The Month Of Ramadan and Ramadan Bazaar In Sarawak.

Ramadan is the month for rebuilding our spiritual strength. It falls on the the ninth month of the Muslim year, during which all Muslims must fast during the daylight hours. Indulgence of any sort is forbidden during the fast.

"Anyone who fasts during this month with purity of belief and with expectation of a good reward (from his Creator), will have his previous sins forgiven," said Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam. "Anyone who stands in prayers during its nights with purity of belief and expectation of a reward, will have his previous sins forgiven." The rewards for good deeds are multiplied manifold during Ramadan.

In Malaysia, the Ramadhan month is observed within the muslim communities. Food Bazaars are becoming increasingly popular. Usually, the open air temporary stalls are set up in designated places. Sometimes, streets are closed for the duration of the bazaar hours which is from 4.30pm until 7.45pm. Many leaving work in the evenings will buy food home from these bazaars to break fast with their families. 

 Bazaar Ramadan in Desa Ilmu ,Kota Samarahan.

I hope every Muslim have a Blessed Ramadan,

RAMADAN KAREEM !! (noble or generous Ramadan).

SABAH and SARAWAK Fest.

Happy Kaamatan( Harvest Festival),to all Sabahan and Happy Gawai to all Sarawakian in Malaysia.
 The Sabah fest is an immensely popular cultural event that is held in the state’s capital city, Kota Kinabalu, in early May every year. This event is usually held as a prelude to the statewide harvest festival, the Pesta Kaamatan, celebrated during the first week of May.
 Gawai Dayak is a harvest festival celebrated by the Sarawak state's indigenous people, particularly the Ibans and Bidayuhs, in their traditional costumes. Ceremonial offerings of various local traditional delicacies and 'tuak' (home-made rice wine) are made to the gods of rice and prosperity. This unique festivity is a 'must-see' occasion for local and foreign tourists alike.
Visit SABAH Tourism Board & SARAWAK Tourism Board for more info.

Mukah Kaul Festival 2013.

Mukah Kaul Festival 24-28 April 2013.
Kaul is a traditional festival celebrated by the Melanau living along the coast of Sarawak. In the past, Kaul was looked upon as a religious ceremony to appease the spirits of the sea, land, forest and farm making it the most important festival in the Melanau calender. The festival is a ritual of purification and thanksgiving as well as one of the propitiation for good fortune. Its marks the beginning of the Melanau calender which begins at the end of the Northeast monsoon. Kaul takes place in third week of the month of April every year

Mukah’s signature dish is umai, a spicy salad of raw marinated fish with shallots, lime juice and chillies.

 
The Mukah Kaul Festival 24-28 April 2013, the festival site is on the right bank of the Mukah river estuary.For information just log on to MUKAH KAUL FESTIVAL.

This traditional Sarawak Snack, is a delicacy of the Melanau People of Sarawak. It is taken as a snack and served to guests with tea and coffee. The unique taste of Tebaloi is so special that it has become a very popular snack for all race in Sarawak. The main producing areas of Tebaloi are in the Mukah and Dalat Districts along the coastal region of the Mukah Division. These areas favour large plantations of sago palms which produce sago powder, the main ingredient used in the processing of Tebaloi.

 The Mukah Kaul Festival:
During a week festival, the organiser has line up many activities which include ethnic stalls selling traditional foods, entertaiment programs, traditional games and the highlight will be Serahang (decorated flat round basket made from sago leaf which raise on a bamboo pole) procession lead by local Melanaus' community leader. More Info at LAMAN RASMI KAUL MUKAH
MUKAH TOWN :Mukah, Sarawak, Malaysia, is a coastal town which serves as the administrative center of the Mukah District (2,536 square kilometers) in Mukah Division, Sarawak. It is located by the South China Sea, about 2.5 hours by road from the city of Sibu. Mukah is also accessible by air by MASwings from Kuching and Miri. The duration of both flights is about one hour. There are also express boats connecting the town of Dalat (about 30 kilometers from Mukah) to Sibu. The express boat trip takes approximately 2 hours.
Mukah is also accessible by  MASwings Virtual Fair Promotion to support MATTA FAIR is on. Discounts up to 70% off market fare & 150,000 seats up for grabs.
Book from 14 March - 31 March for this special deal at MASwings

Air Shows in Kuching.

Department of Civil Aviation is celebrating Malaysia Air Festival 2011 to mark its 100 years in the Malaysian Aviation.The two days event held at Hornbill Skyways Hanger in Kuching International Airport.

Hornbill Skyways in Kuching.

For Sale @ The Malaysia Air Festival in Kuching.

The Malaysia Air Festival commemorates 100 years of the country’s aviation industry.The air show provided guests with an opportunity to get up close to new-generation aircraft.

Hornbill Skyways Hanger view from the Airport Control Tower.

 Aviation fans braved the hot weather on the days of the events to catch a glimpse of static aircraft display by Hornbill Skyways,Royal Malaysian Airforce and Royal Malaysian Police and also Malaysia Airport Berhad.

Ground Control Tower .

Aircraft movement controller room.

Visitors also have a opportunity to visit the Air Traffic Control Tower.

City folk, thronged the airfield to catch a view inside the aircraft and helicopter exhibit at the events.

Many gave a thumbs up to the event which commemorates 100 years of the country's aviation industry and I hope  the Malaysia Air Festival  promote general aviation and bring the industry closer to the people.
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Rainforest World Music Festival 2011 in Malaysia.

World Music Festival at Malaysia
There’s nothing quite like the Rainforest World Music Festival. Now well into its second decade, the 14th edition of the Rainforest World Music Festival 2011 in Malaysia brings dazzling performances from across the globe as festival-goers flock for three magical days of daytime music workshops and action-packed nightly shows.
The event will be held from July 8-10 at the Sarawak Cultural Village, located 35 km outside Kuching and set against the magnificent backdrop of the legendary Mount Santubong.

The sape has been brought to the attention of music lovers all over the world through events such as the annual Sarawak Rainforest World Music Festival.Foreign student from private collage play sape.

THE excitement of the Rainforest World Music Festival will begin with festivities in the city preview.

  Sarawak in Malaysia is the place to be. The smell of the earth, vivid hues of green and the melodious sound of birds will mesmerise your senses in the natural surroundings of Sarawak's  forests and parks.

Gawai Dayak celebration-BALIK KAMPUNG CROWD.

Heading home for Dayak Festival or Hari Gawai  @ Sibu express boat jetty.
Riverine transport services here have gone into overdrive to cope with the  heading home rush for Dayak Festival.

It has become a tradition of sorts for them to head home to celebrate the grand occasion with their families only at the last minute.

For folk heading home for the celebration in the upper reaches of the Rajang River, riverine transport remains the sole option to reach their destinations.

The scene at the express-boat wharf is a colourful one at the end of May as Gawai Dayak revellers crowd the place to catch boats home to Kapit and Song .
Sadly, this scenario will be another chapter in the history of Sibu when the road is completed as people will be able to travel by road, which is faster and easier.

With barely days to Gawai Dayak, chicken vendors are doing good business.Their round-the-clock business  will wrap up on May 31 when the Dayak community would have returned to their longhouses.

For a start, what is "Gawai Dayak" all about? In a simple word, it is a festival marking the end of a harvest season.

As with other festivals, "Gawai" has its own special characteristics and significances especially for the Dayak community of Sarawak.

Gawai marks the beginning of the New Year with the ending of the harvesting season and the upcoming activities connected with preparation for the new harvest season.

The festival is an occasion to rest after the strenuous work carried out over the past year and consists of both religious and social elements.

It is also an ideal occasion for the various Dayak races in Sarawak to display their rich heritage of traditions and customs and offers an excellent opportunity for people of other races to learn more of the customs and traditions of Dayaks of Sarawak.

Gawai is an occasion for the community to give its thanks to God for providing them with their daily needs over the past year and to pray for future blessings and religious guidance for the year ahead.

As a festival which is participated in by all sectors of the community, Gawai plays a role in strengthening the inter-communal relations of the people of Sarawak.

Various differences in the way Gawai Dayak is celebrated can be observed among the different Dayak races while difference can also be observed from one area to another. In the uran areas, the method by which Gawai Dayak is observed is different from the method in the interior regions where there is greater adherence to traditional forms of celebrating Gawai Dayak.

In both cases, the basic idea behind the Gawai festival is maintained - that of merry making and thanksgiving to God. 

I wish ALL by Dayak/Iban friends...."HAPPY DAYAK FESTIVAL" (Hari Gawai/Sarawak).

Photo by Awang using P&S (Lumix LX3).

Season Greeting- Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas,Happy New Year & Happy Holiday.......

Last night after sending off my daughter to the airport and on my way home I detour my way to the spring shopping mall.There is a Christmas celebration of countdown concert and fireworks display.I know the parking was congested at the mall.

So it is best for me to park my car to the place about 500 meter from the mall and the crossing bridge near to the Federal complex is my view point.

 

 

Taking  a picture of fireworks display is not as easy as it seems.Last night playing safe I prefer set my DSLR to scene mode 'fireworks'.

I'm still an amateur and of course intermediate to PRO is concerned with many other various aspects such as focus and lighting ...

Merry Christmas..everyone & Happy Holiday.

Eco X'mas Decoration.

Welcoming Christmas, Boulevard  Shopping Mall in Kuching present eco green Christmas decoration to welcome the Christmas shoppers.

Eco green X'mas decoration at the lobby.

Go green X'mas deco is made of a series of recycle plastic bottle of drinking water.

Malaysia-Muslims to celebrate Eid-al-Adha on November 17th.

Today, the ketupat casings can be bought in wet markets. Some stalls even sell cooked ketupat a day before the celebrations.

JANUR (Young Palm leave).

Preparing the ketupat started with the anyaman process when the janur were woven into casings. The casings were then filled with rice and boiled for a few hours.The brother & sister helping their parents process the janur to woven into ketupat casing.

Men, women, and children of the Muslim community are required to dress in their finest clothing to perform the Eid prayer.

All the above photos are from my 2009 collection.

Muslims all over the world are all set for the celebrations of the upcoming religious holiday of Eid-al-Adha and in Malaysia is on Wednesday November 17, 2010, which is also known as ‘The Celebration of SacrificeSacrifice'. The Greater Eid of Muslims, Eid-ul-Adha, marks the end of the Hajj, which the fifth pillar of Islam and the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
The festivities of Eid-al-Adha take place on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar. The date of celebrating Eid-al-Adha is approximately after 2 Months and 10 Days of Eid-ul-Fitr.
The essence of celebrating Eid-ul-Adha is to commemorating the trials of Prophet Ibrahim, his wife Hajra and his son Ismael. After the sacrificing act of Prophet Ibrahim, it has become a tradition to slaughter livestock and feed the poor to mark the occasion.
However, the sacrificed animals on Eid-ul-Adha have to meet certain age and quality standards or else the animal is considered an unacceptable sacrifice. It is the tradition of Eid-al-Adha to distribute meat among the needy and poor people.

The 1Malaysia Broadband Carnival.

The carnival is organised by the Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture (KPKK) and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and supported by the state government.

 

 

Some of the activities lined up for the carnival are anime exhibitions, broadband & Internet usage awareness workshop and local creative content workshop.

Over the last weekend many carnival organised by the Government agencies held in the city of Kuching.

Traditional Dress.

To-day I have decided to post a photo that I took on one of  the celebration in Kuching.   I took this while at a padang merdeka with some friends.  I shot with Olympus E-620 and happened to have the camera out at the right moment as I passed this people wearing Sarawak native traditional dress.

Beautiful traditional dress.........

Beautiful maiden with colourful traditional dress.

Melanau of Sarawak with their traditional dress.

Student wearing traditional dress during the performance in Kuching.

Kite Festival

Watch the sky for multitude of kite in various form, colours and shapes roaming the airspace.

The first Borneo International Kite Festival, was held in Bintulu Sarawak in the year 2005.
Since then, it has become an annual event and successfully attracted large crowd witnessing and participating in this event.  It has also attracted more kite enthusiasts locally and from all over the world to come to Bintulu.

 

The Borneo International Kite Festival, Bintulu promises great thrill and excitement along with its spectacular showcase of kite creativity put together by all the international kite flyers from all over the world and it is also a catalyst for the legendary local kiting tradition kite making competition and flying championship.  Spectators can witness the skills where hand laboured over bamboo and paper to create a winning kite traditional design and also swirling performances from local and international kite flyers displaying their skill....

TV3 Carnival 'Jom Heboh'

TV3 Jom Heboh carnival has been around from one state to another state of Malaysia and Kuching,Sarawak hosted the event last weekend.

This is the first time I visited the carnival after watching it on the television for years.Finally last Sunday I had join the crowds.

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The carnival was held at a parking space near to Sarawak stadium.

It appear that Maxis Hot Link was a main sponsor,I was here in the morning and it was already many crowd.

The weather was so hot as you can see the people were scrambling for shade under the trees.

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.

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.