The Director's Cut

I like my Emma-isms.

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LIFE IN A SMALL TOWN

By EmmaGoodEgg

According to the latest figure online Brunei Darussalam’s population stands at approximately 360,000 people in 2004. That is roughly the population of one of the larger HDB New Towns in Singapore, or the entire population of Bristol. Sometimes as a result of a small population we suffer from ‘cabin fever’. There is nary a day when you do not get recognised for being a “half-second cousin on your grand-uncle’s side” or your parents’ child. This is because when everyone is connected, in one way or the other to everyone else, the community can get too close for comfort. Sometimes we find our numbers debilitating and suffer for our smallness. A relatively small purchasing power means one business opens and another closes. A jury system would be a hard sell. When a competitor comes from beyond the sea and within in the form of Kristal Astro, state entities like Radio Television Brunei react with a lukewarm desire to improve because no one really watches anyway. (Unless of course, you happen to be on it). Perhaps RTB could use our small population to its advantage. By getting every one on TV, maybe then every one will watch.

When I was younger the media that we preferred to digest was mostly from abroad. Those who stayed in Kuala Belait benefited from the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) Radio that played the latest UK Top Of The Pops every Sunday for the British army stationed there. We watched ‘Top of The Pops’ videos, or listened to ‘NOW That’s what I Call Music’ cassettes, from uncles, aunties, even parents, who studied abroad. We bought our reading materials in the shape of teen books, comics and magazines from bookstores like Booker International. During those days, we watched television series like The Greatest American Hero, Dynasty, Dallas, and many others, religiously on Radio Television Brunei. We listened to the radio as well. In the 80s, DJ Hishamuddin had a large teenage fan base. I know because I was one of them. Then came the satellite channels and Capital FM. When we came into the 90s we knew how the rest of the world was entertained but paid little attention to what was happening in our small sleepy little community. Because when it comes to the local media, ours is a tough market and the audience tougher.

Incidentally, those who did not have a chance to visit foreign cities, or study abroad, stayed true to the local media. Some of us, who were fortunate enough to spend some time abroad, got too big for our boots. Dayang ‘X’ London (e.g. EmmaLondon) was a name given to those who, despite being Bruneian, became terribly anglophile.

When the lease ran out on Capital FM on the 1st of December 2005, the local radio stations were granted a new lease on life. Perhaps we resisted at first, but our radio DJs and newscasters were heard. Bruneians take to technology well and the Internet spread like fire in our small community. Slowly our voices grew online, friendly in IRC chat rooms, posting comments that are, more often than not, malevolent on Have Your Say, Bruclass and the mother of them all – Brunei Talk. We took to online communities like ducks to water. We knew everybody.

The young cottoned on swiftly, as the young tend to. While most will agree that Mr. BR at Brunei Resources (www.bruneiresources.blogspot.com) is the Grand Master of the local blogging scene, the kids were there first. Snixxx (www.somethinghantap.net) was only 17 when I came upon her blog in 2002. Now we see bloggers and DJs have become the best of friends. Take for example Anak Brunei’s (www.anakbrunei.org) recent online food critic transition to a radio food critic with the help of DJ Jenny and Kristal FM. The community and the media have a thriving symbiotic relationship.

Most local bloggers participate in online endeavours that like Mr. BR, who describes the purpose of his blog Brunei Resources as such, ‘create a better informed Brunei Society’. It is a worthwhile undertaking, and the abundance of local presence online is heartening. I partake in a cosy eclectic community of gifted bloggers from Brunei, from the young and the more matured, those far and near, those local, and those who simply live in Brunei. To name a few (for there are many) like Jewelle (www.jewelle.blog.com) a housewife from Sabah, who lives in our country and posts from and about life in Lumut. Widarchitect, (www.widarchitect.blogspot.com) is a Bruneian student in London, her nostalgic words and stunning pictures make a former student miss the student life there. Zippy (www.zmgreprezent.blogspot.com), a young local, posts about a life in Brunei. One day I shall leave a comment on one of her posts that Booker Prize Winner Arundhati Roy started in similar fashion, but in India. But out of a list of blog links that I favour, Pynk (www.pynk.flawedperfection.net) is the link I click on first. Until recently, an honour reserved for City Rag’s tales of New York. By the way, Pynk is not a singing American, but a 21 year old Bruneian, expertly juggling studying and singing in Melbourne. She is the funniest person I read. Her blog is mostly about her life in Melbourne, and her writing is peppered with Bruneian and Asian colloquialism. I think this is why I find her posts side-splittingly funny. She is a homegrown comic.

Young LSM (www.ourlocalstyle.com) believes that in order to encourage a society that is inspirational we should take the word “talent” out of every description used to describe an above average performance. I say let the young have their high standards. I also say that for a society to be inspirational, we have to encourage an education system that embraces thinking for one’s self and less spoon-feeding. We should cultivate a high level of commitment to not only academics, but also sports, on stage and in music, in voluntary work and other creative activities. We must teach our children the value of a reasoned, well argued, less incendiary point. That we must also learn to listen is a given.

When we speak or write about our likes and dislikes we initiate debate, formulate constructive criticism and pave the way for a welcomed change. Unless you’re Dorian Gray, it is generally accepted that change is inevitable. His Majesty’s decision to reconvene the Legislative Council whets the country’s appetite for a change of mind set. When The Brunei Times, Brunei’s first broadsheet newspaper, acknowledged our voices on the World Wide Web the various forms of local media and our society became more vibrant and stimulating like no other time in my memory.

We may be a small community but I believe we are a well-educated community. Our smallness becomes an advantage because it makes it easier to adapt to change. Let this be the generation that took this thought and ran with it.

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Comments

[FaDz]

i may not be a blogger, just a constant visitor of some or maybe all bruneian bloggers, hehehe.. i really like reading your article, just as AnakBrunei said, much more livelier.. your article really has deep meanings, shows how fast a small country like us grows, hehehe.. keep up the blogging :-)

[EmmaGoodEgg]

Thank you all, for your comments xx

[bruneiresources]

good article [and not because I am described as a grandmaster :)] - because it is reflective of the changing world - the new world order even in our 'small' country.

[Jewelle]

This one is definitely much better. Well done. I think you should take over the Editor's job at BT.

[Zippy]

I like how BT editted the 'a' into 'her'; it's two totally different things. They obviously didn't get the gist. hehe.

[Pablo]

Great write-up.. I guess I can relate to the BFBS and London stuff..hehehehe. I follow your blog on a daily basis. I love your writing. You new banner is very da cool!. Wish it for real. Prefer than that needle thingy hehehee...Keep up the blog..cheers

[Bulimic]

I confess, I was a Smash Hits junkie! Pity I have lost my collection ;s

[AnakBrunei]

This version is so much livelier! I love it!! Same comments from previous post apply here heheheh!

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