Weekly Wrap: Top 3 and bottom 3

Date: 26th April (I think), 7:30pm, Thursday night

Location: Rm 406, Riviera Hotel, Kuala Belait, Brunei Durassalam (I think half the population here is related to the Sultan...)

Top 3 List:

1) Seeing a crocodile in the river that is outside my hotel (thus “Riviera”). It was a little one – only 3m – with bright yellow markings on the tail. The crocodile wasn’t actually seen right outside the hotel – we went on a boat ride up the river and saw it lazing around approx. 5km from the hotel. It was probably just a baby – parents must be around somewhere though… Hmm

2) Went onto an onshore drilling rig today. Very cool. Not literally however – we had to wear some serious protective clothing (i.e. hardhat, boots, goggles, bright orange jumpsuit, gloves) on top of our normal clothing (i.e. shirt and pants) in freaking 35+ degree heat. It was quite gross. I also think I have heatstroke.

3) Surprisingly, Anzac day celebration. We didn’t get a day off (being in Brunei), but we did end up celebrating due to 2 army guys being on the team. So we ended up going up to the beach to watch the dawn and have a little ceremony at 5am on Wed morning. And after work, ate lamb chops, drank beer and watched Gallipolli until midnight. A bit masochistic but a new experience. I really knew nothing about it before.

Bottom 3 List:

1) Company knocking back my request for leave to go to Romania without adequate explanation (I feel anyway)

2) Allergic reactions to Brunei basically. I’ve managed to get hives (despite already being on anti-histamines) and scratch my way through the trip to Singapore. NOT impressed. I’m still randomly breaking out in spots and rashes and occasional swells. Right now my left wrist is swollen and itchy and I have a hives spot on my right side. Farken.

3) Men being patronising and condescending. Generally, everyone is very lovely and perfectly nice. But there are a few here and there who have this undercurrent of condescension (eg telling me women should wear skirts, that I could do with curly hair, that I shouldn’t work so hard or I’ll end up with pimples, talking over me when I try to answer their questions). Farken shits me. But it’s only this week where it’s been a couple of incidents and because I’m tired, it’s getting to me. Overall it’s not really a big issue. But today, as the quote from Gallipoli goes “those bastards!”