We have placed a map on the kitchen wall and colour the countries Virtual Nomad has stopped in. Quite easy to find our next stop. The tiny Brunei Darussalam is situated on the island of Borneo, surrounded by Malaysia and facing the South China Sea. It has a bit more than 455,000 inhabitants, the majority of whom live in the capital, Bendar Seri Begawan.
But as always. Food first.
A substitute kitchen
The Brunei kitchen is influenced by Malaysian and Indonesian culinary traditions. You cannot find pure Brunei food in Sydney so the next best thing is to find a Malay/Indonesian restaurant that serves dishes that are popular in Brunei. We decide to go to the Berempah Fusion Restaurant in Crows Nest. The Brunei night results in an ok but not outstanding dinner for the ten Virtual Nomads in our party. The food is fine but not spectacular. The restaurant is full, despite it being a Tuesday night in winter.
As is the case in surrounding countries, beef panang is popular in Brunei so it’s high on our list to order. Panang is a curry that is mild and rich in flavour. Usually it contains peanuts, spices but less chili than, for example, a red curry would. Beef panang usually has the beef sliced thin and cooked in curry, peanuts and coconut milk. I hear from fellow Virtual Nomads that this particular beef panang is ok but not amazing. Apart from beef panang, we also order a variety of other dishes, the quality of which varies from good to passable.
I get a vegan beef parang which is a bit underwhelming.
A (10) wants his favourite – fried rice with prawn which is also very popular in Brunei.
Brunei history
Brunei Darussalam is an absolute constitutional monarchy ruled by the Sultan, with the state religion being Islam. Brunei is said to have been founded by Awang Alak Betatar and named Barunai in the 14th century. From 1368 to 1888, Brunei was at its peak as an empire, spreading around the island of Borneo and several other territories (e.g. some islands of the Philippines). It gradually lost territory from the 17th century. During this time there were reasonably good relationships with some overseas colonialists (eg. Portugal) and not so good with others (a war with Spain in 1578). There was also conflict within the country itself (the Brunei Civil War 1660-73, a long war resulting from the loss of the Sultan’s son in a cock fight). Brunei became a
British protectorate in 1888 and stayed one until 1984. In World War II, Brunei suffered terribly at the hands of the Japanese until it was liberated by the Australian 9th battalion. Brunei gained self-governance in 1959 and independence in 1984. The Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who introduced Sharia law into the national legislation, is one of the richest people in the world, thanks to large oil and gas reserves. He is the world’s longest-serving head of state and one of the few absolute monarchs in the world. His wealth is estimated to be around $30 billion and he has one of the largest car collections in the world. In 2013, he introduced Sharia law (intended to be effective from 2019) which included the death penalty by stoning for same-sex marriage and adultery. Due to international pressure, in 2019 he announced that he would not apply the law. He has had three wives. His first wife is his first cousin (they are still married) and the third is a TV presenter, 33 years his junior. He divorced his second and third wife.
The Brunei book
For the Brunei stop, I decide to read The Fisherman King by Kathrina Mohd Daud. Kathrina is an Assistant Professor of English at the Brunei Darussalam University. She studies Muslim representation in popular romance and has co-founded an all-female theatre group – Salted Egg Theatre. The Fisherman Kind is her debut and was shortlisted for the Epigram Books Fiction Prize (2020).
The novel is a mixture of folklore, fantasy, old mysticism and modern romance, anchored in the folk tales of Brunei. The story is situated in the largest water village in the world – Kampong Ayer (which literally means Water Village). Currently home to more than 9000 people, it is the largest settlement on stilts in the world. In the book, water plays an important role as the main character (who is not very likable) is a young fisherman called Lisan. He returns home after eight years of unexplained absence to find his wife remarried. He is obsessed by the mystery of his roots and origins that may or may not indicate that he is something more special than ‘just’ a normal fisherman. The response to everything lies beneath the water, in the depths of the sea. The story unfolds over two different timelines – present day Lisan and the past with a forbidden love story between royal siblings. There is a central theme of birthrights, bloodlines and the superiority of the royalty, which for me is a foreign concept. There is also the sense of identity and the incapacity of people to see the value of real things, until it’s too late. There are also snake gods, spirits and haunted treasures. It reads a bit like mythology with unlikable characters.
Movies: Martial arts ‘a la Brunei
Not many movies have been produced in Brunei. The most notable are a 1968 production Gema Dari Menara, a 2013 comedy Ada Apa Dengan Rina and a 2014 youth martial arts movie Yasmine. As the 1968 movie is not available, we watch the other two.
Yasmine from 2014 is the first film from Brunei directed by a woman. Siti Kamaluddin is a Bruneian director, musician and filmmaker. She has directed several TV commercials and four films, including Mentari, which features stories from six different directors from ASEAN countries to celebrate International Women’s Day. Yasmine is her first movie and is clearly targeting a young audience as it’s about a high-schooler wanting to become a master in a martial art called Silat. It follows a typical teenage drama format: the ambition of a smart but not a popular girl; a parent who is not understanding but who comes around; the weight of the tradition in contrast with modern aspirations; being goofy and hanging out with goofy friends; two goofy and equally unpopular best friends and some friendship issues; a cute boy; a stunning but cold nemesis; a retired and hesitant but endlessly wise mentor; and a skill that the main character has a passion for (Silat in this case). There are the themes of dedication, focus, mental strength and some spirituality, as is often the case in martial arts movies. It is cute but not memorable, but a great watch for the Brunei landscape with interesting details.
Ada Apa Dengan from 2013 by filmmakers Harlif Haji Mohamad and
Farid Azlan Ghani is notable for using a Brunei Malay dialect throughout the film – a dialect used by most Bruneians daily. It is a comedy about relationships and finding your true love. Hakim is 30 and feeling the pressure to find a significant other. He has a friend with a theory of how to find the perfect partner, and Hakim decides to follow that advice. The result is a story that was a great success in Brunei and some other ASEAN countries. It is a light-hearted comedy with uneven acting levels, and interesting primarily for the description of the urban lifestyle and working life in modern Brunei. It feels a bit clumsy and forced at times and most probably contains several cultural jokes that we do not get. It was overwhelmingly popular in Brunei and many critics called it hilarious. That just means that the joke’s on us for not understanding all the comedic details.
Next stop: Bulgaria