On weekends, we often come across groups of big bikers on their way up or down Belait district.

If we met them on the highway, it is interesting to note the different kinds of motorcycles whilst trying to imagine who and how these bikers look like behind their HJC IS-Max BT and the likes, helmets.

Perhaps it’s one of those fierce, no-nonsense government officers who could stop wannabe-crime-offenders with just one look – or maybe, it’s an officer who are so friendly and mellow, you’d never believe he is into loud noises and mean-looking machines.

Perhaps it’s one of those aggressive women who could outtalk anyone with their loud and boisterous manner – or maybe, it’s a sweet and demure lady with tudong who favors quiet ladylike chats with delicate pastries and tea in dainty cups before riding astride a machine that roars and continues to roar until it switches off.

Whoever they are behind their helmets, the bikers make our road trips interesting – at least when I take the time to imagine who they may be in real life.

Living in Brunei, we are thankfully not affected by the Indonesian maid supply situation that has been plaguing Malaysian households for two years.

I sympathise with the affected households but as this article puts it, “Maybe the time has come for us to put family first and everything else, career included, a distant second.“

Perhaps it is time to consider having one spouse as a full-time stay-at-home parent?

Understandably, this is a terrifying thought to many career-minded individuals who also happen to be parents.

But unless the extra income is really necessary, why shouldn’t one parent stay home?

Speaking only for myself, my being a full time stay at home mother is crucial to my family unit. Because I stayed home, my husband can fully concentrate on his career and our children can always count on me to be there for them for anything – guidance, love, affection, discipline and entertainment.

And I give them all these without strands of my hair turning grey every day from the stress of keeping on top of the demands of a job and the needs of my family.

Because I stayed home, our domestic life is easy.

Of course I wondered too at times, what it’s like to have an “important” and brag-worthy life; managing the family while being a part of a team in charge of departmental budget, which is what I could be doing had I stayed working.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to how complicated I want my life to be.

Sure, the compromise is huge. With only one income coming into the family fund, our dream home with a wraparound porch and laminate floors or the trip around the world staying five-stars all the way will take longer to achieve (and near-impossible in the case of the latter) – and these are just the inconsequential things.

But I am blessed to have the option to choose and I chose the uncomplicated life while I still can.

What about you?

When it comes to books, I am always drawn to fictional stories about humans and relationship set in rich Asian cultural and historical backgrounds. It is interesting to learn about cultural quirks, ancient traditions and local customs this way.

At home, I am alternating between three fictions by Asian writers (Kiran Desai, Arundhati Roy and Lisa See) – three books lying around and this is simply because none has grabbed my attention well enough.

One does piqued my interest in its references to Nushu, a secret writing used exclusively among women in southern China. I wondered too what “..front garden of the Ayemenem House, where she raised a fierce, bitter garden that people came all the way from Kottayam to see” with its patio planters and a marble cherub which “peed an endless silver arc into a shallow pool in which a single blue lotus bloomed” looked like.

But despite all this, my favorite read has nothing to do with anything Asian – culture or history and it’s written by an Irish man to boot!

Frank McCourt’s second autobiography is the book I read in the car on schooldays when I wait for the kids and as with his first book which I owned, I enjoyed his writing styles and looking forward to finishing this book.

What book are you reading now?

The landscape of Kuala Belait has changed so much in the last couple of years.

Driving around this town these days is quite exciting – new multi-storey residential blocks everywhere!

With so many expats in this oil and gas town and very little housing options due to the restrictive land policy, it is only fair that those with money are allowed to build apartments – for those who has no money to build or even buy their own.

Now there are comparatively more housing choices at more decent rental rates – and those expats whose housing allowances are not $5000 and above will no longer have to contend with renting some backyard-house-extension or above-shoplot-units.

These expats may still not be able to display their modern outdoor furniture but at least coming home to their rented apartments will be much nicer (maintained compound) and easier (no need to compete for parking with shop-goers).

Just the other day, my husband suggested that we display all the cameras we have had over the years.

You must think we make it a hobby to collect cameras?

We do have around four to five digital cameras (and maybe two camcorders until the last one broke a few years ago and never replaced) and most of them still work I am sure. It is just that, once we upgraded to a DSLR (still only one), the others were quickly forgotten and now left lying somewhere, gathering dusts.

I mean, how can I not love the (still one) DSLR that we have, no matter how basic it is now compared to all the new ones in the market, when its “sports mode” suits my style (read : shooting while in a car) nicely?

In fact, many of my favorite photos are those I took when we are driving around.

So much so that I am sometimes at lost at what to shoot when I am in not in a compose-and-press-the-shutter-now mode!