Thaipusam, Weekend in Bangkok

I guess we must be getting used to the joint. It doesn't really seem like there is much to report that might be of any interest to anyone. What was once novel has now become routine, I suppose. Let's see, I bought some veggies and fruit at the market, did a couple loads of wash, worked a whole 4 days each of the last couple of weeks, and, and... Well I guess there are a couple of things.
Thaipusam was last weekend. It is an Indian festival in honour of Lord Murugan. According to legend he saved the world from the evil Soorapadme long ago and has been worshiped ever since. The son of Lord Shiva, Murugan, is considered the very manifestation of valour, beauty, youthfulness, vitality, masculinity, and the abode of happiness. This year about 1.5 million people came to pay their respects. Imagine the stairs and area in front of the statue crammed with this many people.

Many of the devotees come to pay penance for sins, to give thanks, reaffirm their faith, or pay homage to fulfil some obligation. The ceremony itself starts downtown Kuala Lumpur, some 15 kilometers away. A chariot is laden with an idol of Lord Murugan, which apparently is adorned with many precious stones and metals. This sits on an ornate bed of flowers. Two oxen and many devotees spend 8 hours bringing the chariot to Batu Caves. Once at the caves a whole range of activities begin. Some will shave their heads and cover it with a kind of rice flour. Others will have prepared food or drink to give to other devotees. The more serious will carry a large heavy shrine called a Kavati up the 272 steps to get inside the cave. They make these shrines from metal and they are elaborately decorated. Others will pierce their cheeks and tongues with skewers as an act of penance. The real serious have their backs pierced with dozens of fish hook like objects. Sometimes they will ask a fellow devotee to pull on the hooks as they travel up the stairs. The greater the suffering, I guess, means greater devotion. Malaysia is one of the only places in world that allow the festival to take place. Supposedly it is a bit to much for even the Indians in India.
Maureen and I didn't make it to Thaipusam but were given details by Geoff Bullen and his friend Mazi who were visiting us this weekend on their travels through South-East Asia. I did drive by on the freeway just as things were starting up on Sunday morning and a little later in the afternoon going the other way. Even driving by was an experience. You can imagine the traffic that 1 and half million people bring. In the morning people were beginning to park, right on the freeway. At this time they were using up one lane and by the time I drove by in the afternoon they were parking in two of the three lanes. You can imagine the jam, miles and miles long. Fortunately the second time I was going against the flow. One of the teachers said the police were directing people into the parking spots on the freeway (this could only happen in South-East Asia, I think)
We had planned to catch Thaipusam but Maureen was busy in Bangkok. Used to traveling to exotic locales like Sparwood for basketball tournaments she couldn't quite turn down the opportunity to serve as sponsor teacher on a school trip to Bangkok. The shopping (it's hard to believe I know) apparently is much better in Bangkok. She fell in love with the city and I know she(I) will be back. Taking care of a pod of hormonal adolescent boys does have its challenges though. We didn't get to Thaispusam (we planned to go after her arrival late Sunday) because one of the boys left his passport in Bangkok and could not get past immigration in Malaysia. Between waiting for the delivery of the passport on the next plane and the boy's parents going to the wrong airport she didn't arrive back home until the wee hours of the morning.
I was able to spend my weekend in relative peace(No comment necessary here). Geoff and Mazi arrived Friday evening. I showed them around a bit and then left them to their own devices. Saturday morning I helped out at the big regional touch tournament being held at our school. Touch rugby is basically a game of 'silly buggers' (for those of you who have played rugby before) with more rules. The rules, I guess, make it a serious school sport. It is played by young girls in short shorts (but that is not why I volunteered to help). In the afternoon I took a climbing course at Camp 5, which is the largest climbing facility in Asia. It is enormous, equal to about 30 times the size of Gravity Climbing in Nelson. I loved it and plan to do a lot more. Sunday I went for another ride up Genting Highlands. This time I was joined by one of my fellow Grade 5 teachers Derald Cook.


A funny thing the winning team does for the losing team after a touch rugby game. The MKIS (Mont' Kiara International School) team came second.



I stole this picture from Chris Blessing of Maureen and I hiking in Taman Negara.