ASEAN WINDOW

In today's Asean Windows segment I'am hidup sehat dengan reiki have a report from Malaysia on The Islamic Fashion Festival and also on A Hot Air Ballon from Myanmar. To close these news come from home about a Rafflesia Flower growing in Banjarmasin South of Kalimantan. Here is the detail.

The Islamic Fashion 2008 kicked off in Kuala Lumpur with 44 designer from five countries presenting over a thousand captinaving designs among The Vips at the event were King Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and Queen Tuanku Nur Zahirah.The fashion festival is being held to promote Malaysia as a centre for fashion that is based on Islamic values. The IFF is presented by The Kuala Lumpur tourism action council and is held in conjunction with The Malaysia saving sale at Kuala Lumpur Plaza..

Held under the patronage of Rosmah Mansor wife of The Deputy Prime Minister. IFF was officially launched by its Chairman and Founder Raja Rezza Shah. IFF aim is to promote Malaysia as a leading hub for Islamic fashion and bring the Islamic Nations from the neighbouring countries closed together and foster an Ukhwah amongst them. This fashion festival presents more than just stylish and wearable wardrobe without compromosing on medesty requirements of The Muslim Dress code.

It also invites guests into spiritual and meaningful affair celebrated Malaysian designers like Bernard Chandran, Tom Abang Saufi and Melinda Looi shared the stage with designers from Indonesia, India, Pakistan and The Philippines. The six IFF began with An Islamic attire workshop last Saturday is followed by IFF fashion showcases that will go until today.

Shan State in Myanmar is situated on Shan Plateau North Easthern part of Myanmar located at 4712-feet above sea level. Taunggyi is beatiful hilly town with evergreen trees. Taunggyi capital of Shan State is renowed for its annually held hot air ballon festival, because of the 10 environmentally sustainable cities in Asean. The hot air ballon festival was started 50 years ago. Locals are fond of making hot air ballons and they take bride in participating in the festival.

Every ward and village take part in the festival and new ideas and designs of the craftsmen make it more and more popular. All hot air ballons are made with Maing-Gaing paper in traditional way. Shan nationals make various shapes of ballons. He biggest balloon needs a thousands papers. It has width of 22 inches and equal length. It is 30 feet hight and 24 diameter. It takes 30 days to make a hot air balloon. Hot air balloon festival is divided into to parts day contest and night contest.

In the day contest most balloons are shaped like animals. This contest is so much like a fun fair for youth. Night contestants need more skill and more imaginations. Hota ir balloons are also divided into 3 kinds. They are day contest balloons sein na pand and fire work balloons. Sein Na Pan is bigger than other balloons and small paper lanterns are 600 to 800 according to the design. Third type is balloons with firework display releasing hot air balloons is not an easy work.

A Rafflesia flower growing in garden owned by a resident of Rawasari housing complex in Banjarmasin has become an attraction for kids and adults alike. The tropical rarinforest plant has become the center of attention because this flower is categorized as rare and yet it is growing in a garden owned by Tiwi whose hobby is to keep plants. Tiwi told the press that she had planted the flower several months ago but she thought that it had died.

But in fact the plant has grown and emits acarcass-like smell in the afternoons.The precence of this is so call Carcass Flower has become an attraction for children and adults alike most of whom claims to have only seen this flower in books or on television. The Raflesia Flower Emits its scent to invite insects to pollinate it known to the world as Rafflesia Arnoldi. The flower is the official symbol of Bengkulu Province.

That ends today's news, I'am hidup sehat dengan reiki say good bye to all of you, thanks a lots.