Starry starry Night

Chanting in your ears

2011-12-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

This is another story from my grandmother's wake/funeral at the parlor; and it is not really any scary story but rather a bizarre one as it was a little something a few experienced.
Anyway, here goes...

My grandmother's funeral rituals were conducted the Buddhist way; although there was a touch of Taoism as well (don't ask me why just yet, let's just say, there's a confusion of religion among the people who organized it )
My maternal grandmother herself is a Taoist.

Anyway, the main ritual was supposedly Buddhism, and they are simple and fuss-free.
There is this speaker they turned on in the hall near the coffin, which plays the Buddhism chants on repeat mode.

As most of us descendants are there most of the time for the five days of the wake, we could constantly hear these chants. It's like the chants were just replaying itself or stuck in your mind forever as you listen to them.

That was the explanation I offered when my mum and two aunts told me about their story that they heard the chanting when they got home at night.
All of them were staying in the same house; the house that grandmother used to stay and they claimed that each of them heard the chanting on different accounts.
One of them heard the chants like it was being played directly near them when they were in the shower.

Another claimed that they heard the chanting in the bedroom as she was getting ready for bed.
And lastly, another heard the chanting in the living hall. Their claims were backed up by cousin sister who went home with them.
There was a point when all four of them were in the hall and they just heard the chanting sound exactly like it was played on the radio at the parlor!
They were chatting when they all heard it, and they all froze for a moment, thinking that only one of them heard it.

When they looked at each other, they knew that ALL of them heard it and there were only four of them inside the house.
They looked at one of the aunt who had this radio inside her room and she had this exact same tape which played the Buddhism chants as the parlor, and she used to play them quite often when she needs peace of mind. Of course, the last time she played it was when grandmother was in a critical condition in the hospital.

Everyone automatically gave her that look which did not say anything but somehow meant, "Was that your radio/tape?"
She shook her head, and she walked into her room and then came out saying, "I stopped playing the tape because my radio ran out of batteries. There is no way this sound came from my radio"

It was at that point everyone was speechless, and it was also at that exact same point when the chanting in their ears stopped.

When they told me the story, my mum suspected that it could be that grandmother followed them home and since she was being led the Buddhism way, she is being surrounded by prayers.

As usual, I do not take a doubtful or skeptical stand on something like this, but I can offer a simple explanation which is more scientific in nature.
When a specific sound goes on for a while and on repeat mode, it tends to stay on the mind for a while as it creates that kind of resonance/wave lengths (whatever that meant in physics, you can check that up).

Whether grandmother really followed them back or not, that is something none of us would ever know and I'd say to leave it at that.

Who's There?

2011-12-15T19:29:00.000-08:00

I will probably do a post on funerals and rituals; following my own experience at a non-Christian funeral, but before that, I must share on stories which were shared by cousins and aunts during my grandmother's wake.

There's this cousin brother, let's just refer to him as B, who was always with grandmother. As his parents are running their own business/stall, he will be going to grandmother's place after school each day and therefore, they kept each other company.
I remember how grandmother used to tell us that B was a very good and obedient boy, and he would always eat anything that was served for lunch without complaining. He will also help to play the CDs or DVDs for grandmother or turn to her favorite channel, even if it means listening or watching some oldies that he had never heard of.
It was without a doubt that grandmother was quite fond of him and he too, was just used to being with grandmother.

When grandmother passed away, B was holding it back although tears were flowing down his cheeks, the poor boy.

Anyway, this is a story which B told us during the wake; which took place at this funeral parlor in Batu Lanchang.
There was a washroom located at the back of each parlor; the whole funeral parlor had 4 halls to hold four different funerals at the same time.
This washroom was attached to each hall.

The washroom was located all the way at the back but there was a small door that led to the kitchen and also another door where one can access the main hall, where the deceased lay.

B was having a drink and went to the kitchen to wash his cup; which was adjacent to the hall and also the main hall.
Take note that the kitchen faces the nearby cemetery. (Yes, the funeral parlor was located next to a cemetery)

When B was watching the cup, he heard someone called his name, "B, B" softly.
He thought it was his own mother, but he did not answer as he thought it was quite weird especially when the voice sounded more like grandmother!!
He was rooted to the ground and was scared as he knew that grandmother was just lying in the hall behind him, and he dared not look or run.
He just stood there, and the voice continued to call him, "B, B" but it slowly faded.
He said he felt frozen there, but when the voice could no longer be heard, he just ran out of the kitchen and back to the hall compound where the rest of us are.

He did not dare to walk to the back alone anymore, and each time he wanted to go to the washroom, he asked his dad to accompany him.
Furthermore, B was a rather timid boy and that incident clearly left him shaken.

Needless to say, he never walked into the kitchen anymore.

What do you say, was it grandmother, or was it another spirit?

People say that during the Hungry Ghost month, there are just endless wandering spirits everywhere and these wandering spirits have no home where they could go to, and relied only on the burnt offerings by the kind living by the roadside or at the temples.
These spirits could take on any form, and some of the spirits could be malicious too.
Never mind that in normal times we are often told not to simply answer when someone calls you softly when there is no one around; in places such as forests, dark alleys, and definitely not in funeral parlors/cemeteries, let alone now that this is during the Hungry Ghost month.

Thank goodness that B had that sense not to answer to that call, or who knows what could have happened to him.
Anyway, if it was truly grandmother, it was just probably her spirit coming to bid him farewell.

A Story of my Grandmother

2011-12-15T18:44:00.000-08:00

It has been four months since my maternal grandmother passed away; and it seemed like yesterday when we saw her lying there on the hospital.
I was never really that close to this grandmother; maybe because we were far away and we only see her like once or twice a year since our childhood.

She had been battling with her rare blood disease for the past three years already, and as most of them are Taoists, they took faith in mediums and deities worships and have been traversing to consulting mediums on grandmother's fate.
The mediums helped in a lot of ways, or perhaps, scientifically it could be the doctors, but I will not choose to comment as I never take a stand to doubt the supernatural and what faith truly can do as I have experienced the power of faith before.

Anyway, I remembered how situation worsened by the year and there was this year (I think it was two or three years back), when grandmother's disease took a critical turn and she was just in so much pain. It took us several trips to the hospital, and for my mum, it was a long journey from KL to come and accompany her mother.
It was almost to a hopeless case, and grandmother did not seem to be getting any better.
All the aunts and uncles were frantically praying and rushing to the temples, and they consulted mediums from all these different temples.
There was this particular temple, which they frequent and I believed the deity was 'Tua Pek' and 'Jee Pek' (Grand Uncle and Second Uncle respectively), who are the guards or protectors of the underworld. They are two deities who are like constables; guarding the underworld and to supervise/control the wandering ghosts.
The appearances of the two deities are apparent; as 'Tua Pek' (Grand Uncle) is wearing a white tall hat; tall and skinny, and with a tongue hanging (it was believed that he died hanging himself) and 'Jee Pek' (Second Uncle) is shorter in appearance and in black.

The deities are trusted assistants of the King of Hades, and 'Tua Pek' is the Chief Inspector of Hades who always carries a fan, while 'Jee Pek' carries a chain.

These deities are sought for the past three years by the aunts and uncles who wanted divine help on grandmother's health condition. This included requests to prolong her lifeline.

I remembered during that time when grandmother was critically ill and there seemed to be no more hope, they rushed to the temple to ask for Tua Pek's help, to prolong the length of grandmother's life.
That included having someone in the family, who was born in the year of the Rabbit, to burn the amulet and rubbed it on grandmother's forehead.
I guess it worked, as grandmother soon recovered and she was alive and kicking for the next two years. (Before that, it was like every year, especially during the Ching Ming month or the Hungry Ghost month, grandmother would be unwell).

Anyway, of course everyone was glad that grandmother was finally fine, but there was just this one thing; grandmother seemed to have develop a few odd habits:
1. She will constantly look at the clock and ask, "What's the time now?"
2. She will always say she sees someone from the corner of her eyes in the quietest place of the house; i.e: kitchen, bathroom
3. She hears someone calling her, or someone is looking at her from her bedroom window
4. She constantly asks for her meals, even though she had just had her meal a few minutes ago.

She was not senile; though as she was fully aware of what was happening around her but her new habits just kind of spooked everyone out; especially the superstitious aunts who seemed to think that the Angel of Death or the guards from Hades are lurking around.
Anyway, the trips to the temple to consult the deities continued, and they were given amulets; one after another for grandmother's protection.

There was also a piece of advice handed out to them, to keep grandmother in the house most of the time, and not let her out especially during Ching Ming month and not at all during the Hungry Ghost month. It was also specific that she should not bump into any funerals whenever she goes out.
It was said that the above practices are due to the presence of the other wandering spirits, and particularly the guards/constables of Hades who would be around to guide the spirits. After all, grandmother was believed to have cheated death when her life was prolonged.

Anyway, all went well for the past two years, with minor admissions due to her blood disease, but never anything serious, until THIS year.
Grandmother was due for her medical check up which was like a routine, every two to three months where she had to go to the hospital per her schedule.
Now, you know how the elders really hate going to the hospital, it's like they sensed death whenever they are there.
My grandmother was no exception, but she did not really have a choice as she needed to obtain medication and also examination from the doctor to ensure that her condition is under control.

You know how it works at government hospitals, where the appointments are scheduled by the hospital and not by yourself. It does not matter when you are free, because you have to make yourself available or the date will just be rescheduled to a few months later ( a few weeks, if you are lucky).

Anyway, this year, she went for her check ups and then the next check up was towards the end of July; which coincided with the Hungry Ghost month (or the seventh month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar).
It was supposed to be a routine check up really, and when they found that her blood levels were low, they proceeded to do the routine blood transfer.
She needed three packets, and by the second packet, grandmother did not seem to be taking it too well and collapsed, in a seizure where the doctors and nurses had to rush her to the ICU immediately to resuscitate her.

She was placed in the unit for observation, and she remained in a coma. However, she suddenly woke up one day and was all well and healthy. She even mentioned that she wanted to go home already and that she was missing all her favorite food.
By the third day, everyone was looking forward to having her home, but she went into an arrest again, and was rushed to the CCU (for the cardio patients). It was there that she went into a coma and never woke up anymore for the next two weeks.

When I arrived at the hospital, I remembered seeing her in the ICU where she was being resuscitated for an arrest for the second time. That was the last time I saw her awake.
For the next week I went to the hospital every single day with my mother, as they were rotating in shifts to take care of the mother. My grandmother was widowed at a young age, and my mother only had her left since her father passed away.

I observed that grandmother was barely awake, but I saw her moving her hands and legs occasionally; which was brushed off as reflex. She constantly want to touch the tubes attached to her face, but we tried to keep her hands down. Mum frowned at all her actions, and it was only later that she told me why.
It seemed that my mum saw the same scenario when my great grandmother and grandfather passed away in the hospital.
The movements of the limbs; especially kicking of the legs are signs of the approaching Angel of Death who is probably nearby and they are just trying to get away from being taken by the Angel of Death.

Do you believe in being able to sense the presence of someone?
Honestly, I didn't, really, but I could tell you that I could sense, during that time in the hospital. The aunts and uncles were all drama kings and queens and they were all telling us about things they sensed, see and hear and most of it, to me, sounded like it was directly taken from the movies.
I am not being a skeptic, but trust me, when you have dealt with them long enough, everything, to them is a big deal and you just kind of get over everything to do with them.

Anyway, as I was saying, I just remembered feeling how grandmother was like, still struggling for her dear life, and I could just sense that she was just around the ward for a few days. Suddenly, there was this one day, I just couldn't sense her anymore, and it was also the day where I didn't see much movement from her anymore.
Maybe you could associate it to what I had seen; from her movement, but no, it had nothing to do with the obvious; it was really the sense.

Then we found out from the aunt who went to consult the medium, that grandmother's condition is getting critical and the medium predicted that the 14th and 15th of the Hungry Ghost Month was probably the most dangerous for her life. When they tried to beg the deities for more information and help to heal her, the deities (medium in trance) waved them away and told them that they were busy during that month.
The medium handed them only a gold-plated pendant this time, and told them there were no more amulets for them; there was just nothing much they can do this round as they can only leave it to fate.

I asked my mum, the meaning of the gold pendant; versus the amulet, and my mother shook her head sadly, telling me that an amulet means there is still protection against the underworld, and that the deities could still deter her from being taken away. When they don't give you an amulet, it means that there is nothing they can do.
How about the pendant, I ask?
The pendant is the highest honor given by the deity, and it is a form of prayer and blessing provided to reduce the suffering and to be on their way.

It was then I prayed; yes, grandmother may be a Taoist and I may be a Catholic, but that didn't stop me from praying so that she will not suffer from so much pain.

She survived on the 14th and 15th, although she did not wake up at all, but the machine still showed her pulse and heartbeat. However, the doctors have already given their opinions and told everyone to be prepared for the worst as there is nothing they could do if she does not wake up.
On Monday, which was the 16th of Hungry Ghost month and the 15th of August, grandmother was transferred to the normal ward in the late evening.
The normal ward was filled with patients, but grandmother was the only one in coma as the rest were just resting patients.

The ward seemed to be in pretty bad shape, and the power sockets located at grandmother's spot were not even working. She was placed in front of the medical/nurses counter, just like all the other ICU and CCU wards she was in the last few weeks.
However, things were not looking that good to me, and everyone in the ward seemed to be looking at my grandmother with such fear and anxiety in their eyes.

We went home that night, and in the middle of the night, mum and me were just finding it so hard to fall asleep, and we even had difficulties in breathing. Mum was practically having a lump in her chest that she was struggling with it and she kept telling me that she was just not feeling so well.
Just as I was sinking into deep sleep, my phone woke me up at 5a.m and I jumped up to pick up the phone.

I heard aunt's voice, telling us to rush to the hospital as the doctor informed that grandmother may not make it any longer. We rushed to the hospital and arrived at about 5.40a.m, and I noticed that her pulse and heartbeat were slowing down. The machine kept going off, getting on everyone's nerves and then when almost everyone is here except for one more aunt and uncle, grandmother's pulse seemed to have almost halted.
When that aunt arrived, grandmother's pulse totally stopped.
However, everyone screamed and told her that there is one more uncle.

I will not believe this if I did not see it with my own eyes, but it was like a miracle when there was a faint pulse detected although it was already a flat line for a few seconds!
When the uncle arrived and called her "Mother", the pulse was dead and it was at this time, the doctor arrived and they pulled the curtains around her bed while we waited.
We heard sounds and it was shortly after when I heard the doctor saying, "Record the time at 6.40a.m", it was then that we knew, she was gone, forever.

It was my first time, really, to be there on the spot and watch a close loved one pronounced dead. Although I was not really close to this grandmother, I was just filled with grief and sorrow to hear someone had just left the world.
My mum was holding it very well, and I guessed it was due to her own health as well.

We proceeded to all the necessary procedures; death certificate, transportation from the mortuary to the funeral parlor, and the funeral proceedings.

My mum then told me that she already had a very bad feeling that moment when grandmother was transferred to the normal ward, and I told her the same thing.
Mum further revealed that the patient next to grandmother's bed already told her that there was another patient who had just passed away that same morning before grandmother came and asked why was grandmother sent to the normal ward when she was in such a serious condition.

A lot of stories were slowly revealed as well, during the wake, about how grandmother may have met the Angel of Death.
An aunt mentioned that she brought grandmother out on the weekend, and she did not realize it was the first of the Hungry Ghost Month. The worse was that they stopped at a traffic light, and there was a wake/funeral going on at the adjacent house. They could not move the car away but they told grandmother to look away.

Another aunt mentioned that when grandmother was first admitted to the hospital and was well, there was another serious accident case which was sent to the same ICU ward and the young man was just a few beds away from grandmother's. Grandmother was very afraid and told the aunt to draw the curtains close. In a few minutes, the doctors pronounced the young man died; due to the serious brain hemorrhage.

Another aunt also mentioned that there was a death in all the wards grandmother was transferred to, and when grandmother was battling with dear life, they were relived that she was transferred to a different ward as that would 'confuse' the Angel of Death when they could not locate her.

Then there was one who mentioned that they smelt an odor when they were taking care of her in her comatose state, and that odor was confirmed by most aunts (including mum) that it was only found on the corpses. It was like the Corpse's Odor. Mum told me that whenever you smelt something weird in a hospital, never say a word or it could follow you for the rest of your lives.

There were all sorts of stories associated to the supernatural incidents or deductions they had when she was nearing her deathbed.
To me, I believe in God being the ultimate decision maker in our lives.
No matter how you hide, you can never run away from fate.

Life and death is something we can never control, honestly, and that we should just let it be.
If she was meant to live, she will live.
Furthermore, we should pray for her that she had gone to a better place, even if we mourn for her, for she is finally without pain and suffering and I am sure she would prefer that.

Rest in Peace, my grandmother... (16th August 2011)

Spot Her!

2011-11-22T22:22:00.000-08:00

I was sent this link to a YouTube video; featuring a Hong Kong commercial advertisement back in the 90's.
There were rumors that there were more than the intended number of children involved in the filming of the advertisement; with the main rumor saying that there were only six children but there was a part when they found a 7th girl behind the last boy who was looking down.

I played this video and watched it; trying to see what the story was all about and found that it was just a normal advertisement about the KCRC railway in relativity to their friendly services to the locals and the notion of using children in the advertisement is to show the commuters how simple and close the train company is to the commuters; similar to the game that children play; putting their hands on each other to form a train line.
KCRC is trying to send the message that they are reaching out to their commuters and that they are just friendly and relative to their commuters.

I have watched it a couple of times, and I still don't see the weird part about this advertisement at all; despite being told that there is an appearance of a 7th girl behind the last boy's back, at 0.26-0.27.

The Rumor
If you noticed right from the start of the advertisement, there seemed to be only six children playing the 'choo-choo' train game; there are 4 boys and 2 girls.

Nothing seemed to be wrong, and towards the middle of the advertisement; or as mentioned, at the 0.26-0.27 seconds, the last kid at the back of the line seemed to be a girl, rather than a boy.
Some of us may not have noticed it, but then in the last scene, you can see that the last kid in the line is actually a boy and not the girl.

Also, it was mentioned that the girl standing at the back of the line was looking down with her head bowed at the above mentioned second.

It was said that the last boy died shortly after the advertisement, and the locals linked it to the superstition of 'tapping hands on the shoulder' and in the forest where creepy things tend to happen.

KCRC was rumored to have only hired six children for this advertisement and that they were surprised when they aired the advertisement that there were seven children.

Anyway, as I could not find anything funny about the advertisement (I really tried!), I decided to try and do a little checking and research on my own.
I did my research online; Googled up the story behind this advertisement and also contacted my Hongkie friends to hear their side of the story, since this advertisement was reputed to be one of major rumors surrounding the country in the 90's; which was when this was aired on TV.

It was said that when it was aired on TV, it was taken off screen shortly which spurred rumors on that there was something creepy about the advertisement.
Imagine, at that time there was no Youtube yet and people had to wait patiently for the ad to appear and then count the number of children in it. Some even went to the extent of the recording the ad and playing it again and again!
(Thank goodness for the existence of technology and YouTube today!)

Thanks to the sources from Google and also my friends, I have managed to dig up a bit of information about this advertisement.
However, a disclaimer here; I am not able to speak on behalf of KCRC nor am I able to verify the rumors and these are only based on my findings.

I was unable to find much information from KCRC (For your information, KCRC is a railway service in Hong Kong and the abbreviation stands for Kowloon-Canton Railway Company), but I did come across a few forum threads discussing on this topic and, also sources from my friends.

Apparently this commercial was produced by KCRC and was aired on TV to promote their railway in the 90's, and it was scheduled to run for a period of time.
During its running period, there did not seem to be any rumor circulating around about the extra kid in the advertisement.

When the advertisement was taken down, that was where the rumors started whereby people started to say that there was an extra kid appearing in the advertisement and that KCRC probably realized it, hence the prompt removal of the advertisement from the national television.

People then started to talk about the advertisement, which also happened to be filmed in a forest and with its dark gray surroundings, as you can observe in the above video, made one associate the story to the supernatural (unbiased statement here).

The rumor started with the observation that there was supposedly six children appearing but somehow there was an extra appearance of a little girl behind the last boy in a scene. As the little girl kept her head bowed down in the commercial compared to the other children who were smiling brightly at the camera, she was reputed to be the 'ghost'.
Furthermore, the last scene seemed to lay the concrete on the rumor when it was obvious that the last kid was a boy!

There were lots of views on this rumor; and let's separate them into the supernatural and also the logical explanation part.
Supernatural Explanation
There was indeed a ghost, who was the girl behind the last boy because she held her head down most of the time and only appeared in one of three scenes.
1. The 1st scene showed that there were 6 kids, and the last kid was a boy. Then the middle scene as they marched towards the camera, there seemed to be another girl behind the last boy and she was just looking down. The last scene again showed that there were only six kids and that the last kid was indeed a boy.

2. The setting was in a forest, and the place looked a little gloomy, which usually could be a base for the supernatural scene.

3. All the children were always focused on the camera; and only the girl kept her head bowed down when they were supposed to face the camera directly in the middle scene.

The Logical Explanation
1. Bad editing; the order of the children kept changing throughout the advertisement, despite the short period of time.

2. KCRC probably hired more than 6 kids; and the director probably used different kids to achieve better results in the advertisement. There may be more than 6 kids, and at different points of time, the director probably arranged them differently and used more kids.

3. The little girl looking down could be seen in the earlier scene; the one in pink and with ponytail and not a ghost, as rumored. Furthermore, she was probably looking down at that point because she wanted to make sure she did not tread on the shoes of the boy in front of her.

My take/opinion on this whole story?
Well, if you ask me, I have to pick the logical part for this one, as first of all, I don't really see anything wrong with the advertisement and I would attribute the overall confusion to the editing process of the commercial.
I just don't really think that a little girl's ghost could appear so clearly and visible in an advertisement and also at the same time, looks like one of the girls in the advertisement.
(Yeah, you can consider a doppelganger, but that was not the point of the story in the first place).

I think there was just a little illusion involved, and it may be associated with the editing process by the production team. They may not be detailed enough to notice the parts of the editing which went wrong with the advertisement and probably they did not double check before they air it on TV.
When production filming takes place, there are always more than a few shots taken and the director may change his mind to alter the image portrayed in the advertisement (it is a lot of pressure when filming an ad). Perhaps the director's indecisiveness was not properly communicated to the editing team, who also went with their own professional opinion to fit in the best shots into the commercial.
After all, this was scheduled to run on national television, and should be artistically portrayed.

Whether the children or that particular kid died or not, there was no sound confirmation from any source, and therefore I will not comment.

However, sometimes, I believe the human mind can play a lot of games; and can make one believe what one wants to believe.
The girl has appeared in the other parts of the advertisement, and I still think she is just as human as the rest.

So, my conclusion? Editing and also mind illusion.
If you are not happy, well, maybe you can form your own conclusion and to aid you in this, you can also do more research and share with me.
I would love to hear from anyone who can shed some light on this story.

Additional information
You might be interested to check out some of these forum discussions:
The HK KCRC commercial; 6 kids or 7?
Extra Girl Ghost in KCR commercial
HK KCRC commercial

Pillars of a Building

2011-11-21T21:19:00.000-08:00

Living in the modern and advanced 21st century surrounds us with tall buildings and skyscrapers everywhere we looked.
These skyscrapers and buildings have pushed out remnants of the past, and are now the icons which grace the skylines of our cities today.

Most of the time, we are in awe as we looked up at these buildings, but have we ever wondered how these buildings come to stand as tall as they are, from the flat land that used to stand in their place?
We have seen construction taking place when we drive around, or even walk past a building during its establishment phase and we see yellow helmets bobbing up and down; through the bamboo stick frames set up and perched on the ground, with an occasional shout from the half-complete concrete walls.
A familiar scenario, and sometimes just watching these men balancing themselves or walking around the eerily shaky poles makes one wonder whether they are safe or what happens when there is a mishap or if one is not careful; especially when most of these buildings are usually completed within a short period of time.

The following story is contributed/shared by a loyal reader whom I now call my friend, Stan.
This is something which was experienced by Stan's friend, on a construction site of an upcoming mall. For the sake of the story, let's refer to his friend as Dan *
(*not actual name of the eyewitness).

Dan had an appointment at this mall which was still in its construction phase. When he arrived at the building, he was told to park his car at the lower basement of the car park; at B2. There were lots of cars parked at that level as well; including that of the workers and maybe vendors who are there for meetings.

He then proceeded to his meeting on B1; to meet up with his customer and when he arrived there, it was about 10.00am.

The meeting was short, and in a brief moment, he was getting ready to leave. He walked down to B2, and at that point, he needed to go to the toilet very badly, and since it was a construction site and he did not want to go to the inconvenience of going all the way upstairs again, he decided to just pee near one of the pillars in the car park in B2.

After easing himself, he got into his car and started driving towards the exit from the car park, which was located at B1.
When he reached the B1 level, he was surprised by the total darkness which greeted him and he could barely see anything.
He thought that he must have driven to the wrong level of the car park, and decided to drive back to B2.

When he descended to B2, he was no longer surprised but shocked when he saw that there was not a single car in sight!
(Remember I mentioned earlier that there were a lot of cars parked there? Furthermore, it was in the morning)

He was terrified and badly shaken yet he tried to drive to B1 again to seek help from the people at the site office, and no surprise when he saw that B1 was covered in total darkness and there is no site office in sight. In fact, the whole place did not seem like anything he saw when he was there moments ago.

Dan started to panic when he was driving around and he frantically tried to find the exit but there was no light in sight. The whole place seemed like it was thickly blanketed with darkness and nothing seemed familiar to him, at all!
He must have been driving around the whole place for what seemed like hours, and he was badly shaken by now.
Feeling scared and at the same time, anxious to get out of the place, Dan suddenly started uttering words of prayer which he knows.
He prayed and prayed, while he continued driving up and down; traversing between B1 and B2, in rounds, yet still covered in darkness.

Suddenly he saw a speck of light coming from a distance, and he stopped his car and got out.
He ran like a madman towards the faint light, and when he finally reached the light, he realized that it was emitted from the fire exit.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the door and ran up the staircase as fast as he could and grabbed the first door open.

This time, to his relief, he was greeted by a normal bustling scene of people and cars!
There were people walking around, and cars driving as though nothing unusual happened at all. He was so relieved and yet exhausted by his traumatizing experience that he just sat down in the midst of the busy scene to catch his breath and relax.

While he was trying to calm and recollect himself altogether, he was greeted by his customer; or rather, the site manager who was walking past and asked him about still being there when he had already left at 10.30am; which was two and a half hours ago.
Surprise, at that moment, it was already 1.00pm!!
(Guess he was not wrong that he had been driving for hours)
The manager was also surprised at his disheveled state; not to mention him drenching in sweat.

Dan started explaining the whole incident; ignoring the fact that he is probably going to sound like a crazy lunatic then and the manager just listened in patience, and surprisingly, without uttering a single word.
Upon hearing his story, the manager told him that he will arrange for someone to get his car from the car park which Dan thankfully agreed.

When the worker returned with his car, Dan thanked the manager promptly and almost instantly sped out of the building!
I don't think we can blame him for that!

Dan was probably left to forget and get over his trauma for a few years, and probably never to recall the incident had he not met up with the site manager again, by chance a few years later.

It was then that the site manager shared with him on the facts and stories about the construction, which shed light on his experience.

During times of construction, there are times when the developer or the project owners have to complete the building within a short period of time.
Times like these call for desperate measures and in speeding up the construction process, the safety of the workers may not be considered. In fact,there may not even be specific safety guidelines to govern the behavior or to ensure that the workers are working in a safe environment; despite the laws set by the government.

There are some unscrupulous contractors who hire illegal immigrant workers whom they pay at a low price to help in the construction. It is no surprise why they will do that as illegal immigrants are not registered nor are they protected by the law, and there need not be much compensation or benefits for them as they themselves are afraid of being exposed and risk being sent home to their poor countries.
As such, most of the time, these workers will be treated with disrespect and not properly equipped with the gear and equipment to do the job.
Sometimes, due to their inexperience, may meet with fatal mishaps at their workplace.

How do they deal with the deaths which occurred at the work sites, you wonder?
Now, comes the spooky part; as the site manager reveals to Dan.
When these workers met with fatal accidents at the work site, their deaths are concealed as a secret by burying them underneath the piles of concrete and stones which build the very foundation of our buildings!
The reason is simple, when they are rushing to complete a building, accidents and deaths are deemed as potential showstoppers if they were reported.
The reports will lead to investigations and surveillance of the work sites, and these can lead to an order to cease all work immediately.
This may cause delay in their construction, and as such, loss in profits in huge sums of money.

Therefore, these unethical contractors will not reveal nor report any such incident and instead choose to deal with them in their own ways.
They will dispose the bodies in the most convenient way possible, and that means, burying these injustice deaths underneath the pillars of concrete, sand and stones which form the building.

Now, you understand the reason why Dan was being haunted when he was in the car park? He 'peed' on one of the pillars, which probably was the grave of one of these workers and his act was deemed as disrespectful to the spirit.

These are probably restless spirits, and these pillars are regarded as their eternal resting places.
So, the next time you want to ease yourself of your full bladder, please be wary of the 'unseen' resting in these places, and just use the designated washrooms/toilets.

Heads or trails...

2011-11-15T17:36:00.000-08:00

The Japanese occupation during the World War II had left lasting effects on most of the countries they landed on; even way after the war has ended.
In fact, you will be surprised to learn that there are still remnants of the occupation found in some of the places where some of the killings took place, haunting and lingering among the living.

I have heard of so many stories revolving around the hauntings and sightings of the Japanese past, existing in the present day. It is like they never left, even centuries after the end of the war, reminding the generation today of the terrifying incidents of the war.

The short story I am about to share is from a third party (a friend of a friend), who experienced a bizarre and disturbing incident during his stay in a hotel in a remote place in China.

He was traveling with his wife to this part of China, for sightseeing and relaxation and they booked a hotel. There was not much of a choice anyway, as the place here is rather isolated and they were not fussy with their place of accommodation as their primary purpose is to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the place, and the amount of time they spend in the room is secondary to their tour.
Furthermore the room they checked into was quite good, and therefore they left their luggages and started their tour of the place.

At night, they went back to the hotel which had two beds, and feeling tired, they just slept together on one of the beds.

In the middle of the night, the husband was slightly stirred by some movement at the side of the bed where he also heard some sounds.
He moved over to the side of the bed to take a look, and to his amazement (not to mention shock), he saw a rather transparent and grayish face looking back at him.
He then jolted up with a shock as he saw that it was a head (only!) of a Japanese soldier, with blood on his eyes and face.

He rubbed his eyes, and realized that it was still there!
He was unable to move although he tried with all his might to wake up his wife, but he just simply could not move nor speak!
The head just remained there, and it seemed like forever it was fixated in the air.

When he could finally move, the head sort of disappeared into thin air.
He turned and noticed his wife, looking scared and shaken, and apparently, she had seen the head too!

They were both badly shaken by that sighting and quickly turned on all the lights in the room.
Needless to say, they were unable to get back to sleep that night.

The next day, they went to the reception to relate the incident and to request for a change of room.
The guy manning the desk did not seem surprised when they told him the story, and apologized that the hotel was already fully booked and they were unable to change their room.
The guy also further revealed that it was due to the full occupation of the hotel that they opened up their restricted floor for guests, and that the room which they were occupying at that time was located on that floor.
It seems that the floor was closed due to some supernatural reasons, and that there have been reported sightings of Japanese soldiers.

Hearing this, the couple was freaked out, but the guy told them that these spirits are only appearing because they feel that their space has been intruded.
Also, the hotel has provided two beds in the room as one of the bed is reserved for the spirits and that the couple only need to sleep in the other bed to avoid any disturbance.
The reason why they saw the head the night before was probably because they picked the wrong bed, and that bed was the one which belonged to the spirit.

The couple had no choice, but to stay on for the second night although they were still fearful of the incident repeating again.
They tried to avoid staying in the room as much as possible and spent most of the day in the town, and only going back to the room for sleep (which they would prefer to skip if they had a choice, but the town was just quiet as well at night).

That night, they hopped to the other bed to sleep and cuddled up to each other tightly, not daring to look at any direction. They stayed awake for a while before finally falling asleep due to exhaustion.
When they opened up their eyes, it was already the morning and they were relieved and thankful that they survived that night without any disturbance.

They continued to stay for another night, to finish up their itinerary, and was relieved to finally check out.
They thanked the receptionist for his help, but he shrugged, telling them that is was a normal phenomenon and that usually the hotel will not choose to open up the rooms on that floor to avoid extra requests and complaints.
He also told them that the hotel was built on a site which had reported killings of soldiers during the Japanese occupation and that the hotel was occasionally haunted by the sightings of Japanese soldiers.

Nevertheless, the couple was glad to be finally leaving the place and going home.
I would too, if I were them, but I am still amazed they could continue staying there after the sighting that night!
I would probably book the next flight out, or if not, I would choose to stay in the lobby! :-P

Spooked, or Stay?

2011-11-15T00:29:00.000-08:00

There are various stories I have heard which revolves around hotels, motels or vacation accommodations everywhere; be it local or overseas.
I have recently heard of a few more stories; really short and simple but I find it rather bizarre and how amazing some people can be taking things like these so well.

Most of the stories I have heard revolve around disturbances experienced during stays or some even to the extent of actual sightings!
Some would be too spooked to continue their stay, but I have also heard (and impressed) by the bold ones who chose to stay and ignore, no matter what happens.
Those who chose to stay usually share that the location is rather remote, or there are no other hotels around. Some also involves the trip itinerary and their flights out of the location they are visiting.
Some could be even due to budget constraints.

Whatever it is, I think it is a personal decision or a choice the eye witnesses have to make; as sometimes they are the only ones who encountered the spooks and only they know the extent of their fears.

However, sometimes I do wonder, to what extent can some take the spooks level.

I am going to share a short story here for you to judge, whether you can take it to stay another night.

Story: Disturbance in an apartment
This couple went on a vacation with their family and relatives to the east coast of Malaysia, and they traveled to a rather remote area of the state.
They booked an apartment to share with their family and relatives, and they were a rather big group, so it was all a merry environment.

When they checked into the apartment, they noticed there was a chair in the bathroom; which was rather odd, to be honest, but they just moved the chair away.

Anyway, as they were hustling and bustling to settle down, they heard noises coming from the bathroom and everyone turned to look.
They saw the bathroom door latch/hinge locking and unlocking itself repeatedly.
Everyone was speechless, and they just kept quiet.

They stared at the door, and it was obvious no one was standing there nor could there be any way anyone could do that to the door!
The door latch just lifted itself and dropping into the latch, and this just kept repeating itself.

Some were spooked, but they just ignored it as there is simply no other place to stay around that area as it was really isolated. Furthermore, they have already booked the place for their trip and moving out in groups could be inconvenient and so, they decided to stay back, as they didn't think there would be much trouble when they are in a big group.

Things didn't really escalate as well, which was rather fortunate, and they went to bed that night, with everyone sleeping everywhere in the apartment.

They turned the lights out when they tucked in that night, and everyone slept really soundly.

The husband woke up in the middle of the night and was surprised to see ALL the lights turned on. He was bewildered, and yet, in that half awake state, stirred his wife awake and asked, "Why did you turn on the lights?"

The wife, who was sleepy at that time, just answered him, "No, I didn't, No ONE did...we switched it off just now when we went to sleep!"

They realized that when the guy asked about the lights, even before the wife answered, the lights just turned off automatically and the whole apartment was in pitch darkness again!

Guess what, they just went back to sleep!

That was about the incidents which happened to them during their stay, and I am amazed that they could withstand these spooks.
Yeah, they may not be very damaging nor very spooky, but hey, if it was me, I would probably pack and run off immediately!

That's me, what would you do, if it was you?

Heating it Up

2011-11-14T17:58:00.000-08:00

Some of us do travel quite a bit; especially when it comes to work-related trips, although there are also those who plan and make time for their personal trips.
(I am not referring to myself here :-P )

Typically when it comes to business trips, the perks are the 5-star hotels we will be staying in which we get to enjoy the comforts of home in a luxurious environment; not to mention the facilities located within the building itself.

On business trips, typically we get a room to ourselves, and trust me, sometimes it may be a good thing and sometimes, not really.

I recently heard stories from some of my hubby's friends who shared about their very own encounters in hotels; some are from overseas and some in our very own country!

I have one short story here on a business trip; where this person, let's call her J, who experienced something on her business trip to Singapore a few years ago.

It was a company trip; and her whole department were checked into the same hotel.
Each of them was assigned a room to themselves; which was quite a privilege.

J was uncomfortable to find that her room was at the end of the corridor; near the emergency staircase area. She never did like last rooms; as it is often so deserted.

She was quite tired from the flight and also the day's events, and went to bed.
She heard lots of noises from the outside; doors opening and closing and people walking, even in the middle of the night.

She brushed it aside, as she thought that they were guests from other hotel rooms who were probably enjoying their nightlife a little too late into the night.

After all, it was pretty normal for anyone to hear doors closing and opening at any time whenever you are staying in hotels, right? They are filled with occupants anyway.

She felt weird inside the room anyway, but she told herself not to think of anything.

She had a weird encounter, during her second week of stay in that room.

She was back from her meetings, and was getting ready to take bath.
She stepped into the bathroom and took a relaxing bath.
As she came out of the bathroom, she was surprised to see the electric jug kettle boiling with water and it just turned off automatically; as most electric kettles do when the water is boiled.
She was amazed and bewildered at the same time, as she was pretty sure that she did NOT turn on the electric kettle at that time.
She did not want to think too much about it, and she even thought positively about the whole incident like, "Hey, whoever is doing it, spirit or not, is just so considerate to make sure she has hot drinking water!"

Besides that incident, there were no major incidents that she could recall except another time whereby she caught the water heater in the bathroom being turned on.
Again, this spirit must be really concerned with the temperature inside the room, huh?

She stayed inside that same room for almost a month, and she sleeps with all the lights turned off at night, but she did not face any disturbance.

Honestly, I am really impressed with her courage to be able to stay inside the room for so long!
I think I would have probably requested for a room change when I saw the electric kettle incident, but then again, I do agree with the optimisim, that at least the spirit did not mean any harm and was often helping her out.

It is always good to be positive and to stay calm when in situations like these, although I must say that it is easier said than done.
When you are in the situations like these, you will not be able to just sit and think calmly sometimes.

I find this story really interesting, and not really the typical spooks type.
A good one to amuse my readers after a long break :)

New spooks on the way!

2011-11-13T23:48:00.000-08:00

I've just gotten back to blogging after my busy hectic schedule of wedding planning for the past few months, and I think, this is one of the most neglected blogs; which is totally unjust to some of my loyal fans and followers of this blog.

Anyway, I have good news to share; I have just gotten hold of not one, but a couple of good stories on spooks and personal encounters.
Besides spooking you guys out, I am also working on some cultural and tradition-based articles to share my experiences and knowledge with everyone.

It's a great thing to be back, and I have gotten around to updating most of my blogs, and now, it's time to revive this blog!

Thank you, if you have been patiently waiting for the resurrection of this blog, as you were not wrong, it is NOT abandoned!

Stay tune, a story coming up soon! ;)

The Meaning of Names

2011-06-22T01:16:00.000-07:00

Names are what we are known by, and called or referred to by our friends, family, relatives, co-workers, and even strangers.
Our name is the first reflection of our identity and the glimpse into our characters.

Have you ever wondered why we have the names that we do, or why our parents/grandparents spend time and put so much thought into selecting the best name for the babies before they were even born?

Some even went to the extent of consulting a medium, priest, astrologer/feng shui master or anyone in the religious authority to determine the name to suit their children based on the date, year and time of birth.
For Chinese, there is also the association with the zodiac year in which their childen are born to ensure that the right name is selected for their child.

It is all for a simple reason; besides identity is the association with the future and the good fortune of the child.
Really, it is just THAT simple.

However, the naming part is the one that could be slightly more complicated as there are just so many characters in each language; particularly the Chinese which could go up to more than thousands of characters and words.

I was having this conversation the other day, and it just hit me that I should just write an article on this, and do a quick research on the association of names and the future of the folks with great names.

Guess what? I have a list of names that can prove the theory above; that name can indeed determine the future of a child/person.
It is no wonder why most of the cultures place so much importance on the names of their offsprings as no parent would want a dim future for their child.

Even if you were to take off the superstitious and hopeful part, it is also wise and necessary to select a name that would be decent to spare your kid from the humiliation at school when other kids would make fun of his/her name.

In the olden days, Chinese farmers would tend to name their kids after animals or flowers. It is not something to laugh about, as then, not everyone had the luxury to receive any form of education, let alone higher education and thus, they do not know of the words/characters and just take it the easy way.
Furthermore, naming their sons 'Ah Ngau' (translates to Cow/Ox) means they hope for their son to be as hardworking as an ox while naming their daughters 'Ah Fa' (translates to flower) expresses their hopes for their girl to grow up beautiful and loved by everyone.

Names do hold a significant meaning/power over a person's fate/destiny in life, whether you like to believe it or not.
I am not urging for you to believe nor am I promoting/encouraging astrology calculations to decide on a name for your newborn.
I am not a huge believer myself, but I have indeed seen very good cases where the name brought success to the person.

I used to hear my parents tell me of this particular doctor whose Chinese name literally means 'drop/strip off underwear' and guess what, he is a gynaecologist!

Let's look at some celebrity examples:
Jackie Chan's chinese name is Seng Long; which translates to Successful Dragon. It was not his original name per se, but look at where he is today; tracing all the way back to his beginner days as an unknown stuntman.

Chinese names usually are selected based on the entirety of the meaning and also the compatibility of the birth date.
Usually Chinese names for boys contain words/characters like:
Seng - Success
Hock/Fook - Luck
Fatt/Huat - Prosperity
Loong - Dragon (Power and authority)
Hong/Kin - Health
Sui - Wealth

For girls:
Sam/Sum - Heart/Nobility/purity
Mei - Beauty

For English names, usually they take after famous people, or for Catholics, they take on patron saint names for their children to ensure they are blessed and patronized by the holy saints and angels.

Every name given is with thought and careful consideration, and I have seen more than enough examples; particularly of Chinese ancestry which had proven this point.
(I won't go too much into the western/English or names from other cultures as that would be too lengthy)

In my family, there are several examples already, but for privacy reasons I won't reveal the full name nor the relationship of the person to me.
Chinese Name means Golden Complete Circle/Reunion and yes, this person has a decent and complete life with a complete family (wife and kids), a job, car, house and decent salary to bring him through his life.

Smooth Fortune: This is a very lucky and fortunate person as he can win almost anything or get anything he want if he tried/participate.

Far Foresight/thinking: This person has displayed extraordinary calmness even in the most panicky situations. Furthermore, most of his plannings never went wrong.

Heart of a flower: Unique and rare, and yes, she is one who seeks to be recognized as an unique individual and not to be lumped as the majority.

Smooth and let it be: the person is the most carefree that I have seen, and nothing worries him at all because he does not care too much about anything in the world and just lets nature takes its course.

Now, moving away from the names in my family and celebrities like superstar Jackie Chan, there are also names in Christianity/western culture which are worth looking into:
Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most influential and respectable figures in history, and uniquely, his name Mahatma means 'one of a great soul, one respected for his spirituality'.

Just another one for thought, Bill Gates, which I have just realized and associate...isn't he the one turning on the tap or opening(gates) opportunities for the $$ (bills) to flow in?
That is a nice thought and association, ain't it?

Each name given is selected based on much care, thought and consideration and reflects on our parents' hopes, faith and prayers for us in our lives.
We should be thankful for their time and efforts.

Your name is yourself, and be yourself, and don't let yourself be affected by the superstition alone.
If you love your name, good for you...and if you dislike your name, too bad, but you can change it if you want.
Always remember, you can change your first name if you don't like it, but your surname is something that you can never be rid of unless you want to disown your own family.
That would be disowning who you truly are, as a tree can never be without its roots.

I hope to continue another time on this interesting topic, and do drop me your thoughts if you have any.

Dumpling Festival aka Dragon Boat Festival

2011-06-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

The fifth day of the fifth lunar month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar is dedicated to the Dumpling Festival/Dragon Boat festival, or also known as the Duanwu Jie (端午节) in Chinese (Mandarin).

The day falls on the 6th of June this year (what a pure coincidence!); which was yesterday.
As the name suggested, the festival is largely associated with the dumplings (food) and the dragon boat (activity) which formed the celebration of the festival.

History/Origin
The festival and the notion of dumplings and dragon boat takes us back to the early periods; BCE (Before the Common Era) during the existence of the warring states; 278 BCE, in ancient China.
As this is a Chinese festival, it is no surprise that the whole thing started from China.

The famous icon believed and popularly attributed to the origin of this festival is a poet and an official, Qu Yuan (屈原) who was serving the king of the ancient state of Chu, in the warring states period of the Zhou Dynasty. He was of royal descent and served the government. He opposed to the ruler's decision to form an alliance with the powerful Qin forces at that time, thus incurred the wrath of the king who sent him away on exile based on the allegations of treason.
When the Qin took over the capital of Chu and the kingdom, Qu Yuan was distressed and ended his life by jumping into the river.
His death was mourned by many who had supported and liked him, and they made lumps of rice to throw into the river where he died to distract the fishes from feasting on his body.
There were also some who went to the extent of rowing their boats to uncover his body and at the same time, scare away the fishes in the river.
He was dearly remembered for his loyalty and also for his poetry, which were mostly written during his time in exile.

The acts of the lumps of the rice, led to the notion of the dumplings today, while the boat rowing/paddling led its way to the dragon boat race today.

Other Sources of Origin
Qu Yuan remained the most popular figure to be associated with the origin of this festival, but there were places in China; i.e: Zhejiang which also commemmorates the filial piety of Cao E who tried to rescue her father and drowned to her death while doing so.

In short, most of the sources and stories related to the origin had something to do with the notion of loyalty/filial piety and included suicide/death in the river, and the acts of trying to protect the body from the fishes.

Celebration
Rice Dumplings

The notion of dumpling came from the lumps of rice, which is now largely associated with the glutinous rice dumplings; also known as Zhongzi (粽子) in Mandarin or also Zong 粽 in Cantonese.
The rice dumpling is usually wrapped in bamboo leaves; in a triangular or tetrahedral shape.
The glutinous rice is the main part of the dumpling, and is usually cooked by stir-frying.

The traditional zong/zhang (Hokkien) is composed of black mushrooms, salted egg yolk, pork, chestnuts, and may contain traces of dried scallops/shrimps too.

The making of zhang/zong is a long and tedious process, and usually take a few hours and is a family activity (like all Chinese festivals) in the olden days.

There are also different types of zong with their fillings available, such as red bean paste, mung bean paste, chicken, or sometimes, no filling at all which requires the dumplings to be eaten with sugar or sweet syrup.

Dragon Boat Race
The paddling of the boat to search for the poet's body or to scare away the fishes gave birth to the idea of the dragon boat race which coincides with the celebration of the festival.
The notion of the dragon came about due to the period of the dumpling festival which occurs during the summer solstice, where the day presides longer. As the sun is often associated with the yang energy and also the iconic dragon, thus the boat race came to be known as the Dragon Boat Race, a symbol of the weather.

The Dragon Boat race is an annual event in a few countries like Malaysia, Singapore and China.

The dragon boat race is most popular and garnered much public attention in Malaysia; which usually takes place in Penang, an island located in the northern region off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia where most of the professionals participate to win the tournament every year.
Even schools sent their best teams to partake in the exciting race which attracted not only the foreigners but also local tourists from all over Malaysia to make that trip to the state to watch the race in action.

Public Holiday
The festival is observed as a public holiday in China and states in the republic; which includes Taiwan, Macau and China.

This year, in Malaysia, we were fortunate enough to have the festival coincide with the public holiday replacement of the king's birthday which fell on Saturday, and thus some of the companies replaced the holiday for their employees on the following Monday which was the day of the festival, thus making it a longer weekend :)

For more on the Zong (food), please refer to my food blog :)

Vesak Day in Malaysia

2011-05-26T01:03:00.000-07:00

Vesak Day, or Vesakha is a Buddhist festival observing the birth, enlightenment and the death of Gautama Buddha, all on the same day.

The celebration of Vesak Day falls on the first full moon in the month of May; which is also the 15th day in the Chinese Lunar calendar. The name Vesak is derived from the name of the month in the Indian calendar (Siddharta Gautama Buddha is an Indian prince).

The festival is celebrated in several countries around the world; which observe it as an annual national public holiday. It was traditionally observed by countries like India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and also South East Asian countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar and also Malaysia.

I did not travel out of the country (perhaps someday I should) to participate in the festival celebrations or to experience how it is observed in other countries, but I think the festival is already observed with much importance in my own homeland.

I am not a Buddhist, but I was honored to be able to join in the celebrations with the devotees who woke up early in the morning to visit the temple, or the Buddhist Association; in this case, the association in Penang (located on Burmah Road).

Being early means one get to avoid the massive crowd which will form later in the day, and also to be able to see the setup and preparations of the volunteers for the big event; which included the prayers, blessings and also the parading of Buddha statue on the streets.

It is not uncommon to spot stalls selling fresh flowers, candles (lotus shaped), and joss sticks on the roadside on this day; whichever temple or association centre you go to.

Vesak Day is a religious festival, and is viewed as a very important celebration in the Buddhism context as Buddhists are to reaffirm their faith in Buddha's teachings besides the three momentous events; birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha.

Emphasizing on peace and nobility of life in serving others, Buddha called on his disciples/followers to do the same, through the observation and daily practice of the Five Percepts; which focuses on the commitment of abstinence from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxication and to adhere to the teachings of life towards humility, morality and simplicity.

On important festivals/events such as Vesak, the Eight Percepts are observed, as an addition to the Five Percepts, but they are based on the moral guidelines to lead a more honorable life according to the messages preached by Buddha.

Typically, as I was told, there are rarely joss sticks used in the worshipping of Buddha, but on Vesak Day, joss sticks, candles, fruits and flowers are offered to Buddha (the joss sticks are not allowed at the altar or inside the building though).

There is a meaning to the joss sticks and flowers offered, and is again, in line with the teachings of Buddha.

It is based on the concept that nothing stays for eternity, and that there is always change revolving around all matters. Joss sticks are burnt and then there is nothing left but ashes, and flowers do not stay in bloom forever as they will wilt, dry and fall to the floor. It is the same with life, no one stays immortal nor young forever, we are also subject to death and objects around us could also be destroyed.
Therefore, people are urged to appreciate what is present and also not to do harm unto others.

The celebrations of Vesak Day also traditionally start before dawn, whereby devotees are called to the temples to assemble and witness the raising of the Buddhism Flag.

Then there are Buddhism hymns sungs, which are verses from the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha; all of which are part of the holy triple jewel.(Source: Vesak, Buddhism)

Besides the worshipping and observing of the teachings, the devotees are also called to practise the peaceful and life-giving kindness to others.

As such, some would volunteer to help with the preparations or painting/decorating the temples - painting of Buddhism murals, preparing food for the poor and the needy, donations to the poor (clothing, food or money) as these resemble acts of kindness, harmony, peace and unity among all mankind.

Another interesting ceremony to observe during the celebration is the bathing of the small baby Buddha statue which is placed standing in the middle of a golden basin filled with water scattered with fragrant flowers.

Devotees will then take turn to bathe the baby Buddha, by using the ladle provided to scoop the water in the basin which are filled with the flowers and gently pour it over baby Buddha's head and body.

This is significant in cleansing the bad karma from oneself (devotee/practitioner) and at the same time, remembering the birth of Buddha and honoring him with the offering of gifts and flowers.

There will be volunteers packing the 'bathing water' from the basin into plastic bags for devotees to bring home, as it is considered holy water.

Traditionally, the water is poured into the water tub in the bathroom as I was told, but these days, they will just put it in a basin for everyone in the family to bathe with a little of the water from the packet.

All religion do not condone the act of killing; so does Buddhism teachings. On festivals like these, the devotees are to abstain from food which involved killing of animals; in short, no poultry or meat and one has to adhere to a vegetarian diet on that day itself.
Vegetarian food

There are also doves, or tortoises being released as a symbol of freedom and peace.

Vesak Day is an important religious festival, and is marked by a national public holiday in Malaysia. Be respectful to others' religions even if you are not a devotee, and if you are interested to take photos, do be aware of your surroundings and be mindful not to be in the way of the devotees who are offering their prayers.

Another unique part about this festival is that it is unlike other festivals where people are dressed to the nines to celebrate, I noticed that most of the devotees are dressed in simple clothing and I found that it is also according to the teachings of humility and to be mindful of the teachings of Buddha.
Well, even if one is not required to dress formally, it is common sense not to go in your pajamas or micro mini skirts as well.

I wish all the Buddhists out there (whether you are my friend or not), a very blessed and fulfilling Vesak Day (it's belated, I know, but the teachings are never belated).

Stories of Karak Highway

2011-04-25T05:25:00.001-07:00

The infamous highway which was an interchange route for the urban city dwellers of Kuala Lumpur (capital of Malaysia) to Genting Highlands; as the highway or expressway links the city to the town of Karak in Pahang.

The highway was built in the 1970s; originally intended as an alternative route from Gombak to Bentong in Pahang; using the Federal route.
The costs of the construction was rather high and tolls were then implemented to help to cover for the costs of the highway.

The Karak highway was notoriously known for its many haunting stories, told by the many eyewitnesses who drove on the highway.
There were just so many stories which emerged; and so many had been heard.

The highway garnered much attention due to the high number of accidents which took place on the highway, thus giving way to the rumors about the origin of the highway location and also the road being haunted.

There were a few rumored sources as to the reason for the hauntings on the infamous expressway:
1. The grounds on which Karak highway was built upon was said to be the burial grounds for the aborigines (also known as Orang Asli in Malay) or the settlement of the aborigines.

2. The number of accidents happening here since its establishment

The notorious reputation for which Karak was known seemed to turn it into a fearful area for motorists especially during the night due to the many stories shared by motorists who have experienced some of the hauntings while travelling along the highway.
The following are the few stories that I have gathered from some research and readings on this highway:

Story 1 (the most common/popular version of the haunting on Karak)
(I am not sure about the validity of this story or whether it really took place on Karak)
There was once a couple with a baby travelling on the highway at night. It was during the festive season, and they chose to travel during the ungodly hour to avoid massive traffic jams to reach home. Little did they know that their decision was about to change their lives forever.
As it was late at night, the roads were quiet along the lonely and deserted stretch.
It was at that time that their car broke down, finally giving way to the continuous jerks and weird noises for a while.
The husband was surprised as the car had been inspected and ensured to be in good condition prior to the travel.
As the road was rather deserted at that hour and barely a passing vehicle could be spotted, they were unable to get help. The husband then decided to get out of the car to check on the car instead of just waiting in the car as it was still a long way to dawn.
He told the wife to stay inside the car with the child and to keep the doors locked at all time and not to budge even if she heard sounds from the outside.
He got down from the car, and walked a little to see whether he could find any petrol station or house nearby.
The wife waited patiently in the car, but after what seemed like a long time, she started to worry for her husband's safety. The child was also crying and that made her restless.
At the same time, a car was passing by and it slowed down but sped off after passing her car. It was a police car, she noticed and the car stopped a few metres in front and the policemen got out with a loudspeaker and shouted for her to get down slowly and walk towards them and not to look back.
She was unsure of what to do, but she obeyed the orders of the policemen anyway, and got down with her child.
As she reached the police car, she turned back out of curiosity, and it was then she saw the most horrifying sight; her husband was headless on the top of the car, and there was a creature which was feasting on him.
The police hurried her into the car and sped away.

Story 2: The Yellow Volkswagen
There were reported sightings of a yellow volkswagen on the highway. It could be appearing from nowhere, sometimes no driver was spotted in the car!
The yellow car could be driving slowly on the right lane, thus making others try to overtake it. When you overtake it, you would realize that there is no driver in it!
Other instances could be the car would try to speed up once it had been overtaken by you and then disappear just like that out of your sight.
Most motorists have been warned to not overtake the car or it will keep appearing in front of you like the above stories.

Story 3: Sighting of Pontianak
There have been reported sightings of a pontianak (means female vampire in Malay) flying on the highway at night. The pontianak is believed to be a woman who had died of childbirth and harbors immense hatred and anger. She preys on men and is said to tear their organs apart. Pontianak could come in the form of a beautiful young woman in white to seduce the men.
Some motorists claimed to have seen a beautiful woman on the highway who could sometimes make heads turn (literally) and she could be by the side of the road, asking for a lift.
Whatever it is, it is wise to apply common sense when you are traveling along a quiet road at night and drive on instead of stopping when a lady or whoever is spotted for safety reasons. Even if they are not ghosts, they may be robbers in disguise too.

Story 4: Sighting of a small boy
A little boy had been spotted on the highway. He could appear at the side of the road, and seemed like he is looking for something. The next thing you know, he could be appearing next to the car and running along it; even if you are travelling at 110km/h. The boy would be asking the same question over and over again, "Have you seen my mother?"
Word has it that the boy and his mother was involved in one of the many accidents that took place on the highway and both were killed. Their bodies could have been thrown into different locations, separating the mother from her son and thus the little boy's restless spirit is constantly looking for his mother.

There are many more stories from the infamous highway which I probably didn't know about but these are the more popular ones.
It was perhaps this notoriety about the hauntings which attracted the interest of the local filmmakers in Malaysia to produce a film on the highway itself.

Produced by KRU, who were originally a talented group of three brothers in a band now turned filmmakers and producers, the movie Karak: Laluan Puaka is scheduled for release this month; 26th May 2011 and is said to include the different stories about Karak into this horror epic.

The plot of the story is about four young college students on their way back to their university from their hometown and trying to avoid the traffic jam on the major highway, they decided to re-route their journey towards the old trunk road passing by the Karak town.
It was not the wisest decision of their lives as this was about to change their lives forever.

The rest, is for you to find out when the movie is released this 26th of the month...

Watch the official trailer here:

For more information on the movie, check out their official website

The movie would probably be able to give more insights into the stories on the Karak hauntings, as it combines all the stories from the experiences of the eyewitnesses after extensive research by the production team and from the trailer, it looks good :)

I am proud of our Malaysian talents and also the movies made to introduce our country to the world, albeit through the horror genre, but nevertheless, a good start.

Easter Triduum

2011-04-25T05:24:00.001-07:00

Easter Triduum is the commencement of the exciting journey of three days leading to the Lord's Resurrection on Easter.

The Easter Triduum is also known as the Holy/Paschal Triduum as it observes the Paschal Mysteries and the triduum, as the name suggests, spans for three days and consists of the Passover on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Holy Vigil Saturday/Easter.

Holy Thursday, marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum and observes the event of the Lord's Supper on the night before He was betrayed by his own disciple.
The significance of this meal is symbolic in the mass celebration in the Catholic Church, and also the foundations of Christianity.
Holy Thursday, also known as Maundy Thursday, shows us Jesus's preparations for his own death on the cross for us sinners.

The highlights of the celebration of the Lord's Supper:
1. The washing of the feet - The priest reenacts Jesus's actions of washing his disciples' feet by washing the feet of twelve parishioners selected by the Church.
The meaning of this event is stated by Jesus himself that by the washing of the feet, they are sharing a part of Jesus.

2. Breaking of Bread and transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ
During the supper, the Lord lifted his cup and bread and performed his last miracle; offering himself for us. The bread and wine are His Body and His Bloo; in which we share a part of him as well.
We are joined in union with the Lord (though not worthy), as we drink from his cup and eat from his bread.
Blessed be the Lord Jesus Christ

3. Silent Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
The congregation is to leave the church quietly after the eucharistic celebration for the observance of the Lord's final hours at the garden while waiting for his death.
The altars are all stripped bare and the Cross and all the statues in the church are covered with a purple cloth to observe the solemn period (mourning).
The adoration can continue until midnight.

This is followed by the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday.
It is important to note that Good Friday is the only day in the entire church calendar without a mass; and is only a service.
This is because a mass is always synonymous with a celebration, and Good Friday marks the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ (His Death), and therefore, it is not something to celebrate about.

The Good Friday Service is also divided into three parts:
1. Stations of the Cross
The Stations of the Cross precedes the Good Friday service, as we follow the final of Jesus Christ who bore his own cross on His back towards His Death.
He died for us, and He suffered continuously in pain, humiliation and grief during his last hours. He was just as much human as you and me, which was according to the Scriptures as He was made to feel the pain inflicted on his own flesh like a man.
His death was cruel, but it was God, His Father's will.
God, is Our Father, and He Loved Us so much that He sent us His ONLY Son to redeem us from our sins.
At the part where Jesus Christ breathed his last, the whole church would observe this in silence with bowed heads and kneeling to mourn his death.

I would never be able to hold back my tears whenever I thought of His suffering on the cross for us, and I guess that is the reason the Church always hang a Crucifix inside the church or at the altar to remind us all of the sacrifices made by Jesus Christ.

2. Veneration of the Cross
The people in the church would make their way towards the altar servers/ministers holding the wooden cross to kiss the cross.
There will also be a box for donations (at your own will) for parishioners to contribute while kissing the cross.

3. Holy Eucharist

Good Friday, as I have always observed, is always raining, particularly around the 3pm period as it was also coincidentally the time of Jesus Christ's death.
Perhaps the recent years have seen changes in the weather due to the global warming, making the weather rather unpredictable.
This year, I did observe rainfall and thunderstorm inside the church during the service.

Holy Saturday is the period of observation of Jesus's lying in his tomb leading to His resurrection, which is the reason Holy Saturday is often known as the Holy Vigil/Easter Vigil.
The church combines the observation of Holy Saturday and staying vigil until the early Easter celebration.
This is by far, one of the longest running mass in the whole year as it usually takes around 3-4 hours, depending on the church.

The Holy Saturday is composed of four main parts:
1. Service of the Light
The church is in total darkness at the beginning of the mass and this is symbolic of Jesus's death and lying in the tomb, and also of how we all started out.
There was total darkness in the beginning of world, and Jesus Christ is our light.
The priest would say prayers and then light a bonfire upon which the big Easter candle (only used for sacred celebrations) is lit, and at the same time, proclaiming the words, "The Beginning and the End", "The Alpha and the Omega"/.

As the Easter Candle is lifted and led into procession into the church, the priest sings, "Christ Our Light" and to be responded by "Thanks be to God" by the congregation.
In some churches, the congregation and the priest gather outside the church and walk together in a procession into the church whereas in some others, the congregation are seated inside the church while the priest stands outside to light the fire.
The light from the Easter candle is then transferred to light the candles of each parishioner.
When the whole church is lighted up, it looks like a "Sea of Lights" to me, an indeed beautiful sight.
(The power in the church is turned off for this purpose and only candles are lighted).

2. Liturgy of the Word
Readings from the Old Testament are read during this time (at least seven readings), beginning with the creation at the start of the Bible, and one of the readings will also include that of the crossing of the Red Sea.
Before the Gospel, Alleluia is sung.
After the readings and the responsorial psalms, the ceremony will be followed by the Gloria where the bells and organs/musical instruments all are used loudly to signify the glorious moment.
The servers and the ministers would also use this period of time while the Gloria is sung to decorate the altar and to strip the cloth covering the statues in the Church.
(The unveiling of the statues and Cross)

3. Sacrament of Initiation (Baptism and Renewal of Baptismal Vows)
The new elects are presented to the Church for their baptism and confirmation ceremony as they join the Catholic family after a year of learning about Christianity. The rest of the church renews their baptismal vows and welcomes the new members of the Church.

4. Liturgy of the Eucharist

It is then the glorious celebration as the Church celebrates Easter and rejoices in the resurrection of the Lord.

Easter Sunday, is a day to rejoice in the Lord's rising and there is often morning mass celebrated in the church.
It is the most triumphant and joyous celebration of all, and is the main highlight in Christianity. Easter is observed as an even more important celebration than Christmas as we truly see and experience the Love of God and the redemption of our sins.

Praise the Lord, Alleluia!
(Alleluia is also used during the Easter period to sing praises to the Lord, as it means rejoicing and its usage start from Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday mass after a month of not being used during the Lent Season).

Christ is Risen, Alleluia Alleluia!~

HAPPY EASTER!~

What I observed on Palm Sunday this year

2011-04-25T05:23:00.002-07:00

Besides Ash Wednesday, another major milestone leading to the celebration of Easter is Palm Sunday which marks the triumphant and grand entrance of our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.

The significance of this event is the laying down of the branches of trees; or palm leaves as Jesus rides into the town on a little donkey.
Back then, riding on a donkey was viewed as a more peaceful gesture compared to the might and possible threat of war when a horse trots in.
The act of the people laying down their cloaks and also the branches of trees, was also a form regarded as the highest honor for someone in certain parts of the east at that time too.

The people worshipped Jesus and was singing songs of praise and blessings to welcome Jesus into their humble town.

Palm, is a symbol of victory and triumph, as traditionally used then and continues to mark the symbolic event of Palm Sunday today.

Palm Sunday occurs the Sunday before Easter, and usually parishioners (church-goers) would be required to bring their own palms to be blessed by the priest and sing praises to commemorate this day.
Today, the Church provides the palm leaves for the convenience of the parishioners.

Holding the palm branch in our hands, we would then gather outside the church where we joined the priest in singing praises to the Lord in his Highest Name.
A procession of the congregation led by the priest would then follow into the church's building for the mass ceremony.

It is a standard sequence of the celebration and every born/practising Catholic has definitely experienced this more than once in their lifetime if not annually.

This year, I observed an ugly side to the parishioners at the Church while collecting the free palm branches provided by the Church.
I will not name which church; as it is not appropriate to do so.

The palm branches were scatttered on the bench in a separate hall/old building, where the congregation were gathering.
It was a huge crowd and people were standing there to join in the chorus of worship while there were still people making their way through the crowd towards the distribution area of the palm branches.

Due to the crowd, it is definitely best to just pick your palm branch and make way for those behind you to take one of the branches as well.

Imagine my horror as I saw some women (and even men!) standing there, and blocking others as they choose from the palm branches and throwing some of the palm branches back on the bench.
It was really disheartening to see such display of people who are there to attend a holy mass and to be part of God's children.

Sometimes, it makes me wonder, do some people really understand the purpose of going to church to worship?
Putting on your best behavior only in front of the priest and other people does not work, as God is everywhere.
I have seen worse displays of behaviors of the people in this church, which I'd rather not mention.

I hope that there would be more awareness on the meanings of the celebration in the Church and also on being part of the Church and God's people.

Being a Catholic is to be one who practises one's beliefs everywhere and to promote good behavior; not just one for exhibition when needed.

Repent and reflect, at all times...

God bless everyone!~

Lent - season for fasting and repentance

2011-04-25T05:23:00.001-07:00

Lent, to me is the preceding month leading to the jubilant Easter and is what I would term as the preparation for the celebration of Easter.

Lent season lasts for 40 days and is a commemoration of Jesus's forty days in the desert; fasting and repenting before he officially begins his public ministry/teachings.
He abstained from food and drink for that period of time, and was even tempted by Satan but his will was strong and he overcame the temptations.

This season reminds us of the times when we have fallen into temptation of sins and the deceptions of the world, and therefore, the Church observes the Lent season as a period of fast, abstinence, repentance and self-reflection to renew ourselves before celebrating Jesus's resurrection.
Traditionally, luxury or any form of entertainment is prohibited during this season which commenced from the Ash Wednesday.
This includes watching movies, tv, indulging in feasts or recreational activities as it would be viewed as a form of disrespect or weak willpower.

Ash Wednesday, marks the start of the observation of Lent, and is a obligatory mass where the most prominent highlight of the mass is the marking of the ash on our foreheads.
The significance of this event is to remind us of our origins which will also be the form upon which we will return to; "Unto Ash you return"

Lent is viewed seriously by the Church and during this time, the 4-5 weeks of the season will be observed with solemnity as we are reminded of Jesus's preparations and sacrifices for us.

Fasting during this month is not merely on food, but also from the worldly desires.
One of the main abstinence is from meat; as meat had always been regarded as a form of luxury food usually meant for celebration.

It is through Lent that we learn the sacred mysteries and experience for ourselves the sacrifices of Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Journey through Lent makes us more prepared for the joyous and victorious celebration of Easter; where the Lord Jesus Christ is risen.

The Story of Ching Ming Festival

2011-04-25T04:14:00.000-07:00

Ching Ming, or Qing Ming, literally translates from Chinese to mean "Clear/Bright Festival" in English.

This festival is also known as the following:
1. Ancestors Day
2. Sweeping Tombs' Day/Grave Sweeping Day
3. Chinese Memorial Day
4. Chinese All Souls' Day

Ching Ming is a festival traditionally observed by Chinese families; whereby the whole family would gather and make a trip to their deceased ancestors' tombs to pay respects/worship.
As this is a yearly event, therefore, the tombs would require to be tended to or cleaned up as grass tends to grow so long that it would cover the graves.
Despite the long grass being a nuisance, the Chinese would not have it otherwise as the longer the grass grows, it actually symbolizes wealth and fortune to the descendants.

Occurrence
Ching Ming usually falls in the month of April, astrologically, it occurs approximately 104 days after the Winter Solstice Festival, or 15 days after the Spring Equinox.
Most of the families would start to visit the graves of their loved ones as early as 10 days before the actual day of the festival, or 10 days after the date of Ching Ming, as long as they pay respects to their ancestors during this stipulated period of the festival.

The festival got its name from QingMing, the name of the fifth solar term as it falls on the first day of this term. The name of the term denotes the greenery during this time where people would be enjoying the greenery. It is aligned with the tending of the graves as well as paying respects to their ancestors during the annual homage by the descendants.

Ching Ming festival observes the remembrance of the deceased ancestors in the family, and this practice is associated with the concept of filial piety emphasized by the great teacher Confucius. However, besides the fulfillment of filial piety, there is also a story behind the origin of this festival; the story of the friendship/brotherhood of the Duke Wen of Jin and Jie Zitui.

Origin/History
It was said that once upon a time, the Duke Wen, before he became the duke, he had many followers, and one of them is Jie Zitui. At one point of time, Wen was put away in exile and after 19 years of living life in exile, they came to a time where they had no food at all. Not wanting to see his master suffering from hunger, Jie Zitui cut his own thigh and used his own flesh to make a bowl of meat soup for Wen. Wen enjoyed the soup and when he found out about Jie's sacrifice, he was deeply touched and promised to reward him in gratitude some day.
Wen then emerged victorious and managed to return to the land of Jin and became the Duke Wen of Jin. He kept to his word and rewarded people who have helped him during his exile and on his success in becoming the duke.
Perhaps it was a long list of people to reward, or the duke just had too many followers, somehow, Duke Wen missed Jie Zitui in the list to reward.
When Duke Wen finally remembered, he scattered his followers to locate Jie, who had now retired to a peaceful life with his mother in the forest.
Duke Wen was unable to locate Jie although he had arrived at the forest, and one of his advisors proposed to set fire to force Jie and his mother to run out of the forest.
Duke Wen agreed to the idea and so it was done, but he was greeted with adverse results, as the fire spread too quickly and Jie and his mother died in the ravaging fire as a result.
Duke Wen was distressed and overwhelmed with guilt, and he ordered the nation, in memory of Jie, three days without fire and then became a memorial day for Jie Zitui, whereby only cold food can be served and no fire is allowed on that particular day.
This day is also known as the Hanshi Day (literally, a day of cold food).
The land where Jie died was also known as Jiexiu (translated to 'the place where Jie is laid to rest forever).

Another version was during the Tang dynasty period; 2500 years ago:
The tradition of Ching Ming dated back to the period of the Tang dynasty; during the reign of Tang Emperor Xuanzong. During that time, the people would flock to the graves of their deceased loved ones with extravagant gifts and offerings from time to time, that the Emperor saw that the people were going overboard and thus declared that there is only one official day to tend to the graves; and that day was named Ching Ming. This practice was then solidified in the Chinese community.

Both versions are independent of each other, and have much truth in the practice of today's Ching Ming festival.
People would bring food and gifts in the forms of paper offerings to be burnt for their loved ones to use in the other world.
Food usually vary; and the most common would be chicken or duck, fruits, buns, and wine or tea.

Celebration
During the visit to the graves, the rites are usually parted into 3 sections (unofficially):
1. Cleaning of the graves
2. Offering of food, joss sticks and burning of the paper offerings
3. Gathering of the family for lunch (the food brought for offering would be shared among the family members)

Culture
Ching Ming is widely celebrated among the Chinese community everywhere around the world although the way the tradition is carried out may vary slightly.
In general, this is very much a family affair, whereby everyone in the family meets in a crowd during this time of the year to pay respects together to their ancestors.
The requirement is understandable; as this is one year that respects are paid to the ancestors, and it is with due respect that the descendants should gather in honour of their ancestors.
In Malaysia, the day itself starts early in the morning to make way to the graves. Families would also pay respects to the tablets of their ancestors at the altars at home; this is an option and not many people observe this practice anymore.
Relatives and family members from afar would make their way home to meet up with the rest of the family before making the journey to the graves.
Upon reaching the tombs, the family would place their offerings aside and start cleaning up the tomb.
This usually involves shearing of the long grass growing around, on and behind the tombstones, wiping/polishing the name plates of the tombs, and then cleaning the premises surrounding the tomb.
Once the cleaning is done, the food would then be placed nicely on the plates and the wine in little wine cups (just like what one would do when preparing a feast).
Joss sticks and candles would also be lit and at the same time, the paper offerings of money and worldly items; i.e: car, house, shoes, clothes, and now, the newly made popular designer and luxury goods such as handbags and electronic items are burnt to their ancestors.
(The Chinese believe that their ancestors would be able to receive it in the other world, and they feel obligated to provide for their deceased loved ones' comfort and better living in the netherworld).

At the same time, the family members would take turns to bow down (or in Chinese, kowtow), three to nine times in front of their ancestors. The family members take turn based on their seniority in the hierarchy of the family; usually starting with the eldest.
After the kowtow, the family would then take out two blocks of wood which are crescent-shaped facing each other. These are used for the purpose of communicating with their ancestors to ask them questions. The main question to the ancestor is whether they are done with the food offering.
If the wooden blocks up in opposite direction (one facing up and the other facing down) when thrown on the floor, it means they are not done with the food.
If both face in the same direction (either up or down), it means that they are done.

When the signal that their ancestors are full came from the wooden blocks, it is then time for the descendants to have the food for themselves.
They would usually gather at a nearby park or shelter (as the tomb is usually too small or sunny for the whole family to enjoy their food) to have lunch/meal together.
This signifies the reunion of the descendants with their ancestors.

Typically the whole worship process takes about half a day and is a time of gathering for the families.
(Most Chinese festivals focus on the reunion of families)

This is not a religious festival, but a Chinese tradition as it is focused on the respect for the deceased loved ones and ancestors.
It is a tradition that will continue for centuries to come, and observed with accordance to the traditional sequence.

The only thing which evolves over time is the form of paper offerings and even the food.
I find the creativity of the vendors selling these paraphernalia items fascinating; as they kept themselves to date with the current trends.

Whenever I see the paper LV, Prada, Gucci bags hanging along the corridors, I knew that Ching Ming time is near.
This year, they even have IPhone 4 and Ipad, talk about innovation!~

The Ching Ming festival ended about a week ago; after about three weeks of time to worship the ancestors (and for family gathering).
It is a tradition which is important to be passed on to the subsequent generation to remind them of the importance of filial piety and to know their own roots from young.

April Fools' Day

2011-03-31T21:50:00.000-07:00

Today marks the first day of April; and traditionally, 1st of April is known as April Fools' Day.

April Fools' Day is internationally observed as a day of jokes, humor and pranks played on people. However, it is not a public holiday though; just a day dedicated to fun and tricks.

It may be a question as to how April 1st is the only day celebrated for jokes and not any other months in the year; but there is a long story behind the origins of April Fools' Day.

I have done a bit of research and reading on the history of how it all started and there were different opinions/findings on the whole theory of the beginning of the day itself.

1. The earliest citation was found in the Nun's Priest's Tales in Canterbury Tales (Geoffrey Chaucer), which was written in the 12th century (1392).
There was a line which caused a disambiguation; and contemporary scholars believed it to be a copying error in the manuscript which misled readers to believe 'Syn March bigan thritty dayes and two' was actually 'Syn March was gon'.
The disambiguation lies in the belief that the author; Geoffrey Chaucer actually referred to 32 days after March and not on the 32nd of March as originally appeared in the text.
Please refer to Wikipedia for more explanation.

2. The early civilians used to celebrate and usher in the New Year between the mid of March until early April; or usually on the first day of April as it was the period which coincided with the occurrence of the vernal equinox.
March 25, or also known as the Feast of Annunciation was celebrated by the Romans or the Europeans during the medieval times too.
The emergence of the new Gregorian calendar (enforced by Pope Gregory XII in 1582) as the replacement of the old Julian calendar commemmorates January 1st as the commencing of a brand new year.
January marks the beginning the year in the Julian Calendar; and the first day in this first month naturally became New Year's Day in that context.
This event thus shifted the celebration of New Year's Day from March/April to the 1st of January and the shift, caused a confusion among the folks who chose to observe the new New Year's Day and those who are still following the old New Year.
Those observing January 1st then buffed and made fun of the conservatives; thus giving birth to April Fools' Day on April 1st.

3. Joseph Boskin, a history professor at the Boston University provided his own theory/perceptions on the origins of this celebration; associating it with the court jesters who made a proposal to the emperor during the reign of Constantine period.
They proposed to be able to rule the country better than the ruler; and Constantine, agreed to allow the jester, Kugel to rule the country for a day.
The day was since then observed as a day of insanity/absurdity; an edict by the same jester and there is no doubt that it was the first of April.

The April Fools' Day is widely celebrated mostly in the Western countries, and there is no wonder, looking back at the history and theories of its origin.
However, the popularity of the pranks, humor and jokes played on this particular day had quickly spread to the rest of the world and almost everyone is celebrating this day by playing pranks and tricks on people around them.

There are also countries which only allow jokes to be circulated or pranks played until noon and anyone still fooling others after noon are branded as the April Fool. These countries are UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa and perhaps they just want to spare their citizens from being fooled for another half of the day? :)
The rest of the world, however, observes the whole of April 1st to play pranks on anyone.

It is also interesting to note that there are bigger jokes played in some of the countries; which included the mass media reporting fascinating news (which were untrue) but enough to cause a stir among the public.
For instance, the Tower of Pisa had collapsed! (yup, it's an April Fools' Joke played on the public by the Dutch television - that can be so convincing huh!)

Perhaps it is a fortunate thing that my country do not scare the public like that too :)

In case you are wondering, this is a real post on April Fools' Day and I am not joking about the resources I have found on the origins of this day.

Hope you have fun today, and HAPPY APRIL FOOLS' DAY!~

Horror Movies to scare the Freaking Daylights Out of You

2011-03-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

Well, in my previous post, I mentioned about losing my interest in horror movies and why I would try to avoid the genre as much as possible to maintain good health (for my heart, soul and mind!)

I have watched and read a number of movies and stories on this genre though, and some of them were international best sellers and rated top horror movies of all time (all-time classics).

If you are a big horror movie fan, I could recommend a few (I'd not watch them again if I could help it though) to scare the hell out of you (at least it did to me!).
I have been requested to share movies that I feel are a good scare for a watch (these are fans or enthusiasts!)

Warning: Some of these could leave a lifetime memory in you (that's why they are classics)

The list is based on movies I have watched, and I would rank them in order with a little bit of description on why I think they could be so freaking SCARY!

1. The Exorcist
I've read the book and watched the movie of this one and my, there is no doubt why this could be on the top of the list!
I watched the movie at a young age; with my family, and I remembered feeling scared throughout the whole movie! (Not just half of the movie)
This movie had intensive disturbing scenes and just makes me feel uncomfortable when watching or even After watching it.
Who could forget this; if you have ever watched it, the fate of the poor little girl; Linda Blair?
This is one of the very first horror classics produced; and the reason it was so realistic was because it WAS based on a true story which took place in the States.
Visually disturbing, and even the book sends a chill down your spine and you dare not sleep alone!
If you dare, go watch it (don't say you are not warned!)

2. Poltergeist
This was one of the most popular movies; and you can definitely tell its popularity from the number of sequels which came after it. The movie brings an eerie feeling to your own home, especially the television set after watching the adorable and sweet little Carol Anne talking to it (prime scene in the movie).
Facts have it that the set was cursed; as two of the lead actors, one of them is Heather O' Rourke who played the cute Carol Anne died prematurely/shortly after the movie (refer to Internet sources)

3. The Omen
The number 666 in association with the devil was popularized by this movie, and the sound effects and dramatic music really made this a highly exciting not to mention eerie to leave an effect in your mind forever. You can never forget the eyes of Damien who was the Anti-Christ. It just leaves that creepy feeling in you after watching the movie.

4. Rosemary's Baby
Another movie to do with the Anti-Christ, and you could be just paranoid of people around you especially those jolly old neighbours who are always ready to lend a helping hand. It was not that sinister compared to the first three as the movie cleverly goes through the lives of the happy young couple before scaring you.

5. The Exorcism of Emily Rose
This is a movie which centered on the court trial and like Exorcist, it is also based on a true story about a staunch Catholic family whose faith in their religion was brought to the test when their young daughter was possessed and died.
My paranoia of the ungodly hour of 3.00-3.30a.m started from this movie, watch it and you will know what I meant.

6. IT
Based on Stephen King's novel, this movie is one of the best from the bestselling author, in my humble opinion. This movie really changed my perception of clowns, FOREVER!

That would be enough for now; as these are the ones that could really leave an effect after watching it, and really, DON't watch if you have a weak heart.

God Bless, Amen!

10 reasons I stopped watching Horror movies

2011-03-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

I admit, I used to enjoy reading stories about the supernatural and even hearing stories from friends. I liked the suspense found in these stories as well, and the sound and visual effects found in the movies make it all the more exciting (despite me peeking from behind a cushion or pillow I used to shield my eyes!)

My friends would be amazed at how a girl like me, who seemed quiet and righteous would enjoy indulging in this genre but you'd be amazed that most ladies do enjoy a good watch of terrifying movie with ghosts, ghouls and spirits.
My dad would even tell me that it is crazy to be watching stories like these and then scare myself silly half the time. Furthermore, what is the point of watching a movie when you are hiding your eyes most of the time during the climax of the movie right?

Well, I used to be brave but recently, I don't know how or when or even what sparked the little feeling in me to no longer be interested in these stories or movies anymore.
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against them, especially when I am still running a blog on these tales, but I'd rather not delve into the elements which can make my imagination run wild.

So, I ran through my mind, wondering what made me avoid horror movies these days and I came up with the top ten reasons (yeah, it is always a number 10 for a list):

1. It makes my imagination go WILD!
Yeah, it is crazy how we could be so imaginative over simple things like a curtain flapping in the wind after watching a movie compared to the usual. We'd cover our heads with the blanket and worry about transparent beings standing over our beds!
Some of us can be even more creative to hold our breath (result of Chinese vampire and zombie movies) to avoid being found by nothing!

2. It makes me worry unnecessarily
Hearing sounds outside the door? Waking up in the middle of the night and thinking twice to make that trip to the toilet seems to be unimaginable than before watching that crazy Alfred Hitchcock movie or the Thai horror movie.

3. It SCARES me for no reason
I just feel scared half the time; wondering what is behind the curtains or what lies in the dark. It is even more crazy when the lights go out due to power failure, and sometimes we imagine that these were works of supernatural forces!

4. Mirror, mirror on the wall, who or what am I looking at?
If you watched the Korean movie, Mirror, you'd know what I mean. Oh, I also noticed that most horror movies did use the mirror as the main scary element where creatures or even the terrifying scenes take place.
It just gives a whole new meaning to looking into your own reflection (and find 'others' there!)

5. Waking up in the middle of the night and checking the time!
This is really crazy but eerie; after watching the Exorcism of Emily Rose, waking up at 3.00a.m or 3.30am is no longer the same anymore. I'd rather not check the time or look at the clock when I DO wake up in the middle of the night.

6. Losing sleep
The mind just goes active and I try to go to sleep but it just makes it worse, as the harder you try to sleep, you will find it harder to fall asleep.

7. Distorted perception of nature
Did you notice that almost half of the horror movies are based loosely on nature; forests, lakes, hills, abandoned lands?
We then grow overly suspicious of trees and shadows, and no longer heed to the beauty of nature but rather of what lurks within; it's just crazy!!

8. Too much violence and gory sights
Honestly, these horror movies are just filled with too much violence than supernatural sometimes; think Psycho and Child's Play. Blood, killings and mutilations, OUCH, that is the idea of scaring our socks off?
Maybe it did worked, since we would end up screaming and hiding behind our pillows, but I just can't stand nor understand how cutting up a human into multiple pieces or being flung into raging rivers can be an attracting factor!

9. Nightmares
I hate having nightmares, and somehow, I always have a good memory which can be blamed for storing the images of the scenes and replaying them so vividly that it is really just freaking scary. I don't enjoy having an active mind during sleep which makes me wake up in the middle of the night or feeling extremely scared or exhausted (from running for dear life in my dreams) when I wake up in the morning!

10. Ignorance is Bliss
What you don't know won't hurt you; and if you have no idea how a haunted house or how are the effects of a ghost look like, you tend not to think or worry about it. If you don't watch these movies, you won't feel afraid of the dark nor the mirrors or anything else for that matter.

Well, to be fair, there is ONE big advantage that comes out of these movies sometimes; FAITH.
Yes, people who don't read the Bible often would miraculously clutch their bibles or rosaries and recite biblical passages when they feel scared.
They start to believe and pray to God when they are scared.

Not a proper way to know God, but nevertheless, at least the faith and religion will be strengthened :)

Thaipusam - a colorful festival

2011-01-28T20:36:00.001-08:00

Thaipusam is known as one of the most colorful festivals in Malaysia, and it is truly a festival filled with colors.
Like all festivals, Thaipusam is also a celebration of the triumph of good over evil.

Thaipusam is a festival of Hindu origins; and commemmorates the victory of the Lord Murugan over the evil demons following the granting of a vel (which is a spear) by the Goddess Parvati.
It is also believed that the Lord Murugan is also known as the God of War, and He was created by the Lord Shiva who granted the request of the Devas during their battle with the Asuras. As the Devas could not defeat the might of the Asuras, they prayed for Lord Shiva's help and He created Skanda or also known as Murugan or Achintya Shakti to defeat the Asuras.
Of course, the Lord Murugan indeed emerged victorious in the battle.

It is to celebrate this occasion that Thaipusam was regarded as such an important festival among the Tamil communities around the world.
The festival is widely celebrated among the Tamil communities in India, and outside India in places like Mauritius, Malaysia and Singapore.

In Malaysia, Thaipusam is a public holiday declared in most states such as Penang, Selangor, Perak, Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur and also the new Federal Territory of Putrajaya.
Celebrations are grand and popular particularly in the states of Selangor, where Batu Caves is and also in Penang and Perak.

Thaipusam falls on a full month in the 10th month of Thai in the Tamil calendar and the word Thaipusam is derived from the month name Thai, and the star at its highest point, Pusam.

During the festival, there will roads which will be blocked in Penang, which are cleared for the journey of the devotees bearing kavadis to the holy temple of Nattukottai Chettiar Temple along the Waterfall Road in Penang.
In Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, the journey starts from the Sri Mahamariamman Temple in KL to the famous Batu Caves temple in Selangor.

Last year in 2010, I decided to make a trip to witness the celebrations of Thaipusam in Penang as it was one of the states popular for the grand and large scale celebrations.
In fact, even the local Chinese community partake in the celebrations of Thaipusam.

The celebrations start from the early hours in the morning, where faithful devotees are already spotted making their way towards the temple; dressed in elaborate attires in respect for the honourable festival.

It is not uncommon to spot devout devotees bearing Kavadis in different forms as they make their offerings to the Lord Murugan.

Kavadis are associated with debts bondages; and originated from the Kavadi attam dance which is performed as a form of worship to the God of War, Lord Murugan by the religious believers.
The Kavadi is also a form of burden to be imposed on the devotees physically as they seek the help of the Lord Murugan.

Before one can bear the Kavadi, there are several rules to be observed by the devotee.
For instance, the devotee would have to prepare himself/herself through spiritual cleansing by fasting and praying for 48 days. The fasting also means the person has to give up all forms of luxuries in life and to focus his/her thoughts only on God.
It is only through this way that the person can bear the kavadi to show his/her sincerity.

Kavadi come in different forms; and the bearer would have to select one form of kavadi (burden) on the day of Thaipusam while taking on the pilgrimage along the journey (the route has been set) bearing the kavadi.

The simplest form of the kavadi is the carrying of a pot of milk

This is commonly spotted among the devotees who held a pot of milk on top of their heads as they made their way towards the temple.

Another form of kavadi would be a semicircular decorated canopy supported by a wooden rod and to be carried by the devotees upon their shoulders(source from Wikipedia)

The most common and popular form is the piercing, or also known as the mortification of flesh.
The spears or vel would be pierced through the flesh through the tongue, cheeks or some on their back.

Those on the tongue or cheeks are to prevent the devotee from speaking and to focus on the Lord Murugan and his powers. It is also a test of endurance.

Another form of kavadi would be the sticking of the hooks on the back of the devotee and then being pulled by strings attached to vehicles or another walking person with each incision on the back to indicate the level of pain.
It is believed that the merits earned from the gods and Lord Murugan would increase accordingly to the increase of the level of pain from the back.

It is often a mystery, particularly to the foreign tourists as there were no blood shed nor do the devotees scream of pain during the bearing of the kavadi and they could usually succeed making their pilgrimage all the way to the temple.

This is often associated with the strong faith and belief among the devotees.
It is believed that you need to be truly devout and faithful in order to complete this task as the devotees and the kavadi bearers have to follow the earlier preparation of fasting and prayer before bearing the kavadi.
During the bearing of the kavadi which includes the piercing, the devotees have gone into a trance and this is believed to be the blessings and protection by the great Lord Murugan.
Therefore, this is not a matter of science, but more of religious faith.

It is not a surprise to spot Chinese believers making their way to pray to Lord Murugan as well.
Ah, such is the faith of the believer, bless them!

Jalan Utama leading all the way to Waterfall road in Penang is the main road blocked for the worship and pilgrimage journey of the devotees and preparations would start a few days earlier.

There were several booths set up and were elaborately decorated; sponsored by the various local and multinational companies in the state.

The whole road would also be lined with stalls by eager patrons selling food and drinks and ornaments to the pilgrims

It is truly an elaborate festival and attracted crowds from not just the locals and the Hindu devotees in the states, but also tourists from near and afar.
In fact the place would be really crowded and some devotees would even camp near the temple!
It is indeed a touching sight indeed, and I even spotted the little children having their meals by the roadside while waiting for their elders, maybe?

The celebrations would usually cease by noon; with all the devotees completing their rituals and prayers and the devotees would usually cooperate to clean up the road to ensure traffic returns to normal.

I was truly touched by the amazing festivities and worship of the devotees during Thaipusam and I feel blessed to be in a country where all races and religions could learn from each other.

It is indeed a magnificent sight indeed and it is great to know of the existence of such great faith in this contemporary age whereby everything is dictated by science.

Faith is a mystical thing, and it brings comfort and peace to all those who believe.
All of us believe in our religion and we are taught to do good, no matter what religion we believe in.

Blessed are those who believe!

The True Meaning of Christmas

2011-01-28T20:35:00.000-08:00

December 25th every year is observed worldwide as Christmas Day, and come December, you would be hearing Christmas songs/carols being played everywhere, especially in public shopping malls and decorations would be strung across the walls and on the streets, lighting up the pathways wherever shoppers are.

It may have started out as a Christian festival/holiday, but the cheer of Christmas season have spread throughout the globe, whereby everyone would be decked with boughs of hollies and laughter whenever December looms near.
Shopping malls would be filled with busy shoppers looking for that perfect gift for their loved ones and decorations for their homes as they look forward to the cheerful festive season.

You may say that the festivity have been portrayed as one of a joyous and merry celebration from the media; televisions showing our Western counterpart's scale of celebration and making it look so much fun and glamourous. Christmas has always been associated with parties as it is all about having fun and celebrating as well.
In short, December is not just a month anticipated for the year end and bonuses, but also the sales and shopping for Christmas season.

However, amidst all the busy preparations and excitement surrounding the arrival of Christmas, how many of these people celebrating Christmas around the world truly know what they are celebrating in the first place?

It is funny how the whole world comes together and shout for joy when they exchange presents and even rejoiced when midnight strikes after their countdown, and yet they are not aware what they are truly anticipating.

Therefore, I would like to share my own thoughts and research of the knowledge and the TRUE meaning of Christmas.

Let's start with the word, Christmas.
Christmas is a compound word which meant 'Christ's Mass'
The below excerpt is taken from Wikipedia
The word Christmas originated as a compound meaning "Christ's Mass". It is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes mæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038.[9] "Cristes" is from Greek Christos and "mæsse" is from Latin missa (the holy mass).

Perhaps it is also due to the earlier histories whereby Western influences have set foot in most of the countries they have conquered, thus spreading the beliefs of Christianity and promoting Christian festivals that makes Christian festivals so widely celebrated everywhere in the world.

Christmas is not just any celebration, it is a celebration of Christ's Mass.
It is the day where we commemmorate the birth of Jesus Christ, the only son of God who was to be the Saviour of all mankind.
Christmas Day, or the 25th of December was not believed to be the actual date of his birth but it was set due to the coincidence with the birth of Christ during that season (the exact date was not known) and the Roman Winter Solstice at that time.

Therefore, be aware that each time you celebrate Christmas, you are actually rejoicing in the birth of Jesus Christ and inadvertently, you are also believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.

This post is not meant to discourage anyone from celebrating Christmas but it is important to respect and honor Christmas as a religious festival rather than get too carried away with the celebrations without knowing what you are truly celebrating about.

We are of course proud to see the wide celebrations of Christmas and we do not prevent anyone from celebrating and enjoying the fun.

Christmas is not about merely indulging in parties and good food, nor is it about the music and presents, but it is about praising the presence of the Lord amongst us mortal beings and the meaning of salvation with HIS birth.

Christmas is meaningful to all Christians worldwide, and is observed for Jesus Christ is believed as the Saviour of the World. He is the Chosen One, and He is the only Son of God who was sent to us to be with us and to salvage mankind from our sins.
Christ's Mass means that we are participating in a banquet/feast held in honor of Jesus Christ; and therefore this is one of the obligation masses in the church's calendar.

Catholics attend mass on Sundays and there are still obligatory masses?
Yes, Sunday masses are gatherings on Sabbath Day and to celebrate with the Lord's feast, reliving all He had done for us and coming together to receive his presence and listen to His Word.
On obligation masses like Christmas and Easter, the mass is dedicated with a purpose to celebrate (masses are all celebratory in nature anyway) the Birth of Jesus Christ and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

So, Christmas is all about religion as we rejoice in the birth of Our Lord and to welcome him into our homes.
To make it easier to understand the traditions of the celebration, I would try to make it as simple as possible with relativity to the present day activities.

There are lots of elements associated with Christmas (which is why it is such a joyous occasion!); some of them were traditional and some have been assimilated with the contemporary culture and trends.

1. Santa Claus

He is also known as Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, or merely Santa.
In truth, he originated from the story of Saint Nicholas, a noble saint canonized for his generosity with gifts to the poor when he was a bishop. Saint Nicholas was remembered for his kind heart and this slowly evolved to the big and jolly man who came bearing gifts to the children during Christmas.
It was also associated with hope, love and charity with Santa Claus depicted in that burly man with a white beard and in red attire with a large sack filled with gifts.

2. Christmas Tree

Christmas trees come in various forms and shapes these days.
They are known as Yule trees, and are often associated with evergreen (that's why Christmas trees are usually green in color)

The most commonly used type of tree is the fir tree as it is known for its properties of shedding its needles when the tree dries out, thus signifying the evergreen and eternity of life. It is for this reason that the trees are set up to rejoice in the coming of hope and salvation of life.
Most of the Christmas decorations are also associated with the greenery and on the same concept as the tree such as the boughs of hollies and the wreath of mistletoe.

3. Gift giving and Presents

I would decipher this as an act of showing love and kindness to each other; not to mention gratitude and thanks for their presence in our lives. The act of gift-giving is usually among family members and close friends/loved ones as you make it a point to remember them and to appreciate them for all that they have done.
It is not about how much you receive that signifies the abundance of love, but sometimes it is also about how much you give.
The tradition is also somewhat associated to the giving nature of God and Jesus Christ, who are always forgiving and generous with their gifts to all mankind, especially to each and everyone of us.
God even gave us His only Son, to save us from our sins, and it was truly a noble and much honourable thing to all Christians worldwide.

4. Winter

Snow is often associated with Christmas as well, if you have noticed but that is really simple as it is usually the winter season in most countries during the end of the year thus making Christmas seem like it is covered with snow and making it look so beautiful.
To be honest, I have often dreamt of a white Christmas myself too!~

There are much more celebrative items such as bells (associated with Church and the joyful sounds), candies and cakes (delicious items typically used in celebrations), wine, stockings for gifst, roasted turkey, decorative lights, parties, etc and there are just lots which have been adopted from the modern trends to make Christmas much more merrier than its original celebration.

Due to the gift giving as the notion of Christmas, this has also heightened the sales in major shopping malls, hence offering retailers with the opportunities to make profit during this period.

Whichever reason it is that constitutes Christmas, please bear in mind that the TRUE meaning of Christmas is to rejoice in the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and not just celebrate for the sake of celebrating.

When we celebrate, we rejoice and we believe in Him.

Praise the Lord Jesus Christ, and may everyone's heart be filled with joy, hope and love every Christmas!

Hungry Ghost Festival Stories: A Possession

2010-09-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

This is another true story which happened to my grandma when she was in her twenties.
It was a very old story, and a very frightening one, not to mention.

It took place during the Hungry Ghost month as well and at that time, her mother (my great grandmother) had just passed away.
She was the one among the siblings to bring/escort her mother's corpse home from the hospital morgue (General Hospital).

It was slightly after dusk at that time, and somehow, the hospital arranged for the corpse to be taken out through the back door of the hospital.
Grandma was performing the custom ritual during the transportation of her late mother's corpse; which was to pray and recite for her mother's name and calling for her to go home.

(It is a tradition among the Taoists to perform this simple ritual of repeatedly reciting your family/loved one's name when they have just passed away outside of home and to call for them to return to the home. This is ensure that the spirit returns home and not end up wandering or lost in the location where they passed away, and not creating hauntings in places they died)

While Grandma was in the back valley and arranging for the corpse to go home, she heard someone call her name softly, "Ah Lui"

(Ah Lui was a Chinese(Cantonese) denotation for daughter, and it was something which my great grandmother used to call my grandmother when she was alive)

Without second thought, grandma automatically turned towards the back to see who it was, calling her.
There was no one there at all.

Anyway, grandma was not too fond of the process and hence she was relieved when she got home.

That night, she was cleaning up in the kitchen and the kitchen door (refer to my previous story: Dead Man Feasting, same scene for this story) was slightly ajar.

Grandma told my mum to go close the door, and mum was about to do it.

All of a sudden, it was as if Grandma lost her mind as she started screaming and kept rushing to the back door.
Mum and the rest of her siblings were really scared out of their mind as they watched their mother's uncontrollable behavior from the room (an old attic room type in the hall where there is a window)

Great grandfather or someone kept holding her back while she kept rushing towards the back door which led to a pitch black dark alley!

She was not herself and she had mighty strength!

Grandfather, the calm and stern man, reached for the broom and I think someone called for a Taoist priest as well.

It was a very frightening scene for the children at that time, and somehow, she finally fainted after the prayers and the broom which hit her.

When she regained consciousness, she was unable to recall anything which had happened earlier.

It seemed that there was an evil spirit which followed grandma in the back alley when she was escorting great grandmother home, but the spirit was unable to approach her.

That was why the spirit masqueraded the voice and called her in the fond manner her mother used to call her to get her attention.
According to grandma, human beings have these three huge lights (strong Yang aura and guarding lights unseen to us) located on the top of our head and on both sides of the shoulder.
It was also the main reason why we are often told not to look back or answer when someone called our names especially at night or in the forests.

When grandma turned to look at the source of the voice calling her that night, she inadvertently turned off the light on one of the shoulder with that movement.

With one light reduced, the spirit may find it easier to invade or to harm us.
It was then that the spirit invaded her soul and tried to get her out in the dark; probably to kill her and take over her body/soul.

Thank God that Grandma was safe that night, praises to the God almighty who watches over his people and condemn all evil.

Hungry Ghost Festival stories: A Partying Trail

2010-09-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

This is a true story which happened to one of my relatives recently, during the recent Hungry Ghost Festival/month.

F (not her real name), was a young twenty-something girl who loved partying and hanging out with her friends on weekends.
Despite that fact that the Hungry Ghost Festival had made its entrance and marked its commencement, she took it in her stride and continued to live her life normally.

She went for a night of relaxing and partying with her friends on a weekend, as usual, letting her hair down and putting on a classic black attire.

She got home in the wee hours of the morning; sometime around 2-3am and started getting ready for bed.
She was removing her contact lens and make up in her room when she saw a figure walk past her door.

She thought it must be her younger brother's friend who sometimes stayed over although she was quite surprised that he was also awake at this hour.
Since she could not see clearly without her spectacles, she put them on out of curiosity to see the person who was in the house.

It was to her shock that she realized that the person was an apparition of a man.
(F had the third eye and the sixth sense to be able to see and sense the spirits).

She decided to ignore and went to bed, feeling rather scared at that time that a spirit must have followed her home or something.

She related the tale to her mum and aunts the next few days and she was warned not to go out too late at night anymore.
Apparently, she may have attracted a spirit which may have trailed her home; furthermore it was during those inauspicious hours of the night (or rather, morning).

Another interesting point was, according to grandma was that she was wearing black.
Black or dark colors are also, apparently a taboo and a no-no during this month as it was deemed to be conducive to the Yin environment during the Hungry Ghost month.

However, I was curious as to how did the spirit managed to enter her apartment which had two altars facing the main door.
One was a century old big altar which housed a variety of deities; ranging from Goddess of Mercy, Nazha, Guan Gong, etc and the other small altar at the side, slightly elevated above the arch heading to kitchen was a specially invited Thai deity.

Explanation from grandma?
The deities were not there in their form full time, OR, the deities may have mistaken the spirit as a friend F brought home with her.
Either way, I don't think there was a full and logical explanation for this.

For you partygoers out there, please be reminded that even during normal months, partying until the late hours (especially if you are girl) is not really encouraged, what more during this Hungry Ghost month.

Just be careful, and try to wear more light-colored clothing and make sure you pray to God to strengthen your faith.

The Last Day of the Hungry Ghost month

2010-09-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

Today marks the last day of the month-long celebration of the Hungry Ghost festival for the Chinese community.

If you've noticed, it has been really cloudy and the rain have been pouring in torrents for the past few days, and yesterday started with heavy rain in the wee hours of the morning and the gloomy skies continue to loom for the entire day.

This morning was no different as the dark and heavy clouds were once again spotted instead of the bright and shining sun in the morning.

I remembered my grandma used to tell me about the weather forecast for this month; a belief or prophecy which have been passed down from generations.

It is believed that rain and dark clouds; not to mention gloomy weather will often preside over the month of the Hungry Ghost and also Qing Ming.
This is in conjunction with the atmosphere or the aura of these festivals which are related to the dead and also the spirits.

As you know, there are two elements; Yin and Yang whereby the Yang is always associated with brightness and warmth, while Yin is associated with gloom and darkness.

The spirits are categorized in the Yin element and therefore, during these months, the skies would be conditioned in the right atmosphere to commemorate the festivity of the honorable worship of dead ancestors and the spirits.

It is an interesting theory, isn't it?

Despite the drastic change in the local weather these days, there is still some truth in this grandma's old tale.

These few days' weather were also often predicted to be especially rainy and cloudy; due to the farewell of the spirits to the living world and how they are distressed with having to part with their loved ones (not to mention missing the month-long of vacation and partying; with full freedom to roam wherever they want)

In certain countries, they even set off paper boats or lotus lanterns to the sea with prayers and well wishes/blessings for their loved ones and wandering spirits on this last day.
It is to pray for their peace in wherever they may reside.

So, don't forget your raincoat and umbrella and drive safely, although it is the last day, precaution still needs to be taken as it is still in the same month.
I remembered asking my grandma once, "What happens if they don't wanna go back on the last day after a whole month of partying?"

Grandma said, "There are also law enforcers in their realm, which is why you see the deities being worshipped and stages being set up on streets. Although they have street opera and singing (getai), there is always a huge tent housing the fearsome and powerful deity who guards the spirits and the gate of Hell. Besides, didn't you notice the paper dolls at the side of the tent? Those are the police officers responsible to maintain peace and harmony among the living and making sure that the spirits do not misbehave. When the last day comes, these law enforcers multiply to usher them back to where they belong"

I asked, "They won't lose count of anyone? There are so many of them"

Grandma said, "No, my dear, they have their checklist/attendance register too. They can't escape. No one escapes their fate and the deities and 'police' see to that"

Okay, they have a system too down there, no wonder it is always a tearful farewell (pun intended) on the last day as they were reluctantly ushered back to their realm.

Let's pray for our loved ones and all those wandering spirits as the month comes to an end.

Hungry Ghost month stories: Banging Door in the Office

2010-09-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

This was a story told to me by my colleague who was left alone in the office during the middle of the 7th month.
(yes, scarily, that is the same office I am working in as well and I do feel fortunate that I was out of the office at that time)

This incident happened two weeks ago, on the 15th day of the Hungry Ghost (7th month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar).
S (a pseudonym for my colleague, not real name), was in the office at that time.
Most of us were out for meetings with clients, presentations, service and support in the factory or on site.

Since she was our admin and office support, she is usually in the office for the whole day.

The whole day was just like any other day for her, and it was soon 3pm in the afternoon.

S was sitting at this desk whereby her back was facing this conference/meeting room (right behind her).
The conference room is used for trainings, and well, conferences/meetings, of course.

The door is always kept closed since this is a branch office and trainings are more of a sporadical nature.

At about 3pm that afternoon, she heard the door hitting itself again and again like there was a wind pushing against the latch at the side of the door.

Initially S thought it was the other conference room's door (the smaller room in the other office space.
Then the hitting/banging got louder and she got up and went to the conference room to check on the windows.
The first thought on her mind was that the windows may have been left open by the cleaners or someone.
It was funny though because we have almost never, opened the windows in this particular conference room.

When she opened the door and went in, she saw that all the windows were tightly shut (or rather, locked).
In fact, even the blinds were as usual, down and covering the windows from the sunlight.

She thought nothing of it, and just closed the door behind her when she walked out of the room.

S is a Chinese, and she was aware of the 7th month being the Hungry Ghost month, but at that point, it did not hit her about the date on that day (which, was probably a good thing).

She was not one who observed the lunar dates on the calendar and it did not occur to her that it was the 15th of the month at that time.
When she noticed that the neighboring offices and people praying and burning incense and joss sticks and putting food outside on the road, she just assumed that it was due to the festival or custom for the entire month.

It was only when she left the office for home that evening and reached home that it struck her that it was the mid of the month for the 7th month; which means that day itself was the Hungry Ghost festival!

She shuddered and realized that it could be something supernatural with the door banging in the office earlier!

Otherwise, how do you explain the banging of the door like it was caused by the wind when the door was always tightly shut and the windows too?
Seriously, she described that the door sounded like it was hit repeatedly by the wind and it was deciding between closing or opening.

How, now, is that possible when it is always tightly shut in its latch?

Another thing, she mentioned that after she checked and closed the door behind her, the banging just kind of stopped.

Hmmmmmm.....something to ponder upon? A mere coincidence or again, a figment of imagination?

A figment of my imagination?

2010-08-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

Last night, or rather, early this morning, something really bizarre happened and I didn't like to think it as spooky.
I just kept trying to figure out whether it was my imagination run wild or just the creativity juice flowing through the mind.

Well, here goes,
I was sleeping really soundly last night as I finally laid to sleep close to 11; don't know why I took that long to fall asleep when I was clearly tired and sleepy
I was sleeping with the fan turned on; fan speed of 2 (mid-speed) as usual.

I stirred slowly, finding myself feeling really cold and chilled; and was surprised to find myself with my blanket covering me.
I was also sleeping on my left side; which was funny as I remembered myself sleeping straight on my back; facing the ceiling. I'd remember if I rolled to the other side.
(Maybe I was too sound asleep)

I turned myself back to my original position and to my surprise, I found the reason for myself feeling cold.
The A/C was turned on!

Funny, funny, funny, I remembered that I did not turn on the A/C before I went to sleep; it was only the fan.
I also told myself that I will not turn on the A/C that night; despite turning on the main power (just in case it gets stuffy)

I don't recall turning on the ON button on my A/C remote control which was lying beside me

It was funny; and I turned it off as I was really feeling very very cold.

I saw the time on the clock; 3.30a.m
I really hate waking up at this time; and I got up from the bed and went to the bathroom.

I just slid back into my covers and try not to dwell on the weird part of How-the-A/C-turned-on as I was telling myself, maybe I just accidentally pressed on it or I woke up feeling hot and turned it on and I just couldn't remember.

I prayed as well, so that I can get back to sleep.

Then I heard dogs barking really loudly; several dogs (neighbors had dogs) and then at some point or another, some even howled.

Now, I remember my grandma used to tell me that animals especially dogs and cats have this ability to see the unseen things and during the 7th month, they could see and they would try to inform the human beings by their sounds.

Barking is usually at human beings deemed suspicious, and howling are usually those 'things'.

Imagine my creative mind when I heard the howling.

I just prayed to God, please let me get back to sleep.

I heard rattle sounds near the curtain; the bottle of paper hearts seem to have rattled itself against the railing near the window and there was no wind.

I prayed and I think I fell asleep eventually.
I remembered telling myself not to be afraid for God will protect me; and I know God will cast a protective light to watch over me.
Besides, my Guardian Angel and Jesus would always be by my bedside, so I just told myself to stay calm and go to sleep.

It is really funny how our minds can play tricks on us; which is what I am deciphering this whole incident to be.
I probably felt hot at some point and woke up unconsciously and turned it on; or my head just accidentally hit that round button for ON.
Then I just slipped the blanket to cover me.
I just couldn't recall this incident maybe because I was too deep in sleep and I even rolled over on my left side.

Seems pretty logical right?
Furthermore, I was just probably too tired to remember it, sometimes we do forget our dreams as well right?

Yup, that was the explanation, no spooks.
Amen

Last Friday, Friday the 13th

2010-08-19T22:31:00.001-07:00

Last Friday was Friday the 13th, a spooky combination and to add to it, it was also the Hungry Ghost month.
Anyway, superstitous people will definitely be freaked (or should I say spooked out) by the trio and take extra precautions.

I am not a skeptic but I try not to allow myself to dwell too much on the whole inauspicious date thingy.

However, something weird/bizarre happened to me last Friday which I would like to share.
Some may say it's spooky, or skeptics may relate it to the science, but hear my story

It happened during bedtime; I was already sleeping at that time, and I remembered that it was quite a restless sleep.
It has been like this recently, since I moved into this new place I am currently staying in.
I would be unable to sleep for a few nights, then after that, I would sleep soundly through the night, and then unable to sleep. It's like a pattern that is repeating itself.

Anyway, that night, I was sleeping well initially, and then it got a bit restless, and I remembered I woke up at about 3.30 a.m. (an hour I usually do not like; guess I have been spooked by the idea of it being the unholy hour following a horror movie I watched).

I usually do not like to look at the clock when I awaken in the middle of the night, but well, somehow I just looked and the clock was just directly opposite me anyway as I lay on the bed.

I think it was raining or something; quite heavily outside, and there were thunder and lightning. Thoughts were racing across my mind and I tried to brush them aside.
I wanted to get back to sleep, I always get annoyed when I can't sleep well.

I turned on one side; to the right and tried to sleep.
Then I think I slept, but only for a short while and I woke up again. I wanted to turn to the other side, but somehow, I was held back.
It was as if there was someone behind me or on the other side of the bed holding me back.
I tried to scream or pray, but I realized I could not do so either.
(I have been in this similar situation once in my home back in KL)

Then, like what everyone else would think of, I started praying.
Funny thing was, I found it really hard to focus, and I even forgot some of the lines of my prayers....which was totally weird since I have known those prayers since I was like, five!
I did not let that deter me, as I just started praying to God and Jesus, and just prayed really hard and at the same time, just struggling really hard to turn myself over.

I told myself, that I am strong and I have GOD with me, and I continued praying.
I think the situation lasted a good 5 or maybe 10 minutes and suddenly, I feel like I could breathe again and I was relieved that I could move my hands.
I prayed and muttered Thank You Father, and prayed silently again.

I know that most people would associate this with the scientific explanation about the sleep paralysis mode that we could sometimes go into; even I myself thought of that as well.
However, part of me also feel that there was something to do with spiritual as well, and the power of prayer.

Whatever it is, science or spiritual, I chose not to dwell onto it, and anyway, since it happened in the morning, technically, it's no longer Friday the 13th right?
But it is still the month of the Hungry Ghost still.

Call me imaginative, when I heard the rain and the thunder and lightning, I even thought of what my grandma used to say about lightning.
The Lightning and Thunder God always strike at places where there are evil, and all those wandering or lost spirits or those trying to harm others would always be detected by these deities and it is their jobs to vanquish them.
As a result, these spirits are usually really afraid of the thunder and lightning, lightning especially.

Perhaps the spirit was trying to escape from this and sought refuge?
Okay, not a good idea or picture, gives me the chills, and anyway, I had my crucifix on the table, holy water, and even my Bible and rosary.
I was even wearing a crucifix which was blessed around my neck, for goodness sake.

Well, whatever, I am not taking my chances, I am sleeping with my rosary in my hand and my Bible.

Hungry Ghost Festival stories: Dead man feasting

2010-08-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

This is a true story, which happened to one of my aunts before she was married.
She had personally related her story to us when we were young and I remembered my mum telling it to me too.

My aunt (I won't reveal which aunt) had an ability to see ghosts; an ability that she did not appreciate as it did not bring any good to her. She had a rather strong yin energy, according to one of the mediums whom grandmother brought her to.
That was why she could see or sense the presence of the spirits.

This happened when she was in her early twenties; before she was married.
She was the one helping my grandmother with the household chores and usually that required her to work in the kitchen.
She was finishing her chores that night; which coincidentally was during the 7th month (aka the Hungry Ghost month).

It was getting late at night and she was boiling water and she happened to look outside of the door.
(My grandmother used to live in those pre-war old shophouses, and there is an alley between the row of shophouses which is quite wide. They like to leave the back door of the kitchen open, but the latch on the outer metal gate would be locked. The wooden door would be left wide open to allow ventilation within the kitchen)

There was a small red shrine at the back alley, which was slightly at a diagonal angle from my grandmother's kitchen.
She spotted an old man crouching in front of the shrine.
Initially she thought he was just placing his offerings at the altar although she found it weird at that time of the night; it was almost 11+ at night.

She then heard crunching and munching sounds and she noticed that he was eating those food/offerings at the shrine and she was surprised.

She stared and noticed that the old man was staying in the row behind my grandmother's, it was someone they had known for years.

The only thing is, he had died a few weeks ago!

She realized it and immediately closed the door and ran into the living hall!

I think she developed a fever the following day or something like that, and after some remedy from the medium, she recovered fine.
Thankfully there was nothing malevolent about the spirit nor were there any harm done.

Maybe this is also a good tip to share, it may not be such a good idea to be curious during this month unless you have a huge gut to stomach certain things you are about to see.
Trust me, it will definitely be more terrifying than your rollercoaster ride or that bungee jumping, so if you want to be happy and peaceful, just leave these things alone and mind your own business.

An Annual Love Story: The Cowherd and the Weaving Girl

2010-08-18T18:38:00.000-07:00

Despite the theme of the 'Good Brothers' during this 7th month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, there is also an interesting celebration or rather a day to commemorate a great love story.

Yes, in the midst of all the rituals and prayers for the deceased who now roam the earth, the 7th day of this month celebrates one of the most touching legendary folktale of the romance of the cowherd and the weaving girl, who only meets once a year on this very day.

Now, why, do you ask, if it is such a great love story, do they meet only once in a year?

Well, the story is like this:

Once upon a time, there was a poor boy who was orphaned at a very young age. Due to his parents' early demise, he had to fend on his own and it was his luck that he found an old ox which he took care of and helped him to plough the fields in the village.
He worked hard at the fields and earned a honest living.

One day, he was walking and stopped by a river where he was astonished by the sight he saw. There were seven beautiful young maidens bathing and playing in the river.
(Unknown to him, these seven maidens were the daughters of the Jade Emperor in heaven and they were immortals)
When they realized his presence, they fled the place immediately but one, was left behind.
She was the 7th daughter of the Jade Emperor and they fell in love.

They married and led a peaceful life until the Jade Emperor found out about her disappearance. (it is believed that one day on Heaven is equivalent to two years on earth)
It did not take the Emperor long to discover her and he was in a rage upon discovering his daughter had married a mortal.

He commanded her to be back in Heaven, much to the despair of the two lovers.
The old ox, suddenly spoke and told the cowherd that it wanted to repay his kindness all this while, by offering its hide as a mode of transportation to Heaven to bring his wife back.

The Jade Emperor, upon realizing the Cowherd's intentions, created a huge river and a valley to separate them.
(This river is known as the Silver River to the East; and the Milky Way to the west).

The 7th Princess was devastated, and the Jade Empress, pleaded with the Jade Emperor for mercy on their daughter.
The Jade Emperor then allowed the lovers to meet only once a year and all the magpies, touched by the story, pledged to reunite the lovers by gathering annually to form the bridge across the river.

(Another version of the story is this:)
The 7th princess in Heaven, who was responsible for weaving the clouds always yearned for true love and also a taste of mortal life on earth. Therefore, she snuck down to Earth secretly to take a peek at the life there. It was there she saw the Cowherd and how hard he worked that she was fascinated by him.

She noticed how each day he would take a container of rice with little vegetables which he would place by the side of the fields while he plowed and by noon, his lunch would have been cold. She secretly replaced his lunch each day and also mend his straw shoes left on the side as well.
The cowherd was surprised to find his food warm and hot for the first day, and also how tasty his food was and how his shoes seemed to feel like brand new but yet, he could not figure out what had taken place.
On the third day finally, he pretended to plow and hid behind the trees.

It was then he spotted the 7th princess changing his lunch and he called out to her.
He was struck by her beauty and he fell in love with her.
They then married and lived happily.
The Cowherd continued to plow his fields while the 7th princess sewed his clothes and make his food.
She weaved nice brocades once in a while for their living as well.
Soon, they had two children as well and life was great.

The other princesses were terrified when they realized their sister was missing and went down to earth to plead with her to return to Heaven. However, the princess refused to leave her wonderful life now.

The Jade Emperor soon found out and flew in a great rage.
He ordered the princess to be back in Heaven or the Cowherd and the children will be in grave danger. The princess, fearing for their lives, returned to Heaven.

The Cowherd was miserable with her departure and set on a trip with the children to search for her, and to find ways to get to Heaven.

The Jade Emperor realized this and created a huge river and valley which made it impossible for him to cross over (The Silver River).

The separation touched the Empress who pleaded for the Jade Emperor to spare the two lovers and they were allowed to meet once a year.
The magpies were all touched by this great love they had and vowed to form a bridge for the lovers every year.

This is truly a touching love story; and there were so many different versions that I have read since I was a kid.
Sometimes, one tend to get confused with the stories as well; and this was somehow similar to the west's Swan Princess.

Anyway, back to the legend, the date which was set for them to meet each year was coincidentally on the 7th day of the 7th month.
Furthermore, the princess/weaving girl was herself the 7th princess and therefore, the number double seven became an auspicious and good number to the believers.

This day was known by the several names; the most common being Qixi Festival (Chinese: 七夕节).
I know it by the Cantonese version: The Seventh Sister's Birthday (traditional Chinese: 七姊誕)

In one of the sources, it seems that the seven princesses were also looked up upon to protect their young
(Source: TiT Culture)
To Love and Protect

The double seventh is also an important day for young people. Chiniangma, literally meaning "seven mothers," is the name of the Weaving Maid and her six elder sisters, whom the Chinese believe are protectors of children under 16. A custom begun in the Ching dynasty requires parents, when a child reaches one year of age, to use a red thread to tie old coins under the child's neck, a protective amulet from Chiniangma. In the past, some people have substituted a silver coin or even a gold medal for the old coin. The red thread is replaced with a new one on every double seventh until the child grows up.

A person is considered grown up when he or she reaches 16; and a rite to mark the occasion is performed on the double seventh--the birthday of Chiniangma. This is somewhat confusing, since Chiniangma is a unified name; some claim the birthday is the Weaving Maid's, and some assert it belongs to the oldest sister--one more debating topic for the mortals of China.
In Taiwan, this Chiniangma custom is most prevalent in the Tainan area; on the double seventh, people go to Kailung Temple, which is almost 200 years old, and make 16-year-olds perform the ritual passage to adulthood by crawling under the offering table and by circling and passing under, three times, a miniature seven-story pagoda made of bamboo and paper and held up high by their parents.

For the Chinese woman who craves to have a child, double seventh is the best day of the year to beg Chusheng Niangniang, the Goddess of Birth. Who is this merciful goddess? She could be the Weaving Maid or any of her sisters, or any other goddess. There is no single answer; anyway, all some Chinese women care about is a child in their arms.

Coins tied with a red thread and hung around a child's neck are used as a protective amulet in the tradition of Chiniangma.

This festival, from what I know, is also a day where young unmarried women (or any unmarried women) to pray to the seven sisters for their love destiny and to meet the man of their dreams since the ancient days.
Young girls especially and maidens would put on their best clothes and pray for a beautiful love story like that of the Cowherd and Weaving Girl.

There are also a few things to note about this festival:

1. You will not see magpies on this particular day; the 7th day of the 7th month as they will all have flown to form the bridge for the lovers as pledged.
(If you do now know how does a magpie look like, check out that bird on your Twitter account =)

2. It is also known as the Chinese Valentine's Day to celebrate this amazing love story (Another Chinese Valentine's Day is on the 15th day of the first spring)

3. It may rain on this day as well, and the older women would always say that it is the Weaving Girl crying again.

Tears of joy or sadness?
I don't know, but if you were only allowed to meet once a year with your beloved husband and children, I bet you would cry as well!

Do's and Don'ts during the Ghost Month

2010-08-17T23:03:00.000-07:00

Due to the nature of the month whereby spirits are allowed to roam freely, there are always a few things to keep in mind as passed down by the elders.
I would like to share on some of the precautions/advices I have heard of or read about on this month:

Don'ts:
1. Stay out late at night. It is best to be home by sunset.
(The elders used to say that this is the time where the yin energy is at the strongest and most powerful, and that bad things could happen if you are not careful. Also, it is also another belief that the spirits could roam the streets freely to their content without being obstructed by human beings which is also another reason why some Chinese shops close down early during this month)

2. Travel on the road, by flight or by ship
It is advisable to postpone any major travel or vacation during this time to avoid any mishap or accident.
Of course, if you happen to be driving to work, you can't avoid that, but do be extra careful when you're driving as well.

3. Step on the praying paraphernalia or burning paper/food.
These are food and offerings to the spirits, and avoid stepping onto or kicking them away as this could offend the spirits.
After all, if it were you, would you like to have your food/gifts being stepped or kicked off? (reverse the situation)

4. Moving into new house or change new furniture/mattress (No housewarming or house parties as well)
This could inadvertently 'invite' some wandering spirits into your house as you are moving items and into a new unoccupied space which the spirits could deem as their own as well. Furthermore, they could hide from the guards to escape going back to their realm.

5. Curse and swear everywhere
You could incur a spirit's wrath if you happened to be in his path as it could be perceived as being disrespectful.

6. Getting married
Weddings during this month may not have a good ending, as believed, as there may be bad curses or hex placed by spirits on them. Furthermore, you would not want to have additional 'uninvited guests' crashing your party which you obviously did not plan for, do you?

7. Place your child on the offering altar when you are visiting the temples or the sites where the Guardian of Hungry Ghosts/Hell is located.
I have shared a story which my aunts have told me before on how a mother used to place her child on the offering altar while preparing her offerings and when she turned to check on her child, the child was already breathless.
Anything placed on the offering altar may be considered as an offering to the spirits and they will take it.

8. Paint your nails black
Much as you think it is funky to do so, refrain from doing so particularly during this month as only the dead have nails which turned black due to the halt in blood flow.
Black nails may lead the spirits to think that you are one of them and may lead you back to hell as well.

9. Whistle/Sing at night
For obvious reasons, you could be attracting the attention of the roaming spirits.

10. Swim or play in the sea/river
There are spirits who have drowned and there is a belief they may be out to take revenge or to find a substitute to take their place in death to allow for their reincarnation or to leave the place where their souls linger.

11. Sitting on the front rows or seats which are left vacant while the others are all occupied
This is especially when you watch the street performances such as opera or ko-tai, as some still follow the old tradition to reserve the first row of seats for the spirits as a form of respect.
In the older days, they do the same in the cinema; there is always a row of vacant seats which they reserve specially for the unseen.
If you are running late and you notice that there are empty seats in the front row, just stand by the side. It's better to stand than to offend any of the spirit.

12. Look underneath the altar table/offerings table when there is a prayer session
If you are unlucky, you may spot some unseen having their feast underneath the table and they don't like being disturbed.

Do's:
1. Show respect to the praying and burning procedures taking place by the side of the streets or junctions. Do not mock or laugh at the people doing so or you could risk offending the unseen.

2. Pray for the spirits and also to God should you feel afraid

3. Refer to the spirits as the 'Good brothers' as the local folks do instead of ghosts to avoid hostility.

4. Listen to the advice of the elders. If they tell you what to do and not to do during this month, do not argue, just follow. The supernatural is not something to be messed with.

As long as you are careful and be mindful, this month will not be such a bad month for anyone as we just need to be respectful of the spiritual beings among us.

What are Hungry Ghosts?

2010-08-17T22:48:00.000-07:00

The Hungry Ghost festival may trigger the question, "Why are they called Hungry Ghosts? Are they in hunger?"

Well, according to this source of Wikipedia:
Hungry ghosts are not the same as ghosts in Chinese tradition. The traditional belief is that people become ghosts when they die,[1] however, it was originally thought that ghosts did not have eternal life, but would slowly weaken and eventually die a second time.[2][3] Hungry ghosts in traditional thought would only be an issue in exceptional cases, such as if a whole family were killed or when a family no longer venerated their ancestors.[3] With the rise in popularity of Buddhism the idea that souls would live in space until reincarnation became popular.[3] In the Taoist tradition it is believed that hungry ghosts can arise from people whose deaths have been violent or unhappy. Both Buddhism[3] and Taoism[4] share the idea that hungry ghosts can emerge from neglect or desertion of ancestors. According to the Hua-yen Sutra evil deeds will cause a soul to be reborn in one of six different realms.[5] The highest degree of evil deed will cause a soul to be reborn as a denizen of hell, a lower degree of evil will cause a soul to be reborn as an animal, and the lowest degree will cause a soul to be reborn as a hungry ghost.[6] According to the tradition, evil deeds that lead to becoming a hungry ghost are killing, stealing and sexual misconduct. Desire, greed, anger and ignorance are all factors in causing a soul to be reborn as a hungry ghost because they are motives for people to perform evil deeds.[1]

The hungry ghosts are also classified as those whose families have forgotten about them or not tend to their graves. They are also believed to have thin long necks as they have not/never been fed by their families since their passing.

It is based on this notion that most practices and rituals during the Hungry Ghost Festival/Month to offer food and prayers to appease their spirits.
At the same time, the need to appease is to avoid any misfortune or haunting by the wandering souls among their household; or in short, unlikely mishaps.

Of course, despite being allowed to roam freely among the living during the whole month, my grandma also used to tell me that they have the guards from hell patrolling the Earth and watching over the ghosts to maintain security and peace among the living.
In fact, during the Yu Lan festival which falls on the 15th day of the month (or sometimes celebrated on the 14th in some places), you can see huge statues of the King of Hell/Great Guardian of Hell everywhere.
They are also like the law enforcers from hell to maintain discipline and to ensure that the spirits do not create chaos and will stick to their rules to go back to hell at the end of the month.

It is also a belief that we will observe rain throughout the month due to the yin energy and the dark clouds create the strong yin atmosphere to protect the spirits.
Heavy rain may be observed on the last day of the month due to the mourning and the reluctance of the spirits to go back or to bid farewell to their loved ones.

Well, I don't see any reason to doubt this as it has truly been raining for almost every day recently.

Ghost Festival Vs Ching Ming

2010-08-17T22:30:00.000-07:00

There have been many questions raised regarding the difference of this two festivals and what makes them so distinctive from each other to have two different events to commemorate the dead that I have decided to do a bit more of research and to write about it in my own context.

As most of us know, Ching Ming was celebrated in the 2nd month whereas Ghost Festival/Yu Lan is in the 7th month in the Chinese Lunar calendar.

Ching Ming is when families would gather annually and make pilgrimages to the cemeteries of their dead ancestors.
They would clean their graves and offer incense/joss sticks, food (usually the favorite food of the dead), flowers and paper money.
They would burn the paper money and also other paper paraphernalia resembling items used by the living such as car, house, maid, clothes, or even tv and cell phones as the vendors get creative these days.
They are there to pay homage and respect to their dead ancestors and to fulfill their duties to clean the graves of their dead ancestors.

During this month which is after the Chinese New Year/New Spring, you will see most of the Chinese cemeteries/crematoriums crowded with people as all the families gather to pay their respects to their ancestors.
This is a tradition observed for centuries and I believe it originated from the teachings of Confucius on the importance of filial piety and remembering our ancestors and thus, all family members from near and far would travel back to reunite with their families and travel in huge groups to the graves.

The Hungry Ghost festival on the other hand, is when the dead comes back from Hell to visit their loved ones.
I remember one of my aunts used to tell me that during Ching Ming, the spirits are only allowed to roam the vicinities of their grave whereas during the Ghost month, they are allowed to go anywhere.

The rituals performed during this month is not only for your own loved ones/deceased ancestors, but also for the younger ones and even wandering spirits who may not be related to you.
Ching Ming, on the other hand focuses more on the ancestors, but Hungry Ghost festival is offered to all the spirits around; including your younger loved ones who have passed on.

During the Ghost month, there are also offerings to the King of Hell and the other guardians of Hell to ensure peace on the living earth, and also food and prayer offerings are made to the lost and wandering souls who had no one to tend to their graves, etc.

So, the main difference lies in the above reasons; and if that's not enough, during Ching Ming, the festival only lasts for 2-3 weeks compared to a whole month of the Ghost Festival.

All hell breaks loose

2010-08-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

It is now the 7th month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar; whereby it is also known as the month of ghosts.

Taoists believe that this month is the time when the gates of hell are opened and all the spirits/ghosts are allowed to roam freely on the Earth among the living.

It is also believed to be the birthday of the King/God of Hell on the 15th day of the month and it is in conjunction with this celebration that the spirits were given this 'passport' to wander freely for an entire month.

Another famous legend linked to the origin of this festival was the story about Mu Nian (or Bok Lian in Hokkien); a story told to me by my mother and grandmother (it was passed down by my great great grandmother).
This was not just some grandmother's story as I have done a bit of research and found that it really exists; and there are even different versions of it.

I am sharing the version which I have from my grandmother/mother.

Mu Nian was a filial son and he lives with his mother and uncle. They were vegetarians but his mother broke off from being a vegetarian after his father's death and fell to the temptation of his uncle who brought home feasts of meat and wine.
When his mother died, he dreamt of her constantly and it was said that her cries from Hell could be heard by Mu Nian. She was suffering; she was being punished for her gluttony and she was crying for help. She was fed with food which turned to hot coal and burnt her tongue each day and she was surrounded by fire.
Her soul could not rest in peace and she was in so much pain that she screamed for her beloved son to come to her rescue.

Mu Nian, being the filial son, was upset and could not bear to see his mother in so much suffering that he prayed and begged that he be allowed to see her and he tried to break through hell to see his mother.
He then begged the deities to spare his mother from her suffering and he started to chant prayers to reach to his mother and to appease her soul.
His prayers were so strong that it penetrated through the gates of Hell and could be heard by his mother.
This was how the festival of Ghosts came about when the ruler of Hell decided to allow the spirits to visit their loved ones.
It is also how the notion of prayers and burning incense/paper money to the deceased during this month.

During this month, believers would offer prayers and perform rituals to absolve the sufferings of their loved ones and all the other lost souls.
That is why you can often see people crouching down by the roadside, setting down food like cakes and fruits, and lighting candles and joss sticks, and burning paper money.
It is a common thing you see during this month; and most do it immediately on the first day itself too.

Due to the nature of this month, it is also particularly a month feared by most Chinese folks due to the presence of spirits everywhere and at all times of the day.
There are a lot of rules to follow during this month; and extra caution need to be taken during this month to avoid any mishap.

This festival is celebrated among the Chinese communities across the globe, but the presence is stronger in the regions of Asia whereby there is a mass accummulation of the Chinese here.
The festival is observed in Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and of course, China.

There will also be street performances during this month in various places; whereby you will see mock stages being set up along the street everywhere.
These stages will have opera performances, and muppets and there will also be a huge tent at the other end which will house the paper statue made in the image of the King of Hell (some say the Guardian of Ghosts); Di Zang or in Hokkien, my grandma used to refer to him as Tai Su Ya.

If you observe closely, you will find a small statue of Buddha or Kwan Yin perched on top of his head as according to my grandma, he was the transfiguration of the deity herself.

On the 15th day of this month, it is the Ghost Festival; known as Yu Lan or also Zhong Yuan.
On this day, the Chinese believe it is the day where the ghosts are at their most powerful and children are warned not to run around on their own.

Most will be making their offerings and praying to the King of Hell for peace at home and also for the peace of the wandering souls.

Opera performances and Ko-tai (a Malaysian Hokkien term used to describe the singers performing on stage) are there to provide entertainment to the spirits.
It is also a form of showing respect to them and to appease them so that they will not harm the living.

In some places like Hong Kong, they even put paper lanterns or boats on the river/sea which carries their prayers and believed to guide the ghosts.

As quoted from this source (http://www1.china.org.cn/english/olympic/211929.htm),

When the festival sets in, a sacrificial altar and a chair is built for the Buddhist priest either at street entrances or in front of villages. In front of the chair sets the statue of the King of Hell Di Zang. Under it are plates of flour-made rice and peaches. On the sacrificial alter are three spirit tablets and three funeral banners. After noon, pigs, sheep, chicken, geese and cakes, fruits of all kinds donated by households are displayed on the altar. On every sacrifice the Buddhist priest will put a triangular paper banner of three colors with special characters. After the rite gets started in solumn music, the priest will strike the bell to call back the souls, other monks singing chimes of incantations. Then he will throw the rice and peaches into the air in all directions to distribute them to the souls.

It is very important to observe these rituals correctly and to be careful with what you say or do this particular month to avoid anything bad from happening.
It is also best not to stay out too late at night as the elders usually say that it is a form of respect or courtesy to leave the streets to the ghosts to party all night.

There will be significantly lesser weddings during this month and some women even avoid giving birth at this time as well.
House moving/house warming or any outdoor activity is usually not encouraged, as this could invite the spirits or offend them.
New business ventures or changing jobs, attending funerals are also on the lower scale this month.

Some even blame any misfortune or bad luck on the aura of this month.
Sometimes, you may even notice that there seemed to be more funerals/accidents compared to other months. A myth or a fact, you choose, I chose not to doubt.

This is a month which is deemed the month whereby fear resides in most of the living due to the presence of spirits all around; be it the good or the malevolent who may be back for revenge; especially towards those who have wronged them during their lifetime.

It is a time whereby every spirit is released for this one month, so be careful, and just take extra precaution whether you believe it or not.
Beware, it is a month where all hell breaks loose...

Solemn news

2010-08-09T00:39:00.000-07:00

So, two days after my bizarre dream in my previous post (on death, accident and my deceased grandmother), I received very solemn news from my family over the phone.

My GrandAunt passed away on Friday morning.

This Grandaunt was the younger sister of my paternal grandfather who resided in Singapore.
She and her children (uncle and three aunts) all reside in that liberal and clean neighboring country of ours.

She was the only one we knew from grandpa's side and the only one possibly left to link us to our ancestry parentage.
To be frank, my cousins and me may not be really that familiar to her nor were we close to her.

The first time we visited her in Singapore was to attend her eldest son; our uncle's (my dad's cousin brother) wedding.
We were so young that time; I remembered I was only 8 I think, when I was there in Singapore.

Now my grandaunt was a really healthy old lady, and she always have on that smile which showed her nice white teeth flashed at us kids when she meets us.

She has come to Malaysia a few times too; and she always tried to talk to us kids whenever we sit on the couch to say hi.

Only thing is, what amused us (I am referring only to my cousins and me; our generation) is how we always could never understand her after the first few syllables in the sentence.

She has a very distinct and accented way of speaking that dialect of the family and though my cousins and I speak the same language, hers was definitely much more in the college or postgraduate level.

I was deeply shocked to hear about her demise, although it had been so long since we met her.
We rarely kept in touch even, and I guess that was really to blame on our part.
I guess we were not great in keeping in touch, and for that reason, I felt rotten.

I am not sure whether we attend the funeral in Singapore or not, but the adults have made the arrangements; so they will be representing the rest of us to attend the wake and funeral and pay the last respects to our late grandaunt (for daddy and uncle, she's their Aunt).

I guess what I can only do is to pray for her (even though she's a Taoist/Buddhist) and also to mourn/grieve by wearing dull color clothes for at least a week since I can't be there in person.

It made me feel like this is one thing I can do for a great ancestor who had lived and these are the last respects deserving of an ancestor.

Oh, did I mention she must be almost a 100 now? Or at least close to a 100; I know she's definitely over 90.

Rest in peace, Grandaunt...

Another dream of the deceased and death

2010-08-08T22:39:00.000-07:00

I had yet another dream last Tuesday night; on my 2nd or 3rd night in this new place I have currently moved to.

It was some kind of bizarre dream and I must say one of the worst/scariest dream (or it should be categorized as nightmare) I have ever had.
It was also one that I would have never anticipated.

There were two parts to the dream, and both were not good.
I did not remember or have any proper recollection of the first part of the dream but I remembered seeing someone (or rather, a fuzzy and fast forwarded silhouette) who was dear to me, and whom I have not seen for so long.

The first part of the dream; it was pretty dark and I only remembered seeing or hearing my deceased paternal grandmother.
She seemed pretty young in the dream; she looked younger in appearance to me.

She was kinda busy or preoccupied with something and I don't really remember anything else about the dream except her presence.

Some may say that I should not be freaked out dreaming of my dear old grandmother who loved me, but the weird part is, I have not dreamt of her, not even once since her death more than 10 years ago.
When she passed on in 2002, I was not even informed, nor was I there at her funeral to see her off for the last time.

I even found it tough to believe it when my parents told me that time when they came to pick me up after my first year.
They didn't tell me because I was sitting for my finals at that time, and it broke my heart not to see her or send her off/bid farewell to someone who loved me so much.
That was the main reason I guess I never did dream of her for so many years.
Grandpa, I did dream of him a few times since he died but not grandma.
Sometimes I wonder whether she was disappointed that I didn't say goodbye to her which was why she didn't appear in my dream.

Anyway, moving on to the 2nd part of the dream, which kinda started after I woke up from the short dream for a short moment.

I was kind of driving along a road which was a corner bend (it looked suspiciously like that bend near Queensbay Mall).
Then I heard some mutterings that there was an accident; a really bad one and shortly after I heard that, I saw blood.
Lots of it, like thick puddles of blood on the floor.

Then I saw a man; slightly dark in complexion with slightly curly hair.
He was lying down; obviously dead as I swerved my car around the body.
I heard mutterings that there were a lot of bodies around there as it was a really bad accident.
I even heard that the people/victims in the accident were Chinese nationals; and they were expats and that they all perished in the accident.

Then I saw a lot of beds; not those trolleys where you push the corpses on but rather double beds neatly tucked in at the corners (like those you get in the hotels) everywhere.
There were a lot of them everywhere on the road or some white background dimension.
They were all covered with white cloths with beige and nude colored linen and though it may sound crazy now, but it seemed like in the dream, it was understood that the corpses laid there.

Then I woke up.

I find myself feeling all weird and uncomfortable when I woke up, but I guess everyone who has had a dream on death would feel the same way.

I took some time to calm myself down and after that, I tried to figure out what my dream meant.
I tried to dissect them part by part and to decipher what they meant.

Let me see, I am going to isolate the objects which appeared in my dream as usual before combining them into the scenario.

Part 1:
Deceased grandmother - security, love, trust, faith, that's what grandparent(s) usually mean when they appear in dreams. it could be a forewarning of something, of people around me. The fact that she had been dead for so long also meant of a longtime situation or relationship with another living person which resembled the same quality and which I had to deal with.

Part 2:
Driving (me)

Blood - There may be trouble with an enemy if I were to go into business or starting something new. It could also be related to relatives/families/friends and that it is not good to go into any confrontation.
There could also be relation to emotions, bleeding emotions.
Blood is also a symbol of love, life, passion and disappointments.
I saw someone else bleeding and that means an emotional cry for help.

Dead - This could be a forewarning that there is bad/negative influence or that one could be with the wrong crowd.
This may be a resolution of feelings with those who have passed on. There could also be possibility of material loss.

Beds - Since these were not my beds, this could mean that there is a change of luck in my business affairs. A small increase in good luck actually.
The beds were made, so this was a symbol of security. Bed could also symbolize the discovery of sexuality and my most intimate feelings.

Death - It could mean death in itself; or sometimes there could be some good news (opposite of death)

THE INTERPRETATION:
Putting them together, somehow the two seemed like they were really related through all the elements.

I guess there was a forewarning about my own family or relative; there could be some bad influence or arguments.
I am entangled emotionally; and I feel bothered by everything that will happen around me. I could feel emotional and there is a lack of security in not just my own emotional/family affairs and maybe business.
Make that short, I am about to be bothered by something which happens and could revolve around either family or work or both.

I dreamt of my deceased grandmother; and she came to warn me.
She was a source of warning, as grandparent(s) symbolize love, passion, life and disappointments.
There was something that is related to family, and I could really be missing my grandmother and that I need to resolve my feelings of guilt or disappointment (either in me or in her) that I wasn't there to bid her farewell.

Furthermore, since it had been such time since she had passed on, it was also a symbol of a current situation or relationship which needs to be resolved. The quality of the relationship or situation resembles that of this long death and that I need to learn how to resolve it; either to let it just die or end it.

I saw blood, and an accident, which meant that I had some fears and anxiety about something. I am in an emotional turmoil where I feel like asking for help but yet I did not.

This could be related to the part where I dreamt I was driving; which symbolized my journey and path in my life; how I am going through or navigating my life.
Since I was the one I saw driving in my own dream, and yet I don't remember that I saw where I was supposed to be going or where was I headed to.
Guess it means I may be fearful of where I see myself going ahead in life and to confirm what I want to do in the future.
Bad as it seems, it may be that I am not sure of my own direction/goals.

Perhaps I also do not want to see what is ahead for me or I am afraid to confront certain issues. I may be feeling apprehensive about the future.

Was my view is blocked or obstructed while you are driving, then it symbolizes your lacking awareness of something in your life, yeah I guess that's it, since I saw blood and a dead body, right?
I could be overlooking certain aspects in life.
Alternatively, the dream indicates dangers or problems that I am not aware of yet.
I was driving on a curvy road, and I guess it indicates that I was having difficulties in achieving your goals and I just find it difficult accepting the changes associated with it.

There is some certain degree of truth to the whole dream thing; well, i guess that's why some say that dreams are our subconscious minds speaking.

However, I still think the whole thing is bizarre, seeing all these different elements but I do know I am really messed up at the moment with all my emotions and matters bothering me, I guess I need to really chill out soon

I dreamt of someone's death

2010-06-01T00:58:00.000-07:00

I had a really funny dream last night; not funny as in laughing or hilarious type but more towards the bizarre and supernatural type.

I dreamt of someone that I don't really know but yet at the same time, he seemed to be related to me.
It was later revealed in the dream that he was a granduncle.

I cannot remember how it started but I seemed to end up in some alley.
I think there was a game between the two men I saw in my dream; gamble or some video game.
Suddenly I saw them hanging by the wall; as in hangman style.

They were hung to death by the wall and I was the first one to rush home and inform my Mum and all my aunts.
Everyone was devastated when they heard the news and made plans to travel immediately and to arrange for the sombre funeral services.

Somehow all those who were in the same house that night were women (aunts and mum) and they relived back their childhood days.

Then the dream seemed to come to a part where I was suddenly startled and I asked, "Oh my, with this happening in the family, I do need to take leave from work right?"

Then I heard my mum, dad and all my aunts answered, "Of course, this is your granduncle"

It flashed to suddenly when I was writing a letter and somehow, it was describing that it was two people's death; my granduncle and grandmother!

I woke up with a shock and I just knew it felt really weird and bizarre and I tried to wipe it away from my mind, but I just felt all out of place anyway.

Hmmmmm....my granduncle has been dead for a long time; and I have only one grandmother left ( I pray nothing is true from this dream!)

It felt like a video game more than reality when I was inside this dream....

One word..WEIRD!

Grandpa, were you there?

2010-05-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

It has been two months ago since I last updated this blog; as I have not have the time nor the interesting stories/stuffs which I would like to share on.
(There is an article which I am compiling on a festival though and hopefully it will be posted here pretty soon).

I recently read a story in one of my TSGS books which reminded me of a small incident back when my grandfather passed away.

I don't fancy myself as one of those who had any dealings or encounters with the outworldly being or spiritual world (besides GOD) and I definitely do not hope for anything like that as well.

This incident is not anything major; but it just felt odd and scary at that time and I think I kept quiet about it all the while as I just didn't associate it with an actual incident, but rather, a figment of my imagination.

I remembered it was back then in 1994; when my grandfather passed away.
It was on that day; I still remember it vividly in my mind, as I was the one who picked up the phone during the thunderstorm at 5.15pm and I was told to fetch my mum to answer the phone.

When my mum put down the phone, she told us in a very solemn voice, "Your grandfather had just passed away"

Being kids, we were just really naive and inexperienced and I just know we were both surprised by the news as we remembered that grandpa was reported to be safe and healthy following his bypass surgery the day before and was expected to be discharged the very next day.

Mummy told us to take our baths and pack some of our clothes in dull colors (black, blue and white) as we were to head to my uncle's place (where grandpa and grandpa stayed)

I headed to the bathroom and closed the door behind me.
While I was showering, I noticed a pair of black leather shoes standing outside my door.
(Our bathroom is located in the kitchen and at that time, our bathroom door which was a wooden one had some damages at the bottom of the door; the wood decayed and therefore, the end of the door was elevated a few inches from the normal ones, hence it gave me a clear view of anything slid under the door.

I thought it was my brother standing in front of the door; hurrying me for his turn.
I dismissed anything funny and quickly showered. However, I remembered having a weird and nagging feeling that it was not my brother nor my mummy, and something, just something told me deep inside that it was grandpa.

I didn't want to delve into it, or to increase my own fear.

The shoes were just there for a short while, when I turned my back to shower and when I turned back, it was gone.

I came out and asked my brother, and he told me he was in the living room watching tv the whole time while Mummy was inside the room packing.

Daddy was not home yet, and nobody wears shoes inside the house anyway; furthermore, these are black leather shoes (shoes that my grandpa only wore on Sundays to the church - my grandpa was a really frugal person)

I could never make head or tail out of this, and I did not pursue it further anyway.

But to this day, I was wondering, was it really grandpa?
Was he really the one who stood outside the bathroom?
Did he come to bid me a last goodbye? (I was his first grandchild and one of his favorites)

I wished I knew, but sometimes, I guess I don't really wanna know either.
Some things are better left unknown.

Grandpa, wherever you are (I am sure you are in a much better place now), you are a good man and one of my most respected person in my life.

I am sure God wanted a good man like you by his side forever, and whether it was you that time, I knew it was goodbye and I know today, you are watching me from heaven.

Ancestral Worship

2010-03-05T00:12:00.000-08:00

Being born and raised as a Catholic does not means that we are not allowed to pay respects or worship our dead ancestors, as the Church recently tells us.

Since last year during the Chinese New Year mass typically held on the First Day of the Lunar New Year, the priest has announced that Catholics can participate in the ceremony of paying respects to our dead ancestors.

Most of the modern families are of mixed beliefs these days; where the both parents are of different religions and therefore, it is inevitable when you see altars of worship in the houses of Catholics.

The Church understands this and tries to blend into the culture; by giving a new idea to respect the Scriptures at the same time.
Being Catholics does not mean we are not able to fulfill filial piety as well, and we have to acknowledge the fact that we are here today because of our ancestors.

It is therefore not wrong to pay them respects.
Sure, in the Bible, it is mentioned that we are not to worship any other objects or deities except God himself or we are Pagans.

Therefore, it is an important to note that when we pay respects or participate in the worship ceremony of ancestors with our family/relatives, we are merely acknowledging our ancestors and we should not believe that their spirits still dwell within the ancestral tablets on the table nor should we see the tablets as direct representations of our ancestors themselves.

That would be a violation as we are praying TO the tablets; and believe that they hold divine power.

We are also allowed to hold joss sticks, and place them as a form of respect for the ancestors and also for the ceremony.

Fruits are also offered as a symbol and as part of the ceremony.

It is definitely a new evolution approach taken by the Church to blend into the different cultures in the world and to be friendly to the cultures practised around the world without prejudice.

I think it's pretty interesting and it is definitely a good way to show that we respect other religions and cultures without any discrimination.
Furthermore, the respect for ancestors is compulsory as we are standing here today because of their existence and teachings in the past to form us, the future generations who will continue the legacy of the family and of mankind.

The story of a Car...

2009-10-19T21:43:00.001-07:00

This is a true story; based on a recent incident which happened to a dear friend of mine who is probably reading this blog as well.

This is a story which involved the car; and I would like to hear the thoughts of everyone.
Perhaps the decision to post this story in this blog indicated that there is some supernatural force at work, but it is just from my point of view.
I would still like to hear whether there could be any other logical/rational/scientific explanation to clarify on the incident which happened.

My friend has recently purchased a used car; but it's a luxury car all the same.
Anyway, this incident happened 3 weeks ago.

He had just come back from buying his dinner and parked his car in the usual parking spot designated for each unit in the condominium (you know how condominium car parks are like)
He got down from his car, and locked it, heading up to his condo as usual.

The next morning, he woke up, and he found his car missing from the spot!
It was really missing!

Being his new baby, he panicked and had already imagined the worst; that his car was stolen!
He tried to convince himself that it could be a prank played on him by his housemate.

He tried clicking on the remote button to locate his car; and then to his relief, he heard the beep of the alarm. Following the sound of alarm, he found his car which was parked a distance away from his original spot!

It was pretty weird, for he could have sworn that he parked it in the usual parking spot the night before.
All sorts of thoughts ran through his mind; could it be a thief, a ghost, etc?

When I first heard the story, I came up with two assumptions:
1. He was probably too tired, and he parked his car in a different parking spot and forgot all about it.
(Not valid and seems feeble though; as this is a condominium carpark and it's rare that we make this mistake as there's not much parking space for us to play around with anyway)

2. A thief probably tried to break into his car and then realized that he does not have the access card to leave the premises and decided to abandon the car at any available parking spot.
(Possible)

Well, my friend checked his car and noticed that there were no signs of break-in.
We figured it could be a professional thief but then it would invalidate the 2nd assumption; that a professional thief is not armed with the gear to steal a car and leave the premises safely!

Anyway, this incident plagued his mind for some time and then I advised him to notify the management of the condominium to keep an eye on his car/car plate in case of any suspicious activities.
At the same time, it would be good for him to request to view the video captured by the condo's CCTV facilities.

I joked that another possibility could be that his car is haunted.
There is a car phantom in it; that probably shifted the car because it did not like the position where it was parked.
He told me that he was thinking along the same line; and he suspected that the car was haunted.

I told him to cleanse the car; and apparently, he revealed that there were already charms and amulets placed inside the car.
Well, I joked that the ghost/phantom was probably of a different belief and he should probably try charms, holy stuffs from other religions.

Anyway, a few weeks passed and I forgot about it until he told me a few days ago that he had seen the CCTV recordings.
He had lodged a police report and used the report as a basis to request for the viewing of the CCTV recordings and he saw what happened.

When he showed me the video, I was expecting to see one of the two assumptions I made earlier.

Guess what, I saw something which I found it hard to believe had I not seen it with my own eyes.

I don't have the video with me; but I can briefly describe what I saw in the short 1-minute plus video captured.

It showed my friend getting down from his car (I think it was about 6+ in the evening where he just got back from getting his dinner).
The car was parked in the usual parking spot.
He got down and closed the door; then locking the car behind him.
(I saw the car lights blinking when he motioned towards the car with something he was holding in his hand; a remote control like what we all have)

He walked away from the car.
(From the CCTV, we could see his car on the right side with all the cars parked next to his and facing each other from the left)

Nothing happened for a while until 1 minute later...

The black car which belonged to my friend, moved towards the bottom right!
It just slid and moved by itself!!

I had my eyes on the car during that short video, and I did NOT blink.
NO ONE got into the car; neither was the car unlocked or anything like that, but it just MOVED!

Now, if you're thinking of the same thing as me when I saw it, that the hand gear was probably not in the right place and that the car somehow slid, well, let me show you the illustration of how the car moved from its original position to the new position.

Now, logically, when a car slides due to the gear in Neutral position, etc, it should be parallel to its original position.
Also, there's a possibility of it hitting other cars along the way or any object, right?
Bear in mind, this is a car park in the condominium premises; which means there are cars all around that place and it's almost IMPOSSIBLE for a car to slide without hitting other cars along the way.

SO, SO, HOW else could you explain the shifting of this car's original position to its new (not straight) and slanted position?

Oh my, dear God almighty...is this for REAL?

The Festival of the Hungry Ghosts

2009-09-02T22:52:00.001-07:00

It is now the month of the Hungry Ghosts; the 7th month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar
Yesterday was the 14th; the day which marked the main festive celebration for the departed souls.

There will be make-up stages observed along the road and in residential areas; which will be the stage for performance troops, singing or acting for the entertainment of the ghosts/spirits (brothers and sisters, as the Chinese call them)
At the same time, observe that there are sometimes Puppet shows as well.
The stage will be facing a huge tent which houses a huge deity and also long tables of food offerings.

Also, there will be lots of burning of papers and food offerings by the roadside and junctions.

It is a month where most Chinese are particularly cautious about; and there will definitely be lots of superstitions or Do's and Don'ts coming from the elders.
It is a month full of superstitions and traditions; and a month where the Chinese pay homage and respect to the dead and wandering souls as well.

I shall be preparing a documentary-article on the festival soon, please stay tune

P.S: I was not allowed to take any photos of the celebration or whatever people are doing during this month due to the superstitions as well - to be explained in the soon-to-come post:)

The last day of the 6th month

2009-08-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of the 6th month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar
This signifies that the 7th month; which is the month for the Hungry Ghosts will be here at the strike of midnight tonight where the gates of Hell will be opened and the spirits will be released to roam the earth for a month.

We will be expecting more rain during this month; as I have heard, which is a sign of yin energy.
We will be seeing worships and joss sticks or burning of papers, offerings, food outside some of the houses and shops for the entire month as this is the typical Chinese custom to pay their respects and to appease the wandering souls.

They believe that in doing so, the spirits will not disturb them and grant them peace.

Our elders will remind us that it is best to stay at home when night falls during this time to avoid any supernatural encounters which can scare the younger ones or even lead to any mishaps/accidents.

Whether you believe it or not, it is best to listen to your elders and just take extra precaution yourself.

Some things are better left unknown and unperturbed.

UN-auspicious months for the elderly

2009-08-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

I have noticed that recently there are a few funerals or wakes (obviously seen from the temporary canopies set outside some of the landed houses).

In fact, in my area alone, there's more than 3 already since last week.
When I drove around town or the island, I've seen a few too.

I remembered my mummy and granny used to tell us, that during certain months in the Lunar calendar, the elders are particularly sensitive towards them; especially those who are believers.
Those are considered 'dangerous' months for the elders; even more so if they are very ill and are admitted to the hospital.

I am sure many of us have heard of how stubborn our grandparents are about being admitted to the hospital or even going to the hospital to consult a doctor at one point or another in our life.

Why is this so, and what are the dangerous and so-called unauspicious months/time of the year?

According to Chinese superstition, there are two months in the Chinese Lunar Calendar which are the most risky.
The third month and the seventh month (in the Chinese Lunar Calendar)

Reason?
The Third month is often known as the All souls or also known as Ching Meng month; where we go to the cemeteries and pay respect to our ancestors. (Christians and Catholics go to their annual cemetery pilgrimage in November; according to the normal calendar)

During the Third month of the Chinese calendar, it is believed that the souls are released and are allowed to roam around the cemeteries to see their loved ones.
However, they are only confined within the vicinities of the cemeteries and no further; although, it is not inevitable that some of the lost souls may wander further which is why the elders often take extra precautions.

If there is any elder in the family who is sick at this time, they are often cared for diligently and with extra precaution as their yang energy apparently is weaker at this time, which could result in their lives being taken away.
I remembered that I lost both my paternal grandparents during this time too; despite me not knowing this at that time.
I was told by my aunt and granny when they heard of the news and they mentioned that the Third Month is always very risky for elders; especially if they have been admitted to the hospitals.

It seems that the myth that hospital is dangerous for sick elders is backed up with the explanation that the Angel of Death and the 'Pun Kun' (the one who is responsible to lead those who have died to their next respectful destination) roam the grounds of this place which heals the sick.
Maybe most of the time, most of the names on their list is often stated as dying in the hospital or will be in the hospital as their last location?
The risk is when these netherworld officers are doing their job, they could spot another sick and ailing person in their bed and would check and decide that it's time for them to go and pick them up at the same time.
This was one of the explanation on some of the sudden deaths of the sick people in the hospital; despite them having recovered following their illnesses or their surgery.

Those who have underwent or are to undergo surgeries are even more at risk.

The other month which is even more feared is the Seventh month. Comparing the two months, the Third month is actually considered a mild risk as the souls are only allowed around the cemeteries' vicinity.
The Seventh Month; as we are all aware, is the month of the Hungry Ghosts Festival and it is the time where all Hell breaks loose! (not to be taken literally).
It is said that all the souls/spirits are released for a month's vacation and to roam the earth freely.

They are allowed to go anywhere they want for the whole month; giving them the opportunity to visit their loved ones.
It is a full month of freedom; of course, under the watchful and fearsome guard of the guardian officers who will be everywhere to control the situation and to ensure that no harm is done to the living.
Those who break the rules will be dragged back to hell; and will be punished severely.

It is also due to this fact, that the 7th month is considered so dangerous to the sick elders.
Usually a medium who predicts that the sick elder who can survive through the 3rd month may not be able to survive the 7th month.
The free roaming of the souls could lead to them dragging the sick folks to their deaths so that they are subject to reincarnation (sort of a headcount replacement thing)

That is the explanation for the higher number of deaths during the 7th month; not just among the elders, but also among those careless ones, i.e.: drowning, car accidents, etc.

If an elder is very sick and is in the hospital during this month, and they are advanced in their age, chances are they may be leaving their loved ones soon.

There are also plenty of taboos and strict rules to follow; as passed down by our elders for the 7th month which I am sure most of us have heard of.
(I will share more in an upcoming post)

Now, you know why our grandparents or old folks hate going or even the mere mention of the hospital?

He came to see her...

2009-08-09T22:52:00.000-07:00

In the year 2002, my paternal grandmother suffered pelvic injuries as a result of a bad fall and was admitted to the hospital for a minor surgery.

Shortly after her surgery, she was discharged and was allowed to go home again.
She often complained of pains and she had to be confined to bed rest most of the time; and a maid was hired to attend to her needs.
The maid slept in the same room as my grandmother since it was a larger room and also, because she had to be close to my grandmother to care for her.

Unknown to the maid, the room used to be the bedroom where both my grandparents stay; and the place where she is occupying was where my grandfather used to sleep.
My grandfather had left us 8 years before that.

My grandmother used to tell us that she sees 'Ah Kong'(what we call our grandfather) but since we were kids, we did not paid much attention to horror stories.

Shortly, grandmother did indeed pass away as she was found dead in her bed one morning and soon, arrangements were made for the funeral.

During this time, the maid came up to my mum and my aunt as they were chatting casually.
She mentioned that grandmother sometimes would mutter in her sleep; and she said, she did see a man sitting by her bedside.

She thought it was my uncle; who was probably worried about grandmother late at night.
Aunt was surprised and said, when was the last time she saw the guy and the maid replied that she recalled seeing him there for the longest time the night before her death.

After a while, she hesitantly paused and said, the man who was sitting by her bedside looked like the man in the photo sitting on top of the dressing table in the room.

Upon hearing this, both aunt and mum were quiet and the maid, who had already sensed it whispered, "Is he her husband?"

They nodded and told her gently, "But he's dead for more than 8 years now"

The maid was dumbfounded but she also added, "He must have loved her a great deal"
Both my aunt and mum agreed to this, as my grandfather has always been doting on my grandmother and I have never heard Ah Kong raised his voice at my Ah Ma.
He is a patient and mild-tempered man who rarely say much.

Needless to say, the maid refused to sleep in that room again although Mum assured her that grandfather meant no harm.
However, with grandmother's demise as well, I could really understand her pressure of facing TWO at the same time!!

Anyway, whatever they say about reincarnation, grandfather definitely did watch and guard grandmother all the time.

They are truly a good example of "Loving someone to the end of time"
It was an UN-dying love (no pun intended)...

I pray that Grandpa and grandma may rest in peace...

They can see dead people?

2009-08-09T22:45:00.000-07:00

Is it true that people who are dying can usually see dead people/ghostly apparitions/spirits/lost souls?

I have often heard spine-tingling stories how people who are very sick and yet claiming that they can see some dead relatives or spirits around them.
After that, they just pass away.
Can this be explained?

Some say this is due to their approaching time to the end of their lives; and to join the netherworld.
Some say that when a person is about to die, their soul lights dim and are more approachable by spirits who often roam the earth.
Some say it is the decreasing yang energy and the increasing yin energy which leads to this phenomenon...

But what is the truth?
I am not sure myself but I have some stories to share as well....

Bull Head and Horse Face

2009-08-05T21:47:00.001-07:00

As mentioned in the previous post, the Angel of Death comes in many forms according to the different beliefs and religions; and as believed by the religious folks themselves.
The Chinese version of the Angel of Death is the more popularly known Bull Head and Horse Face; the two soldiers of these appearances who appear with a trident in their hands and probably some heavy metal chains when they perform their duties to collect a dying person at their deathbeds.
The Chinese called them 'Ngau Tau Ma Min' (cantonese), 'Gu Tau Beh Bin' (Hokkien), 'Niu Tou Ma Mian' (Mandarin)

They were believed to be the messengers from the King of Hell (Yan Luo Wang); and follow the orders from his majesty himself who guards the book of life and death and gives instructions to his soldiers or messengers to perform their duties when the inscribed person's name appears when their time is due.
(This is from what I have heard from my grandmother and some elderly folks)

After the messengers have collected the dying person back to Hell, they will await their judgement by the King before deciding their next location or their reward/punishment. There are 10 judges who are also known as the Kings of Yama where the sinful person will need to go through if they are found guilty, etc.

I have shared on the stages of hell earlier in this blog; which was based on my visit to the famous Haw Par Villa in Singapore.

Now, how true is this about the two messengers? Let's see in the following story I am about to share...

This story came from a close colleague of mine; who told me about her close friend's story which fascinated me.

Her friend was a Christian as was her sick mother who was lying in the hospital at her deathbed.
Her mother was gravely ill and she was really worried and anxious about her mother's condition.

Deep down inside, she had that same fear that her mother is probably not doing so well already as mentioned by the doctor.

Late one night, as she was sleeping by her mother's bed during her night watch and accompanying her sick mother, she awoke to some sounds of bells and metal chains clanking.

When she opened her eyes, she saw two tall figures; bearing the head of an ox/bull and with the face of a horse standing at the end of her mother's bead.
They were ringing the bells and suddenly, she saw her mother waking up from her bed and followed them.
She could not believe her eyes, as she saw with her very own eyes how her mother followed the two figures and slowly disappeared from sight.

She turned back and saw her mother still lying down next to her; and instinctively, she touched her mother's hand which was right beside her.

To her shock, it was icy cold and when she held her finger nervously to her mother's nose, she realized that her mother had stopped breathing.

She called for the doctors and nurses; and her mother was confirmed dead a few minutes ago which coincidentally was the time she saw the two figures.

She could not believe this till this very day; especially when she is a staunch Christian as is the case with her whole family.
She has heard of this story of the Ox Head and Horse Face from her Buddhist and Taoist friends and she never did take much notice of it as she was skeptical of their beliefs, but now when it happened to her personally, she could not understand it anymore.

In Christianity, we believe that when we die, our souls go to Heaven and reunited with God.
It is natural that we would have imagined an angel or God who came to bring us along on our way (if we are dying).

This is a strong contrast to both beliefs and religions; perhaps we have been wrong in what we believed or assumed we believed?

My friend suggested that probably the messengers are the same in collecting the dying person to their judgement and they are brought to a place (probably Purgatory or limbo) while they are sorted out by their religion, before they are sent to their respective judgement places by their God?

But there is only ONE GOD; as all religions believe....so perhaps, there is a truth to this after all?
Anyone who has any further explanation?

Angel of Death/Grim Reaper

2009-08-03T23:54:00.000-07:00

Angel of Death; also known as the Grim Reaper is often associated with death; as the name indicated.

They are the messengers of Death; and they arrive to take those who are about to leave this world to their rightful place to await their judgement.
It was often told in forms of tales and imaginative stories that the Angel of Death/Grim Reaper is the cause of one's sudden death, and can be bribed or persuaded to lengthen one's lifetime.

There are various versions of the Angel of Death; according to the different beliefs and cultures based on their respective religions.
However, they are all connected to the same theory; which is Death itself.

We all know that birth and death is beyond our control; it remains a divine mystery which we should all respect.
Death is unpredictable; no one can predict when or how they are going to leave the world (not unless you're a seer; but I still feel that God's powers far supercedes that of the mortal human being)

It is most feared of; probably because most of the people (us) are afraid to leave what we have now; our belongings and most importantly, our loved ones.
We are afraid of something that is unknown to us; which explains why most people feel so scared of darkness.

At the same time, everyone is not prepared to leave a place where they are comfortable with and they are reluctant that they need to leave before everyone else, hence the fear always remain.
Everyone; is afraid of death, due to the HOW question as well.

We have heard of all sorts of stories and read of them in papers of deaths which occur almost every day, every hour, every minute; in fact, every second and could be anyone and anywhere.
Some die painfully; some die in terror, some die unwillingly, some, their lives are just taken from them unprepared, and there are also some of the fortunate ones who died peacefully, knowing of their own time.

But, HOW can we predict in which way we will die?
The answer is NO, no one can ever tell the manner in which their life will be taken from them.

Even if we do know, does that expel the fear of death from ourselves?

We have heard of some near-death experiences from people around us; some from people who have been gravely ill, some who have escaped death in a very close encounter, and some who claimed they have been to hell/heaven and were sent back.
Some even claimed that their deceased loved ones came to them in their dream to describe how they died and how they encountered the Angel of Death at their very own deathbeds.

Angel of Death is a myth or reality?

I chose not to be skeptical as this is something I cannot answer and verify; and I chose not to question the existence.
I leave it to you to decide as I shall proceed to share true stories as told by some close friends who shared their family or personal experiences with death or Angel of Death...

Stay tune for the upcoming posts...

Disclaimer: Photos do not belong to me and are entirely used for illustration purposes only. Please do not credit me for them; they are taken from the web.

Camping Stories: 1, 2, 3...What do you See?

2009-07-16T22:09:00.000-07:00

The same camping ground in Rawang seems to be breeding most of the stories I have heard about campsite. Most of my friends, regardless of race and religion, seems to think that this site is really haunted.

I can't really blame them anyway; after all, they have heard countless stories passed down from their seniors or their own troops; and some even had personal experiences/encounters which left them converted to a believer from then on.

Now this guy who told me the story was not really a skeptic; nor was he a believer but he could not figure out what happen then either.

(Image taken from web; not a real depiction of actual location)
There was this area in the forest where there is a staircase leading to the top; probably to the site of the waterfall (that is the area most likely to spawn a stairway, right?)
As he climbed the stairs, he started counting the number of the steps.

He counted, "1, 2, 3......." aloud all the way.

When he reached the top, he saw a very very bright light...and the rest was history.

Why history?
He could not recall what happened after that.
He only remembered counting all the way to 7 or was it 49...and then his memory just blacked out
There was no trace of what happened at that time

Some said they found him resting at the foot of the stairs which meant he never climb the staircase
Some said he came back on his own and mumbled some numbers...

What really happened?
Nobody knows; not even he himself

What is wrong with the counting which caused this?
Is it a taboo to count the steps in the forest; or in that particular forest where something probably happened before then?

What is the mystery?

Camping Stories: The Doppelganger

2009-07-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

The forest is indeed a mythical place; home to the flora and fauna and also the source of many myths, legends, and amazing stories waiting to be told.

It is a sacred place to be honored and respected; and I have shared the Do's and Don'ts in the forest to avoid any misconduct of behavior which could land us in trouble when we are there.

As a sequel, I would like to share some stories from the camp which I have heard from some of my friends who are great fans of camping and most of these happened during the school days......those good old days...

This story happened in one of the camping grounds near Rawang; a place which was pretty popular among the scouts in my school.

They were all camping as usual on the site; and then split into groups for activities.
One of them led the group; and then they started on their task and trekked through the forest.
It was some time, and they were panting from the strenous journey.
Their leader was far ahead of them and they were trying their best to catch up.

They then saw their leader on the opposite of the river and scratched their heads as they thought he was right ahead of them.
They saw him; and was surprised how he managed to get to the other side so soon. As they tried to catch up, they bumped into their leader who was staring at them at the front of the line.

They were once again surprised, they just saw him across the river, how did he get back to this side of the river so soon?
As they threw him the question, he puzzled them further with his answer
"I was all the while here; I never got to the other side of the river. Besides, it is still a long way to find the way to cross the river. From here to the opposite side, it is almost impossible to even wade across, so how could I possibly be there when you saw me?"

Thinking it was probably an illusion, they didn't say anything although each had an uneasy feeling at that time.

On a separate occasion, another girl scout is involved this time.
They have woken up from their sleep the previous night and went down to the river to freshen themselves up and to enjoy the feeling of cool water on their faces.
As they made their way down to the bank, they noticed one of the girls was already there and she had her back towards them but they could make out her size and outfit.
They called her loudly and jokingly, they reprimanded her for coming out alone so early and did not even invite them.
There was no reply from her and as they were busy cleaning themselves up, they ignored her.
When everyone was done cleansing themselves, they noticed that the girl was gone and was surprised, how could she leave so quickly and so silently; under everyone's noses?
She had to somehow make it through them to get back to the campsite.
They felt that it was really odd; and made their way back to the site to check on her.

As they approached the campsite, they saw her getting out of the tent and marching towards her, they reprimanded her once again
"Hey, so arrogant ar you, down by the river. You've already gone on your own and don't even invite us, and then when we called you, you didn't even bother to acknowledge us. Then you just came back here on your own...how did you manage to do it without anyone of us noticing you ar?"

The girl looked genuinely puzzled and her answer freaked them out, "I just woke up from my sleep, I thought I was late this morning. I have not even gone down to the river, I just came out of the tent. How could it be you guys saw me down at the stream then?"

The group was seriously freaked and all could have sworn that they saw her; just like how the other group saw the guy across the river.

What is the explanation behind this?
Is there a doppelganger at work; and how did they attract a doppelganger?

Do's and DON'Ts in a Forest

2009-07-15T20:24:00.001-07:00

I'm sure most of us have gone camping at one point or another (especially those who are into adventures).
Yours truly is never a big fan of staying out there in the wild; not because of the spooks but more of hygiene and lots of other reasons which I can't point here (just call me a brat).

Most of those who have been a boy scout/girl guide, camping is a norm and practically part of their routine.

How many of us have not been to a forest before anyway? Perhaps the younger generation who are too engrossed with the technology playing in their eyes are the only exception?
How many, even frequent campers truly know the rules of the forest grounds?

True, the forest is the land of the beautiful flora and fauna and the natural habitats for the creatures of the wild; born free and living free.

However, have you heard of the divine living among the creatures and the lush greeneries of the forest?

For centuries, there are stories passed down from generation to generation; especially by our forefathers who have seen it all during their days of exploring the forests.
There are countless experiences and encounters in the forest which they have shared; are they true or not?
I leave it to you to judge, however, I have done my little research and found that most of the stories have been shared by our Malay counterparts, who are mostly forest rangers and hikers back then.

Besides, I have also compiled the beliefs and superstitions from other races; and in general to share with you on a simple guide on the Do's and Don'ts in the Forest:

1. Do NOT Whistle in the forest
Why?
It is believed that your whistling could attract the ghosts or even wild beasts (man-eating ones) and either way, it is not a favorable return to you.

2. Do NOT Shout/Yell/Scream/Wail or talk in LOUD voices
You will be attracting various forms of creatures; genies, jembalang (devil), and again wild beasts
Furthermore, if your cries are heard by the devil, you are more prone to get lost in the forest.

3. Do NOT Sleep on the Trees
You will be setting a trap for yourself; it will be hard to escape the clutches of the devil if you were found on the trees. There are various forms of the beings; and some are the flying ones. If you sleep on the trees, you could be offending the genies or incur the wrath of the host.

4. If you are going hunting, do not get astray from your friends/group
You can risk getting lost, and also at the same time, you may be misled by the illusions and could end up killing your own friends through the divine transformations of the beings.

5. Do NOT sleep by the river if you have lost your way
This is a Malay belief that you can be eaten by the ghost that dwells in that area or the one responsible to elude you to that path.

6. If you hear your name being called, do not Answer or Turn Back
This is a popular belief among everyone. It is best not to answer as it could be the call of the other being to lure you into their trap.
Chinese believe that you should not even turn your head to look behind you; as a human being has the guidance of the three lights on their head and shoulders which the ghosts are afraid of.
Therefore, they will resort to tricks to put out the light.
No matter what happens, don't turn your head around. If you have to, make sure your whole body turns around with you.

7. Do NOT call people by their Real Names
Make an agreement with your friends to give each other nicknames in the forest at the beginning of the trip. This is related to Rule 6; avoid being called by your real name ensures that your soul is not fully taken by the devil when you are called.
If your friend calls you by your name, do not answer.
This is to ensure your safety not just in the forest. When your real name is known, the ghost may hunt you all the way even back at home.

8. Do NOT pick up things in the forest for keeps
The phrase "Finders' Keepers" definitely do not apply here! No matter how tempting it is, do not simply pick up things unless it's your own and keep it for yourself. Those things could belong to someone else; or something else.

9. Do NOT make any comments/remarks if you were to see anything queer in the forest
If you smell something funny or heard any noise, just keep quiet about it and don't make passing remarks such as "What's that smell?", Why is it so noisy here?
These could incur the wrath of the other beings living there.

10. Do NOT be arrogant
Do NOT make statements such as "I will never get lost", "I know the forest much better than anyone else"
Such statements could lead to unexplainable events which pursue; and you could find yourself getting lost (no matter how expert you were)
These could be the work of the genies or the spirits in the forest.

11. Do NOT pee/do your business everywhere
If you have an urge to take that nature's call, try looking for a loo. If you have no choice, do ask for permission and say "Excuse me"
It's best if you were to go to a loo, for it is dirty to pollute the environment (for nature's sake) and you could offend some of the spirits who live there if you were to accidentally/fatefully dirty their living place.

12. Do NOT make too much noise in the forest
Too merry of an environment not just disturb the animals; but also the spirits who may not welcome such impolite behavior in their residence.

13. I don't think this needs to be told; for it is common sense NOT to sleep on a walkway or a path
The paths we use to walk are also the same paths used by the spirits. I don't need to tell you what happens when we walk another's path?

14. Do NOT bring meat/pork into the forest
I've heard of this from a friend. It is dangerous to cook meat in the forest; you could be luring a beast to your campsite, or those hungry pontianaks.

15. Do NOT sing in the forest
Same as do not make noise

Anything else from campers out there?

Whether to believe it or not, it's entirely up to you.
However, it is no harm to keep these guidelines in mind when you are at the forest anyway, right?
You don't have to pay a cent to be extra careful...

Enjoy your camping!

My Queer Queer Dream

2009-06-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

I debated for a while on which blog to post on this and I've decided that this is the blog for it, for the following reasons:
1. It happened at night, while I was asleep (obviously!)
2. It's really queer with a scary twist as well which just fits the notion of this blog perfectly!

I was not feeling very well yesterday and decided to tuck in early.
I hit the sack at about 9.30-10pm and knocked off immediately.

I awoke somewhere in the middle of the wee hours of the morning to hear the sounds of rumbling thunder and then the heavy downpour of the rain almost after and sleepily went back to sleep.

I think it was somewhere near the morning (about 4am) when I had this long and queer dream which never seem to end.
In it was a dream where I saw a few of my friends and people around me, who were 'possessed'!
They seemed to be at it; one after another immediately after each one recovered!

Oh my, I could barely remember but I remembered feeling so freaked when I was confronted by my own friends who seemed demonic when they stared at me!
I was praying so hard; Our Fathers, Hail Marys, and Glory Be's when I saw their eyes which were just so freaky.

Some just went berserk and tried to lung at me, and some were just so hard to hold back
(I had friends around me who tried holding them back as well)

The dream went on, with me praying and feeling anxious

Then I awoke suddenly at 5.30am, my usual time but as I was a little groggy, I sank my head back into the pillow and dozed off again

Guess what, the dream continued and it took on new people
I was still the one running one after another
Those freaky people who tried to chase after me

And I remembered trying to shut them out by running into those rooms
But they were telling me that as long as there's holes or space underneath the doors which they can creep in (spiritually), I can't get away

I kept praying and praying
Then I managed to wig my eyes open and I awoke to 7am, birds chirping outside

I realized with horror that it was a nightmare
I woke up, said a quick prayer and made my way to the washroom (that's what grandma and mum used to say, if you've had a really bad dream/nightmare, go to the washroom to spit or get it out)

It was really terrifying and I still felt tremors
I prayed to God and calmed myself down

I will share the interpretation of the dream later on
In the meantime, I pray to God for strength and his guidance
to deliver me from all evil

Knock! Knock!

2009-06-07T23:37:00.000-07:00

You were sleeping (or maybe not) in your room at night, or in the middle of the night and suddenly, you hear
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
maybe a third KNOCK!

(Number doesn't matter now, as long as you hear a knock)

What do you do?
Will you open the door?

To open the door or not to Open, that is the QUESTION!

This was inspired by a friend (a blog follower) who recently shared a story with me.
It got me doing a quick check and research on this topic; which was not too easy as there were not too many sources sharing on these superstitions.
The following are the theories:

1. According to the friend's elders, when someone knocks on the door, we should ask
"Who is it? Who are you looking for?"
If there is no answer, do not answer/open the door.
If you have to open the door, do not stand directly at the door, stand sideways

2. My own elders told me, if someone knocks on your door in the middle of the night, it is usually not advisable to open the door (of course, unless it's your own family but they wouldn't knock at that time anyway, right?)
Just stay put and pray, and it will go away

These are the two main and common theories from my interviews with various people.

However, my research soon brought me to more interesting theories on door knocks, or knocks in general and superstitions around the world:
1. When you hear knocks (3 times) on the door and no one is there, it usually means that someone in the house is about to meet their death soon.
This superstition is known as The Three Knocks of Death
Source: Victorian Funeral Customs

2. A Filipino shared his tale on how he heard a knock at night (late at night) and his own father's voice calling him 3 times, each time with a higher sense of urgency and the 3rd time, with anger.
Trusting his instinct, he proved to be right when he ignored the knocks that night
He related his tale to his grandfather, who told him the following words:
"grandchild, do not answer, do not look. That's the way it is, child.":)
Source: Your Ghost Stories

3. Knocking three times on a wood can ward off evil spirits
This practice sort of originated from Romans, there are sources which say it is Celtic too.
In Celtic belief, the tree is always a sacred symbol. Therefore, knocking on wood/tree itself is a form of seeking the Gods for guidance or assistance.
That's why, we always yell "Touch Wood!" when we say/hear something inauspicious!

In general, I would also advise to just ignore
As most would say, spirits will not come unless invited
When there is a knock, and you are in doubt
Pray to God (whichever religion you belong to)

Usually doubts are inner voices which tells you something is wrong
Of course, don't be overly superstitious that you start to ignore knocks from your parents and siblings even in broad daylight!

Types of Malay Ghosts

2009-04-13T22:24:00.000-07:00

I have recently came across an interesting story of a pregnant Malay woman who had to ward off a fiery and fearsome Hantu Penanggalan in her sister's house.
It got me wondering, and I have stumbled across a list of Malay ghosts which I found it worth to be sharing on my blog.

Penanggal (pronounced as Pe-Nun-Gal) is a female ghost; with a very beautiful appearance which is obtained through the means of black magic or supernatural ways.

They are also in a way, associated with the term of Devil's Disciple/Apprentice and at the same time, they are the living dead who lived among the living.
There are different versions of the origins of this Penanggal; and the following are the other versions:
1. A midwife who made a pact with the devil to gain supernatural powers and in return, she is not to eat meat for 40 days. She broke the pact and she is cursed to live forever on sucking blood.
2. A beautiful woman/high priestess who was bathing in vinegar and a man startled her, whereby she turned in such haste that she detached her head from her body; and the internals trailing from the opening at the neck and she flies after the man for revenge.

The Penanggal is typically illustrated as a flying creature with the internals trailing after her head and there is also reportedly a strong scent of vinegar with her.
The Penanggal preys on pregnant women and newborn babies; on whom she sucks the blood. She is like a banshee who appears at childbirth and she perches on the rooftop of a house in which a pregnant or expecting mother resides and screeches when the woman is in labor. She will insert a long tongue into the house to lap the blood of the new mother; and this could cause the mother to sink into weakness and inrecoverable fatigue.
Also, the entrails of her internals could cause deep wounds on whoever she brushes past and will not heal unless with the help of a bomoh.
The Penanggal is said to fear sharp objects; and to fend her off, the traditional way is to scatter the Mengkuang thorny leaves to trap her internals and at the same time, pregnant women/expectant mothers should keep scissors or betels at bay and under her pillow as the Penanggal is afraid of this.

It is somehow more commonly found in the old Malay kampung where the houses are built of wood and stands on stilts; where the Penanggal would most probably try to enter from. As such, some of the methods used were also to plant pineapples or sharp plants underneath the house to prevent the Penanggal from entering the house.

Pontianak (Porn-Tia-Nuck) is also a female ghost who died at labour and is out for revenge.

They are also considered as one of the undead beings in the supernatural world
Pontianaks often prey on men; and they disguised themselves through the soft and gentle cries. Sometimes they do appear as very beautiful ladies to seduce their male victims as well.
According to folklore, if the cries of the Pontianak are soft, it means they are very near and if it is loud, they are far away.
A pontianak will attack their victims by ripping out the male reproductive organs.
To ward them off, the Pontianaks are also reported to be afraid of sharp objects; particularly long nails.

Langsuir; is another version of Pontianak and they are desribed as the scariest and deadliest of all. They are those who have suffered the death of their children at labor and then died themselves after, and they will possess the victim and suck their blood.
They are often described with red fiery eyes, long hair, sharp claws and long hair (similar as Pontianak).
The Langsuir was also described as one with a hole in the neck.

Hantu Pocong

Ghosts which are wrapped in white cloth (commonly used at a traditional Malay burial/funeral). They appear to be ghosts who are trapped, and they hop around to warn people to release their bonds.
Due to the ties on their feet, they are often seen hopping around.

Kuntilanak, same as Pontianak

Toyol
Typically an aborted or stillborn child or a foetus, and this ghost child appears as different versions in most of the culture.
The baby child or the foetus are often used by the bomoh through black magic to perform tasks for them; and is usually associated with stealing money/valuables from others.
The toyol is just like a child and is often depicted as one with a big head and small limbs. They are mischievous and must be fed with blood every day. The amount of blood is incremental with time; and if the owner forgets to feed it for a day, it will cause havoc or steal the owner's stuffs.
Typically, the toyol could eat of its owner eventually when its appetite grows and there is no way to satisfy it.

Hantu Galah
These are very beings which appear at a normal height in front of you, but as you approach them, they grow to be taller and taller; and they can even be as tall as a coconut tree.

Orang Minyak
Known as the oily man and his body is covered in oil while he runs around raping virgin women. There were speculations that this was actually a man in human form.

The Passion of Christ

2009-04-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

As we approach the Holy week which also coincidentally also ends the Lent season, it is a solemn week as we observe the last days of Jesus Christ, the only Son of God before he submits to his fate to save us all from our sins.

I felt compelled to write about this great Lord who is always present in my life; and also to share with you my insights on what he has done for us.
* Disclaimer:
Please feel free to read this without any religious obligation if you are of a different religion.

All Christians know of HIS great name, and we praise him in glory and songs.
Jesus Christ, is the only son of God, who has redeemed us from our sins and given us a new life by his sacrifice.

We proclaim him the King of ALL Kings and praise him endlessly, worshipping HIS holy name in churches and our homes.

We are so proud to know Jesus Christ and announce and accept HIM as the Son of God.

However, was it the SAME in the past, many many centuries ago; during the A.D times in the Bible?

Jesus Christ was then a living man among the people; he has descended to Earth to live among his people.
He has led a life full of good deeds, preaching to the people, healing them and comfort them in times of grief and pain.

He was so noble; and although he has won the hearts of many, he has also stirred the jealousy among those who were in power at that time.
In reality, they were also afraid of HIM, who proclaimed himself the Son of God.
They fear that they will run out of power one day and HE, will replace them on their throne.
One such ruler was Herod; who had been foretold that the Messiah would come.
He banished all the newborn boys from his Kingdom to rid his mind of the bestowing of the prophecy.

Jesus Christ was very much a human being like you and me, and various questions have been asked when we were kids and also by most of you who were not of a Christian family background.
"Had Jesus Christ ever sinned?"

We have been led to understand that Jesus had never sinned; although he had been tempted so many times throughout HIS lifetime.
BUT Jesus Christ is a MAN with emotions and I personally remembered the story particularly when he was a young boy of 12, and he was so angered by the sight of all the people selling things in the Temple of God that he lost his temper and threw all the things to the ground.

That was one of the time that I could relate that Jesus was very much like us, as young teenager, who could be angry as well.

People then were so skeptical of him as the Son of God and even those, who initially believed in him, then turned away from him in times of distress or when they were influenced by others.

HE knew his Mission on earth, and what he had to fulfill of HIS father's will and per the scriptures.
At the same time, do you think that he had not had his moments of fear, anxiety and doubt?

It was depicted in the last moments after the Passover meal/Last Supper with his apostles/disciples.
It was heart-wrenching that he even knew about the betrayal by one of his closest ones.
Mark 14:20 And He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl.
They were not just followers, but they were like brothers.

If you have felt the pains of betrayal before, you would understand the feeling of despair and that was exactly how Jesus felt on the night of the last supper; which was his final meal with all his apostles.

Mark 14:21 "For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born."

It was already fated that Jesus had to face his fate, and to submit to his Father's Will, but alas, HE was more disappointed in the one who had chosen to betray him.
After all, whether he was betrayed or not, HE would still be leaving for his awaiting fate.
It was painful that in the process, HE had to be given away by them.

Imagine if it was any of us, knowing what our fate awaits us in front, would you be happy or worried at this point of time?
Jesus was feeling the same and HE brought all 12 with HIM to the Mount of Olives, where he prayed for strength and courage during his last hours.
At the same time, Judas Iscariot (who was the one to betray Jesus) was leading the soldiers, chief priests and the whole lot to hand Jesus over to them.

Jesus was also sad when he found most of his disciples sleeping.
Their willpower was weak, and HE was worried about them.
Peter was the One who assured Jesus that he will always be by HIS side, and he will never leave Jesus.

However, Jesus even knew that Peter would not be able to do that
Simon Peter said, “Lord, where are you going?”
Jesus replied, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now; you will follow me later.”
Peter said to him, “Why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
“Lay down your life for me?” answered Jesus.
“I tell you most solemnly, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.”

When Judas brought the soldiers, he made a secret signal pact with them that the one he walked up to kiss will be Jesus.
Jesus was arrested and HE was betrayed by his trusted apostles' kiss!

It was then the beginning of his torturous ordeal when he was mocked and taunted by the soldiers.
HE was brought to Pilate who found no case against him, but yet all the chief priests and scribes threw false accusations at him to which Jesus did not defend himself.

(I'm sure most of us would have screamed in agony at false accusations and yell Bloody Murder!)

Pilate tried to release him but he was pressured by his people to release Barabbas instead, as they wanted Jesus who called himself the Son of God dead, yelling all the way, "Crucify Him, Crucify Him"

Pilate succumbed to their request to please them.
It was another show of weak willpower.

Jesus was then humiliated as they stripped him naked and even casted lots to divide his clothing.
He was continuously whipped and was even given a crown with thorns which those cruel soldiers thrusted onto his head.
He is a man, remember, imagine the excruciating pain he had to go through.

I could not bear to think how much he had to go through; it was all so much pain and humiliation!
HE was the Son of God, and nobody refused to believe him.

Even the 2 prisoners who were to be crucified with him made fun of him,
"If you were the Son of God, why don't you save yourself and us??"

He had to carry his own cross to Golgotha (The Skull), and remember, he had all those fresh wounds on his back and all over his body.
He is already weak and fragile; frankly, it really pained me to imagine the amount of pain and the scourging and the crown of thorns were already so much pain that it could have killed a human being instantly.

Jesus still stood up weakly and carried his wooden cross, which he fell several times along the way.
OF COURSE, imagine if you had deep cuts after the scourging and whipping, would you still be able to walk straight??

He was bleeding all over and yet they were so cruel to HIM!!

Frankly, whether HE is the Son of God or not (where the people did not believe HIM), I still think they were really inhuman to do something like that to another human being.

I break down and cry when I read about this; and I definitely could not watch the Passion of Christ.

He was NAILED to the cross; to be crucified to HIS death.
I can tell you, if you felt the pain when a needle or a sharp object goes through the palms of your hands, imagine if a BIG nail went through it!

It really made me shudder to my bone and the sadness crept in when I thought of how he suffered during his last hours.

Clouds have darkened and the veil of the temple has broken into two before Jesus breathed his last.
He cried so loudly, "Eloi, Eloi, La Mech Sabathani?? (My God, Why have you forsaken me?)"

It is a clear depiction that even Jesus are like us, in times of despair and pain, will call out to God (furthermore, it is HIS father) to ask for help.
He knew his fate and his Father's will, but yet, he must have been so much in pain that he wished HIS father would be there for him and take it all way from him.

With that, he breathed his last.

Imagine, HE suffered so much for ALL of us, for our sins...to redeem us and to give us another chance of a NEW Life.

It showed how much GOD loved us that HE wanted us to live by sacrificing HIS one and ONLY son.
It was painful and yet, it was also the greatest mysteries that we marvel at.
We praise the Almighty God to the highest and we sing of Jesus in songs of glory and praise.

We are now here today because of this CHANCE.

Had we been reciprocating and remembered what GOD wanted of us?

Do we invite God into our lives and live the way God wanted us to?
Do we hurt other people or do we listen to God, We must love one another?

Sinners were redeemed by Jesus Christ's blood - the amount of blood which cannot be measured by any standard of his wonderful LOVE for us.
He Suffered and bear everything because he WANTED us to live...

Jesus never refute his Father's will because he LOVED us...

ARE We worthy of HIS LOVE?
Will anyone else do something like that for us?

We always claim that we could die for each other when we are in love, but how many are really willing to go to that lengths (the same humiliation and pain that Jesus went through for us?)

Yet, we seem to have lost ourselves in this materialistic world and care more about those material things that we have lost track of being with God.
Some of us don't even remember God, one hour of prayer is often reciprocated with "I am too busy today"

We can spend hours chatting with our friends/family/boyfriend/girlfriend on the hour or in the lounge, but one hour to talk to God is not something achievable.

We can spend money buying a new suit for a company's formal function or an event, but we do not even waste time/money to dress up when we go to church or to attend the FEAST of God

I could think of many more, but the fundamental is I do not want to be judgmental.
It must come from our hearts...

Is GOD worth your time after all he has done for you?

We are not perfect people; neither are we God or living saints, and we may not be totally sinless.
But the very least is we can stop and think before we do something and ask ourselves, "Is this something that God would want me to do? Is this something that God himself would do?"

Remember, Jesus died for our sin, if we were to sin, it is just like squeezing salt or lime/lemon juice onto his wounds....

Thus begins the HOLY WEEK....

2009-04-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

I am sure most Catholics around the world has participated in Palm Sunday yesterday; which is always the significant day in the Lent season approaching Easter.
It is the Sunday before Easter and is also the initial point to marking the beginning of the HOLY Week after almost a month of abstinence and fast during the Lent season.

Why is Palm Sunday so important in the calendar and what is the significance of it to the whole celebration?

Well, the reason why Palm Sunday is significant and how it relates to beginning the whole Holy Week is due to the significant entry of Jesus Christ; which was a triumphant one into Jerusalem to face his fate and it is also the days before his Passion.

Palms were often associated with triumph and victory in the Jewish tradition and thus so, to mark the entry of Jesus Christ.

When the Holy Week begins, we participate and observe the honorary Passion of Christ; and together we pray and reflect on ourselves.

Formation of Universe

2008-09-22T05:14:00.000-07:00

Chinese title: (Opening of the skies and the breaking of the ground)

(Translated from the Chinese mythology read to me)

Legend has it that the skies and the earth used to be joined together.
The whole universe looks like or rather resembles a big egg. However, the insides of the egg are a mess and darkness eludes the entire environment.

Within the egg, there is a legendary hero.
He is the legendary Pan Gu; the man who possessed extraordinary skills and was, according to legend, the father or creator of the universe.

Pan Gu persevered within the egg before his birth for 18,000 years and when he finally opened his eyes to the world (literally speaking), he realized that everything around him was total darkness.

Pitch black.
In a sudden anger, he took up an axe and started waving it frantically in the air; without any defined motion nor direction and that was where the particles start to separate into proportion. This was said as the actual formation of the universe where the lighter particles grouped together and formed the top of the sky; the heavier particles falling to the earth to form the ground on which we walk on today.

He was elated to see the outcome of his so-called martial art form of swish-swashing as he sees the obvious segregation of the particles which formed the top and bottom.
However, his happiness was short-lived when the skies and the earth joined again in union and in an act of desperation; he held his head high up to hold against the skies and thumped his feet on the ground to hold the earth down.

He stood there this way; determined to hold the two apart and there he remained for another 18,000 years.
At the same time, his head grew a foot a day which distanced the sky the same length as his growth and his feet remained stamped on the ground; which was also a foot in depth each day.

That was how thousands of years passed and skies became as high as possible; where the height cannot be measured within means and the earth sunk in infinite depth.
Pan Gu at the same time, also grew to be a gigantic man where his height is no longer comparable to a normal human being.
Even then, Pan Gu still refused to move from his position and remained rooted to his position; adamant that there he will stay until the situation proved to him that the skies and earth will no longer join as one.

Again, another thousands of years passed and as time goes by, the skies and earth were too far apart which was really impossible to join in union again. It was also then that Pan Gu was at a high point of exhaustion where he really wished for rest in eternity.

He took a step back to look at his works; where the skies and earth are now well defined in distance and he smiled with content and pride at his hard work, while wishing for a good rest.
As our legendary hero laid down to his rest, he closed his eyes to rest and that was where his body undergo the following tremendous transformation.

His left eye became the sun; the right eye became the moon and as he breathed out his last, that became the wind and the clouds in the skies.
His hair became what we see today as the shooting star; while his body limbs (hand, body and legs) turned into mountains and hills. His blood flowed as the river and springs, his veins formed the roads, muscles transformed into the paddy fields, and the flesh and hair became the greens and the flowers, trees and the plains.
His decayed teeth and bones became the stones and rocks; bone marrow became the treasures of the earth – the pearls and the jade. Even his sweat brought the drops of rain and morning dew on the flower and leaves.

With this great and marvelous contribution and works; Pan Gu who had used his strength and might to create the universe and sacrificed his body and every part of his body to instill the natural beauty into it to give it life, he became one of the first hero in the legendary stories in China.
Till today, it is one of the fable which was shared through generations on the creation of the universe.

This was an interesting version of a folklore of how the universe was created.
In my religion, God was the creator of the universe and he did it in 7 days.
I am a believer, but this is an interesting perspective on how the rest of the world and culture view this creation.
Hope you enjoyed the story as much as I do:)

Hungry Ghost Festival - A story to share

2008-09-11T18:15:00.000-07:00

Gosh, I can't believe it's been months since I last updated this little blog here!~
The reason I started this blog in the first place was due to the weird and intriguing stories from the other side which prompted me to share some that I've heard or in case of any supernatural (something which cannot be proved by science) cases which is interesting for all to read about.

Anyway, this update is about a story I wish to share; which I've heard from a family member.
This story took place in a place in Penang and it was during the month of the Hungry Ghost Festival.
Now, as you know, during this particular month, it is a Chinese tradition and custom to make offerings to those residing in the netherworld.
These offerings can be made in the form of paper paraphernalia, joss sticks, food, and even opera shows.
In Malaysia, the Getai is highly popular.

Wherever there is the mass offering, there the Getai goes.
**Getai is a local word for the street performances on the stage, singing, dancing, etc.

If you observe these areas, you will always notice that there is a long table with all the food and all sorts of offerings and at the end of the table there is a huge and gigantic paper statue sitting there.
The gigantic paper statue is made to resemble the Tai Su Yeah; who is also the guardian deity of hell and is honored to grant peace during the auspicious month of the Hungry Ghosts.

Now to the story, this happened a few years ago in this place in Penang where there was a famous temple to honor the hungry ghosts.
There was a mother with an infant baby in her arms who decided to play her part to honor the dead and to make offerings by burning the paper paraphernalia during that time.
As she was carrying her infant baby and at the same time, she had to burn the paper offerings, she decided to put her little child on the table while she goes around to burn the offerings.

Now it so happens that, after she was done with the burning and praying, she returned to the table and found the baby really quiet as if he was sleeping.
As she touched his hand, she was shocked to find that it was cold and he was motionless and not breathing anymore.
Within minutes, the baby was pronounced dead.

She couldn't understand the reason of his death as he was perfectly normal and health before they came out.

However, according to some of the folks there, the lady made a mistake by placing her boy on the table as it was the offering table!

The offering table holds all the food and offerings for the "brothers and sisters" from the netherworld and it was their understanding that everything there is for "their" consumption.
Furthermore, the Chinese believed that the dead are straight in their minds and will consume whatever that is on that table as they believed it is offered for them.

It was a rather sad story; but that was the story of how the lady wanted to do her bit to pray for her family's peace and harmony and ended having her own little boy made an "offering" as well.

So, according to my grandma and all the older folks, do be careful of what you place on the offering table, there is no turning back and that is why the month is known as the month of the Hungry Ghost.

Vampires?

2007-12-04T22:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, this is a personal story I want to share; it was actually a dream - a really bad dream or nightmare I just had last night and I am serious.
It was really creepy and I could remember it vividly; or at least until this morning.
Now, I still have the vague flashes of it and I am trying to tell it to the best I could based on my memory.

To the story....
I was actually with this bunch of close friends from my GPTW; okay, I can remember a few of them but I wouldn't mention their names here.
We were travelling to this particular small town or island I think which had a small village. It was rather cold there; coz I remembered most of us were in jackets and we were picking up logs and everything.
Then we met this family who had a hut near ours and we said hi to them.
Somehow me and another 2 guys were not too comfortable with the place and also the weird family and urged the others to cut the trip short while they laughed us off.

Then I couldn't remember what happened but we were out of the hut and when we got back, we couldn't find most of our friends except a few and we noticed they were kinda pale and looking zoned out. In fact, they even had bites on her neck...obviously made by vampires.

The three of us ( the skeptics) ran out of the hut and was trying to get help. We saw the weird couple trying to hunt us down; and we ran and hide. We looked around and wanted to reach out to the townsfolk for help when we realized there weren't a lot of people around and one or two that we saw, look zombie-like as well.

It was really scary and it became worse when we suddenly realize another of my friend was missing and the skies turned dark....and then, poof, my alarm clock woke me up! Thank God!!!

Origins of the Festival of Lights

2007-11-06T16:52:00.000-08:00

In conjunction with the festive occasion, I have actually done an article (main source: Wikipedia) on Deepavali to send out as a communication mail for knowledge sharing in my dept.

7th Month of Lunar Calendar

2007-09-10T23:13:00.000-07:00

"Don't go out after dark!"
They will always tell you this whenever this time of the year looms around the corner; the famous 7th Month of the Lunar Calendar - also familiarly known as the "Ghost Month" among the Chinese folks.
Why is this month such an eerie and mysterious month?
It is believed that on the 1st day of the 7th month of the Lunar Calendar (calculations based on the sun and moon), the Gates of Hell will be open and the spirits will be released for a full month to wander among the living on Earth. It is during this time which was believed to be dangerous as some of the restless or evil spirits will seek for revenge and also for someone to substitute their place. At the same time, some are out on the intent to stir trouble and cause havoc as part of their enjoyment.
Thus, this brings the meaning to the saying "All hell breaks loose"

The origins of this festival dates back to the story of a filial piety, Mu Lian who went to the depths of the levels of hell to see his mother who was being severely punished for her deeds during her lifetime. He was torn to see his mother suffering in pain as everything that was fed into her mouth turned to charcoal and she was burnt and whipped each day.
Mu Lian went back to Earth and started chanting prayers for his mother; offering her peace and hoping the prayers could ease her pain from the fire and also at the same time, to rescue his poor mother from the realm of the hungry ghosts.

On the 1st day of the month as in every month, you can see people paying visits to temples and also sticking joss sticks to offer prayers to the deities in the temple and also at the altars along the roads.

Besides the deities, the 7th month is different from the other months in the sense that people also offer prayers and food to the wandering spirits whom they believe are roaming Earth upon their release from the netherworld.
The living people would offer joss sticks, paper money, fruits and food to the spirits, with the belief that this could bring them luck and peace during the month.

At the same time, there were also offerings to the deity Tai Su Yah whom they believe guards and can appease the wandering spirits intent to cause trouble.

As such, you will often see flags everywhere you go during this particular time of the year which will mark the locations of the area which will set up the altar for the deity.

Also, there will be stage shows with live performances such as opera, puppet show and also singing for the spirits.
All these performances and offerings will take place within a course of 3 days at minimum and will travel from one district or area in that month. Each area will specifically pool together their resources to invite the performance troupe and also to set up the worship altar to offer prayers to both the deities and the spirits to ensure no undesired "situations" occurring in that area.

The 14th and 15th of the month mark the climax of the month; or also known as the most dangerous time of the month where they believe the spirits will be at their optimum capability to cause havoc to the living and also the mean spirits will be feasting.

There were 2 versions of the Hungry Ghost Festival; one known as Zhongyuan which marks the day of the forgiveness/pardoning of the spirits while the Yu Lan commemorates the act of filial piety demonstrated by Mu Lian and thus the prayers and offerings to their dead ancestors as well.

During this month as well, you will particularly see more of the colored paper items and also hell money in most of these shops; what you term them in Cantonese as "Chi Chap Pou" (direct translation as Paper Assortment Shop) which basically sells anything you need for the Taoist worship for the deities and also the dead.

At the same time, you will also tend to see stalls by the roadside selling all sorts of cakes and kueh for the offerings.

The colourful cakes will be used for the prayer offerings to the deities and the spirits

Anyway, yesterday marked the last day of the Hungry Ghost Month and typically, according to my grandmother, it will rain on this last day as it symbolises the tears of the spirits as they once again depart from their loved ones and also their freedom (sort of vacation) for the whole one month.

Longest Cemetery on Earth

2007-07-22T23:36:00.000-07:00

I recently started reading my True Singapore Ghost Stories vol 14 which I have purchased like more than a few months ago and I was in for a shocking discovery when I stumbled upon one of the stories revolving one of the Wonders of the World.
I couldn't believe my eyes and yeah, laugh at my naive mind, I just couldn't believe it and this has led me to numerous researches and readings (yeah, including looking up my own encyclopedias) on this.

The Great Wall of China (aka Wan Li Chang Chen in Chinese which means a Thousand Miles) was a historic structure which stood tall as the defender from Mongolians and invading parties from the province and borders of China; one of the giant powers in Asia or the world.
Established during the reign of the first and notable emperor in the history of China, Qin Shi Huang, this was an amazing structure which remains one of the wonders until this day. The origins of the wall actually started in the Spring, Autumn during the warring periods and was a fort of defense by the 3 states at war; which include Yan, Zhao and Qin. Following the continuous and endless modifications, the wall was finally joined together - hence the birth "Great Wall" today as the brainchild of the mighty Shi Huangti in his efforts to defend the country against the Huns residing in the northern borders of China.

The complexity of the structure and also the drawback in technology back then was not a deterring factor from a solid barrier to shield the country from attacks and this is one of the main reasons this wall earned its place in the World's Wonders' list.In fact, the wall itself took more than centuries to complete and in the process; it has also gone through re-structuring, re-building, and also relocating of the wall which span across several regions; from the boundaries of Korea all the way to the Gobi Desert. In fact, this wall was also the joint combination of several local walls built by the warring states.

The structure of the wall resembled that of a dragon as it winds in a wave of upward and downward shape due to the platform it was built upon; ranging from deserts, pastures, hills, mountains and plateaus and boast of an astounding distance of 6,700 kilometres; which is about 4,163 miles all the way from the East to the West of China.

The wall has gone through numerous remedifications; renovations and extensions across the succeeding dynasties as well until forming most of what it is today in the Ming Dynasty; (source from Webster)
1. 208 BC (Qin Dynasty - the origin)
2. 1st Century BC (Han Dynasty)
3. 1138-1198 (the Five Dynasties and the 10 Kingdoms Period)
4. 1368 (Ming Dynasty)

Stretching all the way across all the warring counties; a total of 100 counties and 9 provinces, the Great Wall starts from the eastern end of the Shanhai Pass, Qinghuangdao in the Hebei province next to Bohai gulf; and traverses through Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin, Beijing, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Ningxia;ending at the Jiayu Pass in the Gansu province which was also the opening to welcome the Silk Road travellers.

The glory of the Wall stood; defending the country from harm until the invasion of the Manchus through the same great wall.
The wall fell to the hands of the Manchus who succeeded in entering China after convincing the general guarding the Shanhai pass and hence, the whole troupe of Manchus came into China where they ruled the throne thereafter.
Following the admission of Manchus, the wall lost the original value it was built for - which was to guard against the biggest foe who were the Manchus themselves.
Thus the wall became a legacy and a landmark in the China history.

Besides the history of the purpose and the strength of the wall, the basics of the foundation of the wall was built by human. Yes, with the bare hands of the men back then who knew no day and night and most of whom have perished in the process as well.
The marvellous works of the men despite the limitations in the construction technology back then attributed mainly to the status of the structure (the Wall) being one of the Wonders in the World.
However, this also contributed to one of the tragedies; the loss of the human lives in the process of the building of the wall.
The labour then comprised mainly of convicts, prisoners, political criminals, and slaves who were forced to work on the wall. It was a strenous and tiring process and as history states, the wall building spanned over a period of century and thus, most of the workers perished along the way.
Furthermore, the burden and the exhaustion had also caused most of them to collapse and their remains were buried along the way; beneath the sand and bricks which build up the wall.
Besides this, it was known that most of the men in the workforce were so tired and they could not take it anymore that they attempted escape.
However, any runaways or any attempts to escape will be caught immediately under the watchful eyes of the soldiers guarding the wall. The punishment for some of them will be a live burial; yes, these people attempting to escape will be buried alive with the sand and the ingredients under the wall.
It's pretty scary back then and it is a misery to hear those cries of agony.
With regards to those incidents and the number of deaths; with the length of the wall, it is understandably that the building of the wall had also claimed numerous lives; and this has linked to the Wall's nicknamed as the 'Longest Cemetery on Earth'; a fact to prove that more than the number we ever imagined were buried along with the wall and as part of the building structure.

I came across this featured story in the TSGS whereby a man was possessed by one of the spirits trapped here and he related to the miserable and pitiful spirits who died an unjust death and still begs for freedom.
It is really a pain to discover that a wonder is actually constructed of pain and tears but yet, gazed at in awe by visitors and history enthusiasts today.
This is a realistic depiction of the Chinese saying " Of blood and perspiration"....
Let us just admire and be solemn as to respect the perished souls involved in the labour process of the Wonder of the World and the pride of the people who have contributed not their hands and strength but also their lives for a legacy which stands until this day.

Sources: Travel China Guide, Webster

Ghost Tree in Malaysia?

2007-07-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

I am not sure how many of you have read about this but it seems that Malaysia has her own spot in the paranormal sightings and stories among the other spooks in the world.
An old article in 2006 (September), revealed a pinang tree found in one of the villages in Kepala Batas; located in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia.
The tree; was said to have an unusual shape formed on it and that it resembled a scary-looking face which has been drawing crowds to the exact spot where the tree stood.

The face was located at the base of the frond.
The owner of the tree was amazed but quoted that this was the 2nd time that the 10-year old tree has sprung up with an unusual shape on it; whereby the first time, the shape resembled that of an eye.
Unperturbed, the owner even quoted that the this shape will last for an approximate of 2 weeks in which it will shed naturally.
With the attention garnered from the tree, the villagers have also taken the opportunity to sell off the photos of the face on the tree at the price of RM2 per copy.
At the same time, while most have termed the tree as a "ghost tree", the elderly community in the village have passed some words to the visitors as not to make any comments on the tree.
Here are more links to this:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/9/12/nation/15401284&sec=nation

I find this really amazing and yet at the same time, I must say it is really baffling as to how this formation could happen. I may have missed out any scientific explanation related to this...
However, there were also numerous claims on the different types of sights they are all viewing and some even quoted that it does not resemble anything and is just a form on the tree.
Well, perhaps some can see it some just can't; just as in philosophy...you see what you want to see or what your mind/perception tells you to see.
Whatever it is, I find this a rather interesting happening in my own country....
I wonder what formation the tree has on it now?

Friday the 13th

2007-07-12T16:29:00.000-07:00

Today is Friday the 13th, the famous superstition in the Western culture that it is deemed a very unlucky day and that unfortunate events may occur or misfortune may befall anyone.
How did this folklore or story originate?
In Eastern culture, on the contrary, particularly in the Chinese community believe that the number 1 and 3 are good; in fact, the combination is an auspicious number and brings the meaning of livelihood.

I have done some findings through various sources; including Wikipedia to Urban Legends, and I have compiled some of the myths and stories that were linked to how Friday the 13th came about...

It seems that this belief goes all the way back to the time of the Last Supper and also stems from the Christianity roots of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, etc.
At the famous Last Supper, it seems that there were 13 at the table; Jesus and his 12 disciples.
Thirteen gathered in the upper room on the night of the Last Supper. And in the evening he cometh with the twelve.
And on that night itself, Jesus was betrayed by one of his disciples...and during dinner, he has famously uttered these words, "Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me.' (Mark 14: 17-18).
Jesus answered them, "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?" He spoke of Judas Iscariot . . for he it was that should betray him. (John 6: 70-71).

Also, Jesus's death and crucifixion falls on a Friday....the Good Friday now becomes an unlucky Friday? Well, it was a mourning day as our Lord died on that day but it is also coined with the origins of the bad luck that comes along with that day, termed as the sixth day of the week.
In fact, this belief was so profound that any child that was born on a Friday is predicted of a bad life; doomed to misfortune. Courting and marriage should also be avoided on this day; at all costs, and one should not consume butter and eggs that were churned and laid on that day. Even moving house or starting a new job (reporting to a new office, etc) should not take place on that day.
And of course, travelling is forbidden as well.....following the fishermen's saying, "A Friday's sail, always fail"

Such strong were these beliefs on the date and day itself that Western folks would not stay in room No.13 or a house numbered 13 (rather 12 1/2) and even hotels and inns will not number their rooms or floors with the number 13. One of the famous examples was the Cavendish Hotel in London which was completed in the year 1966, where there was no 13th floor to be found.
Some people will go to the extent of refusing to go to work on this day for fear of mishap or bad luck to befall them.

Another source; or rather, one of the main sources was the famous story of the Knights of the Templar which originated from the King of France; King Philip IV of France who carried out a mass arrest and forcing charges down those innocent people; causing a public and nationwide humiliation which remains strong in the memories of the county until today. That date was infamously the Friday the 13th; October 13, 1307.
*Knights of the Templar - was the famous legendary order of monks...or warriors in the holy serving who gathered together during the Crusades war; as part of the Christian army to battle against the Islams. They gained their fame and respect through their invasive and undying fighting spirit and were renowned as a strong force and fighter team for more than 200 years.
Such strong was their influence that they were viewed or treated as political threats to kings and the monarchs,popes or government in power by 1300s.
The fall of the Knights of the Templar was caused by the conspiracy kindled by the church-state political struggle.
Back then the King of France was King Philip IV, also popularly known as Philip le Bel, the Beautiful who ruled the kingdom and constantly running into financial problems which led him to resort to all sorts of methods to obtain money for his needs; including swindling and even stealing money and properties. He has also acted on arresting the Jews which in turn return a degradation in his currency, and as a result, everyone suffered for the economy crisis.
The King then later resorted to taxing the church; run by Pope Boniface VIII at that time.
War broke out openly between the roal and the Churhc at that time, whereby the Pope forbade the tax on the church by declaring and signing a dictum.
Subsequently, the King put a halt on Rome's financial supply when he drew the line and closed the borders; banning the export of gold bullion to Rome.
If that's not enough, he decided to disgrace the Church through the arresting of the bishop of Pamiers on the charges of blasphemy, sorcery and fornication.

In retaliation, the pope issue a bull which was in turn burnt in public by the King.
Soon, the King charged the Pope with the same allegations of blasphemy and sorcery and also topping it with another accusation of sodomy.
The war soon got worse when the Pope then compared the French to Dogs and their lack in spirit and strength in soul which soon affected the peasants.
The King reacted and forwarded an army to Anagni, the Pope's residence and placed him under house arrest.
The local neighbours rescued him but the 86 year-old pontiff passed away in a month where he was claimed of being shocked at the rage and others even said he killed himself.

The Pope was then succeeded by another and France's economic problems ensue. When the Queen died in 1305, King Philip took a shot to join the Knights of Templar but was rejected and due to his previous doings, they even blackballed him and denied his intentions as being genuine to join them.
When the grand master of the Knights Templar returned in 1306 in a luxurious show with 60 knights and a baggage train of gold and jewels, the King was raged and desperate due to his own finanical condition, he raised the prices of everything in France by a triple fold in just one single night; revoking a massive riot immediately; in the streets where they want to overthrow and assasinate the King who in turn had to run in disgrace to seek protection from the Knights.

Following his fall, He arranged a state action and sealed orders to every bailiff, deputy and officer in France through a secretive mass mailing on September 14; with the punitive and threathening order that they should only read the mails before the October 12th; which was a Thursday night.
On Friday morning, before the break of dusk at sunset, an estimated of more than 2,000 or even 5,000 Knights Templar were imprisoned; with an exception of 20 who managed to fled the imprisonment. The charges were not stated clearly but they were described as despicable and due to the foul happenings and injustice, the Knights Templar's supporters cursed the day; the Friday the 13th.

An interesting story which again relates to the origin of the Friday the 13th.
But how many more sources are out there to nail this day which is considered so doomed that many will go all the way out to avoid it and even skip the number to avoid mishap?
Most sources point the key origin as biblical; directing the misfortune of this day to the death of Christ on this day and the Last Supper....
Is this really the fact?
Will Friday the 13th in fact bring only tragedy and mishaps?
Is Jesus's death on the cross on a Friday bringing death and misfortune on Fridays?
Is the Last Supper such a condemnation to the people at a dining table where there should not be 13 people at a table?
Hosts go all the way out to ensure that the list of guests should not be 13 and the planning should go in such a way that even with fall outs and absences, the number should not fall to 13 or anyone can replace in desperation to avoid that number at the table.
In fact, there was even a superstition that with 13 people at the table, the first to rise from the table will die first; followed by one each every year.
In relation to the bible, Judas was the first to rise from the table at the Last Supper.

The number 13 is also termed as the devil's dozen and many more surround this unique number.
Isn't it weird how things seem to vary between the East and the West?
If it is really a case of real misfortune, then why do Chinese particular like the No. 13?
People will still be staying in the 13th room despite it being numbered as 12a or 12b, and even if the floor is numbered as any other number, will it change the fact that it is still level 13 when it is counted from the ground level?
You see, it is not the fact that matters; it is the number that is playing these mental games on their minds....where they will run away as soon as they see any occurrence of this number.
Similarly, Chinese hate the number 4 so much that they will do anything to avoid this number on their cars, house, etc....

It's all in the mind.....wonder what will happen one day when East really meets West....willl the number 4 and 13 be unlucky or auspicious?

That being said, just keep your mind free...it's all in the mind...
The mental games are sometimes so powerful that it can create reality and that's where you start the association again.
In short, live life the way you want it....:) Whether it's 13th or not, still, Thank God it's Friday! :D

Alone

2007-07-02T23:21:00.000-07:00

The latest Thai horror movie to hit Malaysia which dwells on the horrific truth about Siamese twins besides the facts which we have known on their low survival rates.
This movie depicts the bond of these unique pair of twins in a scary way that even death cannot part them.

Siamese twins are labelled as they are often born attached to each other; not just emotionally but physically as well as they share organs. Some are even more unfortunate to share vital organs such as heart or liver and require major/risky operations to separate them; which can sometimes lead to death or even upon success, does not guarantee a high or long term survival rate.

This movie is about a lady, Pim who appears to have it all, a great life and a good husband until one day, a family affair requires her to fly back to her old home which soon brought back memories of her childhood and a past which came back to haunt her.
I personally have not watched this movie but I have seen the trailer and it truly spooked me out.

I am not writing this post to review about this movie; and similarly about my other posts in this blog, dwells on the supernatural part and also the thoughts behind this.

Does the truth behind this movie that Siamese twins cannot be parted stand?
I will not truly defy the truth of this; as in my personal point of view, the birth of Siamese twins are indeed a unique occurrence and not one to be encountered out of a populated sample of infant births.
Folklores and myths have often linked these rare births to the lack of care during pregnancy and also the disobeying of the elders' advices on the prohibited food/exercise which could lead to deformed/distorted/abnormal births.

Siamese twins are given the term because of their joint at one part of the body; sometimes simple ones like limbs to complicated ones such as the heart and the liver.
The past history has revealed the pessimistic survival rate of these twins either at birth, after, or even after surgery and mortility rates were not encouraging based on the data. Sometimes, one can survive but not the other and in worst case, both may not be able to make it.

Is it the emotional bond?
Is it the physical detachment?
In this movie, Pim was haunted by her past; her twin who was separated at birth and died later after the surgery and now, she is trailing Pim; everywhere she goes....
Spooky....
Do share your views for those who have watched the movie....

Let it be

2007-06-05T18:56:00.001-07:00

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be...............

Let it be, let it be, let it be yeah let it be
There will be an answer, let it be....

When I was young, I never really liked this song much but as I grow older, I grew fond of this song as well. Do you really believe that God really comes to us?
Well, I do....and it is true that everything has an answer to it.
I do believe that God is always there beside me when I am in times of distress.....HE is always there when I have lost faith in myself, and in the world.
HE will always pick me up and tell me everything is going to be okay........
Let it be......
No matter what happens; whether you are a believer or a skeptic, always have that notion that there is always an answer for something that happens.
Of course, as a believer, you will always think that things happen for a reason.
As a skeptic, you can also see it that things are triggered by something :)

Whatever it is, just let it be...and take them in stride:)

House Haunting

2007-05-01T20:02:00.000-07:00

I was back for the Labor Day/Wesak Day weekend and had a great time with my family and friends:)
Anyway, through one of those family banters, I heard this story from my bro; a true story which actually involved his friend; to be exact, his roomie in the university.
This roomie, was staying in this row of houses which face the main road and opposite his house is this Tai Chow food stall.
Okay, let me see.....his house was separated from his granny's house by the middle house.
There is this house between his and his granny's place; now back to some history.
Initially his family wanted to buy two houses in a row; so that they get to stay next to each other. However, it was bought by another person and despite much persuasion, this neighbor just wouldn't sell his place. Thus, they were separated by this particular house in the middle.
They are all Buddhists (or Taiosts); and their neighbour had altars outside and inside the house.

Recently, they heard of some disturbances in the neighbour's house and was surprised that he had removed all the altars and also worshipping paraphernalia.
It seems that the neighbour's family encountered the unknown presence and that everyone in the house actually saw "it"!!!!
They were freaked (like, duhhh)...and they sought the help of a medium.
The medium came and tried his best at the exorcism but then he related something to them; he was unable to cast away the spirit as the spirit is not of Taiosm nor Buddhism.
He advised them to engage a Christian priest as this spirit was actually a Christian.

The family then hurried over to the nearest church/priest and sought for professional help.
The priest managed to exorcised the spirit out of the house; and cleansed the house from unclean presence.
Then as they were escorting him out of the house, he turned to look at the next house (the granny's house) and whispered, this house is also unclean.
The neighbours told my bro's roomie's family and of course, they were shocked.

I don't think they have done anything so far to cast it away (there's a bunch of people staying in his granny's place).
However, I think he himself (the roomie guy) was freaked out by the news as he actually sleeps in the back room upstairs in his own house. His room window overlooks the back alley of the house which looks so dark and sinister.
Don't really blame him; what do you do when you hear about 2 of your neighbour's house (next to yours) are haunted?

Uhhhh...really pity him; heard that he used to go home during weekends quite often; now he seems to be rather freaked to go home.....the poor guy:(

White Noise

2007-04-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

Remember the movie which Michael Keaton starred in? The movie of the same title which won varying reviews and thoughts from movie critics?

Well, it was about this concept of the white noise and no, it was not purely fiction as there are some ongoing research about this topic; something that even had its roots dating in history.
Yeah, since the early days, people have resorted to communicating with the dead. They usually try to contact a medium or even shaman to get to the other side; trying to convey their message or even hearing from beyond.
Sometimes, they even involve all those mechanical and electrical devices to achieve the purpose.

Look at the history chart (timeline); there has been various attempts; and no kidding, some were even recorded.
There were those static noises or buzzings heard when they try this out; rather eerie huh?
Well, finally in the 70's, they gave this noises a name; the EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) - which refer to the noises/voices recorded on the tape.

All about dreams

2007-04-18T18:13:00.000-07:00

Recently I was asked about the question of dreams and also there was an ongoing conversation with a close friend of mine on dreams as well; which kept this topic as one of my bin items to blog about.
Psychologically, dreams are often interpreted as the imaginations or illusions of the mind and are not desirable for a good night's sleep. During sleep (which is supposed to be the time for the mind to take a rest. When the mind starts to wander off; creating all the illusions and visions of anything, then experts interpret that as some sort of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep; which in turn tells us that your mind did not get the rest it deserved. And usually, this is when your eye lids flutter and also your mind is most wide awake; therefore usually your dreams can be recalled the next day or after waking up.
That is the reason why some of us wake up looking tired and exhausted and feeling frustrated despite tucking themselves into bed every night.
Dreams keep your mind active; it is still running; in processing all those images, etc. Sometimes, even strong emotions can be experienced while in dreams and thus represented in realities. For instance when you are asleep, and all of a sudden you laugh out loud and you are filled with tears upon wake up.
Dreams; vague topic - not biologically proven in its significance and all that can be said relates to the neurology part of the human body. I will not go too much into the science; you can read that in Google or Wikipedia.
I will just share my thoughts on dreams.
Can we remember our dreams?
Well, I guess it really depends on the effects....and also your state of mind. As mentioned earlier, the REM sleep usually indicates the mind at its highest level of wakefulness and usually if you experience all the strong emotions, you can usually remember your dream. Even so, it may not be the full details of your dream:)
Most of the dreams are only there when you sleep and somehow you always wake up remembering nothing from your dream....and can only mumble that you dreamt of something the night before.
Weird huh?
There's also the psychological interpretation of dream; whereby different types of dreams and the images you see relate to your everyday life and also the lack of something or a longing you have in life.
I do know something about dreams' interpretation as well; interesting:)
The previous weeks, I have been having some weird dreams; and I won't exactly call them dreams anymore; more like nightmares!! Haha...nightmares are those that gives you the reality feeling of fear; some to the extreme.
Now I am not sure why I am having those dreams but I guess I can relate to some of my feelings and thoughts earlier.
There's so much more I can think of to talk about dreams but I guess I can only share as much :)
Do let me know of your thoughts and views on dreams as well:D

Above All

2007-04-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

Above all powers, above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

Above all kingdoms, above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what you're worth

Crucified
Laid behind a stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Good Friday today!

2007-04-05T16:47:00.000-07:00

Today is Good Friday; the famous Friday where our Lord Jesus Christ will be crucified and die for our sins.
He took it above all to take this unto himself.
And we also realize the TRUE love from our Almighty Father who sent HIS one and ONLY son to suffer and die for our sins.
Today will be a day of abstinence and penance; most of the Christians/Catholics alike will be fasting to observe the death of Jesus Christ and to reflect on our own sins.
It is really a very sad occasion; and I remember when I was very young, Daddy bought me this Children's Bible which was really thick and full of pictures and colors (meant for kids) and I read the whole thing; from the Old to New Testament (well, i LOVED reading since young).
When I came to this part of the crucifixion, I was totally in tears and couldn't stop crying.
It was totally inhuman to me!!
Crown of thorns, nailing on the hands!!! Ugggghhhh....even thinking of it now, gives me the shudders.
I couldn't even bear to watch Passion of Christ for that reason.

It must have been the worst ordeal any normal human being can go through.
Most of you may say that well, he is the Son of God. However, also bear in mind, he was also of flesh and blood and is as human as you and me.
His pains are no less than what we experience.
Imagine when you get a small cut and even you will scream and sometimes, even the tingling when your cuts expose themselves to the air, imagine this!!!
And think, he was even continuously whipped inhumanly without mercy and he was forced to carry this huge cross on his back and even went through the humiliation of being stripped naked in public.
*Tears*

And all that, because he Loved us so much.....he thought of that ABOVE all of his sufferings.
Have a blessed Good Friday everyone, just observe today as a day of solemnity and be mindful of all our sins and repent.
Remember and do not throw away Jesus's effort to redeem us and give us new lives!
God bless you...

The Last Supper

2007-04-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

The Feast of the Last Supper; or the Passover Night.

This is a painting by the famous painter; Leonardo Da Vinci who took a total of 7 years to complete this piece.

The great artist went to great lengths; searching for the models that fit his imagined and ideal vision of the innocent and pure image of Christ to the image of Judas to portray the apostle who betrayed Jesus.

It took him a great deal and he finally found them; but as I found this interesting story on the painting here

The Passover Night was named where Jesus knew that it will be last night before he passed over to be with His Father (as according to the priest whom I attended mass last night).

Also, it is a celebration of the unity and consecration of the blessed sacrament; the Body and Blood of Christ which he offered at the table.

He also washed the feet of his disciples and encouraged them to do the same to each other; "Love one another as I have loved you"

This act was also re-enacted in the mass every year where the priest will wash 12 selected parishioners' feet.

The priest in this church I attended last night was different in the sense that, besides washing their feet, he even took it to kiss them.

Quote, "When you wash someone's feet, you look at the feet, and not at the face. That case, you are not doing a great job and is unwilling to wash their feet. Also, when you are at service, do it with will and joy and regardless of whose feet are those".

The blessed sacrament was also put up for adoration and silent commemoration until midnight.

Back to the last supper, the above picture depicts Jesus with his 12 apostles and the one that is farthest from Jesus was Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus for ~5 silvers which is the equivalent of $16.96 in today's currency.

Jesus, however, knew his betrayal and mentioned that during the washing of the feet ritual to Simon Peter who refused to let him wash as that he was not worthy of his Lord to do so.

Jesus reasoned that he will know one day what he is doing; and quoted as saying (from the Bible):

"You are clean, though not all of you are"

Jesus mentioned that one of them will betray him; and mentioned that it is better for the man to never be born.

Judas mentioned that, "Rabbi, surely you do not mean me?"

Jesus said, "You have said it"

During Supper, the famous of the blood and body took place where Jesus broke the bread and offered to all his disciples, pronouncing (actually performing the miracle of the transformation of bread) as his Body.

Then doing the same thing, this time to wine (transforming to blood), he once again offered it to his Disciples.

Thereafter, they went to the Mount of Olives.

This is the famous Last Supper/Passover Night captured from what we celebrate or commemorate today as Holy Thursday, which marks the continuity of the Easter Triduum.

God bless all of you!~

Maundy Thursday

2007-04-04T21:14:00.000-07:00

Today is the Feast of the Last supper.....the Holy Thursday or as some call it Maundy Thursday.
There are a lot of versions referring to this day as well; Great Thursday, etc.
In fact, I just found from Wikipedia that at the dusk of today, it will mark the end of the Lent Season...I used to think Lent only ends on Easter; that's why we celebrate.
Anyway, tomorrow, Good Friday will still be a day of penance and observation - so, not considered the end yet.

The famous tradition of this day is actually Christ breaking the bread and offering the wine to his disciples.
Then there is also the practice of the washing of the disciples' feet which is also reenacted in the churches as an observation of the custom every year.
This is conducted by the lay/ministers in the church by washing the feet of the parishioners or the congregation to commemorate this humble act of Jesus as the master towards his disciples.
It is also the night where one of his disciples, Judas betrayed Jesus.

Holy Thursday is also the mark of the beginning of the Easter Triduum; marking the 3 day celebration before Easter; starting with Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday.
The caricatures of this event is made famous through various paintings; the most famous was the Da Vinci's Last Supper which created the controversy through Dan Brown's novel about the mysteries behind the painting (some kind of code, etc).

I will be attending the mass tonight as well; for the Holy Thursday; God bless you and let's prepare ourselves for the celebration of the Lord's resurrection.

Happy Chinese New Year to everyone!~

2007-02-22T18:15:00.000-08:00

Dukun...Coming Soon

2006-12-20T20:40:00.001-08:00

Based on the true story of Mona Fandey; if you still remember the popular case of a lady with black magic powers who actually murdered a politician, this story actually was about that....adaptation.
I watched the trailer....it was pretty scary ooooo......with all those murmurings and chantings of the spells and jampi-style.....
Another mega Malaysian production....looking forward to see how this movie will impress and bring Malaysia to yet another round of the International Film festival...crossing my fingers *scared too* :P

Susuk -2006 Movie???

2006-12-20T20:37:00.000-08:00

Susuk...I didn't know that this local horror movie was already released???
Perhaps it has been some time since I last watched horror movies guaaa.....
Anyway, Susuk is actually about a methodology used by the Malay community in which the women; for the sake of beauty, will invest in black magic or sorcery whereby they place those gold, metal, silver objects into the skin beneath the face. These; in modern science and also in the practice of sorcery, can lead to disastrous side effects which can be damaging.
There were a couple of video trailers on this movie as well.....
The story actually revolves around 2 different ladies with different personalities and character whereby one of them Soraya is a nurse who was starting to get bored of her mundane life and also the ordinary looks which she had which could deter her form pursuing something she wanted; modelling and celebrity status. Susuk was a way out for her but is she ready for something which goes against her religion?
Another lady character was this girl who was the opposite of Soraya and seeks the bold and challenges to achieve what she wants in every imaginable way.
I am not sure as I have yet to watch the trailer.....
Frankly speaking, Malaysian movies are improving in the quality; in fact I think our Malay and Chinese local productions were pretty impressive so far.....
If you are looking for interesting and good storylines; you should go for the Malay ones...but if you want mysterious and dark ones; go for the Chinese horror movies....they are both good and continuously improving.
I am pretty proud of that; one of the first I watched and was impressed:
1. Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam (didn't catch the Part 2 though)
2. The Eye

Those Japanese horror movies and Western horror should really learn something from our local talents who thought of the assimilation and the advantage of the diversity in the local culture which gave us that Malaysian and yet unique and outstanding in its own way.
I guess that was our pride and trademark....and I really liked the way they always bring in the local culture and reality which makes it so much closer to home and at the same time, promoting the country to the world (with people all over the world knowing about Malaysia and also showcasing our talents).
So, let me try to wait to watch this movie; or hopefully the local TV station will show this...save money:p
At the same time, I will be doing more research to share with you on this local custom of the Malay community for Susuk........

Seed of Darkness...Coming soon...

2006-12-20T20:36:00.000-08:00

Whoooo.....yet another Asian horror movie....wonder why all of a sudden so many of them came?

Probably due to year end holidays?

Anyway, you will be proud to know that this is one local movie; our very own Malaysian production - brainchild and direction of our local talent. In fact, the whole cast also comprised of all our local fresh stars; featuring names such as the comedic Alvin Wong, Wong Sze Zen (Miss Malaysia/World 2003/2004), Amber Chia(not a strange name to commercials and modelling and also the spokesperson for Guess, Dutch Lady and Loreal) and also, surprise, Vick Teo ( the 2nd runner up for Malaysian Idol).

From the trailer, it looked pretty impressive and somehow dark and mysterious.

In fact, it even reminded me of the Pang Brothers' The Eye....intriguing trailer and the storyline was actually not too bad.....

It is about this lady Yan, who became a single mother by choice when she went through the in-vitro fertilization 7 years ago and gave birth to a girl, Ying Ying.

Seven years later, she moved to a new apartment and that was when her daughter started to behave strangely as she starts to talk to an imaginary figure. Initially the young mother invented a imaginary father to overcome the child's feeling of loneliness but her fears heighten when she noticed the daughter seemed too absorbed in the imaginary father whom she now claims was her biological father.

In the trailer, Yan tried to trace back to the donor of the sperm for her in-vitro process.

I read in another site http://contest.time.net.my/decembermoviemania/sod.cfm that the child was experiencing ADC; After Death Communication....hmmmm, this sounds pretty familiar? Rings a bell.....White Noise.....haaha....

Anyway, the interesting part was that Amber Chia played a psychiatrist in this movie......and she wears specs....intellectual role...

Another thing that we should be proud of was that this movie; along with another Malay horror movie was selected by Columbia Tristar productions for distribution.....*claps hands*

I believe it was also already nominated for a couple of awards already ^^

These are the stills from the movie (taken from the official movie site; www.seedofdarkness.com):

Anyway, it will be released 3 days after Christmas; hope I will be able to catch this interesting movie....:)

Disclaimer: The pictures here were given due credit to the original site. Please kindly let me know if you want me to remove it.

Haunted Apartments- is it GOOD?

2006-12-20T20:31:00.000-08:00

This Japanese horror movie is now showing in cinemas but sad to say, I have not watched it yet.I guess I kinda cut down a lot on horror movies since I moved to my current residence; it's probably not such a bad thing as well since I am protecting my cardiovascular health as well...haha:)Anyway, I have always been skeptical of Japanese genre of horror movies as I find that they always tend to take after the blockbuster horror movie; The Ring and only dwells on the elements that they do not look into the main element of the story which is the story itself.To be horrifying, there should first be a good foundation and skeleton and yet at the same time, maintain the mystery in the story.I was planning to catch this story; if I can.....

The following is the sypnosis from the websites and newspapers:

The story centers on Aimi, a 17 year old young school girl who, after the death of her mother, moved into a new home in an apartment along with her distraught dad.She sensed something funny in the new place (pretty generic) and it was even obvious when the neighbours moved out all at the same time.
Actually, again, this story sounds pretty familiar - sort of those stories which always have that same style...but then again, there are really lots of spooky encounters with those other kind in places and though they may center on the same theme; apartments, houses, schools, hospitals, camps, etc....they each have their own individual story.
I don't know whether this is good or not; any of you who has watched it and wanna share with me what you think of this?

This is the main actress; Aimi ..hmmmm,let's see whether I managed to catch this and I can review the movie and my views....:)