Morning walks in Sibu

Recently I spent a night in Sibu; the next morning I decided to walk through the town at six in the morning and sketch what I see.

This is a view of the rear of  shophouses are near the Tua Pek Kong temple; there are some interesting shops in them. Th Cafe Cafe is a good place for lunch with reasonably priced dishes in a cool inner courtyard space accompanied by nice music. The Transit bookshop is worth a visit as well with its off-the-beaten track selection of books.

  I like these old shop houses because the proportions are correct, with the pitched roofs and the verandahs running down the sides of the shops - they have a high degree of articulation. Sibu town at 6 is already busy with people shopping for produce and having breakfast.

 

This vista of the SMC would look even better lit up at night and framed by the two row of dark shops.

 These two buildings flank the Central Padang which is Sibu's version of the village green; people take their morning walks here, some ladies were practicing their folk dancing while children walk to school. My favourite part of the morning as a school boy - the anticipation of the day ahead. So different the things I looked forward to then - an interesting story from a friend or a teacher, getting marks back, going to the Park to sketch for art class. (I was a bit of nerd, as you can tell)
The nicest touch on the Sibu morning was the swiftlets circling around overhead as life went on below them.

Sarawak Museum

I have always preferred the small white buildings along the road leading up to the museum; their scale and their intricate detailing is a good contrast to the main building.

An tribal totem is a nice counterpoint to the low sweeping arc of single storey buildings. The main Museum building is a local landmark, and although its exhibits have not changed much in years - it is still a much better place to visit than the new wing. It is open on Sundays and admission is free, for many of us it represents a nostalgic reminder to our school days.