David did not grow up like other boys. He was always a victim of ridicule and jealousy. Somehow, some people just hated him, and for no reason at all. He once told me that when he was a kid, he didn't like himself at all. Even though he was brought up with good manners and was well-behaved all the time, his school mates just could not resist making a mockery of him.
It was only until when he was in secondary school that he found some good friends who provided some `protection' against those `evil' people. They were not important to him, David told me. David is the type who is very self-involved. One thing he has a fascination for is fantasy fiction. Gods, fairies, demons and ghosts .... these are the stories that captivate him.
Being a science student in his secondary school years, he knew very well it was a form of escapism and being taunted every so often, it was a good way for him to bury himself in the fantasy world.
It has always fascinated him how mediums could predict the future, cure sickness and find lost items. They are the `know-all' and people would follow their instructions to the minute details. David followed him mother to some of the sessions and although he didn't know what they were talking about, he was fascinated with it.
Some of these deities did have a strong influence on David's life..... one of whom is `Hua Kwang', the guardian deity of the Chinese Opera troupes. Chinese opera troupes have always been something of a mystery. We see them on stage all dressed up and singing things we don't understand but it has a totally different world of its own.
According to David, when these troupes have to do their performance on a new stage, they have perform a cleansing ritual. In this ritual, one of the actors has to dress up as `Hua Kwang'. Another actor has to dress up as `the devil' or evil spirit. Then candles and joss sticks would be lit up at Hua Kwang's altar and the actors would pray to him and inform him that they want to do the stage cleansing ritual.
Almost immediately, both actors fall into a trance. The Hua Kwang actor would chase after the `devil' actor around the stage, with a long spear. This would go on and on until the `devil' actor is chased off the stage (yes, he has to jump off the stage, which is about 5 ft high !). David has asked the actors if they were acting. They repeatedly denied having any control. In fact, once it was so bad, the actors quarrelled after the cleansing ritual, because the `devil' actor scolded his counterpart, `Are you crazy ? You nearly killed me back then!' After the ritual, a chicken is to be sacrificed to Hwa Kuang and all the actors have to use the blood to dot their foreheads as protection.
Chinese opera troupes have all sorts of superstitions. Musical instruments were considered sacred and not to crossed over. So were the costumes, boxes, props and headgears. Some words were forbidden and some things were forbidden. David explained that Chinese opera stories evolved around ancient Chinese history and legends. Those items represented heroes, deities, demi-gods, emperors, legendary figures and contained their aura. If the person's luck is not strong enough, disrespecting or offending them could have disastrous consequences.
David also told me Hwa Kwang is also his guardian deity, being a member of the opera troupe. He was like the `Guru' since David was a kid. I once asked him, `How does that help you ?' `Many ways' David replied.
When he first got involved as a child actor, he was very nervous. He prayed to Hwa Kwang for guidance. He remembered the first acting experience. He had butterflies in his stomach just before going out and he was about to run off the stage. He was only 11 years old at that time. The strange thing was, the moment he stepped out on the stage, all his fears disappeared and it went on smoothly. David insisted that it was his godfather guru, Hwa Kwang who gave him the courage.
He also said that Hwa Kwang protected him from evil spirits and even as a child, he was never afraid of the dark. Other than that, being able to sing Chinese opera, he had to refrain from cursing people for it could very well come true. Superstitions, superstitions and more superstitions..... I laughed and told David, `This is not going to bring you anywhere.... you can't get rich, you can't get happiness ... you can't even get a girlfriend.'
`But I can get peace of mind.......' That's my good old friend David.... do come back for more stories !!!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Friday, August 1, 2008
To have or not to have ?
I was in one of my sentimental moods today...... after listening to Van Morrison's `Someone Like you'........ thinking to myself, if I ever find my soul mate, this is the song I would serenade....
Then someone asked me, `Hey, my friend is in trouble. She found out that her husband also swings the other way! She feels hurt but she doesn't want a divorce. What is she going to do ?' Phew! What a way to burst my yearning-for-romance bubble ! That's it. When you don't have it, you want it. When you have it, chances are, you might lose it anytime! And to the most unexpected rival! Hehehe! Don't mean to be mean.... but that's so ironical.
So, what do people like us who are still looking for it do ? Do we hide behind the walls of fear and say `No' to every opportunity ? Not that there are that many to begin with! Or do we try out every single one and remain immuned to all the failures ?
Problem is, it's different for men and women. If the men try out every single one, he's the stud, the eligible bachelor, the casanova, the hotshot of romance. For women, she's the slut, the `bandaraya' (town council rubbish dump), nympho, 2nd hand or 3rd hand goods, lelong girl, closing sale 90% off girl and more locally, the Bohsia (meaning no sound in Hokkien, cos they escape from the homes without any sound and anyone could have her) It sounds really wicked but that's the reality of it all.
And it's so unfair... but it has been like this for centuries. No amount of picketing or education is going to change that. Anyway, it's weird to have a rally for women to fight for equality in sex with the topic, `Don't label us as sluts when we have multiple partners!' So, it looks like it's going to stay awhile, at least in our lifetime... hehe! But I do notice, the trend seems to be changing these days....
And we can go on and blame the society, the tv, the movies, the internet, the parents, the uncles and aunties, the school, the hawker, etc, etc. But come to think of it...... it all boils down to we ourselves. Stop blaming everyone and everything and start re-examining ourselves.
The cards have been laid out on the table. The guys...... you could have as many as you want, but beware of STDs...... hehe! The ladies..... you know what people will call you if you are too `sociable'...... it's your call. I know, it's lame..... eeeiiw... even I can't stand myself right now but hey, I didn't make the rules. It's just an observation.
Back to our topic..... to have or not to have.... I have no solution to this. But there is something that I would like to share with you. It's based on a Buddhist principle. Attachment as against detachment. It's pretty complicated but I'v summarised it like this (at least, it's my understanding of it) :
To have love = attachment = suffering if you lose it
To have love = attachment = worrying you might lose it
Not to have love = detachment = suffering if you still want it
Not to have love = detachment = bliss if you really mean it
My solution to this
To have love = attachment = worrying you might lose it ~ be prepared to lose it even before you get attached. Have that `If I can take it up, I can let it go' attitude
To have love = attachment = suffering if you lose it ~ make the most of it while you can, so when you lose it, you don'feel like you were shortchanged. Notice I used `when' not `if'...... eventually, you WILL lose it.... unless Dracula takes a bite at you, you can't live forever, can you ?
Not to have love = detachment = suffering if you still want it ~ You want it, go and for it. Just be prepared for the above.
Not to have love = detachment = bliss if you really mean it ~ ata girl! That's the way to go...... you are heading for Nirvana.
So, it's really up to you.....goodluck !!!!
Then someone asked me, `Hey, my friend is in trouble. She found out that her husband also swings the other way! She feels hurt but she doesn't want a divorce. What is she going to do ?' Phew! What a way to burst my yearning-for-romance bubble ! That's it. When you don't have it, you want it. When you have it, chances are, you might lose it anytime! And to the most unexpected rival! Hehehe! Don't mean to be mean.... but that's so ironical.
So, what do people like us who are still looking for it do ? Do we hide behind the walls of fear and say `No' to every opportunity ? Not that there are that many to begin with! Or do we try out every single one and remain immuned to all the failures ?
Problem is, it's different for men and women. If the men try out every single one, he's the stud, the eligible bachelor, the casanova, the hotshot of romance. For women, she's the slut, the `bandaraya' (town council rubbish dump), nympho, 2nd hand or 3rd hand goods, lelong girl, closing sale 90% off girl and more locally, the Bohsia (meaning no sound in Hokkien, cos they escape from the homes without any sound and anyone could have her) It sounds really wicked but that's the reality of it all.
And it's so unfair... but it has been like this for centuries. No amount of picketing or education is going to change that. Anyway, it's weird to have a rally for women to fight for equality in sex with the topic, `Don't label us as sluts when we have multiple partners!' So, it looks like it's going to stay awhile, at least in our lifetime... hehe! But I do notice, the trend seems to be changing these days....
And we can go on and blame the society, the tv, the movies, the internet, the parents, the uncles and aunties, the school, the hawker, etc, etc. But come to think of it...... it all boils down to we ourselves. Stop blaming everyone and everything and start re-examining ourselves.
The cards have been laid out on the table. The guys...... you could have as many as you want, but beware of STDs...... hehe! The ladies..... you know what people will call you if you are too `sociable'...... it's your call. I know, it's lame..... eeeiiw... even I can't stand myself right now but hey, I didn't make the rules. It's just an observation.
Back to our topic..... to have or not to have.... I have no solution to this. But there is something that I would like to share with you. It's based on a Buddhist principle. Attachment as against detachment. It's pretty complicated but I'v summarised it like this (at least, it's my understanding of it) :
To have love = attachment = suffering if you lose it
To have love = attachment = worrying you might lose it
Not to have love = detachment = suffering if you still want it
Not to have love = detachment = bliss if you really mean it
My solution to this
To have love = attachment = worrying you might lose it ~ be prepared to lose it even before you get attached. Have that `If I can take it up, I can let it go' attitude
To have love = attachment = suffering if you lose it ~ make the most of it while you can, so when you lose it, you don'feel like you were shortchanged. Notice I used `when' not `if'...... eventually, you WILL lose it.... unless Dracula takes a bite at you, you can't live forever, can you ?
Not to have love = detachment = suffering if you still want it ~ You want it, go and for it. Just be prepared for the above.
Not to have love = detachment = bliss if you really mean it ~ ata girl! That's the way to go...... you are heading for Nirvana.
So, it's really up to you.....goodluck !!!!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
The Mysterious World of David........Part 1
Let me introduce David..... a Chinese guy..... looks normal, most of the time anyway... hehe! David is in his thirties, medium built and has a charming smile. He grew up in a small town, went to study in Singapore (that's where I met him)and now, he's back in Malaysia...... blah, blah, blah.... let's skip the boring stuff and zoom in on the juicy ones... hehe!
When he was young, people have always considered him somewhat of a weirdo. He didn't quite fit in anywhere. He acted strangely and could even have his own picnic in front of his parent's house, at the roadside and had no qualms about it whatsoever. But he was quite a sickly boy in his younger days. Endless nightmares when he would wake up sweating in the middle of the night until at one time, he dreaded sleeping.
Being the `weirdo', his relatives or neighbours would never leave him alone. Maybe if they had given him a hard time, they won't feel so bad about how indequate their children were. He was a brilliant student, much to their disappoinment. When people teased him, he just kept quiet. But some people just don't know how to stop. When things got bad, really bad, he would lose his temper in a strange viscious manner. One time, his uncle teased him so bad, he turned around and said, `Careful when you're riding your bike'. The next day, he met with an accident!
A neighbour, Tan, disliked him for his `unusual' behavior, because he was not like other boys. He was intelligent way beyond his age and he could explain things to adults that even they could not understand. So, one day during a gathering and while David was eating in the middle of the crowd, the neighbour pulled his pants down. And everyone laughed. David's face changed, he did not cry. Face red with anger, his eyes pierced into Tan's eyes and he said, `You will pay for this ... all your life !!!'
With that, David dropped the plate, pulled up his pants and walked off. Everyone just shrugged off and continued eating while Tan was still laughing away. The price that Tan had to pay was enormous. 2 months later, Tan lost everything at the Genting Casino, his business went bankrupt and had to leave Malaysia to hide. And for 20 years, he hid in Taiwan, doing menial jobs.
Yes, David, my good friend..... a scary character ? In actual fact, he is the nicest person. Somehow, people just won't leave him alone.
He told me once, his parents were going to take him to see a movie and he was vey excited about it. But 15 minutes before leaving for the cinema, it rained very heavily and his parents decided to cancel their plans. Naturally, David was very disappointed since he waited for the whole week to see that movie. So, he went to the car porch, looked at the sky and said, `Please stop the rain for me, please !!!!!!' The rain stopped in 5 minutes.
Pure coincidence ? Oh yes, he can also command the wind !!! We went out once and it was hot and humid that night. I said, `Oh, how I wish there's some wind! It's so hot here....' David asked, `You sure you want wind?' `Yes! Why ? You can order some for me ? Hahaha!' David smiled, closed his eyes and then I saw him blowing some air from his mouth gently. A few minutes later, a slight breeze came...and I said, `Yeah right! It's coincidence, ok ?' After I said that, the wind started blowing... nice cold wind... and it didn't stop until we left one hour later.
That's my good friend, David. And this is just the beginning........ come back for more stories on David.
When he was young, people have always considered him somewhat of a weirdo. He didn't quite fit in anywhere. He acted strangely and could even have his own picnic in front of his parent's house, at the roadside and had no qualms about it whatsoever. But he was quite a sickly boy in his younger days. Endless nightmares when he would wake up sweating in the middle of the night until at one time, he dreaded sleeping.
Being the `weirdo', his relatives or neighbours would never leave him alone. Maybe if they had given him a hard time, they won't feel so bad about how indequate their children were. He was a brilliant student, much to their disappoinment. When people teased him, he just kept quiet. But some people just don't know how to stop. When things got bad, really bad, he would lose his temper in a strange viscious manner. One time, his uncle teased him so bad, he turned around and said, `Careful when you're riding your bike'. The next day, he met with an accident!
A neighbour, Tan, disliked him for his `unusual' behavior, because he was not like other boys. He was intelligent way beyond his age and he could explain things to adults that even they could not understand. So, one day during a gathering and while David was eating in the middle of the crowd, the neighbour pulled his pants down. And everyone laughed. David's face changed, he did not cry. Face red with anger, his eyes pierced into Tan's eyes and he said, `You will pay for this ... all your life !!!'
With that, David dropped the plate, pulled up his pants and walked off. Everyone just shrugged off and continued eating while Tan was still laughing away. The price that Tan had to pay was enormous. 2 months later, Tan lost everything at the Genting Casino, his business went bankrupt and had to leave Malaysia to hide. And for 20 years, he hid in Taiwan, doing menial jobs.
Yes, David, my good friend..... a scary character ? In actual fact, he is the nicest person. Somehow, people just won't leave him alone.
He told me once, his parents were going to take him to see a movie and he was vey excited about it. But 15 minutes before leaving for the cinema, it rained very heavily and his parents decided to cancel their plans. Naturally, David was very disappointed since he waited for the whole week to see that movie. So, he went to the car porch, looked at the sky and said, `Please stop the rain for me, please !!!!!!' The rain stopped in 5 minutes.
Pure coincidence ? Oh yes, he can also command the wind !!! We went out once and it was hot and humid that night. I said, `Oh, how I wish there's some wind! It's so hot here....' David asked, `You sure you want wind?' `Yes! Why ? You can order some for me ? Hahaha!' David smiled, closed his eyes and then I saw him blowing some air from his mouth gently. A few minutes later, a slight breeze came...and I said, `Yeah right! It's coincidence, ok ?' After I said that, the wind started blowing... nice cold wind... and it didn't stop until we left one hour later.
That's my good friend, David. And this is just the beginning........ come back for more stories on David.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Ghosts, spirits and black magic........Part 5
The next day, I felt better. Slept like a log and woke up fresh and ready for some adventure in Kuantan. There were some shops selling salted fish and dried seafood nearby but I wasn't going to put up with the smell all the way back to Penang. In the end, we didn't do much... just walked around a bit and it was already time to go the jungle!
We arrived early so that we didn't have to trek through the jungle in the dark. But then, come to think of it, we still had to trek through the jungle in the dark when we wanted to leave. Still, one trip in dark was better than two. Heheh!
Noon was waiting for us when we arrived at his house. His mother managed a slight curl on her lips while his two wives (yes, two) were chirping happily among themselves. Noon, as usual was trying to sell us his plants and herbs and told us to wait for nightfall.
A tropical rainforest that's more than a million years old can be quite scary. Even scarier when you are used to the sea breeze, wide open seas and soothing sounds of waves rushing to the shore. I felt like a trapped human in a jungle of old looming trees, thick undergrowth (snakes lurking !!!) insects, hooting noises, crickets and unfamiliar noises from wild animals.
Luckily we already in Noon's little house. Little because where we sat was also where he, his mother, his two wives and his five children slept (with one more on the way). Don't ask me where they do it...... obviously that didn't stop him, hehe!
As the sounds of the jungle began to ease off in my ears, Noon's face froze into a fierce grimace amidst the incense smoke. He took a bunch of leaves and began waving it into the air like he was summoning something. Then he took a sharp metal object that looked like a spearhead to me and slowly smoked it with the incense.
Then, as if to prove to us he was not faking it, suddenly, he cut his arms with the spearhead and stabbed his own chest. No wounds... but I was rather taken aback by it, being the cynical one all this time. Suddenly I realised my mouth was gaping and quickly closed it.
After the show of prowress, Noon spoke with a throaty voice,`This evil spirit is very powerful..... he won't let you go!' He stared at me (why me ???) with piercing eyes. I cleared my throat and pleaded in a small voice, `Datuk, please help us.'
Then suddenly, Noon grabbed his leaves and stood up. He walked towards me and waved the leaves over my head, mumbling something. Outside the house, the wind began to stir. It was cooling at first but that was just the beginning. The wind became stronger and started wailing..... the jungle was silent. Oh c'mon.... thunderstorm now ??? Flash and Boom!!!! Yes, thunderstorm. Wow, I thought, this is so Thailand ghost story scenario......only problem was, I was in it!
Whether it was a coincidence or the battle of the spirits whipped up the weather mayhem, I don't know. But there I was, sitting uncomfortably crossed-legged at the mercy of Noon in trance. I didn't know which was worse. The thunderstorm, the `exorcism' or sitting cross-legged in pain. But then, come to think of it, they all added up to the torture.
By the time Noon finished sweeping his leaves all over me, Tom was about ready to leave in panic, if not for the rain. `Haha!' I thought in mischief, `You wanted to do this so badly, now you have to sit through it yourself! Serve you right!' Then my attention shifted back to Noon.
Well, at least he didn't use the spearhead, I thought. But just as my thought finished, another came in, Oops, said it too early, as I saw Noon reaching for his spearhead. He dipped the spearhead into some oil container... couldn't make out what it was in the semi-darkness, he chanted something and hailed me to move to him.
I crawled my way there and sat, cross-legged, yes, very painful for someone not used to it. Then he put the spearhead over my head and chanted something, sometimes like scolding someone. I kept quiet, looked down and didn't want to think anything. Seemed like my thoughts were going against me all day, so I decided to blank out everything. Finally, he finished his exorcism by circling me with some smoke.
He did the same thing with Tom, who was more at ease because he knew exactly what was going to happen. It was still raining cats and dogs outside...... actually more like monkeys and tigers. At the back of my mind, I was worried that the lighting might strike a tall tree and fall onto the tiny house we were in. Oh no, don't think bad thoughts, not today, not now !!!!
While waiting for the rain to subside, we paid Noon for his services (which was not cheap), but Noon was quite a charmer. He had that salesman in him and when he was not possessed, he was quite a friendly and talkative guy. Again, he was trying to sell us his herbal concoctions for a variety of illnesses. I thought, `Poor fella, he goes into the jungle and searches for all these stuff for days in a row, so I guess it's only common courtesy for us to buy some. Afterall, he has a whole family to feed!' So, we bought some tongkat ali for Andy (who is always interested in some kind of manhood enhancement) and when the rain stopped, we got on our way.
Looking back, seriously, I really don't know whether it was effective or not. All I can say is that, at least it put Tom's mind at ease. That much it did, at the very least. And as for me, well, it was quite an experience. No doubt I didn't feel anything dramatic, like me shivering or talking in ancient languages or spitting out green vomit..... (thank God!)....but I'd rather think of it as paying for a real-life Thailand ghost story adventure and came out safe and sound.
But that was not the case..... when we met Ariya, AY for short...
Look out for my new Label for this series..... The Supernatural World.
We arrived early so that we didn't have to trek through the jungle in the dark. But then, come to think of it, we still had to trek through the jungle in the dark when we wanted to leave. Still, one trip in dark was better than two. Heheh!
Noon was waiting for us when we arrived at his house. His mother managed a slight curl on her lips while his two wives (yes, two) were chirping happily among themselves. Noon, as usual was trying to sell us his plants and herbs and told us to wait for nightfall.
A tropical rainforest that's more than a million years old can be quite scary. Even scarier when you are used to the sea breeze, wide open seas and soothing sounds of waves rushing to the shore. I felt like a trapped human in a jungle of old looming trees, thick undergrowth (snakes lurking !!!) insects, hooting noises, crickets and unfamiliar noises from wild animals.
Luckily we already in Noon's little house. Little because where we sat was also where he, his mother, his two wives and his five children slept (with one more on the way). Don't ask me where they do it...... obviously that didn't stop him, hehe!
As the sounds of the jungle began to ease off in my ears, Noon's face froze into a fierce grimace amidst the incense smoke. He took a bunch of leaves and began waving it into the air like he was summoning something. Then he took a sharp metal object that looked like a spearhead to me and slowly smoked it with the incense.
Then, as if to prove to us he was not faking it, suddenly, he cut his arms with the spearhead and stabbed his own chest. No wounds... but I was rather taken aback by it, being the cynical one all this time. Suddenly I realised my mouth was gaping and quickly closed it.
After the show of prowress, Noon spoke with a throaty voice,`This evil spirit is very powerful..... he won't let you go!' He stared at me (why me ???) with piercing eyes. I cleared my throat and pleaded in a small voice, `Datuk, please help us.'
Then suddenly, Noon grabbed his leaves and stood up. He walked towards me and waved the leaves over my head, mumbling something. Outside the house, the wind began to stir. It was cooling at first but that was just the beginning. The wind became stronger and started wailing..... the jungle was silent. Oh c'mon.... thunderstorm now ??? Flash and Boom!!!! Yes, thunderstorm. Wow, I thought, this is so Thailand ghost story scenario......only problem was, I was in it!
Whether it was a coincidence or the battle of the spirits whipped up the weather mayhem, I don't know. But there I was, sitting uncomfortably crossed-legged at the mercy of Noon in trance. I didn't know which was worse. The thunderstorm, the `exorcism' or sitting cross-legged in pain. But then, come to think of it, they all added up to the torture.
By the time Noon finished sweeping his leaves all over me, Tom was about ready to leave in panic, if not for the rain. `Haha!' I thought in mischief, `You wanted to do this so badly, now you have to sit through it yourself! Serve you right!' Then my attention shifted back to Noon.
Well, at least he didn't use the spearhead, I thought. But just as my thought finished, another came in, Oops, said it too early, as I saw Noon reaching for his spearhead. He dipped the spearhead into some oil container... couldn't make out what it was in the semi-darkness, he chanted something and hailed me to move to him.
I crawled my way there and sat, cross-legged, yes, very painful for someone not used to it. Then he put the spearhead over my head and chanted something, sometimes like scolding someone. I kept quiet, looked down and didn't want to think anything. Seemed like my thoughts were going against me all day, so I decided to blank out everything. Finally, he finished his exorcism by circling me with some smoke.
He did the same thing with Tom, who was more at ease because he knew exactly what was going to happen. It was still raining cats and dogs outside...... actually more like monkeys and tigers. At the back of my mind, I was worried that the lighting might strike a tall tree and fall onto the tiny house we were in. Oh no, don't think bad thoughts, not today, not now !!!!
While waiting for the rain to subside, we paid Noon for his services (which was not cheap), but Noon was quite a charmer. He had that salesman in him and when he was not possessed, he was quite a friendly and talkative guy. Again, he was trying to sell us his herbal concoctions for a variety of illnesses. I thought, `Poor fella, he goes into the jungle and searches for all these stuff for days in a row, so I guess it's only common courtesy for us to buy some. Afterall, he has a whole family to feed!' So, we bought some tongkat ali for Andy (who is always interested in some kind of manhood enhancement) and when the rain stopped, we got on our way.
Looking back, seriously, I really don't know whether it was effective or not. All I can say is that, at least it put Tom's mind at ease. That much it did, at the very least. And as for me, well, it was quite an experience. No doubt I didn't feel anything dramatic, like me shivering or talking in ancient languages or spitting out green vomit..... (thank God!)....but I'd rather think of it as paying for a real-life Thailand ghost story adventure and came out safe and sound.
But that was not the case..... when we met Ariya, AY for short...
Look out for my new Label for this series..... The Supernatural World.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Ghosts, spirits & black magic.....Part 4
It was a long way to Kuantan.... Thoughts ran through my mind..... some of it, angry, some, anguish but no fear. Somehow, I was preocccupied with questioning my own sanity and playing a part in this whole charade.
We arrived in a small town about 70km away from Kuantan at about 4.30 a.m. We couldn't call Kak Sal at that hour so decided to wait for her to give directions. To play safe, I parked the car near a police station and took a quick nap.
At day break, the town began to stir and I was still drowsy when Tom managed to get hold of Kak Sal. After washing my face at a nearby coffeeshop, off we went to Kuantan.
We met Kak Sal and her brother, Zaim and they took us to their house. It was an interesting house, next to a plantation. After a quick bath and breakfast, we left for the BMH's house. Before that, we had to do some shopping. Apparently, it was considered rude to go there empty handed. We had to buy 2 kg of sugar, a 10 Kg packet of rice, chocolates, sweets, a tin of Milo and a tin of biscuits. I thought, `Wow.... like Chinese New Year hamper' !!!
After 2 hours of driving (yes, 2 hours into some remote road), we reached the place. It is a settlement for `Orang Asli', the aborigines of Peninsular Malaysia. My stomach turned and I started to get worried.
When we got down from the car, I could see and even feel eyes staring. They don't quite like visitors, it seems. We had to walk into the jungle and finally reached a small hut. There was an old woman sitting on a small stool, smoking rolled tobacco.. .she stared at us with suspicious eyes. Zaim flashed a big smile and showed her our goodies and her face mellowed. Then he cautiously walked towards her and asked for her son, Noon.
`Noon is collecting herbs and wood', she said. `Wait!'
I tried to put on a cordial smile and whispered to Tom, `Are you sure about this ? This is really spooking me out !' Tom looked worried too but he put up a brave front and said, `We drove all the way here, maybe they can help, ok ?'
`Yes, too late to back out now', I thought. About an hour later, a boy ran out from the jungle and announced that Noon was back. I heaved a sigh of relief but at the same time, worried that he might be even fiercer than his mother. Surprisingly, he was very friendly.
We could not get down to business straight away, it's considered rude. We had to talk about the weather, the beautiful jungle (excuse me, I didn't sleep the whole night!!!), his wild orchid collection, his fern collection, his tongkat ali (an aphrodisiac herb) which was for sale. To be fair to him and being an avid gardener, I did find his fern collection fascinating.
Finally, after an hour or so of appreciation, cordial talks and lots of smiling, we got down to business. I did't mean to be a fake but I was tired, sleepy and I was trying my best to be nice cos I didn't want to be the jerk there.
We sat in the hut in a circle and Noon was in the middle. Soon, smoke from the `kemenyan' (incense) filled the room....Noon's eyes rolled, his body and head began to shake and in a hoarse voice, he began to talk.....
Tom's face paled and I could see him shudder, but, I wasn't scared. Being Chinese, I've had my fair dose of mediums in Chinese temples during festivals, so it looked perfectly normal to me.
But his voice gave me chills.... it was throaty, hoarse and hissing. `Apa... hajat... kamu ?', he croaked.(What do you want?) Everyone looked at me and I gave that `Why are you guys looking at me for ??? Hello, I'm just the driver !!!'
obviously Tom panicked. He hissed,` Say something !!!'
`Err....er...Datuk! Ada orang mau bunuh saya ka ?' (Datuk, someone wants to kill me,is that true ?' The moment I blurted it out, I told myself....Oops, that didn't come out right, did it ? At that time, I didn't know whether to laugh out loud for being so stupid or feel embarassed for being so dumb.
Anyway Noon stared at the incense burner and gave a loud, `Hmmmm !!!' He closed his eyes and started waving a bunch of leaves, mumbling something which I could not make out.
I tried to school my expression to look serious and concerned. My mind was multi-tasking at that time, deciding whether this was a con job, trying to make sense of what was going on, trying to figure out why he did that, wondering what spirit had entered Noon, if, there was one in the first place, wondering if it was a good or evil spirit, wondering what he was going to do next, wondering how how much his ferns would cost, wondering how much he would charge for his services..... Oh gosh!!!
Then he stopped. `You have lots of enemies', he said. Hmmm... I wondered. `They want to put you out of business and if that doesn't happen, you have to die' Woah, this is serious business.
I went blank for a while but quickly composed myself and asked Noon,` Can you remove it for me ?'
`Yes, but not today. Come back tomorrow.' And with that, Noon came out of his trance....
We arrived in a small town about 70km away from Kuantan at about 4.30 a.m. We couldn't call Kak Sal at that hour so decided to wait for her to give directions. To play safe, I parked the car near a police station and took a quick nap.
At day break, the town began to stir and I was still drowsy when Tom managed to get hold of Kak Sal. After washing my face at a nearby coffeeshop, off we went to Kuantan.
We met Kak Sal and her brother, Zaim and they took us to their house. It was an interesting house, next to a plantation. After a quick bath and breakfast, we left for the BMH's house. Before that, we had to do some shopping. Apparently, it was considered rude to go there empty handed. We had to buy 2 kg of sugar, a 10 Kg packet of rice, chocolates, sweets, a tin of Milo and a tin of biscuits. I thought, `Wow.... like Chinese New Year hamper' !!!
After 2 hours of driving (yes, 2 hours into some remote road), we reached the place. It is a settlement for `Orang Asli', the aborigines of Peninsular Malaysia. My stomach turned and I started to get worried.
When we got down from the car, I could see and even feel eyes staring. They don't quite like visitors, it seems. We had to walk into the jungle and finally reached a small hut. There was an old woman sitting on a small stool, smoking rolled tobacco.. .she stared at us with suspicious eyes. Zaim flashed a big smile and showed her our goodies and her face mellowed. Then he cautiously walked towards her and asked for her son, Noon.
`Noon is collecting herbs and wood', she said. `Wait!'
I tried to put on a cordial smile and whispered to Tom, `Are you sure about this ? This is really spooking me out !' Tom looked worried too but he put up a brave front and said, `We drove all the way here, maybe they can help, ok ?'
`Yes, too late to back out now', I thought. About an hour later, a boy ran out from the jungle and announced that Noon was back. I heaved a sigh of relief but at the same time, worried that he might be even fiercer than his mother. Surprisingly, he was very friendly.
We could not get down to business straight away, it's considered rude. We had to talk about the weather, the beautiful jungle (excuse me, I didn't sleep the whole night!!!), his wild orchid collection, his fern collection, his tongkat ali (an aphrodisiac herb) which was for sale. To be fair to him and being an avid gardener, I did find his fern collection fascinating.
Finally, after an hour or so of appreciation, cordial talks and lots of smiling, we got down to business. I did't mean to be a fake but I was tired, sleepy and I was trying my best to be nice cos I didn't want to be the jerk there.
We sat in the hut in a circle and Noon was in the middle. Soon, smoke from the `kemenyan' (incense) filled the room....Noon's eyes rolled, his body and head began to shake and in a hoarse voice, he began to talk.....
Tom's face paled and I could see him shudder, but, I wasn't scared. Being Chinese, I've had my fair dose of mediums in Chinese temples during festivals, so it looked perfectly normal to me.
But his voice gave me chills.... it was throaty, hoarse and hissing. `Apa... hajat... kamu ?', he croaked.(What do you want?) Everyone looked at me and I gave that `Why are you guys looking at me for ??? Hello, I'm just the driver !!!'
obviously Tom panicked. He hissed,` Say something !!!'
`Err....er...Datuk! Ada orang mau bunuh saya ka ?' (Datuk, someone wants to kill me,is that true ?' The moment I blurted it out, I told myself....Oops, that didn't come out right, did it ? At that time, I didn't know whether to laugh out loud for being so stupid or feel embarassed for being so dumb.
Anyway Noon stared at the incense burner and gave a loud, `Hmmmm !!!' He closed his eyes and started waving a bunch of leaves, mumbling something which I could not make out.
I tried to school my expression to look serious and concerned. My mind was multi-tasking at that time, deciding whether this was a con job, trying to make sense of what was going on, trying to figure out why he did that, wondering what spirit had entered Noon, if, there was one in the first place, wondering if it was a good or evil spirit, wondering what he was going to do next, wondering how how much his ferns would cost, wondering how much he would charge for his services..... Oh gosh!!!
Then he stopped. `You have lots of enemies', he said. Hmmm... I wondered. `They want to put you out of business and if that doesn't happen, you have to die' Woah, this is serious business.
I went blank for a while but quickly composed myself and asked Noon,` Can you remove it for me ?'
`Yes, but not today. Come back tomorrow.' And with that, Noon came out of his trance....
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Bad Timing.....
Time...... always a precious commodity for me. And it gets more precious as I get older because I know for a fact that the supply is getting less and less by the minute.... or seconds. Sigh! All those time wasted when I was younger.
I read a very wise quote long ago, `Live every day like it's your last, for one day, when it comes true, you will have no regrets.' It makes absolute sense. It's not like it means we are going to spend every last cent we have like there's no tomorrow...... if you do that, come tomorrow, it's just going to be regret that's left...... hehe! It means, no procrastinating, maximising every minute of every day...... blah, blah, blah !
Ermm... does that mean there's no rest ? No, it means, being aware, fully aware of what you are doing .... savouring every moment that passes by. Like when you are eating something, if you gobble everything up in a split second, you won't even know what it actually tastes like.
Hmm......... that's pretty philosophical...... time out. Now, it's the complaining part. I have terrible timing. All my life, my timing has been out of sync with the rest of the world, and it's always to my disadvantage, of course.
Now, let's take a trip down memory lane. When I was about to enter pre-u, there was a hike in the tuition prices for matriculation students. After finishing Form 6, there was a hike in university tuition fees. When I graduated, there was a recession.
When I wanted to buy a car, the Japanese yen rose all time high and all the prices of cars went up. When I wanted to buy an apartment, there was a shortage and prices were really high. I bought my apartment anyway but when it was ready, there was a glut and property prices went tumbling down.
So I decided to buy shares. Share prices were high and my friends were making big bucks. I decided to buy some. After investing my lot, came the Asian currency crisis. Every single share I had lost 90% of their values. Most of them did not recover, until today.
I decided to start a small business. Just when things were picking up, came Sept. 11., then war, then SARS, then tsunami.......
`The Gods are mocking me !!!' I told myself. Aren't they ? It takes so much planning..... way ahead of time and so much effort. It's like they are saying, ` Okay... he's planning to start a business, .... so, let's turn the whole world upside down...... Don't make it easy for him, give him a really hard time, just to spite him and see how much he can take!!!'
And these are just the `macro' stuff.... the big things. I don't even want to talk about car washing, finding parking places, gambling, etc.
Then I thought..... `Hello, wake up..... the world doesn't revolve around you.' There are so many people with worse fates. Sept 11. So many people lost their lives and loved ones. The war.... so many lives wasted. Tsunami..... even more lives taken. And you are complaining about not making enough money!
Okay, fine. I understand. But, does that mean I've lost my right to complain ? Okay, I've no answer to this one cos I'm still trying to figure it out.
A friend of mine summed it up in a rather amusing way. Life is such that, it's never perfect. 3 things ~ Time, Energy and Money.
When we are young, we have the time and energy but no money to do the things we want to do.
When we start working, we have the energy and money, but no time to do it.
When we are old, we have the money and the time, but no energy to do it.
Another lady friend said this.... `When we were young, we spent our youth chasing after fortunes. Now that we are old, we spend our fortunes chasing after lost youth.......'
Always a case of bad timing..... it's not going anywhere. But it's life..... so savour every minute of it and make the best of it and stop complaining like me......... somehow, you will survive.
Live life to the fullest and live it well...... then one day, when we are old, we can look back and say, `Despite it all, I've had a great life..........'
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Ghosts, spirits and black magic........Part 3 ~ Bomoh
Bomoh...... this word is spoken with reservation accompanied with lots of fear. Meaning.... witch doctor, medicine man....... whatever you want to call it ....... Fear of the mystique, the unexplained and the evil that could be unleashed, that's why most Malaysians don't even want to talk about it.
The normal reaction would be.....`Eeeiiiww! Why do you want to get involved with bomohs? Not scared ar ???' So, nowadays, the word is changed to something more acceptable and perhaps less intimidating. Traditional medicine practitioner or in Malay, `Perubatan Tradisional'.......... well, whatever you want to call it... it was still the same to me. But I was ignorant then.
I have a friend, Tom (not his real name, otherwise he'll go bombastic.... hehe!) who thinks he is the poster boy for black magic and evil spirits. He's the hyper type..... always thinking someone is trying to `curse' him or put some magical spells on him. Sometimes, he'd tell me that he's seen a ghost or someone is trying to put a curse on him. Or send all sorts of magical spells, diseases, broken glass pieces, nails, pins, worms, centipedes, poison, you name it. But he's a great guy..... so, I put up with his paranoid nonsense.
So, there was this constant need to see these `Traditional medicine practitioners'....... and for easy typing on my part and for want of a more general and acceptable term,(lest I m cursed for being so nosy, hehe!) I will just use BMH for short. But he never went to any BMH `cos there are so many fakes around and also, he feared that they would use evil spirits to do their biddings.
But that was not until we met Kak Sal...... (also not her real name). She went to Pahang to visit her brother and two days later, she called all the way from Kuantan. `Someone has sent something really powerful to you guys and it's going to kill the both of you !!!' She sounded alarmed. `Come to Kuantan now or you guys might not make it till tomorrow.'
When I heard the news, I was like, `Huh ?' Tom panicked and insisted we drove to Kuantan that night itself. It was 10.30 pm and we were in Penang. I said to myself, `Of all the stunts you've pulled, this one really takes the cake!' I mean, c'mon...... death by tomorrow ???? Tom retaliated, `What if it's true ???' I kept quiet but in my heart I protested, `What if it's not ?'
Finally, I gave in.... giving the angels of death the benefit of the doubt and so, we packed our stuff........ filled up the tank and off we went......all the way to Kuantan in the middle of the night......
It was a trip to remember...... to be continued......... hehe!
The normal reaction would be.....`Eeeiiiww! Why do you want to get involved with bomohs? Not scared ar ???' So, nowadays, the word is changed to something more acceptable and perhaps less intimidating. Traditional medicine practitioner or in Malay, `Perubatan Tradisional'.......... well, whatever you want to call it... it was still the same to me. But I was ignorant then.
I have a friend, Tom (not his real name, otherwise he'll go bombastic.... hehe!) who thinks he is the poster boy for black magic and evil spirits. He's the hyper type..... always thinking someone is trying to `curse' him or put some magical spells on him. Sometimes, he'd tell me that he's seen a ghost or someone is trying to put a curse on him. Or send all sorts of magical spells, diseases, broken glass pieces, nails, pins, worms, centipedes, poison, you name it. But he's a great guy..... so, I put up with his paranoid nonsense.
So, there was this constant need to see these `Traditional medicine practitioners'....... and for easy typing on my part and for want of a more general and acceptable term,(lest I m cursed for being so nosy, hehe!) I will just use BMH for short. But he never went to any BMH `cos there are so many fakes around and also, he feared that they would use evil spirits to do their biddings.
But that was not until we met Kak Sal...... (also not her real name). She went to Pahang to visit her brother and two days later, she called all the way from Kuantan. `Someone has sent something really powerful to you guys and it's going to kill the both of you !!!' She sounded alarmed. `Come to Kuantan now or you guys might not make it till tomorrow.'
When I heard the news, I was like, `Huh ?' Tom panicked and insisted we drove to Kuantan that night itself. It was 10.30 pm and we were in Penang. I said to myself, `Of all the stunts you've pulled, this one really takes the cake!' I mean, c'mon...... death by tomorrow ???? Tom retaliated, `What if it's true ???' I kept quiet but in my heart I protested, `What if it's not ?'
Finally, I gave in.... giving the angels of death the benefit of the doubt and so, we packed our stuff........ filled up the tank and off we went......all the way to Kuantan in the middle of the night......
It was a trip to remember...... to be continued......... hehe!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
How Right is Right ?
Yes, singles ask it......... and now, even the married ones too. Can there be only one Mr. or Miss Right ? Or can we have choices ? Hehe!
So, the next question would be........ what constitutes Right ? Some people say it's the love..... `it's like Magic!!!' ..... says one movie. The epic moment when time just stands still. Everything happening in slow motion..... everything else does not matter anymore...... it's just the two of you.
Staring into each other's eyes, tingling sensations all over, pulse racing and this inexplicable ache in the heart, the type that melts you...... and both parties find it hard to resist each other's lips...... The magical moment. Then passion takes over.
Okay..... so, magical moments is one of the factors, not absolutely necessary but it makes the decision much easier. So, what's next ? Looks & physique ? That ties in with the love part. Say, how about $$$ ? Or status ? Does the Right person need to be in a certain income group ?
One girl told me, `As long as he doesn't ask money from me, I guess it doesn't really matter' Another girl told me, `Hello....... who's gonna pay for my lifestyle needs ? The man has to provide!' Another pretty girl told me it's the 5 C's ~ Credit card, car, condo, cash and certs. It's all Madonna's fault!!!
So, the responsibility seems to fall on the men. Okay, what do the guys say ? `It's good to have someone who can contribute to the family income.'
What else ? Personality.....now, this is the tricky one. And usually, the most destructive one. And people usually forget this very crucial factor. When we are in love, we are at our best behaviour, or at least in front of our beloved.
We are kind to old people, we are generous to the poor, we are well-mannered, we are even nice to their brothers and sisters and the many many nosy aunties and uncles and cousins........ and our bad habits seem to have dissipated into thin air. And most of the time, we are willing to turn a blind eye to whatever that may ruin the romance. `Oh..... he's handsome, he's rich and he's a great guy.' Then we get married.
They say, love is blind........ and marriage is the eye-opener..... how true !!! Hahahaha! But of course, if you take the time and make the effort to know the other person, keeping vigilance of your unbiased judgement, it will help you make a wiser decision. But don't let the many many nosy aunties, uncles, etc. affect your decision...... it happens to everyone, including your partner when you introduce your many many aunties and uncles. You are even on that one !!!
I read somewhere..... A good relationship does not require promises, terms and conditions...... just two people who feel wonderful just by being together.
There you have it..... that's the Right one!
So, the next question would be........ what constitutes Right ? Some people say it's the love..... `it's like Magic!!!' ..... says one movie. The epic moment when time just stands still. Everything happening in slow motion..... everything else does not matter anymore...... it's just the two of you.
Staring into each other's eyes, tingling sensations all over, pulse racing and this inexplicable ache in the heart, the type that melts you...... and both parties find it hard to resist each other's lips...... The magical moment. Then passion takes over.
Okay..... so, magical moments is one of the factors, not absolutely necessary but it makes the decision much easier. So, what's next ? Looks & physique ? That ties in with the love part. Say, how about $$$ ? Or status ? Does the Right person need to be in a certain income group ?
One girl told me, `As long as he doesn't ask money from me, I guess it doesn't really matter' Another girl told me, `Hello....... who's gonna pay for my lifestyle needs ? The man has to provide!' Another pretty girl told me it's the 5 C's ~ Credit card, car, condo, cash and certs. It's all Madonna's fault!!!
So, the responsibility seems to fall on the men. Okay, what do the guys say ? `It's good to have someone who can contribute to the family income.'
What else ? Personality.....now, this is the tricky one. And usually, the most destructive one. And people usually forget this very crucial factor. When we are in love, we are at our best behaviour, or at least in front of our beloved.
We are kind to old people, we are generous to the poor, we are well-mannered, we are even nice to their brothers and sisters and the many many nosy aunties and uncles and cousins........ and our bad habits seem to have dissipated into thin air. And most of the time, we are willing to turn a blind eye to whatever that may ruin the romance. `Oh..... he's handsome, he's rich and he's a great guy.' Then we get married.
They say, love is blind........ and marriage is the eye-opener..... how true !!! Hahahaha! But of course, if you take the time and make the effort to know the other person, keeping vigilance of your unbiased judgement, it will help you make a wiser decision. But don't let the many many nosy aunties, uncles, etc. affect your decision...... it happens to everyone, including your partner when you introduce your many many aunties and uncles. You are even on that one !!!
I read somewhere..... A good relationship does not require promises, terms and conditions...... just two people who feel wonderful just by being together.
There you have it..... that's the Right one!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
To be or not to be ?
Oh...... it's Wesak Day....... time to drum up some good qualities, compassion and kindness. To reflect on what a bad boy I've been..... hehe!
Been trying all my life to be the good guy..... they say it's good for your karma, but how good is it for you, now ?
I've always wondered when people say..... when your enemies give you a hard time, you should have patience and tolerance. One day, they will realise their mistakes and you would have helped some misguided people come to realisation. Nicely said. What if that day takes years or decades to come ? What if this person is so dense that he's never going to realise it ? How much can we stretch our patience and tolerance? What if they won't stop at it and get ambitious ?
I was in this type of situation before. What if the enemy won't stop attacking ? Like a mad dog on rampage....... are we going to say, Hey, you missed my left arm..... come and bite some more ? Or do we grab the nearest thing and thrash the living daylights out of it ?
There was a lot of confusion on my part..... as in...... okay, we are in a tight situation here. Here I am, trying to be nice, compassionate and kind..... and there you are, attacking me like there's no tomorrow. The wise words I have tell me...... sit there, be quiet and let them hack you.... one day they will realise their mistakes. I'd say, what if there's nothing left of me to hack before they even begin to realise it ? Am I supposed to be reborn again so that they can continue hacking me ? .... and fine, let's go one step further, like how many lifetimes are we looking at ?
It's like you have a colleague who's bent on giving you a hard time..... victimise you all the time. And you can't fight back cos he's the MD's favourite or, he's your boss !
It was a mental battle for me....... to be nice and maybe die for it ..... or, fight back and be `not-so-nice' ???
Some religions put a number to it. 3 times... that's all you get. After the 3rd time, watch your back! Maybe it's like....... 1st time, you are ignorant, so we forgive you. 2nd time, you are foolish, but we still forgive you. 3rd time, you are stretching your luck and our patience, stop now or face the consequences..... you are warned!
Sometimes, the enemy doesn't get any warnings. It's a rule of thumb and after the 3rd time........... the hunter becomes the hunted. Okay, I really don't know the reasons for it, but I think it's logical to think of it that way. An interesting concept though.
Now, back to my controversy. To be or not to be ? It's no laughing matter.... it has affected my life a lot...... 7 yrs to be exact. It took me 7 whole years to realise it. One night, out of frustration, I sat in front of my Buddha image..... and poured my heart out.... just like what I wrote above...... Am I doing it wrong ?
Then I flipped a CD and played..... Out of curiosity, I read the translation...... there were many verses, but what striked me were.......
Not to follow or associate with fools, to associate with the wise and to honour those who are worthy of honour.............. this is the supreme blessing.......
I cried.
Okay, I'd admit it didn't really answer my question but it got me thinking.... from a very different perspective altogether....
Happy Wesak Day...... You yourselves must strive, the teachers only show the way.....
Been trying all my life to be the good guy..... they say it's good for your karma, but how good is it for you, now ?
I've always wondered when people say..... when your enemies give you a hard time, you should have patience and tolerance. One day, they will realise their mistakes and you would have helped some misguided people come to realisation. Nicely said. What if that day takes years or decades to come ? What if this person is so dense that he's never going to realise it ? How much can we stretch our patience and tolerance? What if they won't stop at it and get ambitious ?
I was in this type of situation before. What if the enemy won't stop attacking ? Like a mad dog on rampage....... are we going to say, Hey, you missed my left arm..... come and bite some more ? Or do we grab the nearest thing and thrash the living daylights out of it ?
There was a lot of confusion on my part..... as in...... okay, we are in a tight situation here. Here I am, trying to be nice, compassionate and kind..... and there you are, attacking me like there's no tomorrow. The wise words I have tell me...... sit there, be quiet and let them hack you.... one day they will realise their mistakes. I'd say, what if there's nothing left of me to hack before they even begin to realise it ? Am I supposed to be reborn again so that they can continue hacking me ? .... and fine, let's go one step further, like how many lifetimes are we looking at ?
It's like you have a colleague who's bent on giving you a hard time..... victimise you all the time. And you can't fight back cos he's the MD's favourite or, he's your boss !
It was a mental battle for me....... to be nice and maybe die for it ..... or, fight back and be `not-so-nice' ???
Some religions put a number to it. 3 times... that's all you get. After the 3rd time, watch your back! Maybe it's like....... 1st time, you are ignorant, so we forgive you. 2nd time, you are foolish, but we still forgive you. 3rd time, you are stretching your luck and our patience, stop now or face the consequences..... you are warned!
Sometimes, the enemy doesn't get any warnings. It's a rule of thumb and after the 3rd time........... the hunter becomes the hunted. Okay, I really don't know the reasons for it, but I think it's logical to think of it that way. An interesting concept though.
Now, back to my controversy. To be or not to be ? It's no laughing matter.... it has affected my life a lot...... 7 yrs to be exact. It took me 7 whole years to realise it. One night, out of frustration, I sat in front of my Buddha image..... and poured my heart out.... just like what I wrote above...... Am I doing it wrong ?
Then I flipped a CD and played..... Out of curiosity, I read the translation...... there were many verses, but what striked me were.......
Not to follow or associate with fools, to associate with the wise and to honour those who are worthy of honour.............. this is the supreme blessing.......
I cried.
Okay, I'd admit it didn't really answer my question but it got me thinking.... from a very different perspective altogether....
Happy Wesak Day...... You yourselves must strive, the teachers only show the way.....
Friday, May 16, 2008
How long does Love last ?
Or is it lust ? Boy meets girl...... sparks fly..... Oh .... we all love the adverts that sell perfumes, deodorants, shampoos...... even ice cream and mints these days !!! That Prince Charming...... that Miss Perfect..... everything just falls into place...... how convenient !!!
Hey, I am not against love or anything like that but in real life...... things are very much different. Boy meets girl..... sparks fly...... either the boy has 3 other girlfriends or she is already engaged. Now, that's more realistic. Maybe it's a matter of timing..... always too late.
A friend of mine once told me, `The good ones have all been taken, as the for the rest, they actually make me feel that being single a blessing !' Is it that bad ? I see lots of couples..... looking very happy...... they must have done something good is their past lives. Or is it their present lives ?
Take this couple whom I know for example. They are in their 20s..... both are good looking. They started off a hardware business two years ago. The husband takes care of all the orders and deliveries while the wife does all the accounting, stock check, etc. They go everywhere together..... and do everything together. There doesn't seem to be any doubt about their relationship. They are busy building their future together. And when I talk to them, their concerns are about their business.... competition, customers, children, etc. Not a single word of disatisfaction with their relationship (trust me, I'm an expert when it comes to drawing people to talk about their relationships).
I did ask the husband..... what about romantic dinners and all ? He just casually said..... `Oh, those are the things you do before you get married..... nowadays, out most romantic moment is getting a good night's sleep with the children at my mum's house!!!'
And the wife, ` Well, no need to waste money on that..... as long as we can eat in peace in front of the TV, I'm satisfied' And they seem happy, genuinely happy with each other. Maybe the romantic love they have, has transformed to something else. Maybe, love has to transform..... transcend into something more permanent, like family love. Something that gives you the assurance that removes all doubts about each other's feeling for one another.
I guess the trouble starts when we try to hang on to romantic love. Imagine.... with babies crying, pesky errands to run, stress and lack of sleep and the wife insists on having a romantic dinner or going to the movies and on top of that the husband has to bring flowers and chocolates. Seems odd, don't you think so ? Or one of them refuses to have children....... for fear that it would take out the romance in their relationship. I am not a relationship expert, but we have seen enough soap operas to know that scenario.
So, how long does it last ? Someone once told me, love is like that pot of plant which you buy from the nursery. It looks beautiful, flowers blooming radiantly with healthy leaves. But you have to know how to take care of it. Otherwise the whole plant dies...... flowers and all. Too little water, it wilts. Too much water, it drowns. Too much sunlight the flowers wilt. Too little sunlight, the leaves and roots rot. And once all the flowers are gone...... would you still take care of it ? If you want it to bloom again, you have to put in the right amount of fertilizers and care for it. And if you want constant blooms...... you really have to know more about this plant.
So...people out there..... when you already have someone, you are of the lucky ones, care for partner. For those of you out there who are still looking...... find one whom you know for a fact, you can make it bloom forever.......
Hey, I am not against love or anything like that but in real life...... things are very much different. Boy meets girl..... sparks fly...... either the boy has 3 other girlfriends or she is already engaged. Now, that's more realistic. Maybe it's a matter of timing..... always too late.
A friend of mine once told me, `The good ones have all been taken, as the for the rest, they actually make me feel that being single a blessing !' Is it that bad ? I see lots of couples..... looking very happy...... they must have done something good is their past lives. Or is it their present lives ?
Take this couple whom I know for example. They are in their 20s..... both are good looking. They started off a hardware business two years ago. The husband takes care of all the orders and deliveries while the wife does all the accounting, stock check, etc. They go everywhere together..... and do everything together. There doesn't seem to be any doubt about their relationship. They are busy building their future together. And when I talk to them, their concerns are about their business.... competition, customers, children, etc. Not a single word of disatisfaction with their relationship (trust me, I'm an expert when it comes to drawing people to talk about their relationships).
I did ask the husband..... what about romantic dinners and all ? He just casually said..... `Oh, those are the things you do before you get married..... nowadays, out most romantic moment is getting a good night's sleep with the children at my mum's house!!!'
And the wife, ` Well, no need to waste money on that..... as long as we can eat in peace in front of the TV, I'm satisfied' And they seem happy, genuinely happy with each other. Maybe the romantic love they have, has transformed to something else. Maybe, love has to transform..... transcend into something more permanent, like family love. Something that gives you the assurance that removes all doubts about each other's feeling for one another.
I guess the trouble starts when we try to hang on to romantic love. Imagine.... with babies crying, pesky errands to run, stress and lack of sleep and the wife insists on having a romantic dinner or going to the movies and on top of that the husband has to bring flowers and chocolates. Seems odd, don't you think so ? Or one of them refuses to have children....... for fear that it would take out the romance in their relationship. I am not a relationship expert, but we have seen enough soap operas to know that scenario.
So, how long does it last ? Someone once told me, love is like that pot of plant which you buy from the nursery. It looks beautiful, flowers blooming radiantly with healthy leaves. But you have to know how to take care of it. Otherwise the whole plant dies...... flowers and all. Too little water, it wilts. Too much water, it drowns. Too much sunlight the flowers wilt. Too little sunlight, the leaves and roots rot. And once all the flowers are gone...... would you still take care of it ? If you want it to bloom again, you have to put in the right amount of fertilizers and care for it. And if you want constant blooms...... you really have to know more about this plant.
So...people out there..... when you already have someone, you are of the lucky ones, care for partner. For those of you out there who are still looking...... find one whom you know for a fact, you can make it bloom forever.......
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Ghosts, spirits and black magic........Part 2
There wasn't much drama after that...... although there nights when we could hear people walking in the hallway at 3 am......... with dogs howling.....
Imagine.....you are in the toilet (which is like very far from the room) and from the distance, you hear dogs howling, then nearer.... then the neighbour's dogs start to howl.... and you can hear the dogs in the house scurrying out. Yes, at 3 a.m. ! And you are halfway through your business and the walk to the room is so long.
Sometimes, we could see shadows floating past the window..... but they never came into the room because we put the Buddha image just next to the door..... hehe! Clever, weren't we ? Anyway.... we didn't last that long in the house, couldn't take the excitement and I moved back to Malaysia. End of spiritual encounters in Singapore !
After that, it was pretty much back to the real world. Not much of the spiritual encounters..... until the turn of the millenium. It was the beginning of another of my adventure...... well, the adventure never really took off until much later........ at least, to my knowledge.
They say `Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn'....... trust me, I am still suffering from it after 8 years. To make a very long and unpleasant story full of lies, deceit and con-job short, I offended a woman who was way, way unreasonable. And she's rich, filthy rich and of course, being rich, she has the `you offend me, I will destroy every aspect of your life' kind of policy, with every known means. Let's call her AMB (ermmmm, I'm sure you can guess what that B stands for..... hehe!)
So, began my adventure.......and things started to happen............
Imagine.....you are in the toilet (which is like very far from the room) and from the distance, you hear dogs howling, then nearer.... then the neighbour's dogs start to howl.... and you can hear the dogs in the house scurrying out. Yes, at 3 a.m. ! And you are halfway through your business and the walk to the room is so long.
Sometimes, we could see shadows floating past the window..... but they never came into the room because we put the Buddha image just next to the door..... hehe! Clever, weren't we ? Anyway.... we didn't last that long in the house, couldn't take the excitement and I moved back to Malaysia. End of spiritual encounters in Singapore !
After that, it was pretty much back to the real world. Not much of the spiritual encounters..... until the turn of the millenium. It was the beginning of another of my adventure...... well, the adventure never really took off until much later........ at least, to my knowledge.
They say `Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn'....... trust me, I am still suffering from it after 8 years. To make a very long and unpleasant story full of lies, deceit and con-job short, I offended a woman who was way, way unreasonable. And she's rich, filthy rich and of course, being rich, she has the `you offend me, I will destroy every aspect of your life' kind of policy, with every known means. Let's call her AMB (ermmmm, I'm sure you can guess what that B stands for..... hehe!)
So, began my adventure.......and things started to happen............
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Ghosts, spirits and black magic........Part 1
The normal question when it came to this topic used to be, Do you believe in it ? Or, Hello..... wake up...... we are in the modern world !!! Now the trend seems to be....... Have you seen one ? Or, did someone do it to you ? Some people say it's the TV programmes or movies trends that are influencing us...... too many ghost stories, Charmed Ones, Harry Potter, the Ring, American Hauntings, etc....... you name it.
Or are we simply fed-up of our daily dose of facts and figures (usually scary credit card statements) and real life tragedies (bad hair, pimple, wrinkles, flat tyre, not-so-flat tummy, pesky boss) and we need some of form of escapism ? Well, whatever the influence or cause..... whether the spiritual world has become more active or whether we are more exposed to their existence, it seems to stir quite an interest nowadays.
As for me, I was a science student and I was taught everything has to be proven and must be logically explained before we can say, `Hey, that's a fact!' But that was years ago.....
As a kid, I used to follow my parents to Chinese temple celebrations. Sometimes, it was interesting. There would be a medium who would fall shiver and then fall into a trance. Some actually looked genuine....... the medium's voice would change and some of them could even sing Chinese opera! At that time, I was a bit sceptical or maybe confused, I don't know... I mean, c'mon..... but we have been taught to be respectful, so, I gave it the benefit of the doubt. Despite that, well, I have been praying faithfully at the temples.
My first encounter with the spiritual world was in Singapore. I had just graduated from the uni and was looking for a job. After moving out of the hostel, I had to find a room. Got myself a roomate and we went searching. Finally, we found a place..... the house was a bit old.... standing on stilts....... and there were many rooms. It looked like the owner converted his house to a `room for rent' place.
The first impression when I got off the cab was...... Eeeieww.... a pair of big white lanterns hanging at the patio of the house. Looked like a funeral parlour. There were a few old photos of old people on an altar..... and when the owner saw my expression, he told us it was his parents and ancestors. I tried hard to look relieved but I didn't think I was convincing enough cos he said, `Don't worry, they won't harm you!' Then I had to force a smile and shrug it off. Surprisingly, the room was nice.... and with air-conditioning. A bit pricey but my roomate convinced me by asking, `Are you scared or what ?' .... so, I said, `Oh, what the heck ! Let's take it !'
It was a Saturday when we moved in. And, being young and the party-going type.... we quickly dumped our stuff in the room, hung all the unwashed jeans, pants, t-shirts, towels on the hanger at the back to the door and left for the disco. After the boozing and midnite snack, we went back to the house with two other friends who couldn't afford midnight the cab fare.
We tip-toed into the room cos we didnt' want to stir up the owner. It was, afterall, 3 a.m. After some light nonsense talk, all of my friends began to doze off. I couldn't sleep but locked the door and switched off the light. Then as I was recollecting the day's activities in my bed, I heard a loud thud.
Oh no....... the hanger at the door had given way, too many clothes...... never mind.... pick up the clothes the next day...... I told myself. Besides, our two guests were sleeping on the floor and I didn't want to step on them.
Then, with my eyes half-closed, I saw the door opening. And I said to myself, `Well, well, well! This owner is quite a guy, he has a spare key and now he wants to check on us! ' My first impluse was to sit up and ask him what he was doing but then I thought.... let's see if he's going to steal anything. So, I pretended to be asleep and watched the door opening slowly with my half-closed eyes.......
`Hey, the whole the family is here to check on us !!! ' I thought to myself..... Hmm.... pale faces though..... can't see very clearly cos our room was dark and there was the light in the hallway. They didn't come in..... they just looked with curiousity, with the door half -opened and then they closed it back.
Tomorrow, I am going to confront the owner, I thought. How dare his whole family just open the door like that...... I mean, what if I was with someone doing something private at the time ??? So, I made a mental note to talk to him. Then.......a cold shiver rang down my spine.
My room door was not only locked...... it was latched, from the inside !!! Okay... okay....... calm down, there's a perfectly logical explanation to this. I tried to wake my roomate but he was sleeping like a log. So, I took a deep breath and walked to the door......... switched on the lights. There it was...... the door was still latched, from the inside !!!
Okay, maybe I was dreaming..... I just imagined everything. But what I saw next really gave me the chills. The clothes that fell on the floor were swept to one side, in a straight line, like the door opened............... and the reason why the door was half opened was because we put a Buddha image on the other side of the room, so the opening was just enough to avoid exposing themselves to the Buddha image.
I woke my roomate up very fiercely...... someone had to take the blame... (hehe!)...... and showed everything to him..... and we both ran to our beds and hid under the blankets!
We wanted to move out but we had already paid for two months and being unemployed waiting for convocation guys, we didn't have the money. So we stayed on...... sometimes, at night, the dogs howled non-stop....... phew ! What an experience..... but there was just the beginning...... look out for part 2.....
Or are we simply fed-up of our daily dose of facts and figures (usually scary credit card statements) and real life tragedies (bad hair, pimple, wrinkles, flat tyre, not-so-flat tummy, pesky boss) and we need some of form of escapism ? Well, whatever the influence or cause..... whether the spiritual world has become more active or whether we are more exposed to their existence, it seems to stir quite an interest nowadays.
As for me, I was a science student and I was taught everything has to be proven and must be logically explained before we can say, `Hey, that's a fact!' But that was years ago.....
As a kid, I used to follow my parents to Chinese temple celebrations. Sometimes, it was interesting. There would be a medium who would fall shiver and then fall into a trance. Some actually looked genuine....... the medium's voice would change and some of them could even sing Chinese opera! At that time, I was a bit sceptical or maybe confused, I don't know... I mean, c'mon..... but we have been taught to be respectful, so, I gave it the benefit of the doubt. Despite that, well, I have been praying faithfully at the temples.
My first encounter with the spiritual world was in Singapore. I had just graduated from the uni and was looking for a job. After moving out of the hostel, I had to find a room. Got myself a roomate and we went searching. Finally, we found a place..... the house was a bit old.... standing on stilts....... and there were many rooms. It looked like the owner converted his house to a `room for rent' place.
The first impression when I got off the cab was...... Eeeieww.... a pair of big white lanterns hanging at the patio of the house. Looked like a funeral parlour. There were a few old photos of old people on an altar..... and when the owner saw my expression, he told us it was his parents and ancestors. I tried hard to look relieved but I didn't think I was convincing enough cos he said, `Don't worry, they won't harm you!' Then I had to force a smile and shrug it off. Surprisingly, the room was nice.... and with air-conditioning. A bit pricey but my roomate convinced me by asking, `Are you scared or what ?' .... so, I said, `Oh, what the heck ! Let's take it !'
It was a Saturday when we moved in. And, being young and the party-going type.... we quickly dumped our stuff in the room, hung all the unwashed jeans, pants, t-shirts, towels on the hanger at the back to the door and left for the disco. After the boozing and midnite snack, we went back to the house with two other friends who couldn't afford midnight the cab fare.
We tip-toed into the room cos we didnt' want to stir up the owner. It was, afterall, 3 a.m. After some light nonsense talk, all of my friends began to doze off. I couldn't sleep but locked the door and switched off the light. Then as I was recollecting the day's activities in my bed, I heard a loud thud.
Oh no....... the hanger at the door had given way, too many clothes...... never mind.... pick up the clothes the next day...... I told myself. Besides, our two guests were sleeping on the floor and I didn't want to step on them.
Then, with my eyes half-closed, I saw the door opening. And I said to myself, `Well, well, well! This owner is quite a guy, he has a spare key and now he wants to check on us! ' My first impluse was to sit up and ask him what he was doing but then I thought.... let's see if he's going to steal anything. So, I pretended to be asleep and watched the door opening slowly with my half-closed eyes.......
`Hey, the whole the family is here to check on us !!! ' I thought to myself..... Hmm.... pale faces though..... can't see very clearly cos our room was dark and there was the light in the hallway. They didn't come in..... they just looked with curiousity, with the door half -opened and then they closed it back.
Tomorrow, I am going to confront the owner, I thought. How dare his whole family just open the door like that...... I mean, what if I was with someone doing something private at the time ??? So, I made a mental note to talk to him. Then.......a cold shiver rang down my spine.
My room door was not only locked...... it was latched, from the inside !!! Okay... okay....... calm down, there's a perfectly logical explanation to this. I tried to wake my roomate but he was sleeping like a log. So, I took a deep breath and walked to the door......... switched on the lights. There it was...... the door was still latched, from the inside !!!
Okay, maybe I was dreaming..... I just imagined everything. But what I saw next really gave me the chills. The clothes that fell on the floor were swept to one side, in a straight line, like the door opened............... and the reason why the door was half opened was because we put a Buddha image on the other side of the room, so the opening was just enough to avoid exposing themselves to the Buddha image.
I woke my roomate up very fiercely...... someone had to take the blame... (hehe!)...... and showed everything to him..... and we both ran to our beds and hid under the blankets!
We wanted to move out but we had already paid for two months and being unemployed waiting for convocation guys, we didn't have the money. So we stayed on...... sometimes, at night, the dogs howled non-stop....... phew ! What an experience..... but there was just the beginning...... look out for part 2.....
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
About Love.......
One of the many things that fascinate me in life is love....... some of us just can't get enough of it and some of us got too much of it. But, I think, most of the time, we are looking for it. Whether you are happily married with kids or single and very available, you are always looking for it.
Yes, I am talking about the romantic kind. We take our love from our parents and family for granted, so that is usually not counted...... heheh! There are many ways of getting it..... some use their looks. If you don't have the looks, like most of us, we try other means. Being nice and generous is one method. Being accommodating is another. But sometimes, some people just don't have the patience for that kind of thing. They lie, they trick (yes....... how ? Ermm.... I am RICH !!! Hehehe!). Now they use magic !!! Yes, Magic !!!
Ermm...... like it works ? Most people would say it's total bullshit. Some people'd swear by it. So, what do you guys think ???? As far as I know, there are different types.... just like buying stuff from the supermarket.... you have ones from Thailand, Land of Smiles...... then the Indon kind..... then the Malaysian home-brewed type...... you can even buy love potions from the internet these days. But why do people fall for this type of stuff ??? Desperation ? Lack of confidence ? Or convenience ?
I know the ones from Thailand are especially potent.... made from the oils extracted from the chin of a woman who has died from the first childbirth. Okay, I'd admit, I saw this from the movies ! Hehehe! The Malaysian and the Indonesian kind usually use aromatic oils with lots of spells thrown in. Viola!!! Charm anyone you want and make him or her do whatever you want !!! Wow !!!
Other than love potions, people have used lots of other things..... photographs, hair, nails.... ermm....... okay, this is about Love, not love charms...... talk about this later, ok ?
Okay, tell me, how many times have we all tried and failed ??? And how many more times do we have to try ? Some of us blame it on fate....... who do we blame when fate refuses to answer us ?
Sigh...... the all elusive thing called Love..... why do we have to have it ?
Yes, I am talking about the romantic kind. We take our love from our parents and family for granted, so that is usually not counted...... heheh! There are many ways of getting it..... some use their looks. If you don't have the looks, like most of us, we try other means. Being nice and generous is one method. Being accommodating is another. But sometimes, some people just don't have the patience for that kind of thing. They lie, they trick (yes....... how ? Ermm.... I am RICH !!! Hehehe!). Now they use magic !!! Yes, Magic !!!
Ermm...... like it works ? Most people would say it's total bullshit. Some people'd swear by it. So, what do you guys think ???? As far as I know, there are different types.... just like buying stuff from the supermarket.... you have ones from Thailand, Land of Smiles...... then the Indon kind..... then the Malaysian home-brewed type...... you can even buy love potions from the internet these days. But why do people fall for this type of stuff ??? Desperation ? Lack of confidence ? Or convenience ?
I know the ones from Thailand are especially potent.... made from the oils extracted from the chin of a woman who has died from the first childbirth. Okay, I'd admit, I saw this from the movies ! Hehehe! The Malaysian and the Indonesian kind usually use aromatic oils with lots of spells thrown in. Viola!!! Charm anyone you want and make him or her do whatever you want !!! Wow !!!
Other than love potions, people have used lots of other things..... photographs, hair, nails.... ermm....... okay, this is about Love, not love charms...... talk about this later, ok ?
Okay, tell me, how many times have we all tried and failed ??? And how many more times do we have to try ? Some of us blame it on fate....... who do we blame when fate refuses to answer us ?
Sigh...... the all elusive thing called Love..... why do we have to have it ?
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