The azan can be heard all around Kuching from the suraus in most every neighborhood. Sometimes it takes a bit of work to find where it is coming from. Taking a shortcut through a secluded neighborhood on my way home late from work, I would often hear the azan called loudly nearby, see old uncles […]
Category Archives: Nusantara
Berjayalah Taskiku!
ABIM, the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement, is one of the oldest and strongest Islamic NGOs in Malaysia today. Founded in 1972, ABIM is influential on the national stage in lobbying for Islamic policies. It is the leading component organization in PEMBELA, an Islamic affairs pressure group. But its most recognizable effort on the ground is […]
West Malaysia 2008: Cousins, Cousins, Cousins
Thanks to the largesse of the Malaysian government, I was able to bring my family for a one-month vacation at the end of last year. We brought the whole family, and our maid for good measure, and the nine of us went gallavanting from my brother-in-law’s in Tanjong Malim all the way to the Langkawi […]
Mawlid Nabi 2008
Mawlid season has come and gone once again and I’ve only now had the chance to put a little something together. This time, I’ve got some fresh video clips, and new this year, an audio recording of our Kuching mawlid recital.
Coming to the Reception?
Hey, child, where are you going? There’s a wedding reception on! Don’t miss it, it’s at Hasan Abang’s place, 400B. You can’t miss it. Down the lane, make a right, and keep going….
Stunning Election Results in Malaysia
The ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional, lost four more states to the opposition, for a total of five, and fell to below two-thirds in the national parliament for the first time in the country’s fifty years of existence. As an outsider, I don’t have a stake in the outcome either way. I can only applaud the […]
Frangipanis
The earliest plants I have any memory of are my neighbor’s mulberry tree, and the frangipani in our front courtyard. The courtyard was of cement or maybe stone except for where the tree grew, against the high wall. What I remember most clearly is how the flowers looked after they had fallen from the tree […]
The Border Town of Sirikin
Sarawak and Sabah share a long land border with Indonesia that runs mostly through remote areas of rugged mountains and deep forests. From Kuching though, there are several easy border crossings within an hour or two’s drive. I recently had cause to head down to one of them, to the small village of Sirikin just […]