UEA International Student Ambassadors

Hi everyone! Brunei Darussalam just recently celebrated its 32nd National Day on the 23rd of February 2016. Here's a link to a video of the celebration as filmed by the local newspaper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=a7d2rwxYBhs Back when I was in school, I have vivid memories of lining up outside the Istana (palace) with all my classmates and students from various different schools and waving small flags as the royal family drove past. National Day celebrations are often celebrated in a big and many times lavish manner in other parts of the world and Brunei is no exception. After all, it marks the day we became independence- the day we existed as a country of its own entity. Residents of different age, race and religion come together and celebrate this very special day. Primary school students are often found right outside the palace cheering and waving Bruneian flags as the royal family makes their way to the main park where the festi...

A couple of weeks ago I wrote that my mom would be visiting for my birthday. I can now happily report that the visit was amazing! As we did a bit of travelling, I thought I'd share some of the highlights. (Note: all of the pictures here are ones we took!) The first day my mom was here we decided to dedicate to Norwich. My mom has visited Norwich before (she first came here in 1990), but this time I was able to show her all of my favorite parts of Norwich rather than just wander aimlessly like we did two and a half years ago when she first dropped me off at UEA. My personal favourite spot is Tombland, just outside of the cathedral, so that's where we spent a lot of time. Not only does it date back to Viking times, but it is also one of the most beautiful parts of the city, has amazing restaurants, and like I said, is set perfectly against the background of the Norman cathedral. In Tombland we had a bit of a wander, visited the cathedral (one of the only free cathedrals in the...