Sarawak Inter-Cultural Moon cake Festival.

Thousands of people from all walks of life thronged the street in true spirit of celebration and sharing as one nation.

COLOURFUL lanterns, delectable local delicacies, martial arts and cultural shows dominated one of Kuching city’s oldest streets, Carpenter Street, during the Ninth Sarawak Inter-Cultural Mooncake Festival.More than 100 stalls offered all kinds of food and drinks, products and services as well as hair cuts by professional stylists at just RM1 per person; while community-based organisations performed traditional music and cultural shows from the Chinese, Malay, Indian and Dayak communities to entertain the passing crowd.

Drive Thru...open 24 hours.

Do you know that one and only drive thru fast food outlet in Sarawak is in Kuching...open 24 hours.

Malaysia Day 16 September......

Malaysia Day 16th September,2010.
This year will see the first year of another National Holiday called Malaysia Day which will be celebrated on September 16 annually.This day commemorates Sabah and Sarawak joining Peninsular Malaysia as a nation of Malaysia.
The city of Kuching will host the first state level Malaysia Day celebration at Stadium Perpaduan(Indoor Stadium) on Sept 16.

 

Indoor Stadium in Kuching.

Stadium Perpaduan in Petra Jaya

Themed ‘1Malaysia: Menjana Transformasi’, hundreds of participants will turn up in traditional costumes in the spirit of unity and national integration.

Politic in Sarawak.....this opposition political party having they own version of Malaysia Day ,16 sept .

Raising of Malaysia & Sarawak flag by a small group of opposition party supporters at Padang Merdeka.

Kuching City-Photographing a Sunset.

This sunset picture taken at the new Kuching water front .Beautiful moments which goes beyond descriptive words.

 

The lure of sunset has been chosen to share with many who missed this golden moments.

I find that photography  is a lifelong learning experience. I don't yet have any of the fancier lenses or a tripod, so I try to capture the best possible image with what I do have.

I use slow shutter to most of my sunset shoot...:)

 

Many people are fascinated with the view of sunset. That is why sunset has been one of the most popular photography  scenes that we come across. For photographers, every sunset provides an opportunity to capture a unique scene, with different set of clouds or things in foreground. Photographing a sunset  view also gives you infinite variations of colours in one evening itself. However, sunset photography can be trickier than what you initially thought.

Photo taken with Olympus E-620 & Panasonic Lumix LX3.

Bertuntung or Lighting Fiesta.

Lighting fiesta or better known as 'Bertuntung' which go on through the Syawal period see villages in Kuching,lighted with decorative lamp and traditional lamps.

Children is the most joyful people during the fiesta .Here you see the children preparing to light the traditional lamps.

This fiesta bertuntung  is held with aim of bringing back nostalgic feeling of how Hari Raya was  celebrated in the past.

The villagers would decorated the kampung(Village) and houses with kerosene lamps  and colourful decoration lamps.

Bertuntung  a traditional widely practised by the Malay Muslim community in Sarawak since the colonial era.

This is how the kerosene lamp look like,,,,Selamat Hari Raya.

Is it last day of Ramadan...

The period of fasting ends when the new moon is sighted on the evening of the last day of Ramadan.The actual sighting is conducted by state

appointed religious officials at various points (usually at hilltops) throughout the country.If the crescent is sighted,the following day is then declared the first day of Aidilfitri,which is also the beginning of the 10th month of Muslim calendar SAWWA:L.(Syawal) 

People are rushing ..just in case to-morrow is Hari Raya.

The katupat casing on sale..

In Malaysia, the sighting of Syawal new moon to determine the date for Aidilfitri celebration will be held at 30 places nationwide on Sept 8 that is to-night.The Conference of Rulers has given its consent that the date for Aidilfitri  be fixed based on sighting  of the new moon and calculations.'The Keeper of the Ruler's Seal" will announce the Aidilfitri date over radio and television the same night.

Rush hour..traffic congested is common here, as you can see people are rushing to Gambier street,the most popular spot for Hari Raya needs.

Merdeka Day in Kuching.

The beautiful sun was shining and I have to put on sun glasses to protect my eyes 'Welcome to Kuching,Sir".

Yesterday 31 of August 2010 is Merdeka Day in Malaysia and its public holiday.

I started my day by walking from Padang Merdeka .Padang merdeka in Kuching,formerly known as padang central,is rather 'QUIET' this time around as this year's Malaysia Day is not held in Kuching.It was 09:00AM ,the beautiful sun was shining so beautifully that I couldn't resist capturing some photos of Merdeka fever in some parts of Kuching City.

The admin of this building 'Medan Pelita' is in a spirit of patriotic.

Street fruits vendor trying to be a patriotism ,using the flag (Jalur Gamilang) to protect him from sunshine........

Spirit of Patriotism '1Malaysia'  creativity of St.Joseph School students...

Bapak Malaysia image should be highlighted instead of our present PM.Another creativity of St.Jo School. (Jo is for Joseph not Abg Jo our state minister).

On my way to my home 'Desa Ilmu' this is Jalan Dato Mohd Musa of Kota Samarahan.This place is 30 mins drive or about 26KM from Kuching City.See the Jalur Gamilang on a street lamp pole and it's public holiday so not many road user to-day.

All above image captured using Olympus DSLR the official camera for Kuching Daily photo .

Hari Raya Preparation..

All Malaysian Muslim are getting into a final one third stage of the holy month of Ramadan.In less then 10 days,they will celebrate Eidul Fitri or Hari Raya Puasa.

What would Hari Raya be without new clothes, new shoes, new bags and basically lots of new things?

Shoppers throng malls, bazaars and boutiques in search for the trendiest baju kurungs and kebayas (traditional Malay attire for women), latest tudung )(scarf) trends, fashionable shoes, sleekest baju melayu (traditional Malay attire for men) and so forth. There are some who opt for a family colour theme for Hari Raya each year, and will hunt for materials of the same colour. While some can make their own Hari Raya attire or send it to the tailors, others prefer to get it ready-made as it is easier and sometimes cheaper.

 

Spoilt for choices........

It’s not just about the shoes,kopiah or clothes; even Hari Raya delicacies are on sale along with the apparel.

Delicacies etc,etc.......

Children wear etc.etc.........

 

Though it’s the fasting month, many shoppers don’t seem to feel the fatigue or tiredness when hunting for the best deals. While some opt to go shopping at night, after the breaking of fast, many would rather go during the day as there are more shops open and they can get the best bargains.

My advise....spend wisely.

NGOJEK.

Ngojek,Indonesia for "to earn money by carrying passengers or cargo on the rear seat of one's motorbike"

 

Ngojek..transporting heavy load of cargo crossing Malaysia/Indonesia border in Serikin.

Every weekend he works from the town of Indonesia province in  Kalimatan Barat carrying cargo to cross the border.He has to work very hard for it.

Ngojek do good business  carrying passengers to cross the border between Malaysia/Indonesia in Serikin.Bau.

Sarawak’s Traditional Boat Cruise.

On the weekend before last I went to water front and I stumbled on this 'Local Gondola" so I grab my camera and snap.

 

Now, you can still enjoy sight-seeing cruise the TRADITIONAL WAY in our ‘LOCAL GONDOLA' along the Sarawak River where the adventure,the modern history herewith began.

Read here for more info

S'wak Traditional Boat Cruise

Hari Raya Bazaar.

Songkok..being display on the motor cycle seat.

 

I see only small crowd gathering here.

 

 

Very few selection of goods to shop here...this year 2010 & this the place they normally set up the temporary makeshift market.

What is the 'Hari Raya Bazaar'
The Hari Raya Bazaar is a temporary makeshift market filled with stalls that has a variety of goods that ranges from the Malay traditional clothing's.carpets,cakes ,songkok ,cakes and goodies etc and are enjoyed by the local community especially from the kampung.Every year they setup the bazaar at Indain Street Mall in old part of Kuching ,India Street.
I was suprise that no Hari Raya Bazaar set up this year and very few people to shop for coming Hari Raya which is fall maybe on this 10th of September or
maybe I should come back here again to see what happen by end of this month when most people get their paycheck .

Ramadan-Teraweh Prayer.

Tarawih Prayers іn Malaysia

Tarawih / Taraweeh Prayer іѕ a special evening prayer performed bу Muslims throughout thе world οnƖу іn thе holy month οf Ramadan during whісh long рοrtіοnѕ οf thе Qur’аn аrе recited. Ramadan іѕ thе ninth month οf thе Islamic calendar аnԁ іѕ thе month whеrе аƖƖ Muslims fаѕt (“puasa” іn Malay) frοm sunrise tο sunset еνеrу day.

Performing Tarawih prayer іѕ a “sunnah” ( whісh means thе prayer іѕ voluntary hοwеνеr Muslims аrе strongly encouraged tο ԁο іt аѕ іt іѕ a practice bу Prophet Muhammad s.a.w) аnԁ іt іѕ nοt obligatory.

Tarawih / Taraweeh іѕ perform аftеr `Isha’ Prayer (Night Prayer). It саn bе perform аt home, alone οr іn congregation, οr аt a mosque. Hοwеνеr thе normal practice here іn Malaysia, Tarawih іѕ perform іn Mosques аnԁ “Suraus”. Men, women аnԁ kids wіƖƖ fload mosques аnԁ suraus within thеіr home іn thе whole month οf Ramadan.

Welcome Ramadan Al-Mubarak

Ramadan come again. Muslims in Malaysia start fasting to-day Wednesday 11 August,2010 and so do other muslims around the world although the date may not be exactly the same.

I would like to wish all muslim brothers and sisters in Malaysia and around the world, Selamat Berpuasa/Happy Fasting. May all our ibadah be acceptable to Allah and may we always be blessed with His mercy and compassion even more in the holy month of Ramadhan. Insyaallah.

“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious).

(Fasting) for a fixed number of days, but if any of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made up) from other days. And as for those who can fast with difficulty, (i.e. an old man, etc.), they have (a choice either to fast or) to feed a poor person (for every day). But whoever does good of his own accord, it is better for him. And that you fast, it is better for you if only you know.” (2:183-84)

Abu Huraira related that the Prophet said: Allah the Majestic and Exalted said: “Every deed of man will receive ten to 700 times reward, except Siyam (fasting), for it is for Me and I shall reward it (as I like). There are two occasions of joy for one who fasts: one when he breaks the fast and the other when he will meet his Lord” (Muslim).

Amin.......

Ramadhan.......

Old part of Kuching City....Dates Bazaar during Ramadhan.

We're now just few days into Ramadhan.I spent Ramadhan in simple way,we broke our fast with dates and some other fruits  then went for Magrib prayer and back for the main meal then off again for the Isyak prayer then follow by the taraweh prayer.........

Sarawak Regatta 2010 in Kuching.

Opening event.......

The history of Sarawak Regatta.........Basically, The Sarawak Regatta in the Brooke Days is known as a game of peace and passion to unite the warring tribes of Borneo. In those days, Rajah Charles Brooke used to send his yatch "Maimunah" to bring in the various 'Tuan Residents' to join the social event......

 

The family get shades from underneath the trees....

 

Sarawak Regatta started on the 30th July to 1st August 2010 at Kuching Waterfront. I just spent half day watching the events (last day Sunday) ignoring the heat from the very hot sun. No doubt along the waterfront you can get shades from underneath the trees but at times really had to go infront to get a clearer view.

 

Sarawak River.....

The Sarawak Regatta, to be held from July 30 with local and foreign participants, would directly promote racial harmony, greater understanding of cultural diversity and promote the tourism industry.

Will this team LANDAS grab the title "King of the River"...........

This has made the races more exciting. Participating teams have done their preparations earlier than usual and are well prepared. This can be seen in their determination to grab the coveted ‘King of the River’ title in the various categories.