Watching football from a hotel window

While we were at Shahzan Inn in September, we had the perfect view of a couple of football matches in the evening.

This was the lovely view we enjoyed for a good hour. The standard of football wasn't the best, and we saw an own goal just seconds into the start of one match, but having the Pahang State Mosque beside the pitches made it a beautiful view!

Pahang State Mosque, Kuantan at sunrise

Adjacent to the field at Jalan Mahkota sits the Pahang State Mosque. I photographed this great Kuantan sight from the 10th floor of the nearby Shahzan Inn. Although I had to zoom considerably with my little point-and-shoot, I'm quite happy with the images that came out.

What sights do you enjoy photographing in your home town?

Pahang State Mosque, Kuantan

The Pahang State Mosque in Kuantan is the centrepiece of Kuantan town.

Located in the heart of the town beside the post office and opposite Kuantan old town, it is the Islamic centre of worship in Kuantan.

Many years ago I visited the Pahang State Mosque, hoping to be able to go inside. Not only did I mange to go inside, but I had a guide who showed me around, and he allowed me to take pictures too. He didn't speak any English though, so I attempted to ask him questions using my shaky Bahasa Melayu. Overall it was unsuccessful!

The beautiful minarets at the Pahang State Mosque, Kuantan

Entrance to the Pahang State Mosque, Kuantan

My guide took me up one of these minarets, a very tight spiral staircase, but the view from the top was beautiful.

Spectacular view of the marvellous domes of the Pahang State Mosque, Kuantan, as the storm clouds began gathering. This was taken from midway up a minaret.

Being inside the Pahang State Mosque is a beautiful experience. It is quiet and peaceful, but above all, the artwork and design of this lovely edifice is inspiring.

Beautiful stained-glass window

Prayer hall in Pahang State Mosque, Kuantan

I can clearly see seven distinct 'levels' in the structure of the Pahang State Mosque, including the small domes, large dome and minarets. I wonder if this has any symbolic significance to Muslims?

The mosque is a beautiful sight!

And here it is in all its beauty at night! 

Incidentally this image was my favourite of the year 2010. See my top ten favourite pictures of 2010 here

KUANTAN BLOG TOUR: Join me at Taman Gelora next . . .

Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Kuantan

"Kipling, Rudyard (1865-1936)" - English writer and poet, the first English writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize for literature (1907).





I have lived in three places in Malaysia, all beginning with the letter 'K'.


Kuala Lumpur

The first place I lived when I originally wound up on Malaysian shores back in 2002 was Kuala Lumpur (KL). I stayed there for nine months and have loved it ever since.

View of KL taken from the KL Tower in 2004

The KL Tower, taken from the grounds of the Petronas Twin Towers

A view of Sunway Pyramid in Subang Jaya taken from my friend's condominium in 2002. It has changed much since then! To see inside the new Sunway Pyramid click here

Here's me standing inside the trunk of a fascinating tree at the Forest Reserve Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) in Kepong, KL

Kuching

Later I moved to Kuching, which is located in the state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo.

This is where my wife is from and where I've enjoyed seven months of my life.

Kuching town

My friend's place in Kuching. Can you spot me?

Trying my hand in a small paddy field in Kuching

Beginning our journey to a friend's fruit farm in Kuching

In the back of the truck with two men who couldn't speak a word of English!

At a rambutan farm (the red fruit that can be seen growing on the trees). I'm holding a soursop fruit.

Kuantan

Finally I've settled in Kuantan. Here are some of the best images of Kuantan:

The Pahang State Mosque

Teluk Chempedak beach

Click here to see the beautiful views at Teluk Chempedak beach

The gaping mouth of a dragon at the Lao Zi temple. 

Click here to see the Lao Zi Dragon temple

The stunning Taman Gelora park in Kuantan

Click here to see my latest visit to Taman Gelora

The new 5-star Zenith Hotel in Kuantan

My tour of Zenith Hotel with the General Manager

Our one-night stay courtesy of Zenith Hotel

Food Sampling Session at Zenith Hotel

What is your favourite Rudyard Kipling piece?

What is the best place you have lived in/visited?

Being Religiously Clean

I find it ironic that here in Kuantan there is a stunning symbol of cleanliness in the Pahang State Mosque...

...yet people can't even keep the streets clean...

Yesterday we decided to have a clear-out of our home. Unnecessary objects were mercilessly piled up on the rubbish heap outside for disposal. We discovered our previous printer which we'll never use again. Four old, stained and dusty pillows that haven't left the shelf for over two years. An empty aquarium and pet cage hanging around doing nothing but creating clutter. A deflated bouncy castle with dirty patches that we will never blow up again. A pile of Christmas cards which we'll never re-read and which will be replaced with new versions each December. Empty cardboard boxes which once contained shoes.

They all took a dive into the bin!

The list went on and we ended up filling two shopping trolleys worth of rubbish which I carted down to the end of the block where the large bin sits. A Malay man began sifting through the mound of trash, stuffing his selections into a large, white sack.

De-cluttering the house is an annual event in our home, but I wish it would be a daily one. Each day, items enter our homes, whether they are newspapers, brochures, food, drink, gifts, toys, equipment etc. It would be much easier to screen these items or those they are replacing, on the day they arrive, than a year later when they've been stuffed into a dark and forgotten corner of the kitchen cupboard.

There is great inspiration in the Pahang State Mosque, as in all other religious temples and buildings, which display cleanliness, tidiness and order, both inside and out. They can become a model to base our own homes upon. However, judging by the littered streets in Kuantan, the effect of religion seems to play but a secondary role in life here, contrary to the fact that Malaysia is a multi-religious society.

Religion, of whatever kind, teaches cleanliness. Cleanliness of body, soul and mind. The great mosques, churches, temples, halls and synagogues are spotless, to invite a feeling of awe and reverence for God.

How then, can one justifiably claim to be a follower of God, and simultaneously live a life of littering?

Sri Sithi Vinayagar Temple, Kuantan

The Sri Sithi Vinayagar Temple in the heart of Kuantan draws people in for its colours and numberless statues on its roofs. Situated near the fire station a stone's throw from the Darulmakmur Stadium, it is a sight to behold.

Every major religion under the Sun can be found in Malaysia. While we must admit that there are gently simmering hostilities between the religions, it is relatively peaceful and harmonious when compared with other plural society countries. It is not uncommon to find mosques, hindu temples, chinese temples and churches on the same street in Malaysia, and sometimes even lined up beside each other.

My visit to the Sri Sithi Vinayagar Temple was a different experience to my previous visits to the PAHANG STATE MOSQUE AND PAHANG BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION and to the SIKH TEMPLE. The Pahang State Mosque is intricately designed with beautiful symmetrical patterns and graceful Arabic calligraphy adorning the walls. The Pahang Buddhist Association combines a temple containing a huge statue of Buddha with beautiful gardens and a lake. The Sikh temple was stunningly simple in design, with lovely carved wooden doors and glittering chandeliers. However, the one thing all these places had in common was reverent silence.

Here is the Sri Sithi Vinayagar Temple in Kuantan. Here there were bright colours in abundance. I even engaged in a conversation with an Indian woman who was there to clean the temple. We spoke at length about how I came to be in Kuantan and I was able to share with her my appreciation of the lovely temple we were in, my beliefs about God, a living prophet, and other Christian doctrines, which she received with humility. It was easy to share these things with her. Since we were in a hindu temple I related to her about our Christian temples and a little about the work that goes on there. From the Book of Mormon we read of former Christian missionaries: "and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them."

These curious little black stone statues were the most intriguing part of my visit to the Sri Sithi Vinayagar Temple. Unfortunately I didn't get the opportunity to ask a few questions I had in mind to the Indian lady there.