Brunei Tour: Yayasan Complex Area
Listen up children, so this won't happen to you! I messed my afternoon tour itinerary, because I stayed too long at Kampong Ayer, and I wasn't even able to see half of what my guide planned for me to visit!
Why? Because I talked too much with the owners of the house we visited, and I spent even more time watching water taxis. I don't know if it's just me, but watching the boats felt like witnessing a F1 race!
Lesson: know what your heart desires, then manage your tour time according to them. Or, since most of the time you won't know yet, how amazing things are going to be, learn to stop. Awat na, kumbaga!
Anyway...
From my position in that last picture of the previous story, I just turned around and saw this...
What is that? It's a mixed use commercial complex that has banks, boutique shops, clinics, foodcourt, restaurants, cafes, civil offices (including foreign/consular offices), event or activity spaces and so on.
In short it's a mall! But a unique one, as everything's just in 4 or 5 levels (including basement shops) in 6 or so interconnected buildings. Not a high-rise complex, but a sprawling one. Parang sa Tiendesitas.
It was the biggest mall in Brunei at the time of its opening. It is still one of their best, as of today. Also still the best for souvenir shopping. There are Filipino shops in there. And, of course, there is Jollibee!
"Yayasan" is a Malay word that means "Foundation". So, it's a "Foundation Complex" (duh)? You could say that, but it is not a 'duh', as its complete name is Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Complex.
Opened some two decades and a year ago it is owned and operated by the king's foundation: Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah or Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Foundation. So it's a government-owned business complex, where proceeds from its operation go to the charity works of the same foundation. This was a gift of the sultan to his people, during his 50th birthday celebration. I saw the inauguration!
Now, ito ang magaling... Yayasan Complex is government-owned, but, Filipino Made. O ha?!
From concept, architectural design, up to construction, utak Pinoy at Pinoy hands ang bumanat dyan. Ano, proud ka na sa lahi mo? Ikaw lang eh. Tutok ka lang sa blog na ito, marami ka pang malalaman!
By the way, you may hear some tourists call it Yayasan Shopping Complex, or Yayasan Mall, and even other names else. Don't be confused, if it's a commercial center, chances are they all mean this place.
Locals, even frequent visitors to Bandar Seri Begawan treat this complex as parang MOA kumbaga sa atin - a place with just about everything you need, along a scenic water's edge, with leisure attractions.
In the middle of that road between the buildings is like their main square with water fountains, lots of movable/removable little kiosks that sell every bargain butingting, plus cafes or restaurants al fresco!
Oh, do you see that golden dome at the far end? It's not part of Yayasan, and actually already across a busy road named after it (that skirts half of Yayasan, all the way down to what you see on foreground) which is Jalan Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddien. Such a name ends at the junction, few meters to the right.
Aha, this is a "cute short history lesson":
How's that? Oh the road you see in the picture above, is still very long to the right. However, at the next corner (maybe around one hundred meters away) it becomes Jalan McArthur (McArthur Road) then it continues to be so for only about 300 meters because it becomes Jalan Residency (Residency Road).
Now, a friend once told me "General Douglas MacArthur helped Brunei, like he did the Philippines, that is why Brunei named that road after him". My reply to that was "maybe yes and definitely no" heheheh!
And the friend said "ano'ng klase yan, maybe yes na nga, tapos definite no naman". So I explained that, nabasa ko ito in one of the materials I came across with, for our Asian Civilizations subject in college!
Tawanan, since that meant my info is/was antique! But I explained that yes, Douglas may have helped Brunei in WWII, in the Battle of Labuan (and Brunei Bay) using Australian Forces under his leadership. But no, that road wasn't named after him. It was named after Malcolm Stewart Hannibal McArthur, the first British resident of Brunei (1895). He was even appointed acting consul in 1904, way before WWII.
MacArthur and McArthur are different surnames. So careful what you see before you interpret them!
As if you care 'no? But here's one other cute thing about street names in that area. That perpendicular road intersecting with the very joint of Jalan Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddien and Jalan McArthur is called Jalan Pretty (Pretty Road). Not handsome nor sexy. Pretty nga eh! Di ko alam if there's a Jalan Lovely!
Actually, that street was named after Eric Ernest Falk Pretty (written as E.E.F. Pretty or EEF Pretty) in those times. He was thrice appointed as British Resident of Brunei (1923~26, 27~28 and 48~51). He also holds distinction as the owner of the first automobile introduced to Bruei in September 11, 1924.
OMG, short history daw eh ang haba na nito! Reminder to self: this is a travel blog, not a history book 'no?! Jalan Pretty lang eh, ayan naging pretty long na. Magsitigil ka, now na! Okay sige, awat na hehe!
Anyway, for you dear Pinoy Travelers, that corner is worth remembering, especially that just beside it, by the water's edge, is the Mercu Dirgahayu 60 - I won't describe it na, at baka humaba nanaman ang kwento hahaha! Basta, it's a monument and plaza with a lot of symbolisms, sitting by a nice baywalk!
Hmm teka..., look at that photo above again. Other than the 'mall', everything I described above, are to the right of the picture. But in fact, we headed left, to skirt around the complex, in the direction of that mosque you see at the other end. Pa-kotse-kotse pa kasi, pwede naman lakarin patawid doon, di ba?
My guid kasi was aligaga na, because we were running out of time, according to his itinerary hehehe!
And, why is there only one picture here, when I had so many kwento? It's like this.., we did not actually roam here. I just stood at that spot as the driver/guide retrieved his vehicle, then we drove off to circle around the mall. Why? Because, since we were out of time, I said "let's skip Yayasan Complex, I'm still familiar with it, I can come back here tonight for dinner anyway or tomorrow on my morning walk". Da!
So, off we went driving to that mosque. But let's do that story next!
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