Around the Universe @ Planetarium Sultan Iskandar Kuching, Sarawak

This planetarium play a 30-minute cosmic show. It explains about the Solar System, the Milky Way, some ET legend, and Zodiac Sign. I always wanted to watch the show, the entrance fees for adult is just RM2. The show starts at 3pm and I was there at 2:30pm, so there is still time to capture some photos. The Planetarium has a spheres shape rooftop.


From my imagination, a planetarium suppose to be like the spheres rooftop can be slip into half and open, then a huge telescope in the center of the spheres. But in reality, I am totally wrong. Inside the planetarium, it has a special projector in the middle, and then chairs surrounding the projector. The spheres rooftop is the screen. When the show starts, all the lights will be switch off. Then the spheres rooftop is projected with all kinds of image, it is a 360 degree screen. One of my favorite scenes is when it projects the stars, with soft background music. This feeling is like bring girlfriend to the beach, lie down on the beach and watch the stars.

The first Malaysian astronaut had just flew into space yesterday, this news was at the front cover of all the papers this few days. The Universe, is it really have no limit?


Inside the planetarium, at the middle of the planetarium there is a screen projector, a very special one. It is use to project the image on the spheres rooftop.


The control panel, which control the lighting, sound, and the projector.


A Carl Zeiss West Germany projector, it is painted with my favorite color.


The screen is 360 degree, so I have to turn my head from one side to another to see the shooting star


This is the starting scene, it project a city image 360 degree, and then the moon coming out from one side to another.


after 30 minutes the show ends.

Fish Pond and Santubong Mountain

I went to a fish pond near the Santubong Mountain. Is a 45 minutes drive from Kuching town. When there on an official business, the driver and me got a little lost when we reach the entrance. We’ve asked almost everyone we meat along the way for the direction. Very fortunately, we manage to find the actual location. Our destination is a fish pond; we need to send a generator to the pond. When we reach the pond, I step down the lorry and yell loudly for the worker name “Muhammad, Muhammad !!!”, he give respond by asking us to “Tungu, saya turun sekarang.” Yep, he’s coming out from his house. The worker came out and greed us politely, is a guy in his mid 50’s.

He told us that he is just having lunch with his wife, and the menu is a fresh fish that he just caught from the pond. And the fish weight about 3KG. OMG!!! Is a big fish, I can see that behind his house there is plant vegetable. So he eat vegetable which is free from pesticide, and eat fresh, juicy and free fish which can easily get at the pond. And can enjoy a beautiful scene with Mount Santubong and forest surrounding him. This is the life I told him. He told me that his job is to look after the fish, feed them on time, and make sure that no one come and steal the fish. And when the harvest season come, the owner will came and catch all the fish, and send it to other place. They need the generator for paddling the water, so that the fish will have enough oxygen, and they can also have electricity during the night time.

We help him lower down the generator to the small room that he had prepare. It took us quite a while to lower down the big generator, is heavy, and bulky. After everything is done, I went to the pond side sit under the tree shade to take a rest. Is very windy here, and I can see Mount Santubong clearly. Here’s some photos I took, enjoy.


on my way to the fish pond situated near Mount Santubong.

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along the way the driver had told me a lot of his story, how he court his wife, and what must men do. He share a lot of his life time experience with me, is funny, and very entertaining.


After a lot of turning left and right, we finally manage to get on the correct path.


here they don’t have any sign board, any lamp pole. We look for the direction by guessing.


After several guesses, we had reach the fish pond. Is a very windy place, beautiful scene.


the guard need to walk down this wooden path when is time to feed the fish.


Mount Santubong
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I'm having flu, sore throat, cough, and fever :S
My grandma will celebrate her 84 birthday this Saturday :)

The Fish at Friendship Park ….

When I reach friendship park, a gust of stinky win blowing at me. It smells like dead fish, I ignore it and start to jog. Just when I reach the man made pond, all the water had gone, and all the fish are floating on the water. I was shock and curious, what happen here? I took a lot of photos when I walk one round, then I sit down at the pavilion with one of the guard. He told me that two of the water pumps are damage, so the council had decided to change it. They only discuss on how to change the pumps, but did talk about on how to save all the fish.

There are millions of fish in the pond, pity too see all the fish die because of some damage water pumps. I cannot comment much on the council move, but I do think that they should think of a way to save some of the fish, before this everyday there will be people come and feed the fish. This can let couple know that their partners is kind, there are also family come and feed the fish, this can let parents to teach their children to love animal. The fish will follow you when you walk along the pond, but now this scene no more :(

The guard said now they need at least 3 to 4 weeks to fix the pumps, then a few weeks to refill all the water back again, and then another few weeks to put some chlorine back to the water. And thennnnn another few weeks to test the water, after everything is ok, they will just then put in new fish. With this thing happen, who to blame? The public by feeding the fish, or the council by sucking all the water out?

The Art Of Nature – Thunder

I was at the food court near the place I live having drinks with my friend. There are thunders all over the sky, my hand very itchy. There is only one thing in my mind that time; I must get all of this lighting into my camera. So I hurry send my friend back home, and then went home to get my tripod and camera. But when I start capture a few shoots, it begins to rain. And the lightings had become less and less. I had missed a golden opportunity. *regret*
Here are my previous post on the Art of Nature

Art of Nature 1

Art of Nature 2




This one is my favorite :)

What is hidden in the Sarawak Islam Museum?

Initially, I should ask for permission to took photos inside the museum. But I was attracted by all the beautiful antic of the Islamic culture, and then I just start to press on my camera shutter on autopilot.

From my knowledge what I understand from Islam is that they need to conduct prayer very early in the a.m. On Friday they need to go to the mosque to pray, that’s why government staff has two hours lunch break, and each year before the Hari Raya, they need to fast for one month before, then they celebrate the breaking fast festival (Hari Raya), and I can visit my Malay friends and have delicious curry chicken, and ketupat to eat.

What have I gain after visiting the Sarawak Islam Museum?
The Islamic culture is not just on reading the Quran, but they also have astronomy study, their own coinage, weapon, clothes, antique, and etc.
And I learn that Islam some to Sarawak is because of a Chinese name Zheng He. He is a Chinese Muslim from China, and during his voyage to Malaysia, he also brings in the Islamic religion to here.

So who is Zheng He?
After some research from the net, this Zheng He is a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, and fleet admiral. who made the voyages collectively referred to as the travels of "Eunuch Sanbao to the Western Ocean" or "Zheng He to the Western Ocean", from 1405 to 1433. The development of Islam in Indonesia and Malaya is intimately related to Admiral Zheng He. He built granaries, warehouses and a stockade, and most probably he left behind many of his Muslim crews during his voyage to Malaysia.

What’s my favorite on the Islamic culture?
Personally I like the Islam astronomy, and weapon. Most of the weapons look more or less the same like the old Chinese, or English weapon use in the battle.

here comes the photos, my dear reader I hope you like it.


This is the main entrance to the Sarawak Islam Museum, I went there during the evening time.


this is a time capsule seal on the year 1999 at Bintulu division, and set to be open on the year 2099.


A painting of Mecca, and a ancient stone which have quran carving on the stone. It was found at Sarawak


this is a replica mosque at Mecca


this might be a tradition Malay fishing boat, I didn’t read the description for it


the Islam coinage on the old days


A navigation device


it comes with accessories if you click on buy now, so hurry limited offer only : P


this is a scribe’s box


this is my favorite it is a celestial glob. What, and how it function, I dono. But it looks very high tech. I always am very impress on the gadget the ancient people invent, with no computer, but they still manage to invent stuff, very intelligent.


many armlets, there have a pair of silver gilt armlets, decorated with a climbing plant mofif, it is used as a part of traditional malay wedding attire.


this is the weapon division. A big axe


oh…don’t let your girlfriend have this. This is danger when have a fight, anything they took, they will throw it at you.


A 106cm long mace, a large steel borned devil’s head mace, etched with typical floral and animal designs.


what do you think this it? *beep* is not a horse. Is a camel, yep a strange looking camel, what they display here is the camel saddle.


guns


daggers


knife


ancient armor


keris, a traditional Malay sword.


spears


arrows


shield, wonder how heavy is that thing? Imagine last time the warrior need to wear steal vest n armor, hold shield, carries big sword, and wear iron boots. Can they still move with all of this heavy equipment?


email me your birthday, this will be your birthday present.


or you want this as your present?


Tray from China. It have quran writing and Chinese style painting on it.


Quran writing with Chinese words translate on the top.


a wooden chest to store the Quran


Quran rack
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All the information on the Islamic culture are base on my knowledge and own observation, so comments, or correction are most welcome : )
Have a nice weekend everyone