Sarah Bailey on her placement at the Coral Project
Hi Vicky,
I'm sorry I haven't been in touch sooner. But
I
have arrived safely and everything here has surpassed my expectations!
Ashleigh is fantastic and very helpful, the flat
and the other 'gappers'
are lovely and whilst I haven't donea dive yet I am enjoying the project. The
country is very different to anything I have
experienced before, it is so refreshing to be in an environment where
their culture is so dominant. I don't mind confirming to their rules at
all as it feels quite nice to be doing something off the beaten track.
We're allout for the evening for Suzanne's
birthday and we've planned a surprise birthday for her so it should be
fun.Thank you for all your work and being in
touch, I'm having lots of fun!!
Sarah Bailey
Kate Flavelle on her placement at the
Coral Project
Kate and Sarah
Identifying Coral in the Laboratory
There are so many great experiences that I feel I’ve gained from Brunei.
Firstly, I’ve never lived in an apartment with four other strangers in any
country, let alone a strict Muslim one. So that was great! I learnt all
about a different culture and got a good sense of the country because
I
was living
there for over a
month. Secondly, the diving was really good and was totally different to
what I was used to. Usually I go and look at all the pretty fish, but this
was actually working underwater. We'd be carrying mallets, baskets and
generally helping the Marine Biologist.
I would definitely recommend this placement to others and I think it would
suit any age, but ideally someone with some diving experience.
A TYPICAL DAY: Diving days - When we had the car we would leave
the apartment around 8am and go and pick up the tanks for the
dives. Then drive to Yacht club and load the stuff onto the boat.Drive to dive site and carry out the task David
(the Marine Biologist) wanted for the week. E.g. Collecting coral,
or finding a new site to start mapping, or writing down where each sample
was taken from.Finish diving by
lunch time. We either did one or two dives. Head back to Yacht club for
about 3-4pm. Eat lunch because we were all starving then head home!
University Days - Head into
the University in the morning. Either clean
coral ready for identification or use the computer programme to name the
cleaned coral samples. We would also make sure we had all equipment ready
if had dive the next day. Lunch at 1-2 then head home when everything
done.
Days Off - There were lots of trips to go on as Ashleigh was keen
for us to explore Brunei and visit Malaysia. We were therefore able to go
to Temburong
National park, Miri in Sarawak and
Sipadan in Malaysia during our long weekend
breaks.
Sue Ling
on her Coral placement
SPECIALS, EXTRAS & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
At the beginning of her placement:It's been great so
far, though the climate difference takes some getting used to. The country
is amazing, and really different to China - clean, classy and green! Still
finding my feet, but everyone has been really helpful and the orientations
are very useful. I'm a little nervous about my first dive as I am very
inexperienced and haven't dived for so long but I am hoping I'll pass the
check-dive quickly and move onto the fieldwork as soon as possible.Today was my first
meeting with David (though I met him last night at the dive club meeting)
and I have to say, doing A-levels in Science subjects definitely helps,
having done this kind of transect survey before. However this time it is
beneath 10m of water! Whole new kettle of fish, as it were. Sorry!
I think that's enough from me. Sue-Ling.
Towards the end of
her placement:I'm really enjoying
myself here! The diving is truly fantastic. Last weekend I dived with the
dive club in Kuala Belait out on the oil platforms. It's probably the only
place in the world to dive on working platforms and it cost me $20! Had to
leave at 5am for a 2 hour journey though, but it did mean I got to see the
sunrise over the river, I think it was the Sungai Belait. The dive itself
was indescribable. Imagine being in a whirlwind of fish, or flying around
Roman ruins and you get some idea.
The
project is the same though we have been experiencing technical
difficulties of late. The UBD boat is being fixed and the other boat we
dive off has been a bit unreliable but I think is fixed now. Clint working
his mechanical magic! David is going away soon, leaving the project pretty
much in our hands. However I am leaving for Vietnam next week and still
need to impart the Coral wisdom to Neil, Yoda-style. I'm sure it will come
off.
Don't really know what
to say. I don't really like to think about leaving, I've made some good
friends and numerous acquaintances here which I don't really like to think
of leaving. Can always come back and visit right? How depressing. Rather
not think on it. I've still got a month out in this neck of the woods and
plan to make the most of it. Except climbing the mountain, far too lazy.
That high above sea level? So many metres too far from home.
Karyn Richter on her Coral Placement in
Brunei
What experience do you feel you gained?
Boating experience – spending time on
a boat, learning to drive and maintain the boat. Also experience of
dealing with different weather conditions
Improved scuba diving skills
Experience of what it's like to live
in another country
Learnt about different types of
marine life
What was the best thing about your placement?
Getting to go scuba diving!
Staff at Borneo Outdoors invited us
on other outings eg: 4 day trip to interior of Sarawak, jungle walks,
traditional wedding, movies, Temburong and more.
Having a car to do own exploring was
great
Friendships formed with other
Travellers Volunteers and Borneo Outdoors staff.
Would you recommend this placement to anyone else?
Yes
What type of person do you think this placement would
suit? Someone who is adventurous and likes the
outdoors. Someone who is flexible and able to get along with others.
Thank you very much to Vicky who helped
organize my placement at relatively short notice. Even though I was in
Australia and Vicky in the UK, she ensured my paperwork was received and in
order. The phone call the night prior to my departure was also appreciated.
Also, a big thanks to all the staff in Brunei, especially Clint and
Ashleigh, who enabled a wonderful and memorable experience.
Typical days during my placement:
Diving day 1 7:30: Wake up, have
breakfast and make lunch. Check that we have all the dive gear and pack it
into the car. Drive to the Yacht Club and unload all of the equipment onto
the jetty. Get the boat ready to launch then kick back on one of the deck
chairs by the beach while we are waiting for Clint to arrive with the boat
fuel.
9:45: Fuel and launch the boat, load
the gear and divers, then we are off. Today we are diving at a site about
30 minutes offshore called Abana Reef. I’m driving the boat today so I head
out of the channel and into the South China Sea. I set the compass bearing
and head towards the reef site. James is on lookout duty to make sure I
don’t hit anything (logs, turtles) in the water. The waves are quiet big
today so it takes us a while to get there. We pass several rickety fishing
boats on the way. Once we are near the dive site Ashleigh uses the GPS to
direct me to the anchoring site.
11:00: We go over the dive plan. Today
we are doing maintenance on the permanent transects. Each transect consists
of four poles 10 metres apart. Each pole has an individual number. The
transects serve as a fixed reference point enabling changes in the coral
colonies to be measured over time. On the last dive we surveyed this site
and recorded that many of the poles had fallen down. Many of the pole
number tags were also missing or difficult to read. Today Ashleigh and I
will hammer in the fallen poles and place new tags on the poles. The other
divers, James B and James H, will be putting floats on the poles so that
they are more visible. The transects are at a depth of 12 metres and we
plan to stay down for about an hour.
11:30: We enter the water. The
visibility is not too bad and we navigate our way to the first transect. A
small school of fish swim off in the distance. We swim the length of the
transect, it’s not in too bad condition and just needs retagging. The next
transect needs a lot of work. We lay out the tape, reposition and hammer
the fallen poles. A loin fish hovers below me waving its poisonous spines.
I try to hurry up with the hammering. This is using up a lot of air. We
finish the tagging and make our way back to the anchor line. We ascend up
to 6 metres where we do our safety stop. Looking up I can see large waves
passing on the surface. It’s hypnotising watching the waves from below and
I hang on the anchor line watching until I complete my safety stop. When I
get up to the surface the guys tell me that a storm had passed over.
13:00: I grab a bite to eat, but not
too much because it’s rough on the boat. I mark on the map the work that we
have completed and change over my tank ready for the next dive.
14:00: Back in the water again. The
visibility has deteriorated but we are still able to complete the
maintenance on all the transects. More hammering and tagging.
15:30: Everyone is back on the boat and
we make our way back to the Yacht Club. We all help unload the boat and
wash the boat and diving gear.
17:00: After enjoying the Yacht Club
pool and a cool drink we hit the showers then order some food. We relax on
the open deck of the yacht club for a while then head home.
Diving day 2 8:30: The weather has
not been great for diving during the last week. We plan to go diving today,
but we are ‘on standby’ as we have to see what the conditions are like
first. We just heard that it was rough but have decided to go anyway.
10:00: After loading the boat we head out
towards one of the more sheltered dive sites, Pelong Rocks. Pelong Rocks is
an interesting dive site, a sea snake breeding ground and is also protected
under the National Treasure Trove Act. One of the divers spoke about the
time they found that treasure chest but couldn’t get it to the surface, but
I’m dubious as to the authenticity of that story.
11:00: We go over the dive plan. Today
we are carrying out a Reef Check survey. This involves selecting four 20
metre sections of the reef and counting fish, invertebrates (eg: starfish,
clams, sea cucumbers) as well as coral. In the last few days we have been
leaning the various fish of the region and now I’m able to identify quite a
few. I’m also surprised at I diversity of marine life here. On my first
dive I saw a turtle.
11:30: It’s rough on the boat and
everyone is feeling sick. We kit up quickly and get in. James and I descend
then swim around for a while and select a site. The visibility is not great
and there is a large surge pushing us around at the bottom. It makes
working difficult. We lay out the tape and are able to complete two
sections of the survey.
12:45: We go back up to the boat and
the others are already there. It’s still rough so we decide to leave. We
head towards one of uninhabited islands and anchor in a sheltered position
offshore. We dive into the clear water and swim into the island. It’s very
relaxing. We have about an hour here and I walk along the beach looking at
all the things that have washed up on the shore. Fish, shells, coconuts and
flip flops. Where are all these shoes coming from?
15:00: Back on the boat we head to the
Yacht Club via the alternative route into the bay. We go around the back of
the island, through the shallows were we look for dugongs.
16:00: Back to Yacht club were we enjoy
the pool, showers and food.
16:45: We quickly go by the house and
drop off the dive gear and get changed into our running gear. It’s Friday,
so tonight is Hash night. The Hash House Harriers are a jungle running
club. Runs are renowned for being tough with hill climbs, river crossings,
mud, more hills and thorns. The runs are set in a different location each
week and usually take about 45–120 minutes. This type of event has become
popular throughout the world.
17:15: We arrive at the run and sign
in. Lots of people here tonight, it’s also very hot. For the first third
of the run the trail leads uphill. I just keep thinking what good training
this is for me. The view from the top of the hill is amazing. I continue
on through fern gullies and creeks. I slip over in some mud. After an hour
I start to wonder if I am nearly there. I can see someone in front of me
and I try to keep pace with him. Finally I can see a group of cars parked
at the bottom of the hill. I made it!
18:30: Grab a well-earned drink and
some dinner as I chat with the other runners. There are plenty of people,
locals and expatriates to meet.
Day off 1 9:00: Enjoy a sleep in.
Have a leisurely breakfast and then go for a stroll down our street.
10:30: Head into the CfBT office to
make some arrangements about the next few days. The staff at CfBT organise
things for us during our placement and are very helpful. Today we discuss
the days that we plan to go diving with Clint during the next week. Noraine
is helping me plan a trip to climb Mt Kinabalu, Borneo’s highest mountain,
once I am finished my placement. We use the internet to catch up with news
from home.
13:00: Get some lunch from the local
bakery, then drive to the swimming pool where we spend the afternoon laying
about on deck chairs and swimming.
18:00: Wander around the local night
market. This is a haven for food lovers. I can’t decide what to order so I
walk around for a while looking at all the different food stalls. There is
a lady cooking chicken satay, it looks good so I order some. She can’t
speak English, but we manage to understand each other. Later we pass a
waffle stand, so I get a banana and sweetened condensed milk waffle.
19:30: We meet Amy and her friends at
the movie theatre. The theatre is modern and the movies are in English.
Day off 2 9:00: We have read about
a park about an hours drive from home, so we have decided to visit it. We
look in the street directory and begin to drive. We pass several beautiful
beaches. Should we stop for a swim? Then we see quad bikes for rent. That
sounds like fun so we stop and each hire a quad bike for 30 minutes. We
race up and down the beach on the bikes.
12:00: We arrive at the Heritage Park
and the look at the displays in the visitors centre. We also do one of the
jungle walks out to the lake. It is silent here and the scenery is just
beautiful.
14:30: We find a local café for lunch
then head home. On the way we pick up the dive tanks that have been filled.
17:00: Prepare our dive gear for
tomorrows dive. Make tags and floats.
Josh Piercey
on his Coral Placement
What experience do you feel
you are gaining? Firstly an ability to deal with a culture entirely
alien to me. The pace of life in Brunei is far slower than any country I
have previously visited and a conscious effort sometimes has to be made to
adjust. On top of that the culture of socializing is completely different to
any Western country (most probably due to the restrictions on alcohol) so
the placement was something of an eye opener in how to make friends and
acquaintances in social settings different to any I’ve ever experienced.
Secondly of course there was the diving. For me it was a real opportunity to
simply dive- to gain repeat experience in the basic principles and nearly
triple my number of logged dives, as well as gaining experience in the
important peripheries of the activity- boat handling etc.
So far what is the best thing
about your placement? The friends I made- without a doubt. Through an
intriguing set of social circumstances I ended up meeting more interesting
and varied people than I ever thought possible. Youth culture is alive and
thriving in Brunei- you just need to know where to look.
What type of person do you
think this placement would suit? Someone outgoing for a start. Someone
who is interested in local cultures and is not afraid to simply take a look
at something on their own. The ability to forward plan would be pretty
essential as it can sometimes be hard to get things done in Brunei. Shyness
would be a difficult trait to overcome in a society that is often very quiet
itself. I’d recommend the trip totally, but maybe only to those that have
some experience traveling, or at least being away from home for a lengthy
period of time.
A Typical Day: A Diver day
normally starts bright and early to beat the tides- the Bay of Brunei often
gets fairly choppy in the afternoon. Wake up, breakfast and load up the
placement Kijang (a Landrover frame around a Nova engine, apparently) with
all the equipment. Drive to the pre- determined load or launch site.
Normally this is UBD, where the university boat is then loaded and taken to
the launch site. Again it’s normally important to get to the site fairly
sharply to miss out on any bumpy weather. Most days consist of two dives,
with food (if you thought to bring any!) in between. The weather is the most
important factor in how long you stay- after the dives the warm water is
extremely inviting to splash about in, as long it isn’t too choppy. In most
cases the boat returns top dry land by around three and gear is washed and
prepped for the next dive day. Tanks are dropped off as promptly as possible
to make sure they are ready for next time, and cleaning work is struggled
through as quickly as possible too, so that everyone can retire to a café.
Eating out it a key part of the culture in Brunei, and after a hard day sub
aqua, you can see some very satisfied looks on the faces of café owners, as
you wash down your fourth roti kosong with another tea tarik. Diving also
makes for some very sound sleeping!
Ella
Sheppard on her
Coral Placement
We had a really easy run through
the airport, Josh's bag had already been taken off the carosel by an
attendant, we had to wait about ten minutes for my bag, but that was quick
for Brunei standards, even Clint was surprised. We dragged ourselves out
into the late evening heat of the arrivals area just outside the building.
Parking ourselves on a bench we met Clint after about 20 minutes because he
was saying goodbye to another volunteer who was leaving from the departure
area.
We got a lift to the house from
Clint after stopping for a few supplies from the nearest shop. At the house
we met another volunteer and our housemate Christine, who is doing the
teaching placement. She helped us find our way around the house and provided
us with a much needed cold drink. You have to get used to making yourself
drink lots of water because you don't notice getting dehydrated so quickly.
The first thing you notice is
how hot and humid it was the moment we stepped off the plane! We have been
here for nearly 4 days and I think we are sort of acclimatizing. The first
night was a bit sticky and hot, but we both managed to sleep. The second
night we had a big thunderstorm which woke us up and had huge flashes of
bright lightening, very impressive. Another volunteer, Max, arrived the
following morning, after he dropped his stuff off at the house we went to
the office to sort out all our documents for them to photocopy. Then we went
to a restaurant where the buffet was only $5 and was truly scrummy. The rest
of the day we relaxed and tried to stay cool in the house.
On Tuesday Clint took us to the
Dive meeting, so we could meet the dive club members who we are able to dive
with at weekends if we want to do extra diving. Wednesday we had our Brunei
orientation, learning what we should and shouldn't do when out and about.
Wednesday night Amy, (someone from the office) took us for dinner at a Thai
restaurant, which was very yummy. She then gave us a tour around The Empire
hotel. This is one of the only 6 star hotels in the world, being the only
one in Asia. It is absolutely amazing, with huge pillars, gold leaf
everywhere, and the most enormous pool ever. Amy told us about Sunday
splash, where you pay $12 and can go in the pool and play on the beaches,
which are part of the hotel. There are three beaches I think, and some of
them you can hire things like jet-skis and little boats. We followed our
trip to the Empire with a visit to the Jerudong Park. It is a theme park
which used to be free, but was only a few dollars entry. Most of the rides
were shut for maintenance because it is very poorly maintained, but we did
have a go on the log flume, go-carts and another ride which was these flying
dinosaurs which you could control which was fun. It was a bit disappointing
though which was a shame because it looked like it would have been so much
fun when it was all up and running and busy. There were about 6 other people
in the park when we went in, and its a pretty big park.
Thursday we had our dive
orientation, where we learnt more about the project we are involved in, and
how we are involved. We then got a slide show of all the nasty things you
might encounter when in the water, and how to avoid getting bitten or stung
by any of them. We then got a tour round the University of Brunei Darussalam
and met David the marine biologist and others we might encounter at the uni.
Then Amy and Nooraini took us to Ashleigh's house for a BBQ where we met a
lot of people and had some more gorgeous food. You can see straight away how
important their food is in the culture here, and we haven't had any reason
to complain yet.
Friday we sorted out our diving
equipment for our dive on Saturday with David, the marine biologist from UBD.
Our first dive with David out on the UBD boat went really well. Eng, a
lovely chinese lady took us on a little tour so we got the hang of not
hitting the coral and what we were looking for, showing us some of the poles
we would be re-tagging where the numbers have been eroded.
Speak to you soon!
Ella
Matt Cullen after his placement on the
Coral Project
Hi Vicky,
I've got home safely from Brunei. I
had a really good time; the project was great and everything was well
organised. Thanks very much for everything you did to make it work out so
well.
I'm still halfway through my
unpacking!
Thanks again, Matt
Zoe Thompson on
her teaching placement in Brunei
What
experience do you feel you are gaining? The teaching has been at my
own pace and I've done as much or as little as I've wanted. The school I was
placed in was different from what I expected as I have never taught such
young children before, but it has all added to the experience. The staff and
students have made me feel totally welcome and at home and couldn't have
been any more friendly. 10 out of 10
So far
what is the best thing about your placement? The best thing so far has
been the amount of people I have met and the opportunities that have come my
way. I can now walk down a street or into a shop and bump into someone I
know. Everyone I have met has been really friendly and my confidence has
grown immensely. Both personally and professionally.
Would
you recommend this placement to anyone else?
I would definitely recommend this placement to others who want a short term
stay. The accommodation has been large and clean, although air-conditioning
would have definitely been a benefit.
What
type of person do you think this placement would suit? I would recommend Brunei to
people of my own age and above. I don't think there is a great deal to do
here for youngsters who want to party and drink a lot, but then if you are
the sort of person who can create their own fun, then your in for a good
time. Alcohol is available at houses and if you are prepared to go the
short-ish distance to the border to buy your own. Also I would say that you
have to be a 'morning person' as the day starts very early!
Can
you describe a typical day?
Wake up 6am, shower and quick breakfast of cereal or toast before
heading off to work at 7am.
Get to jetty to catch the school boat by 7.25.
School starts 7.30am.
Usually have a break for an hour half way through the morning to prepare
for next lesson or just check email on school computer or just chat with
other staff.
12.30 finish and catch the boat back to the mainland.
Home for a quick lunch and change of clothes or go to the office to meet
Nooraini or Amy for Asian lunch.
Afternoon at the yacht club (diver's get temporary membership) or the
beach or at the Empire hotel doing a diving course. Anything involving
water activities as it's so hot and humid.
Pop to Clint's house on the way home for a quick swim, sometimes with
his kids.
Home to shower and change.
Out to dinner in town, usually Gadong or Quilap. Vegetarians are catered
for very well in most restaurants and if you don't fancy whatever's on
the menu, tell them what you do want and they will usually make it for
you.
Shops and restaurants are generally open until around midnight so
there's plenty to keep you occupied until bed.
Day's off
have been spent doing pretty much the same thing with a lie-in and a visit
to the Chinese massage parlour for different types of pampering at
incredibly cheap rates! This includes massage, reflexology, pedicure,
manicure, facial etc. Whilst the beaches are beautiful and empty there are a
lot of sand flies which bite, I don't think they carry any diseases and none
of us have been ill from them but they do bite and itch which is a real
shame and explains why the beaches are so empty! The people here are very
friendly and helpful in every way. Brunei itself is virtually crime free and
is the safest place I have ever been - far safer than the UK!
All in
all an amazing experience that I will never forget and will always be
grateful for! Zoe
Katie John on her Teaching placement
My flight over to
Brunei was fine and I had a lovely time in Singapore. I have now seen
a bit of the country and started teaching, and although there is not much to
do in Bandar itself the country is lovely, and Ashleigh and the family I am
staying with arrange a lot of things for me to do.
The school where I am is very nice, with new
furniture and even an air-conditioned staff room and computers which I am
using to write this. The boat trip was lovely, I saw a large monitor
lizard swimming in the river, and also my first monkey,
so all very exciting! Yesterday I went shopping
in Gadong and this morning we had aerobics at school. I am really
enjoying teaching at the school, it's nice when you hear them copying how
you talk so that they actually speak with a proper English accent, and
they are all so sweet. Love,
Katie
Christina Taylor on her
teaching placement in Brunei
Shortly after her arrival:Selamat
Pagi, (Good Morning). I have been in a mad
whirlwind since I arrived. After getting over the flight and heat I went
shopping and back to the apartment (which is large with loads of fans)
unpacked and my 3 housemates came home from diving for the day. They are
really nice. I had a roast dinner on my first night followed by plenty of
beer until 4 in the morning. The next day I was taken to the offices to meet
all the team, some Malay, Australian and Chinese. Headed into Bandar Seri
Begawan (where I was born) for my first curry no beer. Saw the big mosque
and listened to them praying, the whole city can hear it.
Next
morning us Gap students as we are called headed off to the island of
Kuramann (an hour on a speed boat). We were greeted by 3 dogs that followed
us everywhere. This is a Malaysian island so they can serve Tiger beer.
After a few beers we walked around the island with snorkel gear and went in
the HOT sea from shore. A bit of coral and a few fish. Then we carried on
walking around and came across lots of villages - not sure if they were
Malay or from the Philipines. They had shacks!! We walked past some who were
chopping up coconuts and they offered us some. There was even a tiny little
girl with a knife practising. Then the next village (about 5 huts) starting
screaming with excitement as we walked passed and they all came running down
smiling. We got our cameras out and they all jumped in for a photo. Went for
a night snorkel about 8 and it was brilliant, we had torches.
Left the island with
some lovely tropical HOT rain back to Brunei. Next we are off to a HASH -
not sure what this stands for but a big group of people mostly expats run
through the jungle with football boots on then get smashed on tiger beer. We
were at the end and followed the paper trail through the jungle until we
couldn't find anymore paper and it was getting dark so we had to turn back
which was quite scary in the dark, got attacked by ants and lots of flying
bugs in the dark. So had a few beers when we finally got out.
Have come to my school
this morning which is lovely. It’s at Kampong (village) Kapok at the end of
Jalan (road) Muara and I had a driving test yesterday in a beast called the
Kijang so I drove to school. An aussie called Vicky who has been here for
years is looking after me. She took me into my first class and they are 7
years old with a bit of English. We read a story and then I helped two less
able children who are struggling with some picture cards. It was so much
fun. They call me Miss Christina. We are in the computer room at the moment
which is well equipped, I am impressed, then another lesson at half 11. Easy
day today. I have met the Guru Besar(principal)
who is a lovely Malay.Tina x x
Email 2,
shortly after her arrival: Hello Vicky, All is
going very well out here. I have had three days at school now working with
Vicky, who is very nice and a great teacher. I have already learnt a lot
from her. I am taking to the side small groups of students who are
struggling with their work and I am going over some basics with them, which
I think is working. I have been singing and reading and helping them write.
The accommodation is
great once you get use to the heat. Matthew turned up yesterday and was very
tired but we have come into Bandar today and he is more awake. The other
guys have gone off to Kota Kinabalu and get back tomorrow and I guess they
are off diving after that.
I am using the car and
finding my way around slowly, although I got very lost the other day!! I
tried to find where I used to live. My parents have described it to me but I
thinks it has changed.Anyway that’s me up to
date. Hope all is well there.Will write again
soon.Christina
At the end of her
placement: What
experience do you feel you gained? I have learnt new
techniques with teaching as I have not taught children before and watching
Vicky (the teacher) has given me ideas on how to talk to the children,
setting and following rules, how to dress and behave. I have talked to the
Malay teachers and learnt a few words from them and plenty about local
culture and places to visit.
What was the best thing about your placement? I am enjoying all parts
of it and no two days have been the same. I have got involved in trips and
nights out or in. Then at school I have really enjoyed taking small groups
and getting to know the children and help them with their English.
Would you recommend this placement to anyone else? I think anyone who has
the chance to do this at what ever age should experience it as you don't
know where it could lead you. I am learning all the time as well and meeting
loads of people. What type of
person do you think this placement would suit? Someone who is flexible,
a good team member (helps when staying in the house with others volunteers),
enthusiastic about other people and cultures, like to try new things. Can you
describe a typical day? Today I woke up at 06.15
had a quick shower put on my school clothes had some toast and juice and
jumped in the car for about 10 minutes along Jalan Muara to school arriving
about 7.15. The first lesson is primary 3 so they are about 9 years old. We
did a whole class activity reading a big book, then explain using the pupils
books. Then the children go to their desks and work in their books. I have a
small group of remedial children who are unable to join in with the rest of
the class because they cannot read whole sentences. So I have picture cards
and books to work through. Another two classes today and finish at 12.30pm.
Home for a maagi noodle perhaps and a cup of Tetley. We have a new volunteer
arriving today so we may take her to the CfBT office to meet the staff and
use the internet over there. We normally get invited to something that is
happening by the staff there. They are great for local knowledge. Tonight we
have been invited over to the CfBT Director of South East Asia's house for a
pool party with lots of his friends. There has been something happening
nearly every day and night. The orientation was useful and I learnt a lot
about the history, driving, culture, customs, do's and don't etc. I have
been able to start my PADI Open Water Certificate which is great. The
placement is great and it is going too quick, most people have tried to
extend if they can, which I can't unfortunately.
Rachel Harvey on her teaching placement in
Brunei
Hi Vicky,
Thanks for the email. I arrived safely and have been made to feel
sooooooo welcome not only by the other gaps but by the Brunei people
especially. I am loving Brunei. There is so much to do here. My flatmates
are lovely and we all get along really well, and this weekend we are all
going off to an island (beginning with "L" I think!!!) which I am really
looking forward to. I visited my school today and both my flatmates ones'
and I will be working on the water village which is soooooooo cool. It looks
like so much fun, and I am already learning lots.
I plan to go to Sabah to go and
see the orang-utans one weekend too. We may also have an opportunity to stay
with a tribe in the forest which would be so awsome -ahhhhhhh there is sooo
much to do its incredible!!
Thank you so much for giving me
this opportunity - I will take full advantage of it. I will try and fill in
that form soon, but as you can probably guess my first impressions are
superb!!
Hope you are well back in England.
Rachel Harvey
Zainab Waliullah
on her teaching placement
Brunei was the best pick ever!
I am very happy with my choice and would not regret it. The climate IS hot
but you get used to it very quickly. The flat is nice and spacious
and the location of the flat is very good so
no problem getting around the town, but due to the heat would advise
people to hire a car!
I have spent two days teaching at the Fatima primary
school - the classrooms have fans so it is okay if
you stand under it! The teacher's are lovely here and very friendly and
always check up on me. I am not teaching on my own but I am more of
assistant with Rachel (The Native English teacher at school)
and she is great. I am learning a lot from her and we are coming up
with ideas to make this place beneficial! Teaching
has been a blast. A typical day starts about 7.15 am where usually I speak
to Rachel and she tells me what she is going to do in her class and
what I will be doing. Then in lessons I tend to be more of a classroom
assistant because I am usually helping those children who are weak in
English. Recently I have started to take small groups to the library and
help them with extra work to improve their reading. I think it helps that
Rachel is taking the opportunity of me being here and making a good use of
me - soon we are going to halve the classes and teach them so they get more
attention, and also on Wednesday we are going to go and buy reading books so
I can help read with the weaker students and help with pronunciation with
the more advanced children.
In terms of preparation it is good to prepare the class
work before hand because the lessons tend to go very fast and by the time
the activity is explained there is not much time
left for the children to do it.
I am also helping children with independent projects such
as one child is entering a story telling competition and I am helping him
out of school hours to do that. Lets hope it goes well luckily I would be
here to go and see that. It is a competition with other schools so its a big
thing!Well that’s it for now I will write to you
later to tell you how it goes.
Harriet Cary on her teaching placement
After the first week - I'm
having a great time so far. Last week I was busy from sunrise to sunset
visiting things and eating a huge amount. I went to Miri in Sarawak for
the weekend which was brilliant (swimming under waterfalls, drinking,
being tricked into singing karaoke etc!)
The heat
doesn't bother me though I am being eaten alive by mosquitoes. Brunei is a
lot more modern than I had imagined, and my house a lot more luxurious!
Everyone has been taking good care of me and I started my first day of
school today.
Half way through her placement - All's well here but
I've been put on the spot a lot (have had to go on stage to present myself
to the entire school, have had to lead a maths class in Malay, sing and
play netball even though I didn't know the
rules...) which I think it probably very good for me. The water school is
quite disorganised and I have been told that the motto is "eating is more
important than teaching" which means that they can delay lessons by half
an hour in order to finish their noodles. Very different from home and
quite an experience! So I'm basically enjoying myself and am
even beginning to use a few Malay expressions.Hatty xxx
Haroon Atif on his teaching placement
Shortly after his arrival:
This is only my 5th day and I'm already very pleased with
the placement so far. The staff and teachers at the school have all been
very kind and welcoming. My first impression of Brunei was, of course,
the heat. The fact that London was experiencing a 'heat wave' before I
left is fairly humorous. I was told that Brunei was a malaria free zone,
so before I left I stocked up on some mosquito repellant and a mosquito
net. Fortunately neither have been necessary so far. I've also been told
that water is safe to drink here, but there's no need to worry about
that as the accommodation has a purifying filter anyway. Speaking of the
accommodation, I didn't expect it to be so large and spacious.
Fortunately, I was given the double bedroom with en-suite.
The placement so far has been great. The first day I went
to the school, Libby (the teacher who I will be assisting) was away
because she had caught a flu, so I ended up assisting another teacher
for the day. The children were very shy at first and would whisper an
answer when I would ask them their names, but by the end of the lesson
that all changed. The lessons are very well structured and I was
surprised by how well they were able to speak English at such a young
age.
Yesterday, I was asked if I could help hand out brochures
for the play PEEPOLYKUS which was being sponsored by the British High
Commission. I, of course, said yes because I would then be able to watch
the play for free. HRH the Crown Princess was in attendance for the
night show and there were quite a few cameramen; I even managed to get
into one of the Brunei newspapers...
http://www.brunet.bn/news/bb/sunday/news/jul9h3.htm . I'm in the
background at the top right.
So I've been very pleased with my stay so far and am very
grateful to those who have helped me here and those who helped organise
this placement at Travellers.
Thank you
Towards the end of his
Haroon's stay:
What experience do you feel
you are gaining? Living in
Brunei is an
experience in itself. I’ve picked up a few Malay words here and there and
have noticed quite a few similarities to those of Urdu. As HM the Sultan’s
ascendancy as a monarch is prevalent, people (or at least the people I have
met) tend to be historically aware and so I’ve learnt quite a bit about the
history of the sultanate. I’m extending my stay for a few more days so I
hope to visit the Royal Regalia and the Muzim Brunei again. Living in
Brunei also allows a
person to experience what it’s like to live in a friendly country. Just the
other day I was walking around the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque and someone
stopped his car to talk to me and ask me where I’m from, how I like Brunei
etc. etc. Another person who works at the Kampong Ayer even invited me back
to his home to meet his wife and nine children.
So far what is the best
thing about your placement? There’s a
lot that I’ve liked about this placement, so I’ve narrowed it down to 3
things. 1) The Kampong Ayer – Not only is taking a ride on a water taxi a
lot of fun (and not just because of the drivers’ bad jokes), but the
lifestyle is so different and unique to anything I’ve ever seen or heard of.
Seeing a Shell petrol station supported by stilts placed into the water
pushes the Kampong Ayer into the top 3. 2) The Jame Asr’ Hassanil Bolkiah
Mosque – Architecturally breathtaking… inside and out. 3) Teaching – I’ve
heard that children in
Brunei are encouraged to be loud.
Can’t argue with that.
What was the
work like? The work was great. I was fortunate enough to teach at three
different schools (2 primary and 1 secondary), so I had the opportunity to
work with a lot of pupils. The children at primary are so inquisitive when
you walk into the classroom on the first day and they're very quiet and
well-behaved. But of course that doesn't last long :) I was recently looking
at a picture that I took of the children; this particular picture was taken
soon after I arrived to Brunei, when the children were fairly timid, so it's
quite humorous to me how innocent some of them look.
Did it meet
your expectations, and why? I tried not to focus on expectations before
I came. I was happy to go along with whatever would be presented to me and
fortunately the teaching was definitely one of the highlights. However one
thing I didn't expect was the number of children in each class; there would
be up to 40 in a PRA class which certainly made the teaching a challenging
experience.
Please
comment on the variety of work? The teaching I did at SM Mentiri (the
secondary school) was conversational. As a way for the students to practice
their English, I'd speak to a group or to the whole class and ask questions
(or let them ask me questions); so it would really be one long conversation
that included the entire class. The teaching at primary included reading,
singing, painting, colouring, writing etc. Usually a few days would be spent
on a specific letter in the alphabet or a particular sound eg. "sh".
What type of
person do you think this placement would suit?
This placement has so much to offer that I don’t
think there is a specific set of characteristics required to enjoy it. There
are outdoor and indoor activities (eg. hikes, museums). I’ve done a bit of
both, but it doesn’t have to be this way… it depends on the person. As far
as teaching goes, I can’t see how anyone could not enjoy it.
A typical day? I’ve been fortunate
enough to have taught in 3 different schools in a short period of time,
so I haven’t really had a ‘typical day’. One thing which has remained
constant is getting up early for primary. Classes start at 7:30am at SR
Mata-Mata and 8:00am at SR Tungku. I’d have a 1hr break at Mata-Mata and
half an hour at SR Tungku to compensate for the later starting time.
Recently I’ve been going in earlier to SR Tungku to help one of the
children with his work. Once primary finishes at 11:30am, I’d head off
somewhere for lunch. I love the food here, so I try to be diverse in my
choices when it comes to lunch time, but recently this Thai restaurant
next to the CfBT office has got me hooked. I did go to SM Mentiri for a
while after primary and so I’d have to skip lunch sometimes. School
would end at different times depending on which days I went. If I didn’t
go to SM Mentiri, there are quite a few places to visit. I still haven’t
got tired of the Kampong Ayer. I recently went to the Royal Regalia and
the Yayasan Hassanil Bolkiah Complex. I’ll be going to the Empire hotel
on Friday and
JerudongPark on Saturday.
.
+44 01903 502595
