There are some places that to in order to discover them for the first time. The Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam is definitely one of them. I once explored this place known as the “Abode of Peace.” Its golden-domed mosques draped and dripping with precious jewels, its monolithic Billionth Barrel Monument, the Royal Regalia Museum featuring expensive gifts from heads of state for the royal family, as well as the palatial Istana Nurul Iman and the luxurious The Empire Brunei. The homes of its people who imbibe the culture of love, kindness, and peace are the most valuable treasures that lie beneath these gilded structures. Just an hour-and-45-minute flight away from Manila, Brunei is a magical place where unexplored jungles, glorious waterfalls, and remote coastlines are rigorously protected, where a peaceful existence prevails, air pollution is unknown, and traffic is virtually non- existent even if there are more cars than people. The crime rate is very low, and the country has been voted as one of the most preferred places to live in Asia.

Little is known about this tiny but wealthy kingdom where Islam is the main religion. Brunei has maintained its stature as a peace-loving country, as it allows the practice of other faiths such as Christianity and Buddhism. In the company of 23 gregarious companions composed of my close friends and entire family with their children in tow, we discovered many valuable lessons about love, life, and friendship in Brunei, where we welcomed the new year 2006. At the modern airport in Bandar Seri Begawan, the nation’s capital, we were met by our gracious hosts Anyati Orcullo Abdullah, a Filipina married to Haji Besar bin Haji Mahmud, and their four-year-old daughter Amali. Together with their sons Haji Suhaimi bin Haji Besar and wife Hajah Azamah binti Dato Seri Laila, and Capt. Haji Omar bin Haji Besar and wife Salvia binti Jafar, we were welcomed to their lovely home where we met senior education officer Merusin bin Saleh and his Filipina wife Judy and their children Alyanna and Azhmir, and Janet Lueckenhausen and Kevin Britten, as we feasted on home- cooked satay, noodles, and exotic treats.

Bruneians can stay without a visa for six

months in the UK and for three months in the US. The drive for excellence and justification for higher education is inevitable as Bruneians attest that there is no reason not to succeed. In Brunei, health is wealth. One can give birth either the normal or cesarean way for only B$1 or P43. All newborn babies are well taken care of by nurses and midwives. In the event that a serious case cannot be handled in the country, a Bruneian patient can be sent to Singapore or the US by the government for further treatment for free. We boarded a water taxi and skimmed through the Kampong Ayer or “Venice of the East,” the capital’s sprawling water village of markets, mosques, schools, medical clinics, and homes to 30,000 inhabitants. From their balconies, one can see the mosque’s glistening minarets rising above multi- hued, garden-draped homes. My niece was impressed with the splendid architecture of these golden orbs. Though high technology is evident here, beyond the cold blinking faces of computer screens and beneath the hum of modems, Kampung Ayer’s heart still dances to an ancient rhythm.