Serawak Easter 2010

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah!

These were taken in 2010 few months before I become a post-graduate student. I went for Serawak, the Land of Hornbill and coincidentally it was Easter celebration. In conjunction to this event, I went to Saint Thomas Anglican Cathedral in Kuching to listen the Easter sermon but could not be there for long as the time coincides with Maghrib prayer service. 

The next day would be their procession day for their religious figure which is Jesus Christ. Didn't join the procession but I went to museums and looking for colonial buildings around. I'm not familiar with Anglicanism but I guess they have their sacraments almost the same to Old Catholics. I know few points on Orthodoxy where I had asked some friends from Middle East seminaries to send me files about their theology, most of them are in Arabic. The sermon in the cathedral was conducted in English so I can understand what people were talking about. However, I couldn't snap pics while they were conducting rituals in the prayer hall to respect them. I just went out to Kampung Surabaya across the Kuching Waterfront for Maghrib prayer service.

 Entrance

 Few minutes before Easter service, climbed the stairs. It's quite hilly

Have to hastily go out for Maghrib prayer service

I can't find public prayer rooms in the town there except for Indian Mosque at the end of the town which takes quite a time to walk and my prayer time will be injured. The easiest way to find mosque is to take boats at waterfront to another side where there are several Malay villages. Kuching Waterfront area is weird... Trying to retrieve more pics in Serawak as to make sure they could be preserved in printed form before I delete everything.

Sealed with prayers for peace, mercy, and love, amin!

The only memory in Sarawak survives

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

Sadly, this is the only memory during my visit in Serawak saved. I visited few places of worship like mosques and churches around Kuching in the end of March and during Easter holy week in 2010 before I continue my postgraduate degree in USM again.  It is not only a visit for sightseeing because I had been to all of the states in the peninsula from northern to south and from west to the east coast. That time I thought of going to another side of Malaysia in Borneo island. Now, I just have a state which is Sabah that I still haven't reach yet.

I love Serawak although they do not permit us from the peninsula to enter the state freely and I took lots of pictures but when I sent my computer to be repaired they had wiped everything out even after I told them to take care of my D files. I was so frustrated T T

Masjid al-Muttaqin  March 2010

 The fence dividing ladies' prayer sides and gentlemens' in the main prayer hall

 Podium for sermon by the preacher during communal prayers, a very unique pillar

 Left side in the prayer hall

Interesting ceiling with contemporary lamps

These pictures are the pics of Masjid al-Muttaqin in Kampung Buntal. I guess it is the sub-urban area of Kuching but I don't know if the village is already in other district because Serawak is so huge. The interior side is quite beautiful with colorful paints and calligraphy of scriptures on the wall while the outer side had lost the paint maybe because of climate and not painted again. I saw few kids playing at compound of the mosque.

I miss Koloh Mee and had lost the picture too. They have beautiful waterfront and towns in the city. I also have nice memory crossing the river with boats to other side of the city for the musalla in Kampung Surabaya to pray for maghrib service after listening to some sermon in St. Thomas Anglican church during Easter Eve. I can't find any mosque in Kuching town and only realized that the mosques exist at the edge of the town. I found a unique Indian mosque in between shop lots alley and Kuching city mosque which is located high above the hill in the city.

Then I remember I visited museums in the city and being chased out by the officers in the museum because I had forgotten to turn off the flash while snapping the pics, haha. Such a nice visit I don't know if I would ever reach Serawak again to snap beautiful pictures again. Sealed with prayers for peace and love.