Brisk sales at Ramadan Bazaar

My wife decided not to cook this evening and instead we went to Bintulu town shopping for ready made dishes for breaking of fast.  From the stall above we bought Sarawak laksa, an assortment of cakes and fried mee.

The Ramadan Bazaar stalls located at Medan Jaya ( opposite Sing Kwong supermarket) are enjoying brisk sales from customers of various ethnic origin and the sight of them freely mixing and enjoying the different tastes and cuisines of the Muslim community augurs well for social integration here.

Enter the Scorpion

This morning I met an intruder entering the front door.

The Black Scorpion!

Ready to attack.

In a deadly pose.

The menacing upright back posture.

BBQ Fish for Breaking Fast

You can be spoilt for choices for your breaking fast menu at the Bintulu Esplanade where a temporary Ramadan Bazaar has been set up. Today I opted for barbequed fish. The above are 'terubuk' fishes which are very popular when smoked or salted. To my knowledge, in Kuching the salted terubuk eggs can fetch to as much as RM 300 per kilo.

Dutch Tuber in Bintulu.

The above are young tapioca leaves just harvested at my farm this morning. Tapioca ( Manihot Esculenta Crantz )are a worthwhile plant to have in our immediate vicinty. They belong to the family of Euphorbiaceae. From its roots we get tubers that can be boiled and eaten with honey, sugar or meat including fish. They are alternative to eating rice or bread. The young leaves are plucked from its soft woody stems as salad or prepared with coconut milk as vegetables. In Bintulu these leaves are sold at the tamu or local jungle produce market at very reasonable price. For example the quantity above could be sold at RM 1 and would be enough for two or three persons eating. Locally tapioca is called 'ubi kayu' or 'ubi Belanda'. 'Belanda' means Dutch in Malay. The later name suggests that tapioca was indeed brought by the Europeans to this region from where it originated i.e. Tropical America.

Ramadan Bazaar

With the coming of Ramadan, the fasting month, the Muslim community in Bintulu like elsewhere will shop for food,drinks and many other items at the Ramadan bazaar that seem to sprout like mushrooms. They are nowadays joined by other communities of different faiths to taste the various foods and cakes especially prepared for those taking the fast. In this way the Ramadan has an interesting social function.

This year the fasting starts on the 1st of September and will normally lasts a month. Besides the culinary aspect, the month is welcomed  by all Muslims to renew their faith, clean up their souls ( by special nightly prayers besides the usual five daily prayers, doing good deeds, have good thoughts, ask God's forgiveness for minor sins whether known or unknown, etc)

The two pictures above are taken at a Ramadan Bazaar located at Medan Raya car parking area, in front of Sing Kwong Supermarket. Time: 5.30 pm.

Friday Prayers

On Friday I join the Muslim comunity in Bintulu for the regular Friday congregational prayers.

On the way to the carpark, I stopped by the minaret which is at a distance from the main mosque building. Architecturally,the minaret is connected to the main mosque by a water body. I thought an interesting concept.

Independence Spirited Driver

 Sarawak's Independence is celeberated by this car owner by decorating his ( her) car with mini flags.

Location: A Car Park in Bintulu town.