As part of our school’s selection in the ASEAN-Australia BRIDGE School Partnerships Program, Casie Richardson and I were fortunate to visit our partner school Maktab Sains Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan (MS for short) in Brunei Darussalam during the recent school holidays.
From the moment we arrived at the airport, we were enthusiastically welcomed and felt very safe and happy in this elegant, modern city. The staff and students were excited to share their school with us, and we observed many lessons and the day-to-day life at MS school.
We were very fortunate to arrive for the last week of Eid Raya celebrations; this period is a highlight of the Islamic calendar and were invited to share many meals and celebrations with the staff and students.
Casie and I experienced so many highlights – these included travelling along a crocodile-infested river searching for native proboscis monkeys, visiting impressive mosques, the Gadong night market, tasting local cuisine including the popular ambuyat with durian dipping sauce (Brunei’s national dish), Kampong Ayer water village and many fascinating museums.
We enjoyed many fun times and lots of laughter with the beautiful, friendly people. We cannot wait for Ani and Sufe to visit us in June so that we can show them our wonderful school community.
~ Mrs. Mel McGown (Indonesian Teacher)
