Its shit how we Australian graduates (or any other graduates that aren’t from UBD or UK) still get discriminated here in brunei as if are a different race and not Bruneians. I mean. fuck off lah. seriously. I am sick of people giving me the condesending look whenever i tell them that i’ve graduated from Melbourne and not “NOttingham” or “birmingham” or “manchaster” or “henglan” or “landan” . Although this is not a new experience for me. I’ve had people giving me shit since i started my Year 11 education at a all girl’s boarding school in Melbourne. Which was a goood 7 years ago. They’d be like “Mana ko krg ani”. and ill be like “melbourne”. and they’ll be like kenapa inda “UK??” accompanied by that look that says “mahal kah uk inda mampu?” . and i’ll be like “inda. malas ku ke UK atu. jauh.” and they will proceed to brag to me and my sisters how their anaks, anak tiri, cucu, cucu bapanya, cucu nininya, anak tiri bapanya semua ke uk.

I’ve recently got the same comment from a Doctor i visited at a local clinic. Where she had asked me in a british accent where i have graduated from… like wise, the same conversation as above followed through.

me: melbourne.
her: kenapa australia.
me: i dont know. i like it there.
her: scholarship kah?
me: inda.
her: self funded?
me: yes.
her: oh.. the education in australia is cheaper kah?
me: no not really. its about the same. education wise. but standard of living maybe. depends how you live.
her: oh. no. but its still cheaper. u know. with the currency exchange of UK now.
me: kenapa you di uk kah?
her: *mcm terasa*.. awu.

PADANTAH. ko tau kah. i didn’t choose MELBOURNE because i cant afford to go to the UK. I chose Melbourne. cause melbourne is the place to be. i didn’t want to be SWARMED with culture shocked brueneians who pressure themselves with new upcoming designer BAGS and the latest trends in cocktails at funky buddha? (whatever that place is called!). i dont give a shit. boring bah boring. KE LANDAN atu CLICHE sudah bah. mcm wayang superman. and you can just go “oh i study law in nottingham.” anytime when it really should be “Oh i studied LAW in a SHIT school in Nottingham.” I acknowledge that UK is one of the established education providers in this world. But common lah, just because he or she is a uk graduate doesn’t mean that they’re all that.

It’s not that i’ve never been to london, infact, i would love to go again ..its just that i don’t understand bah.. why other qualifications that aren’t from UK are still seen as lower. Australian education are ranked highly or more or less the same as uk education in our neighbouring countries like singapore, malaysia. We need a mind set change.

I apologize if ive offended anyone tapikan sadang sadang style lama ani bah. buring bah. beg gucci tebali kamu style baru.

oh. and UK can eff off.,I dont care what you people say, im going back to melbourne to do my masters where i can still sleep comfortably on my laura ashely sheets and spend the other half of my allowance on something better other than RENT.

pebaik tah skulah di india tu.

kiss me.