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Rules for visitors to Niah National Park in Sarawak, Malaysia
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July 6th 2010:
One of our contractor passed away yesterday while we were busy with work and meetings and doing other worldly things.
I got the message late while in one of the KPI-setting meeting which was supposed to set key performance indicators to measure individual performance for the next financial year. While we can plan how much sales and revenue the Company can make, or how many leaders we want to develop, we never can plan when and how we will die.
Unable to catch the funeral ceremony at Yuwey cemetery in Mingalardon, we visited the bereaved family members today at their house at University Avenue in Yangon. Our car was stopped by the security guarding this stretch of University Avenue which is the home for the most famous lady in Myanmar — Daw Aung San Su Kyi. We were made to walk some 800 meters along University Crest to the house no 71A.
We met the wife, a widow now. A petite pretty lady, who spoke English better than most of my local staff in my office.
“It happened so fast. ” The wife started the story. There were many relatives and friends in the house, which served as his husband’s office. So she took us to the verandah.
“He complained about slight chest pain in the morning. Then he visited a doctor at nearby clinic, have ECG taken. ECG was no good and the doctor gave him a bundle of medication, to be taken after meal.”
Her eyes were wet with tears but she managed it well not to drop the tears. She tried to put up a brave front but sometimes she broke down and simply buried her face into her hands, while we were waiting for this damsel in distress to complete her sentence.
“I quit working and started becoming a fulltime housewife last year. Now I don’t know… It seems I have to return to work.”
“I am spoilt by by him, everything I wanted I got it, just like a baby.” She is a young mother with 2 boys — aged 6 month and 2.5 years old. She said her late husband said he had 3 kids, and she is the third one.
“This house is my husband’s office, somebody new will come. I have to leave and find a new place.”
I did not say much. I was not good at comforting others in pain save some words rather direct like life is test, be patient, Allah loves him more.
Anyway I did hand over my business card before I left just in case she wanted to try her luck in my organization.
June 2010:
This is probably the biggest mosque in Shenzen, located at Meilin Lu. I happened to be in this city was here on one Friday in June 2010, and my other half had to find a mosque to perform his weekly obligation, i.e. Friday prayers. A frantic google search on the internet nights before yielded 2 or 3 mosques in the city and I reckon this one is the nearest to Louhu area, where I stay and shop and watch. The mosque is about 20 minutes drive by taxi from Shangrila Shenzen Hotel near Louhu railway station. Fare is about 30-40 Yuan on metered taxi. The building is a simple and straight-cut design, a square shaped and two small minarets facing the other side of the main road, for some reason I am not sure. A Meilin Lu entrance leads to the big compound, toilets and wuduk area. A huge green banner with Chinese words greet the new-comers. A woman section at the back of prayers hall provides refuge to a tired traveller, drained and exhausted after half day long bargaining at LCC. There are many women on this Friday. Some are tourists from middle east and far east and overseas. Most are local residents. The way they dress during solat puzzle me as some are not properly covered. After the prayers, a fiesta atmosphere develops as they gathered at the spacious courtyard talking and chatting and catching up with friends and neighbors and relatives. The locals and foreigners mix as well but language is the barrier in this country. Locals do not speak English and foreigners do not speak Mandarin or Cantonese. But what matters they are brothers and sisters and one ummah. On the street you cannot differentiate Moslem Chinese and kufar Chinese by look only, unless you meet them in the mosque, praying like you do.
Meilin Mosque is located at Meilin Lu, Shenzen, CHINA
The best way to this mosque is by taxi. Only 15-20 minutes drive from Louhu.
Fresh halal meat on sale outside the mosque area.
A young imam delivering tazkirah before actual Friday prayers starts at Meilin Mosque, Shenzen
A jemaah recording the khutbah Jumaat (Friday sermon) on his China-made Nokia phone.
The outside view of Meilin Mosque in Shenzen, CHINA
Noodle and grilled meat similar to kebab are all halal here. Yummy yummy!
Halal food stalls are plenty outside the mosque.
Halal restaurant near Meilin mosque in Shenzen, China
The masjid is fully air-conditioned and very clean. The sound system is so perfect — thanks to China electronic technology — that you can hear the tazkirah and khutbah by Imaam very distinctly — syllable by syllable — and crisply. The Imaam is fairly young with a scholar and matured look, in traditional moslem robes. He delivered tazkirah first in Mandarin, followed by khutbah (sermon).
At the entrance there are many foodstalls selling halal foods. After the congregation, these stalls are full with jemaah and you have to wait some time for tables to be empty. I tried noodle with plain soup and soy sauce, but the grilled beef fits my taste bud well, simply out-of-this-world taste. A halal meat shop sell freshly slaughtered cows for Moslems living in the neighborhood. Moslems in Shenzen are mainly from Xinjiang province, some from Sichuan and other provinces.
In June 2010, actual Friday prayers started at 1:30pm. Tazkirah started one hour early. About 600 jemaah attended the prayers.
(The story is contributed by Wannor.)
An AirAsia flight just arrived at Yangon International Airport from Bangkok. AK will ply KUL-RGN-KUL route beginning 18 July 2010.
Berita baik kepada pengembara tegar yang berminat melawat negara misteri MYANMAR. AirAsia akan memulakan laluan Kuala Lumpur – Yangon – Kuala Lumpur bermula Julai 18. Harga promosi bermula dari USD9 satu hala. AirAsia akan menggunakan Airbus 320 dengan kapasiti 180 seats. Pengumuman ini dialu-alukan oleh pakar-pakar industri pelancongan Myanmar dan Malaysia. Pada masa sekarang hanya Myanmar International Airways (MAI) dan Malaysia Airlines terbang ke Yangon dari Kuala Lumpur.
Untuk pelawat ke Myanmar, visa diperlukan dan satu lagi berita baik ialah mulai Jun 2010, Visa On Arrival (VOA) boleh dipohon di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Yangon. Detail di sini –> VOA.
Yangon adalah bandaraya terbesar di Myanmar. Dengan penduduk seramai 4-5 juta, 10-20% adalah penduduk Islam. Makanan halal dan masjid mudah didapati di sini dan tidak menjadi masalah, asalkan anda seorang yang fleksibel dan berani mencuba. Lihat banyak postings di website ini mengenai Yangon. Jangan lupa datang ke Inle Lake, jika anda tersampai ke Myanmar dan punyai banyak masa.
MH740 flight unloading at Yangon International Airport. MAI flight at the background.
Newly opened Visa On Arrival counters at Yangon International Airport.
Beginning June 2010, Myanmar immigration , tourist department and airlines confirmed that the new on arrival VISA will be issued for all foreigners at both entry points of Yangon and Mandalay international airports. Previous practise is that you are required to apply upfront in your home country Myanmar visa prior to departure — airlines flying into Myanmar will blankly refuse you boarding the aircraft if no valid Myanmar visa found on your passport.
Following condition applies for VOA:
1. All passengers with valid passports will be granting, except listed on Myanmar Immigration ” Black List “.
2. Passports validity must be at least 6 months during staying in Myanmar.
3. 2 recent passport photos ( Size 4 cm X 6 cm )
4. The exact address of hotel , guest house to stay.
5. Return ticket
6. Single traveler must hold minimum 300 USD and for Family 600 USD as show money. (This amount to show to Immigration upon request only, but most of the time not required)
7. Child under age of 7 traveling with passport together with parent is exempted from Visa fee (FOC).
The application forms can be inquired at airline counters, flight on board and Yangon and Mandalay airports.
VISA FEES:
1.Tourists Visa ( 28 Days ) 30 USD
2.Business Visa ( 70 Days ) 40 USD
3.Transit Visa ( 24 hours ) 18 USD