One Year Today!

So today we have been in Brunei for exactly one year. And we finally feel settled; Woozles is full of beans at school according to her teacher, Big Man has got lots of new sports on the go and I have joined a couple of committees to do my bit for the community. It has been a good year, but not without ups and downs. The first few months having moved from the Falklands involved getting used to the warm climate, having access to plenty of fresh fruit and re-learning how to navigate a network of roads (though not very extensive!).

However, although everybody comments on how the two postings are radically different, and certainly the wildlife is completely new, actually a lot of elements of our life are the same. We still shop at the Naafi, go to playgroup, meet friends at their houses, bemoan pestilential creatures in our kitchen cupboards (though weevils instead of mice) raise our eyebrows at the weather (torrential rain instead of howling wind) and drink cups of tea! Guess we are British after all.

Some of you may remember I did a post all about the Falkland Islands myths and misconceptions entitled 'Fact or Fiction'- well now we have lived here for 12 months it is time to do the same for Brunei - see how you score!

Statement # 1. Brunei is located in the middle east near the other 'oil states' such as Dubai and Qatar.

FICTION

Brunei is located in South East Asia, on the island of Borneo (third largest island in the world), on the northern coast between the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak and only 5 hours from the north west coast of Australia. However there certainly are similarities with Middle Eastern nations and traditions.

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Statement # 2. Brunei is a 'dry' country.

FACT

New Sharia laws have recently been introduced with extremely severe penalties for Muslims found to have partaken in adultery, drinking alcohol and abortion. "While expats are allowed to import small quantities of alcohol for their personal consumption, they are not allowed more than their designated allowance or to sell alcohol to others" (Expat arrivals.com).

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Statement #3. Natural gas just seeps out of the ground all over the place.

FACT

Brunei is very rich in oil and gas deposits and areas of Shell petroleum housing along the coastal plain have reportedly been moved in the past due to natural gas bubbling out of the ground.

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5. Because of the offshore oil industry, most of the rainforest cover is intact.

FACT*

*Though recent development projects have started to diminish larger areas of rainforest than ever before, a much higher proportion of semi-natural habitat remains than in most countries. Whereas traditional communities travelled from villages by river in long boat, new roads, buildings and extraction sites to support them are currently under construction.

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6. Brunei is the size of France and has a population of 1 million.

FICTION

Brunei is actually supposedly comparable to Devon in terms of land area and the population is only 400,000.

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7. There is no crime in Brunei.

FICTION

Brunei is a very peaceful place and compared to most nations has a very low level of crime. However we do not leave our door unlocked like we could in the Falkland Islands and Big Man has had his flip flops stolen not once but twice!!!