When Hometown folks all get together

"The more we get together, the merrier it'd be."

Yes, there are very few of us Bruneian folks studying overseas in Canada. It's actually kind of ironic. You leave your small little town to across the other side of the world; some of the friends you grew up with whom were really close to you drifted apart as time and distance grew. You make new acquaintances, both hometown and the newly local, as you are adapting to your new environment.

Recently, I've just met up with two hometown friends. We had bubble tea together; despite it being brief since one of us had to wake up early the next day, it was a lot of fun! It's comforting in a sense that there are people that you can talk to who can relate with similar cultural identity, backgrounds, and especially what you're going through. All of us could not believe with the increase in the prices in food and drinks. $0.30 increase for a plate of noodles is considered quite steep in my hometown. That is 30 cents less change when you pay with two $1 Bruneian dollars.

I don't know if there is such thing as a communication barrier, but it seems that there is not much common ground to talk about with the hometown folks who have never left home. I may be wrong, but it seems a little challenging to make them understand why you're not exactly wanting to go back to your home country to make a living. Some people seem puzzled why I would be hesitant to go back to Brunei after graduation since Bruneian residents do not pay income taxes. They say that there are a lot of jobs available in Brunei, but then why are a handful of University of Brunei Darussalam graduates unemployed or underemployed?

Well, the next time I will get together with any of my hometown folks is when I'm visiting home. It's actually kinda nice that a few hometown friends/classmates (all whom I haven't seen in years!!) have told me to give them a ring. There is a lot to catch up. It's somewhat comforting in a sense that... even though the hometown friends whom you grew up with seems to have drifted apart, you could always make some old friends new. Also, it's also comforting to know that you can always catch up on where you last left off.

"And your friend is my friend.. and our friend is your friend...." The more we get together, the merrier it'll be.