SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI

Selamat menyambut kedatangan Syawal

dengan kegembiraan.

Salam Syawal dari

Aminuddin Ibrahim Lastar

SIRASARI, Signal Hill Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

What Happened to Mr. Prado

Can’t say much about what happened that night. It was my bad for not paying too much attention on the road, I suppose…( Shouldn’t say that )… “What!? Suppose?!” Sorry, I didn’t pay attention on the road that night.

Spent the whole day in the Uni and had only a large French Fries at McD drive-thru for dinner cum fast break. (don’t take this as my excuse)

I left the Uni after dismissed all my students at 10pm and drove back. Nothing much was in my mind except thinking of a good Jacuzzi session before bed and deep fried chicken from KFC. To some, it was’t just ‘nothing much in my mind’. I know…

As I was about to make my turn at the roundabout in Likas Bay, I knew that I just hit to something; funny I didn’t even know what it was until I saw a car which was badly damaged in front of me about 30 second after I heard the big bang. To my relief, he was not injured at all.

What else could I say to him, “ Sorry, it was my bad… I honestly didn’t see you…” ? Yes, that was what I said. I felt responsible for what had happened and did my obligation accordingly.

AUGUST 2008 PARTIAL LUNAR ECLIPSE -as seen from my bedroom

17 August 2008 - I received a text sms from a friend regarding the moon eclipse, I was about to go to bed when I thought that I should atlest witness the phenomenon for just a little while. So I did and upon seeing the magical changes of the moon, I started to picture it for every single minute which at the end took me for almost 2 hours standing and watching at the moon like an owl longing for its princes.

The first picture was taken around 3am and the last one was about an hour later.

AUGUST 2008 PATIAL LUNAR ECLIPSE - north asending node

Partial lunar eclipse

A lunar eclipse occurs whenever the Moon passes through some portion of the Earth's shadow. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle. The type and length of an eclipse depend upon the Moon's location relative to its orbital nodes.

A partial lunar eclipse occurs when only a portion of the Moon enters the umbra. When the Moon travels completely into the Earth's umbra, one observes a total lunar eclipse. The Moon's speed through the shadow is about one kilometer per second (2,300 mph), and totality may last up to nearly 107 minutes. Nevertheless, the total time between the Moon's first and last contact with the shadow is much longer, and could last up to 3.8 hours. The relative distance of the Moon from the Earth at the time of an eclipse can affect the eclipse's duration.

The Moon does not completely disappear as it passes through the umbra because of the refraction of sunlight by the Earth's atmosphere into the shadow cone; if the Earth had no atmosphere, the Moon would be completely dark during an eclipse. The red colouring arises because sunlight reaching the Moon must pass through a long and dense layer of the Earth's atmosphere, where it is scattered. Shorter wavelengths are more likely to be scattered by the small particles, and so by the time the light has passed through the atmosphere, the longer wavelengths dominate. This resulting light we perceive as red. This is the same effect that causes sunsets and sunrises to turn the sky a reddish colour; an alternative way of considering the problem is to realise that, as viewed from the Moon, the Sun would appear to be setting (or rising) behind the Earth.

Balinese Shrines

Many believe that, Balinese existence evolve around their shrines. Every house comes with at least a family shrine located within the compound. Every small community has a community shrine and every village has its own village shrine. The district or precinct shrine plays a very important role in the Balinese ritual and daily lives. It is where the Banjar and the head of the community council gather and have their meetings, discussions and spiritual processions and prayers.

Banjar is a council, which the members are among the elders and wise married men. They hold the position of determining the forms of taxes and collections from the villagers and entrepreneurs who live and work within their vicinity.

The taxes and collections or donations are their source of income. Nevertheless, a portion of the fund is allocated for maintenance works and social affairs for the needy.

A family shrine in Kuta &
a community shrine in Ubud
Family shrine is unique and different from one to another. It is more personal with distinctive figure and decorative elements. This extraordinary feature is like spices that made this Mystical Island of The Thousand Gods is incomparable and at the same time exquisite in its special way.

Balinese Shrines

Many believe that, the existence of Balinese evolve around their shrines. Every house comes with at least a family shrine located within the compound. Every small community has a community shrine and every village has its own village shrine. The district or precinct shrine plays a very important role in the Balinese ritual and daily lives. It is where the Banjar and the head of the community council gather and have their meetings, discussions and spiritual processions and prayers.

Banjar is a council, which the members are among the elders and wise married men. They hold the position of determining the forms of taxes and collections from the villagers and entrepreneurs who live and work within their vicinity.

The taxes and collections or donations are their source of income. Nevertheless, a portion of the fund is allocated for maintenance works and social affairs for the needy.

Family shrine is unique and different from one to another. It is more personal with distinctive figure and decorative elements. This extraordinary feature has becomes the spice that made this Island of The Thousand Gods is incomparable and at the same time exquisite in its special way.

Let's Haiku

Learn to see the world through “Haiku Eyes”

Haiku is not just the world’s shortest poetry, but a fun and simple way to share our discoveries about the world. It has becomes one of the most popular form of poetry today. Haiku isn’t fancy poetry but poetry for everyone.

Haiku is – simplicity, that is simple noticing. Haiku is simply noticing, noting and recording moments that are happening around us all the time – moments that make us wake up and see and appreciate the world around us more.

Capturing these little Haiku moments in words is what makes a Haiku, and the creation depends on how open our eyes are to the world around us। It is a matter of seeing with clear and open eyes what is in front of our nose right now।

Butterfly-
What’s it dreaming
Fanning its wings?