Commonwealth of Nations

Today is the 5th of November which is Guy Fawkes night.  So Happy Bonfire night to all of my Commonwealth peeps.  

Here's a bit about the Commonwealth of Nations.

The Commonwealth of Nations is a political association of 56 countries, most of which, 52 of them, were once part of the British Empire either as colonies or dependencies.

With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II's passing, Charles III immediately succeeded his mother as monarch of the Commonwealth realm even though he has not yet be crowned king.

Once Charles III will be king, he will be both monarch and head of state, of the 15 countries of the Commonwealth realm.

These 15 countries are the United Kingdom, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.

There are five countries that have other monarchs but are still a part of the Commonwealth.  These five are Brunei, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malaysia, and Tonga.

The remaining 36 members of the Commonwealth are all republics.  They include Bangladesh, Barbados,  Botswana, Cameroon, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, India, Kenya, Kiribati, Malawi, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Vanuatu, and Zambia.

The Commonwealth consists of 31,5 million km² (12.2 million square miles) which is about 21% of the world's total land area.  The Commonwealth countries are home to 2,4 billion people which is about ⅓ of the world's population with 94% living in Asia and Africa.

There's no requirement that a member has to have been a British colony.  Mozambique, Rwanda, and Gabon never were.  The Commonwealth Charter states that members have shared values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

The human rights thing is a bit funny to me.  The UK left a legacy of anti-homosexuality laws, particularly during the 19th century, at the height of the British Empire.  Being gay is still a criminal offence in more than 30 Commonwealth countries.  There's a direct link between anti-gay law and increased rates of HIV.  While the Commonwealth accounts for about a ⅓ of the world's population it has more than 60% of the world's HIV cases.    

Membership in the Commonwealth isn't forever.  Ireland was the first country to leave.  It left when the country became a republic.  Prior to India becoming a republic the rules were changed so that India could remain a member.  Zimbabwe left in 2003 but it is now trying to rejoin.  Other potential members currently include Somaliland, South Sudan, Suriname, and Burundi.

The three Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man aren't happy with only being represented by the UK.  All three want to have direct representation with the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth Games are held every four years.  They began in 1930 as the Empire Games.  They contain the usual Summer Olympic events plus "British" sports like bowls, netball and rugby sevens.  The next games take place in 2026 in Victoria, Australia.

Update August 2023:  Looks like it's getting too expensive for cities to host the Commonwealth Games.  Two cities have withdrawn their bids for upcoming games.  Here's a BBC report about it.

©BBC News

SE Asia Trip Report

Well my trip to Southeast Asia was fun. A bit of a whirlwind for a 10 day trip but still a good time.  Malaysia, specifically Kuala Lumpur, had been on my bucket list for about 20 years.












I enjoyed KL, even with a bit of rain.  However, the best part of my KL adventure was getting a chance to meet up with Jessica, Dharma, Kartik, and LikMin.

The Bantu Caves were a great little day trip.  Plus I got to see the monkeys there.








I enjoy Malaysian food but honestly the best thing I found was brown sugar bubble tea.  I miss proper bubble tea with the tapioca balls.  The bubble tea I've found in Czechland just sucks.  Anyway, this was proper bubble tea with rich brown sugar tapioca pearls.  So yummy.

After a few short days in KL I headed to Brunei which all of my friends thought I was insane to go visit given the recent uproar about imposing the death penalty for homosexuals.  However, it was kind of ironic that I when I got to Bandar Seri Begawan that there was a big gay rainbow.

Natalie was "in the area" so she flew in and we met up in Bandar.  You've got to love random godparent meet-up adventures.  It's always so awesome getting some Nat time.  The last time I saw her was in March when we went to Malmö and Copenhagen.  

Bandar was interesting.  One day was definitely enough to get the feel for the place.  Honestly the company made this a way better visit.  Then we flew to Singapore which I think might be the 9th or 10th country we've visited together.

One thing to note about Brunei and Singapore is that both countries are tough on illegal drugs.  On the arrival cards for both countries there are warnings that drug trafficking will result in the death penalty.



From Singapore, Nat and I caught the train to Johor Bahru for day trip.  On Tuesday night Nat caught her flight back home to Wellington.



On Wednesday I did a bit of sightseeing down at the marina and in Chinatown.  I also finally got to try chilli crab.



On Thursday I caught a high-speed ferry and went to Batam for the day.  My first time in Indonesia.  It was interesting and the highlight of the day was visiting the former Vietnamese refugee centre.  I swear that sometimes I visit some of the most random sights but it's always an adventure.

Although it was a fast trip I managed to pack in quite a lot.  I definitely want to go back to Malaysia and Indonesia.  If only it wasn't a 13ish hour flight from Euroland.

Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

On Monday, I flew from Kuala Lumpur to Bandar Seri Begawan and met my favourite Kiwi for a new country adventure.

Bandar Seri Begawan, بندر سري بڬاوان, is the capital of Brunei.  The city has a population of 100.700 with the greater metro area is home to almost 280.000 people.

Until 1970 it was known as Bandar Brunei which translates to "Brunei Town."  Locals simply call it "Bandar" or BSB.

The city lies on the northern bank of the Brunei River.

The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque was built in 1958.  It is regarded by many as one of the most beautiful mosques in the world.

The mosque has an artificial lagoon with a replica of a 16th century barge.  The barge was completed in 1967.

The 1968 Coronation Arch commemorates the coronation of the sultan.  It was originally built somewhere else moved here in October 1993.

The Timepiece Stone Monument was built in 1959.  It functions as a zero-mile-clock to indicate the distance starting point from BSB and other places in the country.

The Al-Muhtadee Billah Mosque is known as the pyramid mosque.  It's huge and sits on the southern bank of the Brunei River.

The Brunei History Centre opened in 1982.  Lots of information about the history of the royal family.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs is responsible for the propagation of Islam and for upholding it as the state religion.

Tamu Klanggeh is the open air market that dates back to the 1980s.  Lots of fresh local produce.

The Raja Ayang Mausoleum honours a couple who were severely punished for committing adultery.

The General Post Office was built in 1952.  Inside is the Brunei Stamp Gallery.



The Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar 'Ali Saifuddien is a large stadium used for ceremonial events.  This is where the country proclaimed independence in 1984.



The Royal Regalia Museum is all about the sultan.  It was built in 1992 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Sultan's accession to the throne.  It documents the sultan's life and is full of display about his coronation and Silver Jubilee.  It's a shame that photography isn't allowed because the chariots used for his coronation have to be seen to be believed.



The Teng Yun Temple is the only Chinese temple in the country.






The Brunei Legislative Council was established in 1959.





The Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha Bridge opened in 2017.  It is the 2nd longest single-pylon cable-stayed bridge in the world.



Kampong Ayer is the water village built on the Brunei River.  It's been called the "Venice of the East."  It's basically stilt homes that are connected with wooden and concrete bridges and walkways.




The village was founded 1000 years ago.  It's the world's largest stilt settlement with about 2000 homes and 30.000 residents.



One of the easiest ways to get around is by water taxi.  There are jetties along the river.

We hired a chap to take us out on the river for a bit.  We had a few stops under the mangrove trees to see the endangered proboscis monkeys which are only found in Borneo.

We also got a glimpse of Istana Narul Iman which is where the sultan lives. It's the world's largest residential palace but it is not open to the public.

Chicken feet for lunch

BSB was an interesting place.  With the whole controversy about the sultan making homosexuality punishable with death by stoning, several of my mates were really shocked that I was going to visit.
Granted I was with Nat but I didn't see or hear anything about it.  What I did love is that once I showed up there was a big gay rainbow.

Brunei

Brunei Darussalam, officially the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace is in Southeast Asia on the northern coast of the island of Borneo.  The country has two territories on the South China Sea and bordered by Malaysia.

Brunei is a small country, a little smaller than Delaware, with just over 442,000 people.  The capital and largest city is Bandar Seri Begawan.

The Bruneian Empire reigned from 1485 - 1528 extending across northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines.  The empire declined during the 19th century and in 1888 Brunei became a British protectorate.  It gained independence from from the UK in 1984.

Brunei is a sultanate, an absolute Islamic monarchy with the same family ruling the country for more than 600 years.  About ⅔ of the country are Muslim.

Brunei has extensive petroleum and natural gas fields making it the world's 5th richest country by GDP.  Brunei is a member of ASEAN.  The Brunei dollar is the official currency.

Malay is the official language and both the Latin and Arabic alphabets are used.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has been on the throne for 52 years.  In 2013 he announced his intention to impose Sharia law into its penal code with phased implementation.  Those convicted of theft will lose a hand or a foot.  Adulterers are to be stoned to death.

Homosexuality is already illegal and punishable by up to 10 years in prison.  Under the new laws those convicted of gay sex will be stoned to death.  Lesbians will receive 40 strokes of the cane and/or up to 10 years in jail.  The law stipulates that to be convicted of gay sex requires that the act be witnessed by four Muslim witnesses.

Many nations and organisations have condemned this and Hollywood celebrities are calling for boycotts of hotels owned by the Sultan.  Here's a BBC video I found out on YouTube about this.

©BBC News

Update:  As of 6 May 2019, the Sultan of Brunei declared that it will not impose Sharia law into the penal code.