back in brunei

hv just gotten back from my brief ‘holiday’. was in KL for about five days. i tell you … five days is not enough. esp for me. took MAS this time. booked it cheap online. the advantage is that the MAS flight goes to KLIA, unlike AirAsia which stops at LCCT … that horror of a terminal.

BUT unfortunately, MAS is not all that great either. even though you don’t hv to pay for the food (unlike AirAsia) … well, the food sucks. on the flight out from BSB, i had pasta. it was horrible. couldn’t even finish the food. on the flight back from KL, i had nasi lemak. argh. awful. wish i had opted for the omelette and sausages. but well, it’s not a long haul flight … so no extras like movies, etc.  but service, ie the cabin crew is great. but one funny thing though … one of the stewardesses had VERY BAD english. couldn’t really understand what she was talking about when she made the announcements. wish they would make sure all their cabin crew go to english classes. at least diction. terrible. couldn’t understand a thing.

would i go on another MAS flight? of course. unless AirAsia gets a new terminal – NOT LCCT.

oh, but i had a stupid experience when i arrived at the BSB airport. i was last in the queue and there were lots of Indians (could be Bangladeshi … i don’t know) who prob weren’t fluent in English. and one of them got a ticking off from an immigration officer bcoz prob he didn’t fill in his embarkation card correctly. poor guy. she shouldn’t hv been so rude. i thought she was rude. hey, everyone needs to make a living. but you should be polite to someone who has sacrificed a lot to go work in another country. leaving family, friends … grappling with a new culture. it’s no walk in the park. esp if they are coming here to work as labourers and other blue collar jobs. please la. be a little bit more courteous.

then, after i had gotten my passport stamped, i was asked to open my luggage. the lady officer asked abt my new phone box. she said i had to be taxed. i said it’s for my own use. she called another male officer. to cut a long story short. i had to pay tax. it’s not much but … what if it was a gift (maybe i should hv said it was a gift) … would i hv to pay tax too. anyway, i was too honest for my own good. i guess they had to do their job.  it was pretty random. i was taken aback becoz i had never had to open my luggage at checkpoints. plus my lock was broken. so i don’t know wht happened. i hoped it was not bcoz someone tried to open it. anyway, i didn’t lose anything. thank goodness for the luggage lock.

oh well … i guess i hv to be more careful next time when i go through immigration. i guess i was a bit naive.

anyway, i just went on a long bike ride today. went to buy some bread at Mum’s Bakery in Kiulap (they always run out of bread by Sunday night).  bought a maple syrup bun which tasted delicious, a beef pita thing and rye bread. they don’t hv wholemeal sliced bread, only wholemeal buns.

AND i bought fried chicken and fries from RBC Express. stuffed everything in my knapsack and rode the bike home. for those who are new to Brunei … RBC Express makes the BEST fried chicken and chips (thick fries just like in the UK). you hv to taste it to believe it. RBC is Royal Brunei Catering. i bought mine in Kiulap. it’s situated at a corner lot; you can see it from the main road. anyway, they hv one branch at the airport (OF COURSE).

i was huffing and puffing by the time i got home. but it’s worth it. my legs looked a bit toned. heheheh.

but i think i need to get a basket for my bike. okay, so it will look girly. so what. i’m not Lance Armstrong.

now, to hang my laundry. oh, thank goodness for off days!