#laagnitantong

Lost in Translation, literally Dupong was particularly interested to see in person the source of the Brunei’s wealth – the petroleum. The Oil and Gas Discovery Center is located in Seria. It was said to be a two hour ride away from Bengawan. We must be in Seria before lunchtime so we readied very early because we expected the driver  to  pick  us  up  at  9am.  Since Jane arranged  our drive, we assigned Jackie to contact the driver. She advised us at exactly 9am while finishing our breakfast that the car was already around. We then searched the parking area only to receive the next message that the pickup was lost in Sheraton Hotel. Being lost has set the tone of the day. We waited for a while for the driver to reach Radisson Hotel. When we boarded, the lady (I mean the woman at the front passenger seat, who appeared to be the wife of the smiling driver) declared, “No Malayo, No Ingles!” Bang! We felt the bomb exploded in our midst. We...

At Radisson Hotel's lobby Malling When Jane, a friend of Jackie visiting us last night before the pool party, she suggested having some attractions visited at night with her as guide and driver, promising to bring her car. Jane’s sedan can only accommodate 3 extra  persons, so she proposed to hire her  officemate with a car to join us; we’ll only pay him for the gas and some tips. Selfie at Brunei Museum Second day yet in Brunei and it will be a long wait for the night’s itinerary. As seats were booked last night, our daytime destination was Gadong area. It was informed that Gadong, being 5km away from Bandar Seri Begawan, is an expansion of the urban settlement area where a number of commercial centers stand side by side. It was said to be alive night and day. Clothed in our uniformed Brunei souvenir shirt, we took the usual breakfast to prepare for the free shuttle ride. We arrived at Gadong’s The Mall few minutes after opening time. The Mall resembles that...

Taking Off Surely,  this was some crowded but enjoyable trip. Six friends flew to Bandar Seri    Bengawan, city of Brunei Darussalam, on Thursday night of September 11. My company comprised of Dupong, Jackie and Ruth, my college batchmates; Jun, Ruth’s husband; and, Auntie Myrna, Jun’s aunt. All but Auntie   Myrna are my travel buddies. Dupong and I shared a lot of trips in Hongkong, Macau,  Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and   Indonesia, to name a few. Jackie joined my trips to Singapore and Malaysia. Ruth and Jun tugged me along when they visited Hongkong, Macau, Singapore, and Johor    Baruh in Malaysia. Our  flight  bookings  were  booked  since February 2014, taking advantage of Cebu Pacific Air’s promo fare. However, it was only when July (or was it really August?) felt so fast approaching  that Dupong  and I started looking for a decent place to stay in the   ...