The burning of the Tai Su Yah paper made statue

Well ! Burning of paper statue of the Tai Su Yah (King of Hades and believes that, this is the tallest in Malaysia) in the Bukit Mertajam had been completed in the day before. Many local people with camera had been witness this great event.

The road infront of the old market had been closed for this purpose in the evening. Many devotees gathered in the area of erected of Tai Su Yah. The devotees prayed with grandly.

Then the Tai Su Yah had been carried by the devotees and reach the area of burning. They threw all the gold and silver paper towards the Tai Su Yah with happily and devotely. They started the fire then with a minimum times, the paper idol of Tai Su Yah had been burnt until became ashes only.

The local people believes that, if the Tai Su Yah paper idol fell to the direction of the Northern side of the road, then the business will be good at that area for that year.

The ashes will be cleaned after the paper was fully burnt for the next day. Of course the fire brigade will be always standby during the ceremony of burning.

Mother of the whole universe - The goddess Kali Ma

In the ghost festival month, one evening coincidently I found an interesting event in Taman Selasih, Kulim when I went back home after dinner.

A group of ethnic Indian are preparing this praying event at the road side. I got down the car and ask what was the event about. They were very kindly and told me, they were praying for the Goddess Kali Ma and had a small parade. So I stayed for sometimes to watched the events.

Although it was in the evening but still cleared in vision. The statue Kali Ma is a great protector and in fierce form, ten-armed and holding different kind of weapons. The body complexion was black but some said blue. She had fangs out of her mounth. Her red tougue was lolling out too. Anyway, local people told me she was loving and kind. There were horses and lions statue on the parade car too.

I saw many coconuts on the road and arranged in pyramid shape. (Used in the prayers)

They also built the hut which covered by the leaves and trees....Have a look ! It was how they made the fence and decorated with the beautiful folding leaves. In the hut, there were some tables and chairs. Even there was a counter for the free foods but would only distributed after 7.30 pm.

An Indian man came to us and invited us to pray and waited for the small parade.

Sunset....they were praying and chanting. Then some youngsters started to freely dance in a few session. They enjoyed in dancing.

Not long after that, a group of Indian musician played the traditional music and sang the Tamil language songs. Of course the youngsters dance again when the rythm of the music played. Drum sound made the core.

More and more people gradually came for prayers and they quee up to take the free food and drinks. All the Indians people mostly wore the beautiful costumes. A few Chinese participated too.

Then we just when back home without seeing the parade car because it is getting darker. Somehow for the coconut on the road, they said they will break them when the Goddess parade car reach. They will clean up the place after prayer finish.

Fasting month

Malaysia is an Islamic country. Muslim and muslimat will start the fasting or here called as Puasa in the bless month of Ramadan (9th month in the Islamic calendar). The purpose to worship and do the ownself purifying.

The first fasting day for this year was August 1st,2011.

All the muslim need to fast when they reach puberty. They started to take the foods before dawn and will started to take the food again after sunset. In between of the fasting hours no drinking, eating, smoking or having sexual intercourse.

Mostly housewife will cook and family members will eat together before dawn.

Before the sunset, mostly the housewife will cook for the family. However now many working housewife will lack of the time to do the cooking and they started to buy the foods from the temporarily food stalls. Everywhere also can buy the food for buka puasa (break the fast). Very convinient to get the food for the muslim in Malaysia now. Some even choose to break the fast in the restaurants in Pizza Hut, MacDonald, KFC, Kenny Rogers...etc

Dates are very popular and no shortage of this dry foods for the fasting muslim, they can get the energy back very fast.

Anyway sick people no need to fast and so do the children. Somehow the parents will let the children try, if they willing to do. Mostly the parents will monitor them closely, if they cannot stand, then it is fine for the children to stop fasting.

Well ! Some people even stop at the emergency corner on the Penang bridge and sit there and break the fast with eating rice. Anyway it is dangerous to break the fast there. Why not choose the proper place ?

Grand praying to ancestors

Before 15th July for Chinese lunar month calendar, local chinese will did the ingots made by paper and bought all the clothes, shoes, cloth, money, coins and others items made by paper.

All these will be burnt on this day and they believes that the relatives in the hell can received the items which had been burnt for them. Well ! Well ! It is really an art too...

The local people tried to pay respect to the ancestors before noon. In the morning, they tried to clean the altar and changed the water, oil lantern and offered the fresh fruits.

Then mostly they will prepare the table and served with wine and tea, rice in bowl and a few dishes and some cakes which had the raising elements, it means the wealth in the family can be growth and growth. From this table you can see quite some pairs of the chopsticks. The local people believes that the ancestors will invite some departure friends of his and her will come and join to take the food together.

Before anything started, the family members will invite the ancestors to come into the house by joss sticks. Then the joss stick will be put into the incense pots.

In between everyone is waiting for the ancestors to enjoy the food. Amazingly, flies were sticked on the foods...anyway cannot killed them, some of the local people believes that these were the spirits which turn into this flies to take the food.

After sometimes, coins were used to throw to the air and let it fell to the floor. If 2 coins also in the same pattern then it means the ancestors already finished the meal. If no, they need to wait again, then they will repeated the process of throwing the coins.

After got the same pattern of the coins then all the paper made items will be burnt for the ancestors. Before burning the wine and tea will be pour out round the paper made items. It was to believe that the money will only took by the keen relatives and not others.

Then the family members will eat the foods which offered to the ancestors. Of course need to transfer the offering plate to other, cannot use back the offering plates to take the foods.

See Kuih T'ng

See Kuih T'ng is a sweet drinks. The stall also always beside the Loh Bak stall. Mostly the hawker sell this drink near to the opera show stage.

The ingredients such as gingko nuts, lotus seeds, pong dai hai, sweet potato, sago, sweet barley, sweet kidney beans, longan.

All these ingredients will be put into a bowl and put in the longan soup.
All will cut into small pieces and looks very colourful.

It can be serve either in hot or cold (put in a few ice cubes).

The cost of a bowl is about RM2.00-RM2.50.

Loh bak

This is what we so called as Loh Bak in Hokkien. In the July ghost festival, the food stall which near to the opera show always has this dish. Local people like this very much.

The Loh Bak stall has variety of ingredients : such as bean curd, loh bak, shrimps fritters, fish ball, yam..etc.

You can select from the ingredients which put on the stall in the different trays. Then the Loh Bak hawker will deep fried it again and cut into small pieces. They will put all in a plate and sometimes put some pieces of cucumber on the side of the plate.

Mostly they served the dish with two kind of sauces, one is chilli sauce and the other is five spice dipping sauce (suitable for one whom cannot take the hot chillies)

Currently the price is a bit expensive, sometimes small plate also cost you few Ringgits.

Moho Kuih

Moho in the Chinese Hokkien dialect. Kuih is a cake and it is a Malay word. Combination between Hokkien and Malay word ?
This is a Moho Kuih.
The local Chinese will make or buy this Moho Kuih and put on the altar and pray to the ancestor in Cheng Beng festival (清明节) or Ghost festival (中元节).

If the Moho kuih were put on the altar in the house and temple and pray, then the local people will eat the offerings after prayed. If any items of praying were put outside and back of the building then mostly they will not eat the foods which had been offered to the spirits.

The Moho kuih is being make by rice flour. Some just make in plain and some add the brown sugar to make the colour and taste. After eat this Moho kuih, you will mostly have it caught in the teeth. So just clean them !

Funeral

Yesterday evening the old Indian woman neighbour passed away. She had both of the kidneys failure. Most of the relatives and friends came by car and motorbikes to pay for the last respect to this old neighbour. They started to set up a few of the white roof tents infront of the house and served the foods for the visitors. Prayers also non-stop. The family was very busy until late at night.

This morning they had the prayers too.

Just now in the afternoon, they started to do the flowers arrangement again. Many big garlands had been arranged. Just before the funeral, I heard the many big crakers playing sound. Adopted the local Chinese custom ? They also invited the Indian traditional music group to play the music for the funeral ceremony. Every one pray and pay the last respect before walked and followed at the back of the coffin with body to the juction of the road.

The close relatives to the death old woman wore the not so striking colour of clothes and with the black half transparent shawls. However, I observed they were many who wore the striking colour clothes and high heel too.

In the juction they put the coffin into the van and prayed again. Then the relatives and friends use the own vehicles to follow the death body van to the cemetary. The ceremony temporary end for this session. Next there will be some prayers ceremonies to be perform in the house.

Go Dai

'Go Dai' 歌台 in Hokkien dialect means 'the stage of songs' which is also means a kind of concert performance. Instead of the opera show performance 'He Dai' 戏台, here the local performers also had a chance to be invited and sing in this kind of stage in the festival of ghost. If the committe of the temple or local people of that area had the good financial, they will have the Go Dai for more days of performance.

Amazingly ! You can see the responds for this kind of small concert is far better than the opera show performance. Maybe young people do not understand the language used in the opera shows and thatswhy not so interested. All in all no matter opera show or singing performance also need the permit from the authority department. I heard from the local people, this year the authority difficultly to give out a few permit only for the small concert performance due to many negative feedback.

The negative feedback were from local people and some other ethnics, such as the loudspeakers were too loud and impacted the people who wanted to sleep in the night around that area. This kind of stage performance mostly started from the evening till late at night. The environment became too excited and high whereby audience shouted loud and unlimitted control of the volumes. Of course the performers need to make the good interaction to make the concert more lively. Just the matter of location of the concert only.

The stage of the concert mostly will be decorated in the environment of disco, neon and spot lights were so bright but some did decorated in the more conservative type. Sometimes the performers wear lesser clothes, and according to local people it had been discussed before, is it ok or respect or not towards the spirits and Gods? somehow mostly the performers are in the young age. Some of the performers not have enough skills in singing also can be found on this kind of stage, maybe it is a local show.

The singer will sing all types of songs and most of the time you can choose a title of song and ask them to sing for all. The base of the drum was more, so could feel not so comfortable. However, still wanted to say amazingly ! many people still stand at very front of the stage to get the good place and enjoy to watch the singers and performance. Of course can see a lot of motorbikes and traffic were quite jam in that area. I guessed local people like this kind of entertainment.

No wedding in this Ghost Festival month

Chinese in Malaysia try to prevent to have the wedding ceremony in this Ghost Festival month. They believe it will bring the bad luck or the things which happened unexplainably.

So the ordering of the Chinese wedding luncheon or dinner almost none. The restaurant mostly will started to operate the business for preparing the food for the common people.

If found out the passed away relatives (some what in the dream) wanted to get married. The people who is alive will fulfill their needs by go through the medium and arrange for them. Sometimes the cost is higher because afterall it is spirit business. Sometimes marriage between spirit with spirit or spirit with human. It is a bit complicated to understand this practise. Anyway all must be done in a good manner and in correct day and time, in order not to harm the people who is still alive.

So next month is the peak season for the Chinese to get married. The month is August in Chinese lunar calendar. It is a good month. The wedding luncheon or dinner in restaurant need to reserve earlier, if no they need to prepare in the public hall or in front of the house.

Use the correct lane on the road

I would like to share an experience here, which nearly involved in a near miss.
Do you want to know what happened?

This morning I drove the car and stop at one of the traffic light area near to TESCO, Kuim. I stopped because of the indicator light was 'red'. There were 3 lanes on my side.

Turn to the left (Left lane) can go to TESCO. I was in the middle lane, because I wanted to go to Lunas. Turn to the right (Right lane) can go to the housing area.

The indicator light then turn into 'green' light after sometimes of waiting. Every car started to move, so did I.
Suddenly the right lane car speed up and turn 90 degrees in front of my car and want to turn to the way of TESCO. I got shocked and immediately put the break on. Luckly the next car at the back still some distance away. If no, the outcome should very clear that accident will happened.

Ooo....What can I say ?

Common sense to use the correct lane. 'NONE'.

Qixi Jie or Night of Seven Festival

This festival is almost the same meaning to the 'Valentine day' for westerner. It was started in Han dynasty and fallen in the 7 day of the 7 lunar month of Chinese calendar. Some people called this festival as the magpie festival too. However this festival is not popular in Malaysia. Although it was not popular but most of them know the story behind this festival. Instead of celebrating, they worshiping.

The story started with the Niulang (The star name is Altair) who was a young cowherd met with the Zhinu (The star name is Vega) who was the beautiful fairy weaver girl (She was also the daughter of the Goddess). They were loving each other, got married and living happily with two children then but without knowledge from the Goddess.

One day the Goddess accidentally found out this match and very angry. She used her hair pin to scratch on the surface of the river in the sky. The sky is the milkyway. The purpose was to separate both husband and wife.
Niulang was very sad and his ox pity on Niulang and talked to him. The ox wanted Niulang to kill itself and put the skin on and fly to heaven to see his wife Zhinu.

Niulang was very upset and cried, somehow he also followed the cow's word in order to see his wife. Then they can only see each other from far.

After a year, magpie were pity for them and all the magpie leader called all of the magpie to gather and help to built in a form of brigde (It also called as Que Qiao, it was built from the star Deneb to the star Cygnus). The purpose was to let the Niulang, Zhinu and the 2 children to meet together and the date joined was in July 7th of Chinese lunar month calendar.

On this day the unmarried woman will love to make a wish to get the good husband in future and for the married women they pray to have a good husband and quickly conceive a child for the newly married couple. They will either go to temple or put up an altar and placed the flowers, tea, fruits and face powder on the altar and pray. For the face powder, they will distribute the face powder among the younger women, half of them will throw up to the roof. Local people believe this kind of action, will make the women as beautiful as Zhinu.

Food stalls near to the opera show stage

This was the temporary food stalls which near to the opera show stage. Mostly, this kind of food stall will be setup from the start of the opera show and will end the business after the opera show. It is temporarily only. Follow the period of the opera show in each area.

The shelter awning will be set up in the opera show area and place a lot of short legs orange tables and chairs. There are very bright indeed. Somehow it also depend on area of setting up the stalls, some are a bit darker in vision.

This kind of food stall will be visit by the local people after praying to the God and watch the shows. Some of them just visit there for food purpose only. The environment is a bit special cause while eating , you also can watch the shows too, based on the setup place for the food stalls.

The food hawkers sell the duck porridge, lo bak, si go teng, jawa mee, char koay Teow, jiu hu, koay teow teng (all in Hokkien dialect)....etc. These foods are not so special because you can find these dishes to be prepare in local coffee shop, market or food stalls in Penang side.

The food price is average. Some is almost the same as daily hawkers food price but some are a bit higher.
I had the bad experiences to go to this kind of food stall. I cannot stop the flies from flying towards the foods which I ordered. So unbearable one ! Flies are here and there. I had no choice just kept on waving my hands above my foods until finished. Quite tired !

Ghost festival Opera stage show

This was the opera stage show at Bukit Mertajam. In Hokkien is called Hee Dai (Hee means 'shows' and Dai means 'stage'). The stage mostly is temporary built but I did see a few permanent built stage. Mostly it will built in front of the temple. According to local people, they sometimes invite the Thailands performers to do the performances for these kind of festival celebration or prayers. Theirs' quality of performance are more better.

The shows will have the story line and it can continue for a few days. It means episode by episode. It had the sessions, either perform in afternoon or evening. The performers wear the beautiful and striking colour costumes and with all the equipments, gestures and tones of dialect, make the whole story alive !Mostly the audiences will sit on the bench or chair which prepare by the committee in front of the stage. However some old people prefer to take theirs' own chairs, I guessed more comfortable to watch !

Youngster often don't understand the language the performers used, so now very convenient that the stage also have the digital Chinese characteristic to exactly show in words on what the performers say. Sadly to tell you that, there is still don't have the English or Malays language translation yet ! Actually, it's really good to have at least showing the Chinese characteristics for the content of speech on stage, because the youngster also can enjoy watching the stage show. Anyway , I oberved that seldom see the youngsters in front of the stage. Most of them only watch for a while then just left the place. Remain are the real fans watching only!

Good News ! Mengkuang dam reopen !

Yesterday Chief minister, GE Lim already announced that Mengkuang dam still open to public.

In July, local people of the Mengkuang dam area appealed with 30,000 signatures in a petition that don't want this dam to be fully close down for the dam extension. Many of them love this place for exercising in the morning and evening. Some even shoot the wedding photo for the wedding couple because the sceneric is beautiful too.

Currently, the ministry of the Energy, Green technology and Water had approved to close the dam by stage. Dam had been reopen yesterday !

The dam will be still open when the first phase of the extension work on dam. The project will be the constuction of new dam beside the present one from 1st August until Jan 31st 2014.

The second phase project of heightening the dam level will start at 1st Feb, 2014 till 31st July, 2016, this time for the safety of public, the whole area of Mengkuang dam will be close.

Really a good news to local people !

Ghost festival or Phor Thor

Chinese ghost festival started in 1st July according to Chinese lunar calendar (on 1st August,2011). Hokkien people call as "Phor Thor" for this festival. The gate of heaven and hell is open and allow all the spirits of deceased relatives and friends to come back to this living world. All the spirits need to go back before the gate on the 15 days. The God (King of Hades) that chinese pray is called as Tai Su Yah in Hokkien. So yesterday the prayers and celebration started.

The Tai Su Yah statue is a bit fierce in looks and more than 20 feet. Around the altar, there were many colourful paper flags and also the items for praying to the God. There were also many folded paper in pineapple and money shapes. In Bukit Mertajam, the local people put this Tai Su Yah statue under temporary awning in front of the shop houses between Jalan Pasar and Jalan Ooh Chooi Chong. "Pek Gong Biu" in hokkien or Pek Gong temple just besides.

I was told for a story, a very long time ago, a mother took a lot of praying foods and items to pray to the God. At that time, her hands were full with all these items, so she temporary put the baby on the altar. After she finished her prayer and the baby also had died. So the Chinese parents mostly will not bring along thiers' young children to go and pray together. They scared that the children will accidently say any offence words or do anything offenced to the Gods. The local adults will also do the same, never say any offence words when go for prayer. Local women also will not go to pray if they have the menstruation during that time. Mostly local people will take the shower before go to pray Tai Su Yah. Old people will advice the young people to stay at home at night or don't go out late at night and some will tell them not to go near to the water area such as swimming at river or sea.

The business people often pray with roasted pig too. At the altar, there were many fruits, roasted chicken, pork, many types of kuih (Hokkien pronounciation) such as mo ho kuih, bak chang, pao, miku, kuih koci, cai kuih..etc
In the afternoon and evening,according to the strong financial of the committe in that area or temples. They will organize the Chinese stage opera (" hee tai" in Hokkien), Chinese Karaoke or music band ("go tai" in Hokkien dialect) or puppet show in front of the temples. Actually this performance is for the deceased people and living people to watch. The days of having these shows also depend of the financial of the temple or committe.

For the whole period of the opera shows. There will set up a place with many Chinese hawkers stalls to sell the local foods or some foods which seldom make in the ordinary days.

Mengkuang Dam or Empangan Mengkuang

"Empangan Mengkuang" or called as Mengkuang dam is situated at Jalan Sungai lembu, Bukit Mertajam. It is one of the largest dam in Penang state. It is also a recreational place.We can access through (BKE) butterworth-kulim expressway and exit at Penanti.

It was built in 1982 and officially opened in 14th December, 1985 by Penang former Gavernor, Yang Dipertua Negeri Pulau Pinang TYT Tun Datuk Dr Haji Awang bin Hassan.

The dam is 3.9sq km. 24.7m in hieght. The capacity of water storage is 23,639 million litres. Actually is about 10 times of water storage capacity compare to Air Itam dam. The landscape is beautiful. Around that area you can see rubber trees, pine trees, pinang trees and so many beautiful plants....very natural forest.

It open 6 am to 7.30 pm daily and no entrance fees. Besides the dam, there is a car park, all the vehicles can go in. We can do a lot of activities there such as trakking, cycling, walking, jogging, kayaking, etc.. Penang annual dragon boat festival was held at that area too. It is very convinient. Anyway fishing is not allowed but sometimes you can see some local people doing that too.

Important message : It will be close from today onwards to public (August 1st, 2011 till July 31st, 2016) 5 years ! The new project is to enlarge the dam. The water capacity will increase to 3.8 times compare with currently one. The water will start to pump in through Sungai Muda.

Anyway ! See the Mengkuang dam in another five years time ! It will have another new look.