It was only less than 100 years ago that Muara was returned to Brunei administration by the Brookes, who ran a now disused coal mine in the area of Tanjong Muara.
Although it is a short distance from town, there is still a sense that it is detached from the rest of the country. It still has the feeling that it is a little town at the extremity of the map. Any trip now to Muara Beach brings back fond memories of my childhood, when a trip to Muara really felt like a long excursion to somewhere else.
I recall wearing much less beachwear than I would do now, never fearing the sun, and endless happy hours paddling in the warm sea. An abiding sensory memory is the sharp pain of stepping on the small spiky casuarina balls that fall out of those fir trees.
I spent last Sunday afternoon at Muara Beach with my small daughter and husband. Although it is a little more crowded and a little more developed, I am happy to report that for me, Muara Beach has not changed all that much since the 70’s.
Although we did not swim, it still feels the same. There are still the same painful little casuarina balls littering the ground. The car park has not increased in size. There are still the same fir trees and the same strange and unused pools of stagnant water. In my childhood, these pools were natural depressions above the high tide mark that collected muddy water and driftwood. These have now been artistically tiled and subjected to some “design”. However, they still hold the same mysteriously coloured water.
There are happy families from all over the world on day trips, spread throughout a nicely developed and well-maintained park. Toddlers gambol on the lawn next to a brightly coloured playground.
There is the same clear, fresh breeze. The sea does something to the sunlight that sharpens and focuses colour. There is the constant, hypnotic, sound of the surf breaking on the shore. I think this, deep down, is what attracts us all to the beach.
The main reason for going to the Muara was to go and have a look at the first “Book Swap at Muara Beach”. This was a little event organized by a group of young, avid readers, who set it up on a Facebook page called “Brunei Bookswap”. It is nice to see that there are book lovers around, and people who are willing to get out there to share their passion with others.
The idea is simple; a time, date and venue is set for a bookswap. You bring the books that you don’t want to keep, and exchange them for books you want to read. Nothing obscene, religious or subversive.
I must say that I suffered a little bit of angst in deciding which books to offload. Firstly, the books I like are precious to me, and difficult to let go of, and the ones that I don’t want to keep may well label me as obscene, immoral or subversive!
Anyway, we took along a nice collection of airport grade literature, and ended up quite happy with our haul in return. This included a book of folk stories for the daughter, a Dragon Lance trilogy for me, and a volume of Edgar Allen Poe, to be returned at the next book swap.
It is all too easy to get sniffy or snobby about books and reading, but I think the idea is a great one. The nicest thing really is browsing through and learning a bit more about what other people have on their bookshelves and importantly, learning about other people. Not to mention the chance to get to the beach!
@emmagoodegg
No illustration this week.
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