Destinations

Greetings Readers! Recently I visited Jerudong Park. After the visit, I wrote down a few questions in my journal.

Will Jerudong Park ever sparkle again like it did in the nineties? Does the Park need 'fixing'? Where would you begin? Should we try and resuscitate this seemingly unconscious giant? Would more rides help? Should we bring back old ones? Inject in more resources? Is it time to put up the 'Do Not Resuscitate' sign?

Greetings Readers! Allow me to introduce you to Noralizah & Iskandar's House of Curry...that is, assuming you have never been there or heard of it. In my circle of networks and friendships, it is a popular "answer" to the following questions: "I have foodie friends coming over from overseas this weekend. What should be on the should-visit list?" and "Know any great places for food?". The have a range of offerings in their menu, but personally I have never made it past the pages which detail their roti, murtabak and dosai. You see, I am a fan of "roti", which is a type of Indian-influenced flatbread. And in my humble opinion, Noralizah & Iskandar's House of Curry make very good roti.

My definition of very good roti...crispy, generous portions of fillings (whichever your fancy) and consistent. This is the thing. These folks consistently dish out very good roti. Yes, I understand everyone has their preferences about what defines an iconic meal, but when it comes to rotis, so far I have not been able to find fault with these guys. In fact, this is one place I will happily keep going back to for a taste-test...or two. Pay a little extra and you get a "full set", i.e. you get a range of tasty condiments along with your order.

Their address: No. 15, Ground Floor, Kompleks Awang Hj Ibrahim, Kg. Lambak B, Jalan Berakas, Bandar Seri Begawan. Experience it for yourselves.

Greetings Readers! A few weeks ago I received a text message that went "Say, how would you like to come sailing this weekend?" My mind started wandering and somehow landed on imagery of a 50 foot yacht. I imagined board shorts and Hawaiian shirts and chilled sparkling fruit juices being served while my imaginary 20 friends and I sat around listening to Jamie Cullum singing "High and Dry". I have never been "sailing" and so I asked "Do I need to bring anything?", expecting the response to be "Nothing...just come prepared for loads of fun!" but instead all I got was "water, sunscreen, and waterproof shoes would be handy". Not thinking too much into it, I left it as that.

Next thing I know, I am at the Royal Brunei Yacht Club at Serasa Beach. My friend Romain is already there with his dad and his friend...on his 4-man sailboat. "Okay, you start helping us set up." And across the next hour, there we were under the hot 11.00am sun setting up. Ropes, rudder, sails and more ropes. The sailboat was ready but we decided to have lunch before the launch.

The Sailboat

Raining down at Serasa Beach

Oppy Sailing

It was my second time having a meal at the Royal Brunei Yacht Club; the first time was over 20 years ago. From their website:

The Serasa club house situated on Serasa spit comes very much into its own over weekends and holidays. Families enjoy the informal atmosphere of the open air restaurant and a varied menu – now updated regularly by “specials”. There is an open air swimming pool and a children’s play area as well as the boating activity, and full shower and changing facilities.

The position on the Muara Bay allows a stunning view towards the Crocker Mountain range in Sarawak. The garden has been landscaped in recent years and tables and chairs allow parents to socialise while supervising their children’s play on the beach. The Serasa facility opened in 1980 but was soon expanded due to its popularity. It is an open-air stilt-house design, with a private beach area. An air conditioned room with large-screen TV is also available for members use, and there is a small library of books.

Greetings Readers! I visited Nyneish for the first time about a week ago. It has been around for over a year and it is one of those businesses I keep hearing about when I have chats about local bookshops and arts-and-crafts suppliers. It is tucked away in Seri in Bandar Seri Begawan. The best way I can think of to describe its location is that it is behind the Charcoal Restaurant in Seri. Either drive around or walk-through Charcoal. You won't miss it.

I walked in and I immediately thought to myself, "Nice. Very nice." You can tell there was thought put into the interior design and layout. The books are laid out in a very open-concept manner, as if to invite you to pick them up to have a flick through. There is a mini reading-bay in the middle of the store, and the arts-art-craft supplies are located towards the back of the store. There is even a 'gallery' section where you will find a number of local pieces up for display (with some for sale). Dare I say for the brief few moments that I was browsing, it felt as if I was not in Brunei.

It is worth the visit. For more information, check them out on Facebook here.

Napoleon Bonaparte rightly said that "a picture is worth a thousand words." This is a simple truth. Imagine with me for a while. I would like to tell you about a double chocolate souffle. When prepared correctly, it has a subtle crunch on the top, a bitter-sweet cocoa after-taste and a devilishly gooey core. I could spell out the ingredients, tell you how yummy it is, I could even pretend to speak like Jamie Oliver for you if that's your fancy! Or, I could just show you a picture of if. Your mind fills in the blanks. Your imagination kicks into overdrive and you can somehow...already taste it. How much deeper the experience once you actually taste the double chocolate souffle for yourself.

                                                  Source: MyRecipes.com

Speaking about experiencing things for yourselves, three days ago I attended the launch of the Brunei Art Forum (BAF) exhibition at the Waterfront Art Gallery in Bandar Seri Begawan. According to the press release, the BAF exhibition is "a showcase of artwork by BAF members, and it is supported by the Brunei Museum Department...The Exhibition brings together approximately 90 pieces of artwork by more than 35 local artists from various disciplines. It is a celebration of the emerging local voices and expressions in art". The Waterfront Art Gallery is open to the public until February 2012 and visitors are "encouraged to step into the gallery, relax and explore the individual artwork, which includes batik, abstract art, portraits and installations."