A Little Step A Day: September 2011

30.9.11

Beautiful Alphabet

Look how they put their alphabets. When we, Indonesian, could be proud of ours like Thai people do?

" All words are pegs to hang ideas on"

~Henry Ward Beecher

Faces of Buddha

Many faces of Buddha,
in a gift shop...
It always feels peaceful when you saw one.

Laughing Buddha

blessings

"Peace comes from within.

Do not seek it without"

~Buddha

29.9.11

A Shrine By The Corner

In the busy district of Ratchaprasong; stands gleaming shining a small shrine, busy with people who pray day and night.

If you make donation, the dancer will dance on your behalf, because it is believed that Buddha love dances

Piles of flower garlands for offering..

27.9.11

You might have had experienced a lot of hotels in Bangkok, but this hotel Hyatt Erawan was my love-at first-sight.
The service might not be uber-excellent, but their attention was somehow heartfelt although a bit funny (it's from their way of speaking with thai accent, I assume )

oh I really love their pants.. anyone knows where to get that?

Simple touch that nailed

anyway,... "breSkfast" ?

Surprise birthday cake, card slipped under the teddy bear, interesting uniform..

Bangkok Cab

Thai Lakorn - HAI RAK NUM TANG

Seizing the city with Bangkok cab, what I found inside the car was a story for itself.
Hit the odd thai pop music ( haha ) and let's roll the streets of Bangkok!

Bangkok taxi drivers love to put things on their dashboard. From coins from many countries, pins, souvenirs and sacred stuffs. The more is the merrier. And funny stories come mostly from the language barrier between taxi driver and the tourist. I had to ask the hotel bellboy to write down all the address that I need in Thai to show it to the taxi driver; or I would end up somewhere or nowhere.

24.9.11

A Temple by The Port

It's not the common Balinese temple I'm talking about, but this is a very old chinese temple, one of the very few in Bali.
A quick visit and some snapshots, I don't get much story about it. Only later when I searched from the internet, here I found a brief history of Klenteng Ling Gwan Kiong...

Front yard and facade of the temple.. grand yet peaceful

Close by the Buleleng port, you will find this magnificent Chinese temple known as Klenteng among the local people. Access to the temple is via bridge over a pond filled with pink and white lotus flowers.

Considered to be an old and sacred Klenteng, it was built in 1873. From an old manuscripts found on Tao Kong Co Tan Hu Cin statue and lettering of Ling Yuen Kong written in Chinese , there are proves that this temple was built in the 12th Thoing Ce year from the Dynasty of Ching (Man Ching). The name of Ling Gwan Kiong itself means the Palace of Power.

If you are interested, find klenteng Ling Gwan Kiong on Jl Erlangga 63 Singaraja, phone 0368 - 26332

Detail of the roof, bell made in England and detail of a beam in the form of "kirin"

Kirin; the mythological dog, guarding the entrance

Fish, a symbol of prosperity and wealth, here used as a gutter edge

22.9.11

Bali Blues

Knowing we're about to leave Bali, it gave us a feeling of blue. So we decided to spend a day doing nothing, just curling in bed and watch the day went by. That was when the shades of Bali: blue, green, and turquoise came and greeted me 'hi'.

Here, There, and Everywhere by BG Andika

...but don't worry, I still got some stories to share :-)

A Mosque in Bali

It's noon and we went to the nearest mosque for a prayer. While waiting my friends doing their rituals, I took the chance to admire this beautiful building.

Singaraja, is one of the few places in Bali where the influence of Islam is visible. The capital city, along with other places in Buleleng regency, has a strong Muslim community. Despite the fact that the island is predominantly Hindu, the two religious communities have lived harmoniously for generations.
Such a mutual respect has been enjoyed for hundreds of years, largely due to the great efforts of the former King of Buleleng, Anak Agung Ngurah Djelantik Polong, to unite his people.
Islam is believed to have come to the regency via international traders around the year 1600.

A mix of styles of many eras, this mosque remains beautiful

Islam may not have prospered here without the support of the Buleleng royal family. This Grand Mosque Masjid Agung Jami was built during the reign of King Anak Agung Ngurah Ketut Djelantik Polong in l846. The king was the descendant of Anak Agung Panji Sakti.

The king of Buleleng had also granted the provision of the land, on Jalan Imam Bonjol where the mosque currently stands. The king asked his close aide and relative Gusti Ngurah Ketut Djelantik Celagi, who had already converted to Islam, to oversee its construction. Muslim leader Abdullah Mascetty assisted Celagi with the project. The mosque took around 24 years to complete. When Mascetty was arrested by Dutch troops, the development was delayed for some time.

It is believed that this door was taken from the palace as a gift from the King of Bulelelng

The 'mimbar', still stands proudly after so many centuries.

Also, housed at the mosque is a priceless, centuries old handwritten Koran, which was inscribed by I Gusti Ngurah Ketut Djelantik Celagi. He was a royal family member who converted to Islam in the l820s. The handwritten Koran, with a beautiful Balinese-style carved wooden cover, has been carefully maintained and is real proof of the close relations between local residents and Muslim immigrants.Unfortunately I got this story after I left the mosque, so I missed the chance of seeing it.