Harassment of women in Brunei

I must and I’m not sorry Brunei. I’ve been trying to ignore this for a while, but today has just been too much. I’m not sure what it is with this country, but I’m starting to feel really exasperated with the way I have been treated whilst doing absolutely anything alone in public, which, needless to point out, includes the running.

Long run in Bandar Seri Begawan, 7 Jan ’13, and water bottle blues

It was so hot today, oh ma lawddd. I thought I might give up from feeling mad thirsty by the second kilometre too, which led me to contemplate… Should I start bringing water on longer exploits?

Chatty Stadium Run, 26 Nov ’13

I caught up with a friend over a chatty run in the stadium area today, particularly around the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium.

I would describe it as very flat and easy with loads of people, and not to mention, CARS. I felt like I was breathing in tons of pollution. You could really smell the petrol in the air. Otherwise, it was a pleasant place to run with plenty of other runners and walkers.

I find it extraordinary that in Brunei people try extremely hard to feign ignorance at your presence. Nobody says hi or smiles to anybody else, and this applies when you are on a lonely trail. I say hello, and the other human gets a heart attack. Such a friendly atmosphere! In the case of running, I suppose the presence of such people is a good motivation in itself… If they’re overweight, thrash them. If they’re faster, then work till you’re at a level where you can thrash them. Work, work, work.

(I want running friends, stop ignoring me and smile back! You sadden me, Brunei!)

Also left my Garmin at home today, so no stats! I thought I might’ve felt lost running without my trusty Garmin. I mean, who doesn’t love all that nerdy data? On the contrary, I felt good. For once, my planned ‘easy run’ was an actual easy run. I felt no pressure to press on harder, go faster, go further, go longer. Felt so free from my annoying self-bullying inner being. If you run with a gadget, you might want to give this a try sometime! Leave your gadget at home when you plan to go for an easy run, plus, you might want to go someplace where you haven’t previously measured before. Might help you take your mind off comparing how you did since that last time…

Here’s a dramatic photo of the sky after my run, for your viewing pleasure.

 

Happy training,

Brunei Runner. x