more hungry ghost observations
my burmese neighbour who lives downstairs from me came back from myanmar last night. he had been away for almost four months because a cyclone exploded all over his city just as he was about to leave. his booming laughter was still as intense as ever as he related to us how the cyclone blew away the roof of his mother's house. a little kid i didn't recognise was playing in the compound with a mini malaysian flag. as we walked in from the gate he ran to his mother and pulled down his pants in front of her.
there was another hungry ghost performance at my neighbourhood last night. this time there were rows and rows of roast pig on display, as well baskets of pineapples and big bags of rice.
in the middle of the tent was a massive sow that was lying on a small platform. the skin of the pig was pale and smooth, looking almost like a human's. she looked peaceful and intelligent even though her intestines were hanging in a plastic bag in front of her. one of her ears had varicose veins all over it and i saw the hook mars on her hind legs where she was hung after being slaughtered.
at one end of the tent a monk was chanting hypnotically while beating at a wooden skull-like object. devotees went up to the giant alter in front and frantically stuck their incense sticks into whatever space that is left in the crowded incense box. a man with a gardening glove methodically shifted and re-arranged the incense sticks to make more room in the box.
at another end of the tent a middle-aged man in a shiny leather jacket was belting out a 70s hokkien love song on a stage that says "miracle karaoke". his audience sat transfixed on red plastic chairs while some tried to placate the crying babies they had bought along with them.
as we walked back to the front of the tent again we heard the chanting of the monk interspersed with the 70s hokkien love song. the swirling incense smoke, the dead pigs and the multi-coloured effigies of giant horses made everything look surreal and strangely foreign.
my body feels sore this morning.
there was another hungry ghost performance at my neighbourhood last night. this time there were rows and rows of roast pig on display, as well baskets of pineapples and big bags of rice.
in the middle of the tent was a massive sow that was lying on a small platform. the skin of the pig was pale and smooth, looking almost like a human's. she looked peaceful and intelligent even though her intestines were hanging in a plastic bag in front of her. one of her ears had varicose veins all over it and i saw the hook mars on her hind legs where she was hung after being slaughtered.
at one end of the tent a monk was chanting hypnotically while beating at a wooden skull-like object. devotees went up to the giant alter in front and frantically stuck their incense sticks into whatever space that is left in the crowded incense box. a man with a gardening glove methodically shifted and re-arranged the incense sticks to make more room in the box.
at another end of the tent a middle-aged man in a shiny leather jacket was belting out a 70s hokkien love song on a stage that says "miracle karaoke". his audience sat transfixed on red plastic chairs while some tried to placate the crying babies they had bought along with them.
as we walked back to the front of the tent again we heard the chanting of the monk interspersed with the 70s hokkien love song. the swirling incense smoke, the dead pigs and the multi-coloured effigies of giant horses made everything look surreal and strangely foreign.
my body feels sore this morning.