16-Apr-2025, This is my second story about my business trip to Brunei. Three weeks in Brunei, and for 2,5 of them (weeks) I am spending a lot of time with an amazing local woman I met in the city Bandar Seri Begawan (the capital of Brunei) a.k.a. BSB. As mentioned in my previous post, her name is Farah. This story is mostly about the time we spent together and the adventures we embarked on.

On our first date she picks me up in her fancy new car and we go out for pizza dinner. I am not a big pizza fan, but I do make exceptions and I don’t want to be the complicated one on our first date. The pizza was good, our date even better. We hit it off right from the start and I think we both feel the chemistry that is alive while we munch on those pizza’s and chit chat.

First date is a success, and it takes less than 24 hours before we went on the second one. There is not an abundance of things to do here in BSB, but apparently the new and longest bridge here in Brunei is a thing. I found it hard to believe so I had to see it with my own eyes. On our second date we went for a walk to this “famous” bridge, and what can I say?

It… is… absolutely… a… bridge…, just like any other. Nothing special for an outsider, but it quickly grew into an inside joke. Now, every chance I get I will bring up this bridge. It also becomes a symbol of our connection. How two different people with different cultural backgrounds and personalities come together and have a great time. I think that one of the reasons we are able to connect is because she spent a large part of her life abroad and therefor has a more open and worldwide perspective on life and cultures.

As time goes on, we talk more and more and our connection grows. We decide to do some sightseeing together in the weekend. This is the same weekend as I do the hiking with my colleagues in the morning (see previous story). In the late afternoon Farah and I visit the mosque of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin. A large and beautiful mosque with a golden dome and partially surrounded by a lagoon. I am curious about the inner architecture and I am in luck because today the mosque is open for visitors (it is outside prayer hours). Inside is just as mesmerizing as the outer façade. I do not have a particular affection for mosques but I do appreciate beautiful architecture very much (no matter what type of building it is).

This is probably also the reason why I am amazed by the building of our next visit; the Empire hotel. We go here for a drink and watch the sunset. I already heard great things about this hotel and I wanted to see it with my own eyes. Whatever you hear or read about this resort, it won’t do it justice. Even my words are not going to be able to describe this place in full. It’s called Empire for a good reason; this resort is so massive that it really does feel like you are entering an Empire. It is a prestigious 5 star resort, with a private beach, a massive lagoon like pool, four restaurants, a golf course and a cinema. The lobby is majestically large and covered in gold (not sure if it’s real gold but it looks amazing). We take the elevator down to the pool where we order a fresh juice and enjoy the sunset. I have been to plenty of 5 star hotels and resort but I think this one tops them all. The massive pillars in the lobby already say enough.

Even the sunset is stunning and we are very lucky with the clear skies while the sun disappears behind the sea. It is a romantic moment and we take the opportunity to talk about deeper topics of life and love.

I absolutely love this place, it fascinates me and I am thinking of doing a staycation here during the weekend. I want to fully immerse myself in the “Empire experience”.

During the rest of the week Farah and I go out for dinners and coffee dates pretty much every day. I mostly rely on her to bring me to the best places in the city and this beautiful lady does a fantastic job in doing so. And a culinary trip is not complete without trying the local Bruneian dish; Ambuyat.

Ambuyat is a starchy, bland substance derived from the Sago palm tree. Farah calls it “wall paper glue”, and I find this a very funny and remarkably accurate comparison (at least by appearance, not taste). I am glad I tried the famous local dish, but it wasn’t able to tickle my tastebuds. The side dishes were very tasty though! Thank you for the experience Farah, I do not have any regrets but I think I still prefer to stick to my lunch salads :D.  

Farah and I are having a great time hanging out and exploring new places, new for me at least. For Farah they are regular places and we keep bumping into friends and relatives of Farah. BSB is pretty big but small at the same time. Everybody is in everybody’s business, or at least knows one another. We have one recurring topic and we both enjoy it very much, mostly for having fun with… “our” bridge. I do think that my love for that bridge is growing.

This post is another thing that is growing so I should bring it to an end for now and continue next week. In the next part I will share more about the “Empire experience” and our trip to Miri (Malaysia).

Stay tuned for part three…

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