On Friday, 5 Aug 2022, after a long wait through the summer holidays, we were finally at Changi Airport ready to depart to Brunei for our “Science for a Sustainable World @ Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD)” FACT Programme. We were quite anxious but also looking forward to what we would be learning about in Brunei. Personally, I was really excited to visit the Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre (KBFSC) and to be away from the fast-paced city life for the 4 days we would be there.
After everyone checked-in without any issues, we took the short 2-hour flight and arrived in Brunei in the early evening.
Arriving in Brunei and Accommodations feat. Residential Cat
Upon reaching Brunei and clearing the customs, we took a short bus ride to the UBD Residential “The Core” where we would be staying for our trip. After arriving at UBD, we quickly checked in and got our first look of the accommodation. It was similar to what we know as a 4-room HDB Apartment, where 3 to 5 of us shared a common living room, kitchen and bathroom, but each had our own rooms.
After having dinner, we were allowed to go out for the rest of the night. This was when we decided to visit the nearby Gadong Night Market which is similar to our local pasar malam, except with food at reasonable and fairly affordable prices. Some of us tried the local delicacies, which ranged from the familiar satays to more unique kuehs and even sambal stingray (I mean who can pass up on a large chunk of stingray going for only $6?). After filling our stomachs, we decided to call it a night and head back to The Core to have our well-needed rest to start the exciting long week ahead.
