In Bandar Seri Begawan, we may not see as many Caucasians as we normally do in Belait district.

We do however see a few faces most times we drive to the kids’ school, due to its proximity to hotels and tourist attractions.

Unlike the orang putih we usually see in Belait with their kids or working clothes, those we see here are usually walking under the hot sun drenched with sweat and looking close to fainting – except the smart ones who walk around with wide-brimmed hats (no such comfort for men, though).

The even smarter ones will walk out only when the sun is more merciful to these skins more used to piling on the clothes (instead of wishing they can remove everything) and wearing heated gloves (instead of wanting to jump into iced water)!

But despite the heat and humidity, I am sure many of these tourists enjoyed quaint found-only-in-Brunei scenes such as the Tamu at Kianggeh, still so colourful even on quiet weekend afternoons.

Friends who received their long-awaited letter to their house of dream are now in the stage of being truly and properly excited.

Or stressed, if you think about it, with all the processes that come with decorating or renovating a new and empty house.

But I think excited to the point of being sleepless is not stretching it too far because I can imagine all the ideas that would be flooding the minds of those who have waited to have a house of their own for years!

Just figuring out the decorating theme is enough to produce a long list of items and works to be done – think wall paint, curtain design, sofa style, carpet type and so on and so forth. Then there are the small items that may seem unnecessary and unimportant to some people – think lamp shade colour, cushion covers or even bookshelf speakers – you don’t really need them oh, but how they make (or break) the mood of a room!

Yes, it is a long and stressful months ahead and as one friend quickly announced the moment she received her confirmation letter, “I need an interior decorator!“.

I strongly concur, my friend.