Thursday, January 24, 2008

Thaipusam

We were compelled to go to this festival as it is only held in two countries now. Here and Malaysia. Several hundred devotees spear their cheeks with long, shiny steel rods - often a metre long - and pierce their chests and backs with small, hook-like needles in penance. To many Thaipusam is the day of thanksgiving or atonement for wrongs.
Spectacular edifices or kavadis are often carried or pulled by the devotees with chains and ropes anchored in the skin of their backs or chests.

But kavadi carrying need not be so arduous. Just carrying a small pot of milk up the steps to be poured on the vel is enough. Most devotees do this.
Some parents carry newborn babies slung in a cloth-cradle hung on a pole shouldered at both ends by the mother and the father as thanks for a safe birth.
Some also carry kavadis made of wood or metal adorned with pictures or statues of Hindu deities, flowers and peacock plumes.
Others shave their heads bald as a symbol of humility and atonement.
It is not for the faint hearted...have a look at the following photos....

Sunday, January 20, 2008

the washing machine

We moved in and expected to be able to use the washing machine straight away...the landlord showed us where to set the dial and what else to do...well you would have thought we could understand that....yeah right....we did it and the washing was dripping wet....and soapy...we tried another setting and the same thing. We emailed the landlord and he came around and showed us again. Once again we tried all the settings he suggested but to no avail...the clothes were still dripping wet and soapy and then Wayne worked out that the water tap was not turned on....that got rid of the soap from the washing but not the dripping wet part...don't ask how come the clothes were wet when the water was turned off....it is a mystery to us too.

The landlord texted (they call it SMS here) and said they were going to get a new washing machine for us...and it arrives today. I only hope we can drive this one.....