What We Do At Work

One way of being able to enjoy someone’s company is being interested in his job – or in what he does in half of the day when he is not with you.

In my opinion, this is especially important in a relationship. When there is no interest to know what makes the other person tick, it is easy to grow apart from each other.

But of course, interest cannot be a put-on act.

I am lucky that I am naturally interested in my husband’s job – and all that he decides to share are interesting information and knowledge for me.

Of course, I have absolutely no use to know things such as jib cranes but it is cool to know for sure (after much debate of “I don’t believe you!” and “You see?!”) that oversized cranes are the only heavy duty vehicles that can be driven long-distance.

I just hope that he enjoys listening to “news” because that seems to be one of my job descriptions…

01Feb

Our Blessed Country

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Just the other day, I overheard my two older daughters talking about interesting places around the world – Statue of Liberty, Mesa Verde and etc – from a book that my eldest was reading at that time.

When they noticed that I was listening in, they asked hopefully if “Can we go visit those places one day, Mama?”.

Flipping further through the same book, my eldest sighed and complained, “Brunei is so small. I wish we have interesting places like these here”.

Before I could answer, both of them concluded with a “BUT we are so lucky that Brunei is peaceful”.

“And we are safe from natural disasters like tornado, tsunami..”

Yes my dear children, we may live in a small country with not many interesting places but we have many things to be grateful for - and I hope they will always realize how blessed they are.

12Jan

Rejuvenated Houses

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One of the problems newcomers to the Belait district will encouter is the lack of rental houses or apartments – that come with rental prices that do not make your heart drop.

We passed by one such property which reported cost a cool $5000 per month – and it’s not even a house!

Such is the demand and lack of supply that even apartments can cost upwards of $1500 – and even these are so few that sometimes, the agents do not even need to advertise.

But over the past few years, we have began to note more detached properties which were renovated to fit a few separate apartment-like units within. Since there are few land that could be developed, this has to be one reason why this kind of property development is becoming popular – at least in this district.

It is safe to say that hardware and NOLA Garden Gatess must be enjoying brisk businesses – not to mention the architects and design firms who must be thrilled with the challenge to convert houses into barely noticeable low-rise apartments.

Surely that’s one of the reason why one such architect friend is becoming stouter – usually the sign of success ^_^

12Jan

Light Bulb Question

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On the way into town earlier today, my husband asked me if I knew how street lights bulbs are changed….

- before you answer -

…within an oil and gas facility.

I have to admit that despite passing by one such facility nearly every single day for the past 12 years, it was only today that I noticed and noted how it was exactly done.

Not with any foldable ladder which from the low height of the lamp post, was probably the way it would be done elsewhere.

But no. Within this kind of facility with their stringent safety polity, it had to be with METAL SCAFFOLDS!

Imagine how much longer it must have taken them to erect the scaffolds just to untwist the old bulb and twist a new bulb in!

And guess how many people does it take to change a light bulb within an oil and gas office – was his final questions (in the early hours of the morning before I could kickstart Google – such unfair advantage might I add…)

I shall leave this for future revelations.

27Nov