What to Wear - Traveling Thru History

Putra Mosque

Erin — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 08:39:40 +0000

Putra Mosque is an beautiful rose-tinted granite modern mosque in Putrajaya that boasts Middle Eastern, Persian, and Malay architectural styles.

The post Putra Mosque first appeared on Traveling Thru History.

Visiting Kuala Lumpur’s National Mosque

Erin — Tue, 03 May 2016 02:26:59 +0000

HISTORICAL TIDBIT Masjid Negara is what the locals call the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur. This mosque was built in 1965 in honor of Malaysia gaining independence from Great Britain without any bloodshed in 1957. It was originally to be named Masjid Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj in honor of Yang Teramat Mulia Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, who was the Chief Minister of Malaysia during British rule and the first Prime Minister after the Malaysians began ruling themselves, but he declined the honor and instead chose Masjid Negara as the name. OUR VISIT Visiting the National Mosque was a nice experience. I had been a bit nervous about visiting because I wasn’t sure how welcoming they would be to non-Muslims, but it was a needless worry. We’d heard a few unfortunate stories about visiting mosques in Kuala Lumpur, which was the basis of our (my) worry. Our experience was quite lovely one I’m glad we had the opportunity to have. One of the things everyone needs to consider before visiting a mosque is attire. I’d visited a mosque before in a long-sleeved shirt and jeans, but had been given a robe to wear anyways, so I was a little confused about what was appropriate for women to wear. A Muslim friend later told me that pants and shirts have to be loose and not form-fitting, so it’s possible the person who’d given me a robe at Putra Mosque thought either my jeans or shirt were too tight or perhaps they were of a more strict mind and didn’t approve of women wearing pants to a mosque or it could have been that I didn’t have my scarf tied properly around my head. *shrug* This time, though, I avoided that issue entirely by wearing a long skirt, a loose t-shirt, some arm sleeves and a hijab I picked up in Langkawi. Troy wore a dress shirt with his nice pants. When we arrived at the mosque, I was soooooooo happy I’d opted to wear what I did. We arrived shortly after a tour group and were towards the end of a rather long line of visitors to get into the mosque, but a woman who was giving people robes and signing them in came over to us and told us we could go right in. Yay! It was nice to be able to walk right past all the people who had to wait to borrow a robe. There were a limited number of robes, so people were having to wait quite a while until others finished their visit and returned the robes before they could go in. Of the other visitors we saw, most were not dressed appropriately for visiting a mosque, but the greeters did not harass or make disparaging comments to anyone. They just handed the visitors a robe and requested they put it on before entering the mosque. It was a very quick and smooth process. The only delay was due there being more visitors than robes. Of course, before we even got in line, we did the requisite photo in front of the building. While this mosque isn’t as ornate as other mosques around the world, Masjid Negara is quite beautiful. The architecture and design are open and inviting. We really enjoyed wandering the halls and seeing the different areas. It’s interesting to note that this mosque pays homage to the Prophet Muhammad’s home from 7th century Saudi Arabia. The Prophet’s home consisted of a large courtyard surrounded by long rooms supported by columns. Columns are very common in mosques and this one has plenty. Another thing I enjoyed was how peaceful the mosque was and how we were allowed to roam freely in most places. There were a few areas that we weren’t allowed to enter, mainly just the offices and the prayer hall, but for the most part we could wander the halls and the grounds at our leisure. I had partly expected people to be passing out flyers about Islam, but the only flyers we saw were on a table for people to take if they wished. There were docents there to answer questions, but they weren’t pushy. Most just said hello and asked if we had any questions. Another talked to us more and I’ll tell you about that down below. Other mosques we’ve been to have quite a bit of mosaic-work or Islamic verses carved into the walls, but this one doesn’t have any of that. The halls are very open and are designed beautifully, there just isn’t a lot of adornment or excess. But even without the extra frills and ornamentation that is common in Christian churches or other mosques, I think the design, architecture and layout are marvelous. One of the most prominent features of the mosque is the roof, which is green and blue. Originally, the roof was pink concrete, but in 1987 the mosque was renovated and the concrete was replaced with reflective tiles. I think it looks quite nice. The roof was designed to be a 16-pointed star that is over the prayer hall like an umbrella. The ground area in the above picture is called a sahn. It’s part of the overflow area that is normally utilized for Friday prayer services. The fountain (it wasn’t running when we were there 🙁 ) is used for the ritual cleansing, known as ablution. Another interesting feature of the mosque is the tower, or minaret. The minaret is 239.5 feet high and is topped with a folded umbrella. The use of umbrellas in the design is an homage to the tropical area in which they live. Every mosque you visit will have a minaret, though it will be in a different style. The minaret is the tallest part of any mosque and is used to issue the call to prayer. Back in the day the muezzin used to ascend the inner stairs to perform the Adhan (call to prayer), but nowadays it’s more common for a speaker to be mounted near the top of the minaret to issue the call. The main room in the mosque, the prayer room, was absolutely breathtaking. Say whatever you want about Muslims and how they choose to live, but one thing that is indisputable is the beauty of their mosques. Masjid Negara is one of the more plain mosques, but it is still beautiful. The prayer room is just absolutely beautiful. The stained glass, the use of the lighting, the openness of the space. I really enjoyed this room. We weren’t allowed to enter it since it is a sanctified room set aside for Muslims to pray in, but even just looking around at the room is worth the visit. I’m kinda kicking myself for not taking zoomed in pictures because the design on the walls is just beautiful and the stained glass is quite intricate. *sigh* I guess that means I have to go back to Malaysia. When we were waiting in line to get a picture of the prayer room, a man walked over to us and asked if we were Muslims. When we told him we were Christians, he was shocked. Seriously, he did the whole opened-mouth staring thing for a few seconds. He asked what I was doing dressed as a Muslim if I was Christian. We explained to him that we wanted to be respectful of their holy place by wearing what they are required to wear. He shook both our hands and told us he really appreciated our respect. He said most people come to mosques wearing inappropriate clothing and some argue about needing to cover up before coming inside. We didn’t see any of that while we were there, but I don’t doubt it. We saw many people argue about needing to cover up when visiting Buddhist temples. I don’t understand why it’s so hard to respect other cultures, but I won’t get into that here. After thanking us for respecting his religion he went into a long discussion with us about the misinformation about Muslims and what they believe. He explained how Islam is a peaceful religion and then went on to start talking about how the US needs to stop meddling in the Israel and Palestine dispute. Well, he wasn’t really talking to me. He was mostly talking to Troy, so I listened for a few minutes and then wandered around taking pictures. I felt bad ditching Troy like that, but they weren’t even talking to me and Troy thinks that whenever I talk politics with people that an argument is going to begin, so I don’t think he minded too much. Troy has a fairly diplomatic temperament when he wants, so he maintained a neutral and non-committal response to our new friend’s commentary. By the time I wandered back over a few minutes later, the guy and Troy were back to talking about the general misunderstand of Muslims and Islam. We agreed with him because after having lived in a Muslim nation for a year, we have grown to understand that most Muslims are quite nice, peaceful people. After speaking for a few more minutes, we indicated that we needed to be going. We didn’t want to be rude, but we were both kinda hungry since it was about dinnertime. He didn’t seem to mind that we wanted to get going. Earlier he’d told us he was a volunteer who spends his free time at the mosque talking to visitors and answering any questions they had about Islam, so he was probably used to people chatting for a few minutes and then saying goodbye. Before he would let us walk off, though, he requested a picture with us. He said he wanted to show his friends that he had met some Christians who dressed as Muslims to visit a mosque and to prove to his friends that not all Christians hate or fear Islam. And he thanked us again for showing respect to his religion. It was touching how much my wearing a hijab and being dressed appropriately meant to him. It also makes me sad that so many people think Islam is a violent, hate-filled religion. Just because some members of a religion act a certain way does not mean the entire religion is so. If you want to put things into perspective, look at the Westboro Baptists or those Catholic clergymen who hurt children. We all know that not all Baptists agree with the actions of those from the Westboro congregation. We also know that the Catholic church does not teach priests to act as those errant clergymen have been. Since we are willing to give these religions the benefit of the doubt, maybe we should also do so when it comes to those of the Islamic faith. Not all Muslims are bad and to be feared. The actions of a few do not define the whole. Anyways, back to our visit to the mosque. If you want to read more about my opinions on the above subject, check out this post. During our wanderings around the complex, we discovered a pathway that leads a little ways past and behind the mosque. In it we found a beautiful room with headstones. This room is called Makam Pahlawan, or Heroes’ Mausoleum. This is where some of the most prominent leaders and politicians in Malaysia are buried. This section of the mosque complex was started in 1963 and completed in 1965. Like the mosque, the mausoleum is is covered by a star-shaped concrete roof, though this one has 7 points instead of 16. Aside from the space inside, there are several tombs on the grounds surrounding the main mausoleum. We didn’t go see those because it was raining outside. Aside from the beautiful architecture inside the mosque buildings, there are also lovely grounds surrounding it. It was raining almost the entire time we were at the mosque, so we didn’t venture around the grounds very much, but we did see some of it from inside the mosque. When we left the mosque, it was raining quite heavily, as you can see in the picture above. We waited by...

The post Visiting Kuala Lumpur’s National Mosque first appeared on Traveling Thru History.

Myanmar Travel Guide

Erin — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 09:58:39 +0000

Years ago, people would have hardly ever considered Myanmar when listing off dream destinations, but since the country has opened itself up to the world, it has become more and more popular as a tourist destination. We really didn’t know what to expect when we went there, so I decided to share what I’ve learned to help other people prepare for their trip. Overall, Myanmar is a really great country. It’s not as developed as the Western world, but it’s still such a fantastic place to visit. As long as you’re prepared for some of the nuances of a less-developed country with a vastly different culture, you will have a wonderful time there. BEFORE YOU GO VISA – You will need a visa to get into Myanmar. A standard single-entry tourist visa costs USD $50, is valid for 90 days and allows a trip length of 28 days. Business visas cost USD $70, are valid for 90 days and allow a trip length of 70 days. Recently Myanmar began accepting online applications for evisas. The evisa application and list of countries who are allowed to apply online can be found here. BRING EXTRA OF ANY NECESSITIES – whether it be something you NEED or something you just prefer, bring extra because finding medical items or comfort/convenience items is not always easy and will sometimes be impossible. If there is an item you MUST have or something you just won’t be happy without, bring a spare just in case. MONEY CURRENCY – The local currency is called kyat (pronounced similar to ‘chat’) and since 2012, the government is pushing for that to be used more than USD. Even so, you will still find places that will accept USD. ATMS & CREDIT CARDS – Myanmar is slowly starting to accept credit cards, but it is not widespread. ATMs are plentiful and some larger business are starting to take credit cards, but still be prepared to pay cash since most smaller shops and street vendors won’t take credit cards. MAKE SURE USD IS PRISTINE – The government won’t allow shopkeepers to trade bills with tears, smudges, creases or any type of imperfection, so the vendors will, in turn, not accept anything except a bill in perfect condition. I took all of our USD and ironed them before going on the trip and that took care of the creases and folds. Also, make sure none of your bills are older than 2006. BRING HARD CASE FOR MONEY – In order to keep your bills in mint condition, be sure to bring a flat wallet or hard case to keep the bills flat and unbent. BILL DENOMINATIONS – For exchanging at local exchange shops, you’ll want larger bills. Those get the best exchange rates. Still bring smaller bills, though, to use for tips and purchases at small shops or eateries. WHILE YOU ARE THERE DON’T DRINK THE WATER! – The water in Myanmar is not suitable for drinking. Water bottles are roughly USD .20, so it’s not too bad to have to buy water. Plus, the three hotels we stayed in were really good about giving us extra water when we left for the day, so be sure to ask your hotel for a bottle or two before heading out. LIMITED INTERNET AND CELL SERVICE – There is no public wifi in Myanmar, so if you need cell or internet service, pick up a SIM card. SIM cards are available at the airport and train stations. If you go to Bagan, you won’t have service even if you buy a local SIM card. The infrastructure of the country is still developing, so only the major cities have semi-reliable cell service. We survived 5 days only having insanely slow wifi in hotel lobbies and not having cell service at all when we were in Bagan, so it’s not hard to get by without it. REMOVE SHOES (AND SOMETIMES SOCKS) AT RELIGIOUS SITES – This is just how it is, no way around it. If you try to wear your shoes, you will be asked to either leave or go back and take your shoes off. This is a pretty big one and some people will get quite offended if you don’t respect their culture and remove your shoes before entering temples and shrines. HAGGLING IS EXPECTED – Unless you are in an actual store with posted prices, the vendors will negotiate with you. Some will drop the price quite a bit and others will only drop it a little. The higher a quantity you buy, the bigger the discount will be. Also, the more friendly and companionable you are, the more willing most of the vendors will be to lower the price. If you’re at a tourist spot and the vendor won’t negotiate, there’s most likely another vendor with similar items nearby. POWER GOES OUT PERIODICALLY – This happened to us every day we were there. Sometimes it was in the afternoon and sometimes in the evening. It was a little disconcerting to have the power go off while I was taking a shower. You may want to bring a flashlight. Sometimes the power only went off for less than a minute and sometimes it was close to 10 minutes. INSIST ON RECEIVING CHANGE IN THE SAME CURRENCY YOU PAID WITH – Since the government is pushing for the exclusive use of kyat, this may not be an issue for much longer, but it still is at the moment. If you pay in USD, make sure you are given USD in change. If they give you kyat instead of USD, you will end up being shorted. US POWER PLUGS – Every hotel we stayed at in Myanmar had US power outlets, so if you are from the US, you don’t need an adapter. If you are not from the US, bring a US-type power adapter. RELIGIOUS SITE DRESS CODE – when you visit any of the temples or religious sites, you will need to wear a shirt with sleeves (cap sleeves are fine) and longer shorts. It is offensive for you to go to their religious sites or enter their temples wearing anything that shows your shoulders or knees (men and women). Some places have cover-ups that you can purchase that are lightweight and have very pretty designs or you could bring something lightweight to throw on before going inside. SUPER DUSTY AND SMOKY – No matter where we went, it was either dusty or smoky. Or both. The locals burn weeds and other things, so you’ll smell a lot of smoke along with all the dust from it being so dry there. The rural areas are the worse, though you’ll still find the smoke and dust in the cities sometimes. If you have asthma or a breathing condition, bring an extra inhaler and/or whatever else you need to manage your condition. Face masks are a good idea, too. We wore ours several times when the dust got really bad. WEATHER – Myanmar has three seasons: hot, not too hot and hot & rainy. The best times to visit are between November and February. Those are the coolest months. We were there at the end of January and it was hot, but not too bad. Rainy season goes from May to October and the super hot time of year is March through May. COSTS FOOD – Food is so cheap there. Tourist hotspots will cost you a several dollars for a meal, but if you go to the smaller restaurants or street vendors, you can get a meal for $1-2. Bottled water is about .20 per bottle. HOTELS – Hotels vary. We got a cheap hotel in Yangon for $25 and it was okay, but the entire place reeked of cigarette smoke. We looked around town and found a place for $40 a night that was really nice and didn’t smell bad at all. In Bagan, we paid $25 a night and were happy with our hotel. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was comfortable and the staff was really nice. TAXIS – Taxis are pretty cheap. Some use meters and some don’t, but it shouldn’t cost more than $3 to cross the entire town. If the taxi doesn’t want to use a meter, don’t agree to pay more than $3 or 3700 kyat. SOUVENIRS – It depends on the site and the vendor. Some will charge less than $1 for some items while another vendor will charge $1-2 for the same item. Sand paintings are really cool (factory-made) and cost anywhere from $8-16, though if you buy several they’ll give you a discount. BUSES – You can ask your hotel to book a bus for you and arrange for you to be picked up from the hotel or somewhere nearby. Buses that the locals ride are adequate for short distances, but for the longer-distance trips, you’ll want to splurge for the ‘VIP’ bus. That can vary from $15-20 for a 12-hour trip, but it’s worth it. The ‘VIP’ bus comes with reclining seats, televisions, blankets, AC and complimentary meals. FYI MOST SOUVENIR PAINTINGS ARE FACTORY-MADE, NOT HANDMADE – Vendors like to tell people all the paintings are hand-made, but you will find the same ones at every temple. The ones that really are hand-made will be the ones that are unique and the ones where you can see the artists painting them. PAY FOR PICTURES – One of the things we found in Myanmar was that many people who you photograph will ask for money afterwards, even if you ask for permission before. We didn’t understand this at first and a lady yelled at us when we started walking away. Once we figured out what she was upset about, we gave her some money and she was happy. Not everyone will ask for money after you take a photo, but it does happen, especially in more touristy areas. SOMEONE WATCHES YOUR SHOES, THEY EXPECT YOU TO BUY SOMETHING – When visiting temples, it is required for you to take your shoes off. Sometimes vendors will offer to watch your shoes and when you come back, they’ll insist you purchase something since they watched your shoes and kept them safe. SOMEONE GUIDES YOU SOMEWHERE, THEY WILL EXPECT YOU TO BUY/PAY/DONATE – Periodically, someone will offer to show you something ‘really cool’ at whatever tourist place you are currently at and then take you to see it. Vendors want you to purchase something from them. Kids or teens will then try to get you to donate for their schooling or some ‘official’ charity thing that they have a form for. Random adults just want you to pay them for their service. If you have money to spare, go for it. If you are on a tighter budget, it’s best to just decline their offer and say you want to look around on your own. NO NON-SMOKING ROOMS IN THE CHEAP HOTELS – Myanmar doesn’t quite have the same bad view of smoking as the US does. Even though we reserved a non-smoking room in Yangon, we ended up with a heavily smoked in room and the front desk said all their rooms smelled like that when we went to inquire about changing rooms. We found the same response at all the cheaper hotels we contacted. It wasn’t until we contacted some of the mid-range hotels that we were able to find a true non-smoking room. If you absolutely require a non-smoking room, be sure to verify with the hotel that they do indeed have non-smoking rooms. TIPS BRING WET WIPES – the floors in public buildings can be quite dirty, so if you’re in a place where you have to also take your socks off, you will probably want to wipe your feet off before putting your socks and shoes back on. Plus, it’s really hot and dusty there and the wet wipes can be a periodic refresher during the day. WEAR EASILY REMOVED SHOES OR STURDY SANDALS – Pretty much every temple you go to will require you to remove your shoes before entering, so if you plan on going...

The post Myanmar Travel Guide first appeared on Traveling Thru History.