We Go Wesaking.

Wednesday.

Suan: "Jom. We go temple on Friday morning, want? :D"

FA: "Har? Temple? Why suddenly?"

S: "Wesak on Friday mar!"

F: "Orh! Which one? The Kuan Yin temple on the way to KL one? Can! Long time never go adi..."

S: "Er, no. Maha Vihara. At Brickfields."

F: "Sounds like Hindu temple only...."

S: "Like Christianity, Buddhism also got a lot of different branches lar. My one is called Theravada. Your one called Mahayana. But both still Buddhist mah."

F: "My one like got more cultural influences already also right? I remember last time, I always thought that if you were Chinese you were automatically a joss-stick sticking, paper money burning sort of Buddhist. I am a bad Buddhist. Only pray once or twice a year when I balik kampung. Bwahahha... er actually hor, people do what in your sort of temple one?"

S: "Pray lah!!"

F: "....."

S: "So how? Go or not?"

F: "Go go! Good first time experience!"

S: "We go early early okay? Beat the crowd. 7am lah".

F: "Set."



A lot of shops set up by opportunistic peddlars outside the temple. There's something not so right at trying to make money off people on their way to a place of worship.



Later, that night.


F: "Ma. I go temple with Suan on Wesak Day morning okay?"

FA's Mum: "Temple? Ok ok. Go lah! Which one?"

F: "Mahatma something or other... at Brickfields one"

FA's Mum: "Har? You going HINDU TEMPLE??!?!?!"

F: "Laughs Out Loud"



View of temple grounds from big hall. Can not believe how many people didn't sleep in on a public holiday.



Friday morning.

FA's handphone alarm: " BEEP BEEP. 7.30am. BEEP BEEP."

F:"Grumble grumble grumble"

*dial dial dial*

S:*sounding sleepy* "lo?"

FA: "Wei. 7.30am already okay."

S: "we go a BIT later okay?"

F: "EHaEHAheAHEaHEah.. okay okay."




8am

*dial dial dial*

F: "Suan?"

S: "okay okay getting ready adi."




8.30am

S: "Outside your house d!"

F:*Thinks to self* "Year right. 7 my ASSSS"



Little boy playing at temple's fountain. A lot of people seen here washing their faces and throwing coins into the lotus' petals in the middle of the fountain. It's funny how people just assumed everything in the temple is holy and/or will bring them luck or something. Maybe they were just feeling hot.



*lines up behind 34892765 people to go into main shrine*

F: "Shit too many people wei."

S: "Forget it lah. Let's go take lots of pictures!"

F: "Yeay!"

S: "I wanna go see the Chief High Priest, later also"

(Waited 2 freaking hours and only caught a glimpse of him when he came out from his chambers to makan. Poor Suanie. :( )



Lotus candle offerings on the main alter.


*see buddha statues. see lots of people. see lots of beggars. see lots of joss stick. see lots of smoke.*

*can not see anymore from all the smoke*

*cough cough*


F:"Eh, I wanna pray with joss stick lah. a bit weird for me to pray without joss stick."


Joss sticks and butts.

*click click*

F:" Damn a lot of people wei. Damn hot. HOT HOT. The sun is on my head!"

*goes line up in some long line to be splashed with water to cool down from heat blessed by monks*

*kena sprinkle with a lot of water*

*put money in little big reddonation box*

*given small plastic medicine bottle filled with (holy?) water and a bunch of yellow strings*

F: "Suan. This bottle for what?"

S: "To bathe in kua."

F: *looks at tiny plastic bottle. notes that it is smaller than own hand* *thinks to self* "not even enough for a baby rat loh"


People lining up to get wet blessed by monks with some sort of a palm leaf and water.


*click click*

"OIL LAMPS FOR PEACE AND HAPPINESS!"
"RM10!"

*go kaypoh*

*click click click*

Random nice volunteer: "Want to come in to take pictures?"

F:*shy shy* "Yes please thank you!"

*click*



Thousands upon thousands of oil lamps for Buddha and happiness.


F:"Suan."

S: "Ar?"

F: "Why do these people offer flowers?"

S: "Flowers represent impermanence. See the flower, at first so pretty, then it wilts and dies. Everything that lives will eventually die also. So flowers serve as a reminder that we all have a finite life lar, and not to hang on too much to worldly possesions"

F: "Kanineh. So fucking depressing one." *sniff*



11.45am

S: "Jom lah. Let's go."



More pink candles. I liked them. They were pretty. I like pretty things.



On the way home.

F: "Suan."

S: "Ar?"

F: "Actually, what's Wesak Day all about?"

S: ".... I'm not really sure also."

F: -_-""""


(but Suan went back and made sure she knew what it was. Click!)