Wish everyone has a happy week ahead!