A morning at the mud volcanoes

We are having the Turner kids over for a double sleepover this weekend, and this morning we went on a bit of an adventure - to Malaysia! Ha ha, that's how we do it here, go to another country whilst looking after someone else's kids! :)

Well it's not as adventurous as it sounds, we "only" went across the border and over to Limbang, to visit the mud volcanoes in Kampung Meritam. Beenal, Sebbie and Jessie came along too for a bit of a different excursion.
I had seen photos from this place on Facebook, several of our friends have been there lately, and I really wanted to go before we left. We had sourced the directions and set off in two cars, got there without any problems.

It was quite cool, a bit like a moon landscape with quite a few mud mounds bubbling away around the place. There was two bigger craters where you could get in, and to get out you had to slide down a mud slide into a mud "river". The kids were a bit hesitant to getting in:

You didn't touch the bottom, actually you couldn't even if you tried, because it was like being weight less - you were floating! Lucas isn't sitting on anything here, he's floating:

It was a bit tricky to actually get out of the pools, cause everything around you was slippery too...

 
We all got properly covered in mud! After all, it's good for your skin!

After a while when everybody had had enough and we were nicely all covered in mud, it was time to go back to the changing rooms and try to get clean. 'Try' being the operative word here... Let's just say, that even after a poor shower by the mud pools, a total hose down outside when we got back and then a proper shower, certain little people still have mud in their ears...

On the way home we stopped in at Linggis for a quick lunch, and then it was back across the border again and home to chill out for the rest of the day.
What a great place, and what a great morning!

A coffee novelty

The rumours had been around for quite a while but it wasn't until a couple of weeks ago they really started flying, when a Starbucks sign came up outside the Mabohai Shopping Center. Was it true? Were we really going to get a Starbucks, here in Brunei?!

Yes, it was, and on Sunday the newest hangout in town opened it's doors - jippie-yay!

I was there this morning, before I did my grocery shopping (it's located on top of "Monkey-SupaSave"), and apparently 8.30 in the morning is the time to go. I had no issues with parking, nor queuing in Starbucks itself.

Apart from the fact that parking is going to be even harder to find now, with both Toys R'Us, SupaSave AND Starbucks in the same place (and there wasn't even enough parking with just the supermarket) - it was really lovely! Nicely decorated, super friendly - and eager - staff, and... good coffee.!

I have been writing about Starbucks in Brunei, or rather, the lack of - before. Actually, for a very long time, that was one of my most googled posts.
Unfortunately they didn't have any of the classic Starbucks cups, with 'Brunei' on them. Apparently they sold out on the first day! :) I hope they will get some in before I go as I'd really like one!
They only had these Brunei thermo cups, which were nice, but not what I was after:

22 degrees

22 degrees back home where I'm from (Sweden) would be a beautiful summers day.
22 degrees here, on the third day of non-stop torrential rain - feels like winter!

This morning while I was sitting in front of the computer working, I was so cold I had to put socks on! Yes, really! That's certainly a first during our nearly seven years in this country!

Just in time for the school run, it let up though, and I can swear I saw a little piece of blue sky there for a minute. It's dry now, for the first time in three days, but I'm not entirely sure it'll last... At least my car is really clean! And, I got to wear socks!

Bring it on!

On this New Years Day, we are not just turning the page into a new chapter of our life, this family is opening a whole new book!
It's now less than two weeks until the change begins, less than two weeks until Nathan is leaving Brunei for good. 2014 will truly be a fresh start for our family.

Sure, the kids and I don't follow until March, but we all know how fast time flies! It'll come around so quickly. Yesterday, as I cleaned out the Christmas decorations, I packed my first box:

The decorations went straight into a moving box. The first box.
Oaahhh... It's really happening, and soon..!

I think, with the whole "party season" now finally behind us, and Nathan's departure now being so imminent, I've finally passed the phase of "oh-my-God-are-we-really-leaving-that-makes-me-so-sad" and I've entered the "yeah-we-are-off-on-a-new-adventure-and-I-can't-wait-!"-phase instead.
Bring it on!

Paddington House of Pancakes

Since there was no school today we decided to take the kids and try out this new place for lunch that I'd heard about, the Paddington House of Pancakes. This is a franchise that already exists in Malaysia, Macau and Singapore, and it opened here in Brunei in July.
Actually, I had read rather mixed reviews of this place, but I must say that it was pretty good - we will definitely go back again!

The interior and decor was lovely, the service was prompt and the menu was very extensive. It turned out they don't only serve pancakes in every form and shape, from all over the world, but also other dishes like pasta, burgers and salads etc. 

Here's what we ordered, a (rather large!) Tuscany crêpe stuffed with veggies, an 'Australian' (lamb burger), a 'Wellington' (chicken burger) - and a small stack of chocolate chip pancakes, guess who...

Even though we are creatures of habit, and mostly just go for sushi, roti or Thai for our lunch dates; it's really nice to try something new every now and then. Although pancakes might not be the healthiest of foods... more of an option when it's time for a special treat - it's nice to see the restaurant scene grow here in Brunei!

Our first Highland Games

Friends have told me about the Panaga Highland Games previous years, that they've had a great time there. We've never been, so this year we made an effort and drove the 100k+ down to Panaga to check it out. I have never been to any kind of Highland Games, and I wasn't aware that although there are over a 100 of these games in Scotland, apparently there are not so many abroad.

A few of the different teams, there was a German team, Dutch team, Kiwi team, a team from Nigeria (?), English and Scottish teams; and of course Bruneian teams:

This year was the 22nd Highland Games here in Brunei, organized by the KB Scottish Community. This is an annual fixture for the expat community down there, and I was surprised hardly seeing anybody from "our side of the country". There was only one other family we recognized, and a few of the participants out of the Kiwi team - apart from them it was all new faces to us!

Such a shame, because I often hear "nothing ever happens in Brunei". Well, it does! This was an excellent day out, for the whole family.

Apart from the happenings of the games themselves, there was a motorcycle display, bouncy castles, water play, reptile exhibition, dance performances and a lot of different vendors selling everything from Penan baskets to candy floss!

The army was also represented, displaying helicopters, different military equipment - firearms and other boys' toys. Lucas and Nathan had a good look.

The main reason to come is of course to support the competitors. I mistakenly thought this was just an event for fun, but how wrong was I! These competitions were taken very seriously! Very!!!
We watched quite a few of the running events, they had both 4x100m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m races. Here the 1500m I think - gotta love the man in kilt running for it!

 

 We also saw quite a few matches of the ever so popular tug-of-war.

 

The Scottish ladies:

There was special activities and mini games organized for the kids. Here Lucas is watching a rugby game. Watching yes, because he was very hot and didn't want to participate.

Linnea got herself a henna:

The Clan Kiwi team:

 

The Dutch team, if you hadn't figured that out..!

 The bagpipes were playing each time the Scottish team entered the competition area:

 

 Lucas and his friends:

I didn't realize that these games actually continued all throughout the whole day, with a lunch break in the middle. Had I known we would've come down only for the afternoon; because that's when they were doing the caber toss, the Wellington throw and the shot put competitions. I really would've liked for the kids to see these somewhat more original "sports"!
But it was just so hot on Saturday that we couldn't handle anymore than the morning, when they broke for lunch we were ready to go home. Next year - we'll come again!