On the eve of the ninth moon, temples of the deities hold a ceremony to invoke and welcome the nine emperors. Since the arrival of the gods are believed to be through the waterways, processions are held from temples to the sea-shore or river to symbolize this belief. Devotees dressed in traditional white, carrying incense and candles, await the arrival of their excellencies.

A carnival-like atmosphere pervades the temple throughout the nine-day festival. During this period of time, the constant tinkling of a prayer bell and chants from the temple priests are heard. Most devotees stay at the temple, eat vegetarian meals and recite continuous chanting of prayer. It is believed that there will be rain throughout the nine days of celebration.

The ninth day of the festival is its climax. A procession which draws scores of devotees send the deities back home.

In Thailand, this festival is called Tesagan Gin Je เทศกาลกินเจ, the Vegetarian Festival. It is celebrated throughout the entire country, but the festivities are at their height in Phuket, where about 35% of the population is Chinese.

Mah Song

Mah song ม้าทรง are the people who invite the spirits of gods to possess their bodies. Mah ม้า is the word for horse in Thai, and the name mah song refers to how the spirits of the gods use the bodies of these people as a vehicle, as one rides a horse. Only pure, unmarried men or women without families of their own can become mah song. At the temple they undergo a series of rituals to protect them for the duration of the festival, during which flagellation and self-mutilation is practiced. This tradition does not exist in China and is believed to have been adopted from the Indian festival of Thaipusam.

The festivities in Phuket include a procession of mah song wearing elaborate costumes who pierce their cheeks and tongues with all manner of things, including swords…

Thick Needles…

Drilling Bits…

More swords…

Even Machine Guns…

Banners…

Swords again…

More Needles…

Saw…

Martial Arts Swords…

Grass Cutters…

and Model Ships you normally display in your living room too…

Well basically, anything they can poke through their mouth.

The mystery behind this is that this Mah Songs don’t feel any pain at all while entranced. In fact in the procession they will constantly shake their heads and dance as they walk, as if not paying attention to what’s ahead of them at all.

As unbelievable as it may seem, the fact that human beings can be entranced to withstand such deliberate infliction of wound on the flesh without pain is something worth awing about. Some may say it’s spirits taking over the human body and scientists may argue that it’s just an issue of Mind Over Matter, a testimony of how powerful the human brain is and what it is capable of doing.

What do you think?

Credits :  wikipedia.com

Remember, that you’re not alone.

There are so many others our there. Stranded. Oppressed. Tortured. Marginalized.

Be strong, my friend…

And never Give Up…

Be Pure in Heart…

Righteous in Spirit…

Be Bent but not Broken…

Attacked but not Defeated…

Divided but still United…

Keep Striving, even if you’re Alone…

Because the Calm will always come after the Storm…

And by then you will Stand Out among the Rest…

Skies will Clear and Flowers will Bloom…

And the Underlying reason for the adversity will become crystal Clear.

So just Hang in There…

The World is not going to End…

Because when you need somebody to be there to support you…

Mother Nature will be your Friend.

It is not my first time in Singapore, but it was my first time going into Singapore mainly for the purpose of leisure photography, besides meeting up with a few friends of course.

The objective was simple. I was going to drive into Singapore, park my car somewhere (and pay off-the-roof parking fares), start walking and shoot anything that I find interesting.

It’s actually really a pleasure driving within Singapore. First, everyone is driving according to the speed limit. So you don’t need to worry someone flashing at you from the back or tailgating you if you’re on the fast lane (unless you’re driving really slow of course). Second, road conditions there is fantastic. Potholes and bumpy roads are rarely found there. And traffic is acceptable. Not as jammed up as Kuala Lumpur.

However, there is one thing that is revered and feared among Singaporean drivers… Behold…

The Every Road Pay Gantry.

Well actually it stands for Electronic Road Pricing, and to the fortune of Malaysian vehicles, once you pass through one of these, a flat fee of S$5 dollars will be charged to your Autopass per day. So Malaysian vehicles need not pay extra no matter how many of these ERP gantry they pass through in a day.

So coincidentally, a friend of mine, Li Wei, was also in Singapore at that time. She was also on a short visit. We decided to meet up and hang out, which was good, because she could be my model on the go.

And I also managed to catch Kian Onn, my “brother”, who was so happy I came down because if I didn’t, he wouldn’t have had any excuse to drink any beers due to strict and tight anti-alcoholic regulations from the “Minister of Home Affairs” (I’m not referring to the Singapore government)

We even managed to catch up with a couple of old friends we got to know in uni, had a great pork + beer feast, and startled each other with our new looks after all these years.

Some became extraordinarily beautiful (with a S$2 million face)…

And some became extraordinarily “slim” (with a Nikon D90 from which he claimed can make people look thinner)…

Well anyway

Despite time constraints, I managed to visit a couple of great places in Singapore. One particular place that I like is Clarke Quay (it’s pronounced as “key”, not “kuey” ya).

This was where the legendary Ministry of Sound was located. Turns out even a “Ministry” can close down.

Here you’ll see very nicely decorated and plush bistros, cafes, and restaurants. One in particular that really caught my attention is Indochine.

According to Howe, a good friend of mine, this place serves the best Fish and Chips in Singapore, JB and some say Batam.

You’ll also see couples hanging out…

Image from Benny.

And Breaking Up…

In the evening at Clarke Quay, one place I find really interesting to hang out is this place called the Clinic.

Instead of giving you dosages of Antibiotics and Steroids, they give you Syringes filled with Alcoholiotics and Sterocktails. Each will cost S$50 per dose.

Everything around you will look like this after a couple of dosages.

And like this.

A great place to catch dinner will be the Lau Pa Sat (Stands for Old Market in Mandarin).

Obviously a market once upon a time, it is now being established as a food court, with plenty of varieties and live band performances.

Looking up at the architecture of the building, one will find that it looks more like a church than a market or a food court.

It’s nice to walk around Robinson Road at night especially after dinner. There’s this lane just next to the Ogilvy Center that is home to a few Malay stalls selling Satay, and BBQ Chicken Wings.

I also managed to discover a nicely preserved Vespa motorcycle at the side of this road.

Apparently motorcycles are also not exempted from ERPs (Notice the Card Reader installed on the bike).

After strolling for a while, I hit me that even though I came from the jungle, I was actually walking around a “jungle” too, except that it’s made of concrete.

The area around Orchard is undoubtedly the best shopping haven in Singapore.

Head on to Funan Digital Mall for the latest gadget and gizmos.

Or to the Orchard Central for shopping. I personally like the escalators a lot.

If you’re into branded stuff, remember to drop by ION Orchard, the latest addition to the high end shopping centre segment.

Or if you prefer more choices, then you can wait for these stores to open.

It’s a shame that I went after Christmas time, because if I had come a month earlier, I will see this everywhere I go.

The final day in Singapore I managed to catch up with a person I had knew since university days, but have never met (Don’t bother figure that out). Her name is Burberry.

She went back to work 20 minutes late. Sakae Sushi’s fault. Who asked them to make sushi this delicious?

After that I managed to drop by a temple nearby, Tian Fu Gong (translates as the Prosperous Palace of the Sky). The architecture of this place captivated me. It was like fusion. The ancient and the traditional surrounded by the modern, contemporary sky scrappers.

And I wasn’t the only one captivated by it.

On the way back to my car, I bumped into Benson from Bunge Singapore, a client of our company, and he brought me for a short visit up his office.

Indeed, it is a very small world.

All in all it was a great trip, and I really enjoyed myself hanging out with buddies and taking photos. Singapore is indeed a fantastic place to visit, and I’m definitely coming back for more.

However, it is also a Fine country. If you’ve never been to Singapore, here are a few do’s and don’ts that you MUST abide to the next time you plan a visit there:

Do’s

1. If you’re driving in, please make sure your Autopass has sufficient credit. Insufficient credit in your Autopass will result in an “Administration Fee” of S$10 dollars on your way out.

2. Also make sure after you get your passport stamped, INSERT the Autopass into the machine and ENSURE that it registers your vehicle’s entry into Singapore. Even if it’s a technical fault and the machine failed to read your card, you will be required to also pay “Administration Fee” of S$10 dollars.

3. Make sure you’ve got a parking booklet ready, obtainable from all 7-Eleven outlets, if you plan to park in the public car park. Unlike Malaysia, S$1 dollar per couple can only last 30 minutes in the city center. So make sure you DO NOT assume that S$1 dollar allows you to park for 1 hour, as in the case in most Malaysian cities. If not, Fine S$50 dollars onwards.

There's another one in Orange color. S$1.00 per coupon.

Don’ts

1. Do Not eat or attempt to eat, bring or attempt to bring, Chewing Gum, into Singapore. It’s banned.

2. Do Not smoke or attempt to smoke in areas without the smoking sign, or at a rubbish bin without ash trays.

3. Do Not smoke or attempt to smoke cigarettes brought in from foreign countries. Only smoke cigarettes with SDPC (Singapore Duty Paid Cigarettes) printed above the cigarette filter. If the NEA guys (National Environmental Agency) catches you red handed, you will be given a Fine of S$500 dollars.

4. Do Not Forget to flush the toilet bowl after you finish your business in the Public Toilet.

5. Do Not spit, or litter in Singapore. Not even spitting on the grass along walkways. You may say you’re “watering” the plants and giving them organic nutrients, but the authorities will thank you by asking you for a donation in the form of a Fine.

6. And Do Not mess with the Chao Ah Bengs. You’ll never know what you’re gonna get.

That’s about it I guess. Singaporeans reading this, care to comment and add any tips?

Happy Visiting Uniquely Singapore!

A peaceful weekday in Jonker Street.

A location with a few of the oldest houses in Malaysia (dating right back to the 17th century), one will notice that besides the string of famous, always-packed Chicken Rice Ball restaurants, it also houses many antique shops offering collectibles from the colonial times of the Portuguese, Dutch, British and even the Japanese.

Antique Collectors' Heaven.

It is also host to many Chinese Clans and Associations. For example, the Hainanese Association.

Caution. Very Strong Head Winds Here.

And also the Hokkien Association.

A lot of Malaccan Chinese are Hokkiens.

Along this street one can also come across some of the most happening cafes and bistros. One of my favourites is Geographer Cafe.

There's life band performances and loads and loads of foreigners.

And if you like coffee and prefer a quieter environment, may I recommend the 13 States Coffee Cafe.

The front entrance of the 13 States Coffee Cafe

The special thing about this place is that they serve coffee originating from the 13 different states in Malaysia.

13 types of coffee in one box from 13 different states in Malaysia.

If you’re a coffee connoisseur, you’ll be happy to discover this place. It’s got a very nice interior too.

The owner decorated the whole cafe himself with a mixture of old and new furnishings.

And interesting wall decorations.

Anyone knows what crustacean is this?

But one thing that captivated me the most is an old bird cage quietly being displayed in one corner, waiting for time to consume itself.

The Bird Cage that caught my attention.

Jonker Street is a great place for photography, really. Stroll around this area and you’ll find yourself coming across a lot of unexpected stuff.

A modern aircraft flying over an ancient building.

I even found my chinese name engraved onto one of the doors of an old, long house. I bet it’s already decades old.

My chinese name. Pronounced as Lin.

It also boasts an array of vibrant colors when nightfall arrives.

Jonker at Nightfall.

And a relaxing place for old folks to hang out and kill time when they have nothing to do.

An old Malaccan folk hanging out in one of the kopitiams.

If you’d like to see more photos of Malacca, click Here.

Remember to make Jonker Street a must-go place the next time you visit Malacca You won’t regret it. It’s best to listen to a local, right?

Click HERE to read more.