The flight to Brunei

Peace be upon you all. For over 2 months now I have promised to start a new series on my Malay blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU about a trip made to Brunei 1-8 August 2010. Since then I have been busied with other things including a series based on the happenings around the recent Hari Raya (Muslim festive month of Syawal) celebrations. Now that part of writing has been completed let the promised Brunei series start. And as usual articles would be made in this blogspot and the bi-lingual SENI LAMA MELAYU (MALAY OLDEN ART) to support the series starting with this. Come.

Sunday 1st August 2010, unexpectedly me, the wife and baby started a trip to Brunei.

I say unexpectedly because this is the first time we went to that country... unexpectedly also because it was never in our foreseeable plans. Here the plane was still somewhere above Peninsular Malaysia.

The plane above the South China sea. The last time I crossed this vast water was when I went to Sabah in either 1997 or 1998, can't exactly remember when. But I do remember climbing all the way to the top of Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in South-East Asia. Anyway that was my first time anywhere on the island of Borneo. So I've definitely never ever been to Brunei before.



Land back in view. I'm not sure if we have reached Brunei but at least we were already in Borneo. Wait a minute. Didn't the name Borneo came from the word Brunei? Isn't in an Anglicised version referring to a time when the kingdom of Brunei practically controlled the whole of the Borneo, the biggest island in the Malay Archipleago? Back to the trip being unexpected. What happened was about a week before I suddenly received a call from a Bruneian whom I've only known through phone calls. Even then it's been 2 years since the Bruneian, an elderly lady called me up.




There, we were definitely in Brunei about to land. Among other things the lady said was why don't I made a trip to Brunei. I said I'd like to but don't have the means. The next day she called me up again and offered to sponsor the trip, flight tickets, lodging and all. And she liked me and family to come before the month of Ramadhan.




After discussing the matter with my wife, I decided to take up the offer. As the fasting month of Ramadhan was less than 2 weeks away we have to act fast. We'd like to be able to fully enjoy the trip without having to worry about going around with our stomachs empty during the day. That could limit our activities. So it is decided that we should make the trip 1-8 August. For information, the Ramadhan was scheduled to start on 11 August.




Anyway I'm a freelance writer. So basically I can take holidays whenever I want. My wife on the other hand has to apply for leave. Thank God despite the short notice her leave was fully approved.

We informed the plan to the Bruneian lady. Oh, we call her as Hajah Sopiah. Within a space of 2 days she managed to get the flight tickets including return on the said dates ready for us. So there, the Brunei trip was soon started. For the record this is the 585th article in this blogspot.