During orientation. Location: Bus stop

 I have repeated the above sentence for more than a hundred times since I arrived in University of Warwick.

I am pleasantly surprised when people tell me that they have heard of Brunei and not think we are a part of China or Malaysia for that matter. Of course, there was more than one occasion when they haven’t got a clue where Brunei is.

“Is it in the Middle East?” 

I shake my head and go through a lengthy explanation of Brunei’s location on the world map, our population size, official religion, language and lifestyle.

I feel like Brunei’s little ambassador!

When I first got here, I was terribly homesick. It took me three lengthy weeks to finally settle down and not bawl on the phone every time I talk to my parents. When settling down was over and done with, the fun began!

In Nottingham. For the Malaysian Notts Games

Besides attending lectures and tutorials, most of my Term 1 time was spent on visiting the library, grocery shopping and doing my laundry. I was determined to learn how to prepare a well-balanced meal for myself. Here in Warwick, my clothes no longer get magically cleaned as though I was in Brunei. At home, I could toss my dirty clothes in the laundry basket and the next day, I would find them neatly folded in my wardrobe. It is definitely not the case here. Dirty laundry stayed in the basket until I took the effort to walk to the laundrette, toss them in the washing machine and feed the machine with 1 pound and 40 pence. It might sound terribly mundane but doing my laundry gives me a great sense of satisfaction and it is an ideal activity when I need a break from my assignments. What better way to actually relax and get something done in the meantime?

First snow experience!

Back in Brunei, I managed to meet up with the potential batch of scholars for 2007. It was a great experience and it reminded me of my selection process and interview, visits to various departments along with fellow scholars- which felt like a lifetime ago.  The 3 weeks holiday break in Brunei recharged my battery and I felt more prepared for Term 2!

Term 2 proves to be more exciting with more extra-curricular activities namely 2 hours of practices every night for the upcoming Malaysia Night held by the Warwick Malaysian Students Association (which I am a member) and netball practices every weekend. We just celebrated ‘One World Week’ which is an annual event held by our university to promote the cultures of different countries. We even had a booth about Brunei. On that day, we were dressed in our baju kurung and baju Melayu for the boys. We had fun promoting Brunei to everyone who passed by our booth.

My hands are sore from clapping every night for the upcoming ‘Dikir Barat’ performance during Malaysia Night and my head is aching from the pressure of due dates for my assignments. However, I am fully enjoying the process. Life as a university student is colourful indeed and this opportunity does not knock twice. I am determined to make full use of my time in Warwick by enriching myself in order to be more confident, independent and grow to be a better person in every way to serve the Ministry of Defence.

By Cindy Koh Cin Yee (Supreme Commander RBAF Scholar 2006)