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Bandar Seri Begawan - Before that he couldn't wait to get out. He counted the days when he would take up his new job in Kuala Lumpur.

Now after being in the Malaysian capital for barely two months it was a different story.

He was sitting in a café in Jalan Sultan in Bandar Seri Begawan reminiscing his days in Brunei. How happy he was then.

He had come to attend a meeting in Labuan last week. And he could not resist taking the boat across the bay. He had lived in Brunei for the past 20 years or so. His two kids were born and raised here. For him Brunei was home. But the job offer in Kuala Lumpur was too tempting.

And as soon as he landed in Muara this time he sniffed the fragrant air and felt the cool breeze on his face and enjoyed the crunch of loose pebbles beneath his feet.

Then he sadly climbed into a taxi and made for town surveying the familiar sights from the moving vehicle.

He seemed to recognise every tree and shrub and the kampong houses and each rut on the road.

A popular man he had been active in many spheres in Brunei and had gained numerous friends and it was no wonder that his friends came up to enjoy a cup of coffee with him that afternoon as soon as they learnt he was in town.

"How easy and so convenient was life in Brunei," he told his friends. They were naturally very curious how he was getting on in Kuala Lumpur.

"Of course I get a better pay and perks over there now and my office space is much bigger and all that. But still I am not happy," he told them. "And my wife keeps asking when I will get a job back in Brunei."

"For example to get to your workplace in Kuala Lumpur is itself a hassle. In Brunei I lived in Manggis, a good 10 miles from my office. It took be about 15 to 20 minutes," he told his friends.

"But now I live barely five miles away but it takes me an hour and half to get to office. And then you will have to battle the dust and the crowd and the jam. Life could be difficult some days. And that is hardly a good way to start the day," he said.

"But you have other compensations. The bookshops, shopping, the theatres and so many other attractions," suggested his friends.

"Life does not consist solely of shopping and restaurants and the rest. Of course, they are there for you to enjoy.

"But there is more to life than that. For example, by the end of the day I am so exhausted after breathing in the polluted air that when I finally win the battle to get home I have hardly any time to spend with my family.

"But in Brunei I breezed in every evening and enjoyed quality time with my family. Well, from my point of view, nothing is more valuable and important than meaningful leisure with your family," he said.

His friends looked at him thinking about what he had just related. Some nodded in agreement. Others were incredulous.

"You do not realise how lucky you are living in a place like Brunei. The other thing is the crime situation. Brunei is so peaceful. There are no armed robberies and drug addicts about.

"You could walk the streets alone well past midnight and no one would bother you. You are so safe here," he told his friends.

Now it was time for him to catch the ferry back to Labuan. And, of course, a friend offered him a ride down Muara. As ever Bruneians are so kind and considerate.

And as he rose to go, he took another quick look around. When will he ever return to his beloved Brunei? That was much in his thoughts.

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