Pesta Chow Kit Kita (part 2)

At about 11.30 a.m a street parade was held to promote the Pesta and to invite the local inhabitants to the event.

This is part of the Faces of Chow Kit photo exhibition.
Chow Kit is more than just Malaysians of Malay, Chinese and Indian origins.  It includes the various groups from Sabah and Sarawak such as Kadazan, Dusun, Iban, Penan and others.  A sizable community of peoples of Indonesian, Thai, Myanmar, Nepali, Bangladeshi and other Asian nations also exist here.  Of late peoples of African and Middle Eastern countries can be seen here.  Chow Kit is a true melting pot of all peoples of the world.

The street parade was lead by the White Percussion Unit who had volunteered to perform at the Pesta.

The local 'Arts' Community has been very supportive of the whole project.

Don't be fooled by the pieces.  It's not always chess, sometimes it's just checkers thats played here.

The parade went right through the Chow Kit market.  Here the volunteers are handing out leaflets about the Pesta.
Leaflets and posters had been distributed in the area during the past few days, however it was not as 'noisy' as today's distribution. 

This is the way 'ayam pencen' (lit. pensioned or retired chicken - layers that are past their prime laying age) is prepared for sale.

My friend, Farook, who has a 'teh tarik' (tea) stall in the vicinity of Masjid Pakistan came out with his son to check out the 'commotion'.

An elderly Chow Kit 'regular' studying the leaflet. 

The parade ended in about an hour.

"Where is my portrait?" is probably on his mind.

"Is that me?...naw... cannot be."

Visitors to the Pesta were just as colourful at the Pesta itself.

A crowd is always a good location for any enterprising person.

I liked this.

It was hard work for the volunteers but it was fun too.  I don't know if the banner at the back (LUCU is Malay for funny) had anything to do with it, but these volunteers were having a whale of a time.

To be continued.....

Pesta Chow Kit Kita (part 1)

The Pesta Chow Kit Kita was on the 21NOV10, so I'm coming very late with this post.  Then again, better later then never, they say.



The Malaysian Insider was among those who covered the event.  I especially like this article as I'm visible in the last photo.  


Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia also has some excellent photos of the event. 

The event was to start at 2.00 p.m. but the place was a hive of activity when I got there about mid-morning.

Some of the mock road signs with the portrait of the persons after whom the roads are named and a short write-up.

A bit about the project, taken from a banner hanging there.  For more information visit ChowKitKita.com

One of the facilitators/volunteers busy on a display.

When you volunteer as a facilitator, you pay your own expenses (which includes anything and everything you or the children may need to use), manage the children under your charge, do all the hard work - basically you are a full time / unpaid worker for the children.  Your reward - maybe your photo will appear in an obscure blog such as this. 

The make-shift stage being erected.

One of the major objectives of phase 1 of the project, mapping the places of worship in the area.

Paper models of the places of worship.  There's a Masjid, two Gurdwaras and a number of Chinese Temples, some of which are exclusive family affairs.
There are even a couple of churches in the area, but due to the sensitivity of the parishioners they cater to (including guest workers, sex workers, reformed addicts and other 'out-casts' of society) they requested that their privacy be respected. 

Some of the volunteers for the day listening to a briefing by the facilitators.

Some of the children behind the 'street name' portraits.

Artist and model posing for me.

To be continued...

Eid-ul-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice)

On Wednesday (17NOV10), Muslims in Malaysia celebrated Eid-ul-Adha or the Festival of Sacrifice.  It is the greater of the two Eids celebrated by Muslims (although it doesn't appear that way here in Malaysia) and commemorates the sacrifice of the Prophet Ibrahim AS (Abraham).  It also marks the end of the Hajj or annual pilgrimage to Mecca.


Here as elsewhere in the Muslim world, animals are slaughtered as sacrifice and the flesh is distributed amongst near of kin and the poor.  I was at a surau near my house to witness the event.

The surau at Medan Idaman is also known as the Surau Arab due to the large number of Middle Eastern worshipers who come here.  The Eid khutbah (sermon) here was in Arabic and English. 

Cows waiting to be slaughtered.  Some children trying to feed them.  For some of them, this is probably the first time they are seeing cows up close.

I wanted to take a shot of the little boy because of his ethnic clothes but the two older ones insisted on being photographed together.
The two older boys were teasing the younger one for being dressed like a Pakistani.  I don't understand Arabic but I could feel the essence of the teasing and it also helped that among the words used was the word 'Bakistani'.

Little holes like the above have been dug to assist in the slaughter...

... with one large hole to bury any unwanted parts like entrails and etc.

Weighing scales are also ready for distribution of the meat...

... as are cutting tools.

Of course one must make sure that the knives are sharp.

Slaughtering in progress.
A total of 8 cows were slaughtered here, a relatively small number when compared with the Masjid Pakistan in Sentul where over 20 cows and a similar number of goats were sacrificed.  The crowd witnessing became less and less for the subsequent cows as people began to get involved in the skinning and preparation of the meat for distribution.  I did take photos of the whole event, however I think it best not to display them here as there may be those who find it offensive.

The supplier also provided T-shirts for the volunteers.

A child covers his nose as one of the cows entrails was being cleaned.

The meat has been chopped, weighed and packed ready for distribution.

Traditionally the meat is divided into three portions, with one portion for the person on whose behalf the sacrifice is performed, one portion for kin and relatives and one portion for the poor and needy.  The meat is distributed raw.