Timeless Charm of Bà Thiên Hậu (Thien Hau Temple) in Saigon

If you are in District 5 of of Saigon, do make it a point to see the Thien Hau Temple there. Officially known as Chùa Bà Thiên Hậu (Pagoda of the Lady Heaven Empress aka Mazu), the temple is quintessentially Chinese in architecture. Whilst there are many Mazu temples elsewhere around the world that are bigger, or more grand, this temple is unique as it has that old school charm typical of Chinese diaspora temples.

 

Look at the roof ceramic diorama, the altar decorations and setup, and donation slips being hung in the temple, and you get transported back in time to when the temple was possibly the grandest ever built at that time in that area and was the focal point of the Chinese community in Saigon. Indeed this is one of the many temples that carries the timeless charm of old Saigon, Vietnam.

Nature's Revenge... The Forlorn Remains of Danushkodi's St Anthony Church

The Rameswaram Cyclone of 1964, which is also known as the Danushkodi  Cyclone was responsible for the decimation of the old town of Danushkodi located on the south-eastern tip of Pamban Island, and left in place of a previously flourishing trade post and fishing town between India and Sri Lanka, a sad and forlorn looking ghost town.

The front facade of the church ruins.

One of the iconic ruins that remains till today amidst the seashell and souvenir stalls in this ghost town is the remains of the St Anthony of Padua Church of Danushkodi. Obviously being the patron saint of seafarers and fishermen, a church dedicated to him is sited here on Pamban Island.

Today only the front facade of the church, together with part of the walls and the altar remains after the 1964 disaster. Coupled with the fact that some locals have also been removing bricks from the ruins as construction material for their homes, this has hastened the decline of the remains of the church.

What remains of the interior of the church... the altar and part of the walls

And if you think lighting does not strike the same place twice, well Mother Nature must be a bi@tch; just days following the 40th anniversary of the Cyclone disaster, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami also hit Danushkodi, at first pulling back the sea to reveal submerged portions of the city before slamming the old town of Danushkodi under the waves again!

The irony of this is that St Anthony is also the patron saint of things lost... in the end, it is this church dedicated to him that is lost to Nature. So if you are travelling to Rameswaram or are in the south-eastern part of India, this is a place worth visiting... and reveals the formidable power of Mother Nature.

The Colours of Spring... Chiang Mai Flower Festival

The colours of spring...tulips at Chiang Mai Flower Festival 2018

The Chiang Mai Flower Festival in northern Thailand has been running for more than 40 years, and is held on the first weekend of February every year for three days. Flower decked floats parade through the city on the first Saturday of February whilst the flower displays and agriculture fair goes on for 3 days starting on the Friday of the first weekend of February till Sunday.

Next year in 2019, this festival will be held from 1st - 3rd of February. So do include it in your travel itinerary if you are traveling to Thailand during that time.

Weaving by the Sea

A man weaves coconut fronds into a container on the fort wall of Galle, Sri Lanka. He uses the sheath of the coconut flower, cut into long strips, as a binding twine to hold the weaving together.

Weaving by the sea - with a view of the seafront at Galle.

Using strips of the coconut spathe (flower stalk sheath) as twine to bind the basket.

Everlasting Flower Lady of Ooty

The everlasting flower lady of Ooty, India... reminds you of Eliza Doolittle. She looks like she could do with a break in her life; the frown plus the lines on her face that are deeply etched makes you wonder how is life treating her (read more about Ooty here - Ooty Queen of Hill Stations).

I Feel Pretty...

Feeling pretty in Psar Chaa, Siem Reap

Shot at 38mm, ƒ/6.3, 1/40s,  ISO 1000 with a Nikon D5300 and Tamron AF 18-270mm
F3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD lens.

Light Me Up... Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2017

Light me up... inflation of hot air balloon at Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2017.

Divine prediction... Fire Watching at Penang Ban Ka Lan Snake Temple

Annually, on the 6th day of the Lunar New Year, the Penang Snake Temple host a fire watching ceremony as it is the patron deity Chor Soo Kong's birthday. The festivities start on the night of the 5th day of the Lunar New Year with various cultural performances and devotees will throng the temple to offer prayer to Chor Soo Kong on the eve of his birthday.

Getting them lit... Devotees throng to the Snake Temple to offer joss-sticks and candles on the
eve of Chor Soo Kong's birthday.

Deep in prayer...the never ending flow of devotees that come to pray to Chor Soo Kong on the
eve of his birthday.

As midnight approaches, an entourage will arrive with Taoist priest and a censer burner on a wooden carrier that will be placed in front of the deity on the main altar. After a short ceremony, joss sticks will be lit and passed to the committee members of the temple. These joss-sticks are then collected back after the members have offered their prayers and the tops snapped off and placed into the censer. The celebrant will then start the fanning until the embers burst into flames. The intensity, height and durability of this flame that is used as a prediction of Penang's quarterly economic state. This process will then be repeated two more times to obtain the prediction for the entire year.

When all three flames have been observed, the celebrant adds a sandalwood block and powder, and all present will rush forward to be blessed by the sandalwood smoke from the burner. When all inside have had their 'blessings', the censer and the carrier are taken out of the temple. There will then be other Chor Soo Kong temples who will also come with their censer in a carrier basket and perform the fire watching ceremony, which is usually used to predict their member's or organisation's luck in the coming year (as opposed to the entire state of Penang in the first one).

Flames that predict the economic well-being of Penang... the fire watching ceremony of
Penang Snake Temple.

Coming up - Thaipusam 2017

Coming up is Thaipusam, which falls on 9th Feb 2017 this year.

Vel! Vel! Veeravel! Vel! Vel! Vetrivel!

Son: Mommy, mommy can I eat this?? Mommy, mommy when are we going to see the world? Mommy, mommy...

Mother: Here son... have this (passes a Vel to her son) 
Son: Ooo, magic Vel (spear)!
Mother: Yes dear, now go play outside, don't make a mess in here... 
Son: Can I go play (beat up) with the (bad) kid next door, Soorapadman? Please, please?
Mother: Ughhh... just play nice, OK?
Son: Okay Mommy (YES! I am so gonna split him in half)

Faces of Nepal - The Shopkeeper

Mr Risal manages a secondhand bookstore called Paradise Book Shop on JP Road in the Thamel area of Kathmandu. With his Rudraksha rosary beads around his neck, his grey beard and calm expression, one cannot help but to notice him as one walks down the busy street in this part of town. He does have the countenance of a holy man and very much reminds me of Rajneesh Osho in a nice way.

Mr Risal keeping watch of his Paradise... Paradise Book Shop.

Scenes from Kashmir - Row row row your boat...

The ladies around Lake Dal, Srinagar must have strong arms as boats are a daily means of commute for their children to and from school. This lady is no different and by the way she deftly controls the raft through the narrow canals is more than a clear sign that she has done it for years, if not since childhood.

Row, row, row your boat...

Kashmir - of Kangri pots, Pheran cloaks, and the men and women who use them

The use of fire-pots in Indian administered Kashmir is common during the colder months of the year. These wicker basket hand-held braziers are called Kangri (or Kangir/Kanger). Both men and women carry them around, tucked under their long wollen cloaks called Pheran/Phiran.

The Kangri or wicker basket brazier
/ fire-pot.

Wherever the men go, if you see one wearing a wollen pheran, you can bet he has his trustworthy kangri near him or hidden underneath his cloak. Come cold winds and chilly rain or snowfall, the kangri keeps them warm in their walkabouts town or when they are waiting for customers or friends to arrive.

Women carry them too, and that gives an impression, albeit false, that women there are pregnant all the time. In fact the bulge in the belly is the kangri being held underneath their pheran

There are shops where the locals can go and buy hot charcoals for their pots. The man that owns the shop (see pic below) and his wife and family works hard to keep the wood stoked so that he can provide customers with hot charcoal embers when theirs run out.

A Kashmiri men in pheran with his
kangri by the rodside near him
(by the green post).

They are NOT pregnant - they are just keeping their pots
in there. These women in pheran seemed to carry their pots
a little higher that the men do.

No, she is not handicapped and
definitely not pregnant! She is merely
holding the kangri with her right hand.

The water bong and a kangri - all that a
man would need in Kashmir.

The fire-pot man in Pahalgam -
see this post about him: Faces
of Kashmir - The Fire-Pot Man

The women of the family are responsible for the hard work
of bringing in the firewood for the charcoals.

Faces of Kashmir - The Fire-Pot Man

During the colder months in Indian-administered Kashmir, men and women wear long wollen cloaks called Pheran to keep them warm by also carrying their personal charcoal heater in the form a pot in a wicker basket called Kangri. This pot holds about 250grams of charcoal keeps the owner cozy and warm, and also makes Kashmiri women look as if they are pregnant (by virtue of having their hands and pot under their cloak).

In Pahalgam, you go to this man to get your charcoal refill. His wife and him work hard to fill and tamp in your Kangri with charcoal that is available from his shop all day long.

See this post as well regarding the Kangri in Kashmir - of Kangri pots, Pheran cloaks, and the men and women who use them.

Landscapes of India - Kashmir

Kashmir - the Fields and Hills are Alive.... 

Faces of Kashmir - Gulmarg Sleigh Puller

Yes, in Gulmarg Kashmir, they use human power to get tourist on sleigh across the snow fields to the cable car station. He was pulling my sleigh and took a break as the rest were far far behind... Looks like I am not that heavy. Even so, he was huffing and chuffing away, not an easy job.

Faces of Nepal - The Souvenir Seller

The trinket/souvenir seller in Kathmandu Durbar Square... the hopeful look of making a sale for
the day.

The Spirit that Remains.... In Memory of Rev RS Hutchings and the School that He Founded - PFS

Two hundred years ago, the foundation of a school was set up by the Rev Robert Sparke Hutchings (born ?1782- died 1827), who was the chaplain of the Prince of Wales Island then. The school was the Penang Free School, which should be celebrating its 200th years anniversary in 2016.

I managed to visit the grave of Rev R.S. Hutchings at the old Protestant Cemetery at Western Road, Penang in July this year, both to catch a glimpse of his grave and to reminisce the spirit of the school that he founded. 

 

The tablet on Rev. RS Hutchings's grave, the inscription being dedicated by his loving wife,
Elvira Hutchings nee Phillips. Note the error on the tablet, where her name was inscribed
as Elrica Hutchings.

Personally I feel that the school had died in 1993, with the uncalled for meddling on the matters of the school by the people in power. And thus, for me, the school beyond 1993 only existed physically, without the true founding spirit of the school, and hence it never saw its bicentenary celebration this year.

 

May the spirit of Penang Free School lay at peace with its founder, Rev. Robert Sparke Hutchings... RIP.

The Heat Is On - Nine Emperor Gods Festival at Jinjang

Runing through the flames

Huat (發) ahhhh.... or is it Hot ahhhhh!!!!

Live view of the piercing action....

The Nine Emperor Gods Temple in Jinjang, Kuala Lumpur holds nightly events throughout the Nine Emperor Gods Festival. The temple can be located by typing in your navigator the name Pak Thian Kiong Temple, so it is easy to find.

Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Festival - What We Love and Hate About The Festival No.3

Q: What do we love-hate about the festival?

A: The offerings... on one side, they are so cute, colourful and at times taking up whatever empty space that there is in the temple. On the flip side... looks messy and seems like a huge waste of paper, food etc.

The floor filled with offering buns, joss-paper, rice and fruits at Ampang Nine Emperor Gods.

Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Festival - What We Love and Hate About The Festival No.2

Q:What do we love-hate about the festival?

A:STINKY TOFU!!!! For every 10 people that love this stinky tofu, another 10 hate it to their guts. Almost at the same level with durians. A must eat food (or must avoid food to some....) popular during this festival in Ampang.

Stinky tofu sign along the street leading to the Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Temple.

Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Festival - What We Love and Hate About The Festival No.1

This is the next three of the series; the love-hate relationship in the festival. There are some things that we love, and hate as well about this festival in Ampang, and in no particular order, here is No. 1

Q: What do we love-hate about the festival?

A: Smoke! Incense smoke. We love it cause it is so pretty to shoot, so ephemeral and temporary. It gives the atmosphere that we associate with the festival and brings about a sense of the divine being near.

Q: Why you hate it then?

A: Cough cough and teary eyes. Stay too long and you might get chemical conjunctivitis or breathing difficulties. Plus all your clothes will have that horrible scorched smell. And the grossest part is.... try looking at your booger after being in the smoke for a while.

It is a smoky affair during the Nine Emperor Gods
Festival at Ampang.

Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Festival - What We Love About The Festival No. 3

Q: What do we love about Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Festival?
A: Friendly faces everywhere! 

Everywhere you turn, there is a friendly,
familiar face that greets you

Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Festival - What We Love About The Festival No. 2

Q: What do we love about Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Festival?

A: The lions! Who doesn't love to touch, feel, errr molest the lions during a lion dance performance. And at the festival, no one, young or old, can resist the cute, playful lions prancing through the temple during one of the procession days.

A 'Michelangelo Creation of Adam' moment by the kid and the lady as the lions passes by.

Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Festival - The 'What' Series: What Do We Love About The Festival No. 1

So the Nine Emperor Gods Festival had begun, and to kick it off, I will start a 'What Series' with What We Love About the Festival Q & A. So here is the first installation of the series:

Q: What do we love about Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Festival?

A: Yellow strips of cloth and talismans!!! Who doesn't notice the bright (and rather gaudy) yellow strips that goes with the talismans that is given out when you give a donation that is almost synonymous with the festival. You tie them around your wrist, or on your bag and even in your car. Plus you get a bunch of talismans that looks almost like calligraphic art pieces.

Stacks of yellow cloth strips and talismans waiting to be given away to devotees - for a
token sum, of course!

The Royal Invitation - Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2016

Off in a hurry to fetch the Emperor!

The eve of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival sees devotees from Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Temple off to invite the Nine Emperor Gods from their 'secret' location. This age old tradition sees devotees in white, priests, mediums in trance, lion and dragon dance troupes, palanquins carried by men and decorated motorised floats go down the old Ampang town on the way out to the invitation site.

Dragons whizzing through the temple.

Off we go to fetch the Nine Emperor Gods

The Nine Emperor Lamps were consecrated with fire before being raised up to indicate the Nine
Emperor Gods Festival is ongoing here.

Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2016 begins...

The power of talisman... Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Temple lantern pole.

The pole is up, and the festivities begins at Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Temple.

Waiting for the Emperor's Return - Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2016

Today is the day we wait for the Emperor's Return...

The now empty passageways and prayer halls will soon fill with devotees seeking the blessings
of the Nine Emperor Gods.

Nine Emperor Gods Festival Countdown - 1 More Day

Q: I went to one of those Nine Emperor Gods temple and OMG I saw what looked like shrunken heads on sticks being worshiped at an altar. Like are they some headhunter shrunken head worshiping cult???

A: LOL, those are not shrunken heads, even though they look like it. Those heads on sticks represent the Five Directional Generals that guard the space/temple. They are found in Taoist/Shennist temples and is part and parcel of the many rituals that go on in these places.

1 MORE DAY

Tomorrow (Friday 30 Sept 2016) is the eve of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival for 2016. In many temple that celebrate the festival, tomorrow will be the day that they raise the pole for the 9 lanterns that represents the Nine Emperor Gods presence on Earth. So this is the last of the countdown series for Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2016.

This post is a tribute to Cheryl J Hoffmann,who had inspired me to take photographing Nine Emperor Gods Festival to the next level. And on that note, if you need info on the schedule for the Nine Emperor Gods Festival at Ampang, do check out her site, and be inspired by her photos and stories of this festival:

Nine Emperor Gods Festival by Cheryl Hoffmann @CJH Photography