Dual Festivity.

Since I can't think of much else to talk about, I think I'll say a word or two (or maybe a couple of thousand) about culture, and the 2 festivals going on today.

This is really pretty cool stuff.

Thai Pusam
"Celebrated" by the Hindus

Indians (from India) make the 3rd largest majority in Malaysia, making the Hindu population quite substantial.

Ok, I have done alot of reading on this festival and added it to the bit of knowledge my mom has passed down to me. This is what I have learned as of today. (Don't quote me on ANY of this - I need to do more research!)

Thai Pusam is actually a date in the Tamil calendar. The month of "Thai" when the astrological star "pusam" reigns. It's the day of the full moon in this month.

This is the day the Hindus consecrate to one of their Gods, Lord Muruga or Lord Subramaniam.

On this day, Goddess Parvathi gave her son Murugan the invincible vel (lance) to vanquish the evil asura (demons). Thus Thaipusam is a commemoration of the triumph of good over evil.

Since Hindus do not believe in an atonement like Christians do, this also becomes a day of penance - where they give thanks and offerings to cleanse themselves. Sometimes people ask for specific blessings on this day too. It is about the most spiritual day in their religion.

In my city, the temple dedicated to this God is located in Batu Caves. Mark got to visit it with me and Ray in July. It's up inside a limstone cave, with 272 steps leading up to it. A heck lot of work that leads up to a couple of idols and priests. Nothing fancy; really stinky with guano. The entertainment there for most tourists are the monkeys. There are way too many people selling packets of peanuts and stuff to feed the varmints with.

On Thaipusam though, the place is packed!

The Hindu devotees make a pilgrimage from the temple near their home to the Batu Caves the night before - barefoot too, I've heard. There's also a huge procession where the Lord Murugan's Chariot is carried through the city.

Many devotees fall into a trance in preparation for the ceremony. And while in that state, they pierce themselves with all kinds of ornaments and form a frame called a "Kavadi". It looks REALLY painful! They say that if one is truly devoted, they will not feel any pain at all. They hardly bleed and don't scar. It's amazing.

Those devotees carry their Kavadi through a procession, then walk up the 272 steps to the temple among hundreds of other people and place it at the feet of their deity. According to our cleaner, Madam Gandhi here at the office, people bring their babies to be shaved before they turn a year old.

My mom tells me that the priests "bathe" the statue of the God everyday. I don't recall how often now. But the Hindu believes that once the water is poured onto the statue, it becomes sacred. It flows down and is channelled out into a pipe. People visit this temple specially to get this special water that they believe has power to cure diseases and answer prayers.

Amazing stuff huh? Just like any other temple, the priests also perform alot of other rituals such excorcism and blessings from inside the cave.

The Hindus are some of the most humble and devoted people I know. It's really neat to be surrounded by such amazing culture.

Festival #2 today: Chap Goh Mei
The last day of Chinese New Year

Chap Goh Mei means the 15th Night of Chinese New Year in Hokkien, a Chinese dialect. I don't speak hokkien (the majority of the Chinese in my city are from a different province, we mostly speak Cantonese) but my parents do.

Some people actually have traditions to celebrate Chap Goh Mei - mostly the Hokkiens. But since that is not the case here in KL where I'm at, I'm just going to tell you about Chinese New Year.

It lasts 15 days. From the new moon to the full moon. Chinese follow the lunar calender.

You know what, I'm too lazy to type this all out. Since I'm mostly plagarizing other people's websites anyway, how about you read what THEY have to say instead. It's probably going to be more accurate than what I have to say anyway. loL!

We're Chinese, so we celebrate it in our family. Yet it isn't as big as Christmas for us. Alot of Chinese gamble at this time of the year because the "God of Wealth" pays a visit at this time of year.

Most people get new clothes at this time of year (well, it USED to be a big thing when people were poorer.) We get them on our birthday. So, no new clothes for us.

BUT - we do get red packets (we call them ang pows - it's hokkien) with money in it from married people - and that is cool. There was one new year when we misbehaved so my parents made us wait till the last day of Chinese New Year before we got our ang pows from them. We used to get them on the first day.

Now it has become a tradition for us, and we have to wish our parents well in a tea-serving ceremony (we kneel in front of our parents with a tray of orange soda in tea-cups because we don't drink tea) I understand that this is a tradition that only Chinese from a certain province do. I don't know why we do it, but it's kinda fun.

I have collected a good number of Ang Pows this year. Some people get lucky - they have rich relatives who give them RM100 or so per ang pow. I have alot of rich relatives - but also alot of cousins and sibblings. So the wealth spreads thin, or maybe they're just stingy. Hrmph.

But I get angpows from RM4 - RM30 from them. It really depends on how generous they are feeling that year. The most my parents have ever given us is RM50. That used to be a heck lot of money to me.

Now that I have my own job, I still like free money, but all that greedy calculative ang-pow collecting is just not worth the small ammount I get in the end.

Doesn't help much in getting my own computer. I earn more doing babysitting.