Indonesia - Sumatra's Rumah Adat Karo

Location: St. Francis of Assisi Church, Berastagi (Gereja St. Fransiskus Assisi)

Rumah Adat Karo or Karo traditional house of the Batak people in the Lake Toba area of North Sumatera.

There is a lot of cultural similarities between the Torajas in Sulawesi.. although the Torajas have more elaborate design. The Bataks and Torajas belong to the same ethnic group a long long time ago but got separated and each developed their own practices over time.

Indonesia - Good Friday in Medan

Location: Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni Catholic Church, Medan

Good Friday in Medan this year. Attended mass at this rather unique church that looks more like a Hindu temple. Probably one of the more interesting churches I've ever come across. The sides of the circular walkway that goes up to the 1st floor is decorated with paintings of what went on in each of the 6 days that God took to create earth. There are also phrases taken from the bible written in 4 diff languages seen around the inside of the church. At the back of the Chapel, we collected some Holy Water to bring home.