The Merlion

(Picture from The Flying Kiwi)

They say you haven't really been to Singapore if you haven't gone to Merlion Park. It's the home of the famous Merlion, the "lion head with a fish body resting on a crest of waves," after which the park is named.

The Merlion was designed by Mr. Fraser Bunner, a curator of the Van Kleef Aquarium, as an emblem for the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board. The lion head represents the lion that Prince Sang Nila Utama spotted when he rediscovered Singapore. The fish represents the ancient city of Temasek (which means "sea" in Javanese), which was what the island was known as before the Prince named it "Singapura" ("singa" means "lion" and "pura" means "city"—in Sanskrit).

The Merlion stands 8.6 meters tall and weighs 70 tonnes, built by Mr. Lim Nang Seng, who also built a smaller Merlion statue (its cub). It is made of cement fondue, the skin of porcelain plates, and red teacups (for its eyes).

Originally, the Merlion and its cub was located at the mouth of the Singapore River. In the year 2002, they were moved to where they stand now, at Merlion Park, adjacent to One Fullerton Park.

Resources

Uniquely Singapore - http://www.visitsingapore.com/publish/stbportal/en/home/about_singapore/the_merlion.html

Did You Know? (Random Facts About Brunei)

(Image from Applied Language Solutions)

Brunei's official name is Negara Brunei Darussalam (meaning "Abode of Peace").

The capital of Brunei is Bandar Seri Begawan.

Brunei, a monarchy, and has been ruled by the same family for over six centuries.

Brunei is an Islamic state, and the Sultan is the head of the Islamic population. There are also Buddhists, Confucianists, Daoists, and Christian minorities.

Malay is the official language, but English is widely used. Chinese dialects are spoken as well.

Etiquette in Brunei is very conservative? (That means no "loud" or "showy" clothes, no public display of affection, etc.)

Businessmen in Brunei are called "Haji" or "Dato" while businesswomen are called "Hajah" or "Datin."

When visiting a house in Brunei, it is polite to remove your shoes before entering the house.

People do not point with their index fingers, but with their thumbs. People do not beckon with their fingers either, but rather with their whole hand, making sure that the palm is facing downwards.
The right fist should never be smacked into the left palm.
Bruneians shake hands lightly and bring their hands to their chest.

Resources

Brunei Facts - http://www.tgmag.ca/ap/country/apbru.html

Culture of Brunei Darussalam - http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Brunei-Darussalam.html

World Info Zone - http://worldinfozone.com/facts.php?country=Brunei

World Travel Guide - http://www.worldtravelguide.net/country/43/general_information/South-East-Asia/Brunei.html

Borobodur Temple in Indonesia

(Picture: Discover Indonesia - Temples of Java)

In the garden of Java, near Yogyakarta, stands Borobodur, the largest temple in the world, and the oldest in Southeast Asia. 11 centuries ago (775 A.D.), anonymous artists decided to begin building it. They knew, though, that they would not finish, but they hoped that, along the way, some people (other artists) would pick up the work they left behind. It was finished in 856, but abandoned soon after, as a political revolt swept through the land.

By the 10th century, less and less people were visiting the Borobodur temple, as it was in the midst of jungle. Vegetation blocked the paths and the numerous volcanoes that surrounded the temple covered it in ash.

It was in 1814 when a British colonel first discovered the temple. It took about a hundred years for Borobodur to be uncovered and completely restored. In 1990, a team was appointed to maintain and preserve Borobodur.

Today, Borobodur stands tall and proud and majestic in the midst of valleys, volcanoes, hills, mountains, and rivers...

"Some moments in life make one feel as if there were no longer any distance between Heaven and Earth, and in the creative blending into the whole, the sense of life is being revealed.
Such an emotion is experienced when one ascends the stairs of Borobudur, Buddhist marvel of stone, in a full tropical moon-night."

References - Discover Indonesia: Temples of Java

WISH: To Visit a Dayak Longhouse in Sarawak, Malaysia

Imagine...you're traveling across one of the countries in Southeast Asia, rowing through the still waters of a river, when, along the banks, you spot a house on stilts—or so, it seems like one, except that it is incredibly long—and out of curiosity, you decide to investigate who might be living there.

You are warmly welcomed by a very hospitable people. They even have their young men and women perform a traditional dance (usually the Ngajat) and sound their traditional gongs to welcome you. They offer you tuak (local rice wine) invite you to stay for the night, but not before you eat a wonderful dinner of their local delicacies.

Such is the way of the Dayak, in Sarawak, Malaysia. The Dayak are an ethnic tribe who live either on Land (Bidayuh) or at Sea (Iban). In the last century, the length of their houses was 110 meters (360 feet) long, but today, they range from 10-70 meters.

(Image from Lawatilah Malaysia)

(Image from Linguistic Field Methods)

At the center of each longhouse is a public area for social life and rituals. Also at the center of the house here is a main post which is the first thing to be erected when the longhouse is built. This main post symbolizes the ancestor who founded the house. It is sacred and is seen as a link between the underworld and the upper world. This is why longhouses have decorations of rhinoceros birds and water snakes. The rhinoceros birds symbolize the good spirits of the upper world, while the water snakes are associated with the spirits of the underworld.

***

I kinda think it would be fun to live in a Longhouse (provided, your neighbors are people you like :P). I hope I can visit one some day, as in really visit one, not just through pictures and stories. :D

***

More pictures here. And here.
Much more detailed information on longhouses here.


Resources:

• Artasia - Traditional Houses
• Ibang Longhouse
• Malaysia Site - Longhouses

The "Yang di-Pertuan Agong" and the "Yang di-Pertuan Negeri" of Malaysia

Malaysia is a country which practices Parliamentary Democracy with Constitutional Monarchy. Quite a mouthful, isn't it?

In Malaysia, there is a king (or a raja, a sultan) and a prime minister. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong—sometimes called the Yang di-Pertuan Besar—(or the king) is the "paramount ruler" and the head of state at the state level. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong does not inherit his role. Rather, he is elected from nine hereditary state rulers for a five-year term. The prime minister, called the Yang di-Pertuan Negeri, appointed by the paramount ruler, is the head of state where there are no rulers. The government leaders are the Chief Ministers: Menteri Besar and Ketua Menteri.

Who leads the people of Malaysia? According to a website, "whatever action is taken by an authority is executed in the name of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong who acts on the advice of the Government." The king, however, has no substantive power. According to another website, he is a symbol of the sovereignty of Malaysia, and serves the formal/ceremonial role.

Malaysia's current king is Mizan Zainal Abidin.

(Picture from Wikipedia)

The current prime minister is Najib Tun Razak.

(Picture from Wikipedia)

Resources:

• Encyclopaedia Britannica
• Virtual Tourist
• Yang di-Pertuan Agong