Although Brunei is not that big, owning a car here seems like a necessity.

First, since public transportations (buses) run only from 630 AM to 6 PM, your travels are limited only within this period if you rely on them.

Second, buses in Brunei, or in any other place for that matter, have specific routes to take. If your destination is far from the bus’ route, then you have no other choice but to get off in the nearest bus stop and walk to your destination. It’s a real problem if your place is really far from the bus stop of when it’s either raining or very hot.

Third, buses follow certain intervals. Unlike in the Philippines where there are so many buses to choose from, Brunei has only 50 something bus routes and roughly around 100 buses. You’ll have to wait for 15-30 minutes to catch the next one if you miss the first ride.

These are the reasons why andrea and I are seriously considering saving up for one. Heck, we’re already browsing through each car insurance blog to find out which model would be the most practical to invest in.

It’s amazing how priorities change because of family. You see, when I was a bit younger, one of the things in my list (of first items to buy when I get a job) is a car. I don’t remember exactly what the order was but there was a laptop there somewhere and a pad of my own.

Now, almost 10 years after, the top of my list consists of a washing machine, a mattress, and a refrigerator. Funny right?! I guess that’s how drastic things change when you have a family already. Your family’s needs will always come first.

Forget about owning or spending on thermogenic fat burners, workout machines, coupes and other luxuries. The things you will consider most important to you will change once you have other people to take care of other than yourself. It’s simple really. That’s because these people will be the most important people in your life. Everyone and everything else (including yourself) will just be in close second.

The house we’re currently renting has 2 bedrooms, a spacious enough toilet, a kitchen, and a living room/dining area. It’s not as big as the one we left in Evergreen Antipolo, but it has the same (if not better) surrounding.

Since our place is a bit elevated, we have an overlooking view of the white mosque, the forested areas on the other side of the  main road, and a great view of the tree-covered places below.

It’s very refreshing to wake up and go outside of the house in the morning. Trees and so much greenery greet you everyday (if there is no fog at least). You’ll also wake up pleasantly to the vibrant and varied melodies of the early rising birds, probably chance upon monkeys and squirrels along the road (if you walk quietly), and hear constant sounds of several insects and other animals.

The only problem is, since our place is more nature-friendly than the ones we have in the Philippines, we’re also constantly visited by ants. In fact, if your food storage is not vacuum packed or one of those containers that don’t seal off properly, you’ll regularly wake-up to several trails of them.

It’s a good thing though that I was taught never to kill ants. Hehehe

Andrea, despite being a stay-at-home mom, is actually a busy worker. Everyday she earns almost the same amount as I do by writing articles and blogging. But, that’s only because she has has plenty of time on her hand to work. Now, it’s a different story.

When anika came and I was still without work, we would split the two. I would take care of mateo. She would be in charge of the baby. However, when I went here to Brunei, she was left in charge of handling the two on her own. And there are times (plenty in fact) when they just wouldn’t cooperate.

Before, she finds time to write when mateo’s in school. Now that anika’s here, andrea would be left with no other time but during bedtime, when they are both asleep already. And getting the two to sleep is not an easy task either. Sometimes, our little one would be awake until 1 or 2 in the morning. And andrea would only start work by then.

I told her jokingly to look for sleeping pills that work on children. She answered me with a frown. Hehehe!

With andrea back in the Philippines and without food from my formerly neighboring friends, I feel like I’ve lost some weight without actually meaning to. There’s always a good side to this though.

For one, there’s no need to try out supplements like sensa weight loss pills, or even to look for workout options. If I continue like this, I’ll probably go down a few sizes more without any effort. Second, cutting down on the food has a significant positive effect on the budget as well. Hehehe!

However, I still need to be careful that I don’t starve myself especially of the essential nutrients. I have no health insurance or medical benefits whatsoever so I cannot get sick. Aside from the fact that I don’t have any sick leaves yet, I don’t know any of the doctors here in Brunei. Heck, I don’t even know where the hospitals are.