I know I said I wont blog again till my exams finish sometime next week. But I couldnt resist ranting about this. =.=

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First of all, yes, I am not much of a local (Brunei) news reader. or listener. M not proud of this attitude, this ignorant attitude that I am hoping to shed off sometime in the future. Shameful really, when one doesnt even know much about whats going on in one's homecountry, much less now being abroad and all, but that is hardly a sound excuse is it? Heh. When keeping up with the Sultanate's affairs and memorising MIB facts and the sorts only serve as a basis to get scholarship. Ugh. Disgusting ignorant Bruneian. Ugh.
I am talking about myself.

But I digress. Only slightly.

Sigh. When did this ignorant attitude started? When was the last time I kept up with the local news anyway? When was the last time I switched on to the RTB news and actually watched it?

I remembered not too long time ago, few years back, when I was still clad in my school uniform, watching TV3. It was lunchtime and almost everybody was home. My dad, the only person in the home who actually still switched on to rtb from time to time, voiced out: "eh. inda kamu liat tv brunei kah.. mana tau apakah apakah ada. inda lagi kan tau kisah brunei sal astro ani"
I merely grunted. But whatever replies (excuses) I intended to utter was lost as yet, TV3 brought another string of hotnews. And as soon as K Singh ended his statements, voices erupted at once. Much speculations, much contemptuous remarks, much annoyance, much heated discussions sparked from that piece of news.
The next day, it was yet another cycle - lunchtime hour meant catching up news time.
It was almost funny just how much we followed on regional news. But NOT local news.

Almost. But not quite.

Then there were times when I expertly flicked on channels. Deliberately switching on BBC when TV3 news just ended. Or even Al-Jazeera channel. Never mind the fact that most of time, I couldnt even understand whatever the reporter was saying on the latter channel, but the scoop, the macabre stillshots and not to mention the gruesome videos somehow sufficed.
And never mind also the fact that I should have actually just switched on to rtb, the local channel that I had almost forgotten existed even though ironically, the local news reporter would have reported news in a language that I could understand. News that would be even more relevant to me, and everyone else in the house.

Of course I dont need to mention about our love to MTV channels and AXN and all the other channels we subscribed to right? Heh. When everything just damn good, so good, better than what the local satellite could offer. Entertainment wise (no questions about that!!). And news wise. Oh yes, news wise.. I remembered a haughty high school girl (aka me) thinking 'oh what is there to watch on rtb anyway? even the news are laughable. nothing happening.. laughs laughs. balik balik crita sal ayam seludup. laughs again.'

Oh. The haughtiness. The naivete!!

Ugh. But I forgot then one fundamental thing to consider: "is that really a bad thing?"
I mean, when chickens story became the firstpage news of the localpapers, is that really a bad thing? I used to think so. Sadly, I used to think that when chickens became the main news of the country, then that means we are just a bunch of sad people, sad unexciting people.
Oh stupid notion.
Stupid stupid notion, so twisted definition of ... readable exciting news. =.=
In my silly conquest of hotnews yang lagi hebat, I forgot to appreciate just what it really meant when such hebat hebat belaka stories didnt exist in my own country.

I didnt realize then that it actually means (maybe) we are happy people living peacefully. That crime rates are (?were?) low, compared regionally anyway. And that subsequently lead to low reports on the news.
Except maybe on occassions once every few years or so, when big news overcame Brunei once again with murders cases. Like the family of 3 murder cases few years back, or the TiongHin owner shot case in the 90s - these things that only popped up once in a blue moon.

That's not really bad isnt it?
I should be thankful that Brunei actually hasnt much of 'hot'news.
I shouldnt be complaining if I watch rtb news and the only highlight is of political leaders state visit, or government office raya celebration or some highschool kids visit to DST or even news coverage on kindergarten kids 'graduating'.
I should be happy and satisfied knowing these little stories, not disgruntle, not disregarding the country as non-happening.

Anyway, today I opened Brudirect page - what seemed to be my annual visit to the website. Hah. After all, I am the one who believes that Brunei hasnt much news to offer right? =.= And reading about smuggled chickens and the likes hardly makes exciting daily news read.. Pah!
But you know what...

My eyes caught on this one word on a title 'prostitution'. Eh. Brunei got prostitutes? Hrm... disturbing. Oh disturbing.
Search through some news archive. And apparently there was a recent news of a daughter being raped by her own father. Very disturbing.
Ugh.
My thoughts arrested, right then and there.
Is this really... real?!
Oh. What happen to chicken stories? Or even to smuggled alcohol stories? Those used to be the crime news.. the only crime news in the state. With of course the occassional state's balak (timber) curi cases by foreigners.

I recalled the times in the past when I laughed at how chickens became hotnews of the country, but now this wasnt funny anymore. Were these crime stories, the 'hebat hebat belaka' crime cases happening in Brunei that exciting to read anyway? Ugh.
No. No. No.
I felt angry. frustrated. or... I dont know. Oh what is it I am feeling right now anyway? But definitely not pleased. Definitely not. Ugh. Brunei should not have these news. Brunei never had these news before.. do we? Brunei was safe. Brunei is safe. Brunei is ... the best place in the world. Everyone loves everyone, everyone abides by the rules, we have no crimes except concerning non-halal ayams..

Oh I sound silly dont I? sigh. =.=
Silly girl in her own benighted world, cocoon in her own shellhome, where everything was just sweet.. when in reality, pests and predators were rampant in that same field. Ignorant. Such ignorant.