There was a sequence of unexpected events this week that led me into the land of gold and ostentatious bling...Brunei! Despite our leader expressly forbidding us to go, I *might* have had one of my great ideas for a fun adventure(!), and organised a car and driver for 5 others and myself to explore somewhere that I'd never really known much about or would plan to visit especially. (Also, I thought Brunei was near Dubai, so I learned something new! Everyone is a winner).
We had an excellent time and toured the Royal Palace, 2 Mosques, a 7 star hotel which was fancy but really empty, and the worlds largest water villages. Immediately after crossing the border, we saw that houses were sturdier and the roads had less potholes- there is a lot of money rolling about. Quick fact: Malaysians are not allowed to use petrol stations in Brunei because the cheap petrol is only for the locals.
After our illicit soujourn, we returned to Malaysia to stay with the Iban tribe in traditional longhouses, and hike the Headhunters Trail through primary jungle. As usual, my main concern was leeches. I wore tights under trousers, with 4 pairs of socks both under and over the tights to ensure that none of the little creatures could get anywhere near my skin. Great plan, except I was ridiculously hot, which was a slight oversight on my part, I must admit. The guide said he had never met anyone so obsessed with not getting leeches on them as I made him stop every 300 metres and check me, but I made it up to him by helping him to cook a dinner of jungle-style KFC for the group which I think he appreciated.
The week was ok speech-wise. The issue is that whenever I go for a long time without speaking on a regular basis (say, for the 3 weeks I was travelling completely alone), its harder when I do start speaking again because my diaphragm needs to warm back up and I need to get used to speaking again.
My speech is being tested under pressure it wouldn't normally face (i.e. once my confidence has built up and I am able to push comfort zones and boundaries). These challenges mean I know when to put more effort in and that I need to drop back to 3 words per breath, and to really concentrate on visualising the words coming out correctly.
I like doing things properly and to the best of my ability (as you are all well aware), and it annoys me when I can't get it right, but I know why it is happening and what to do to fix it, which is the main thing.
