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PEACE OFFERING Posted: 15 Aug 2011 10:36 AM PDT 2011/08/15 By Chuah Bee Kim The living appease the spirits during the Hungry Ghosts Festival with prayers and gifts ACCORDING to Chinese tradition, the lunar seventh month should be spent indoors, if possible, to avoid bumping into wandering spirits. This is because, at this time, the gates of Hell are thrown open and spirits are free to roam the earth. Some people also avoid swimming during this month. Like human beings, there are kind spirits and those which are mischievous or fierce, especially those who were murdered or had died in accidents. It is also the time of year to honour the memory of the departed. The Taoist and Chinese Buddhist communities hold ceremonies to relieve the suffering of the dead. The Johor Baru Tiong-Hua Federation did this on a grand scale in Jalan Ulu Air Molek recently. Tiong-Hua Memorial Park president Lam Tin Khiang, the event's organising chairman, said this was the fifth year that the ceremony was being held. There were 817 spirit tablets, one for each departed soul. The offerings on the altar tables included a roast pig, huat kuih (prosperity cake), fruits and canned food. Lam said a woman had asked whether she could offer a milk-filled feeding bottle to her deceased baby. "She looked relieved when I told her it was okay. It is believed that her baby will be able to drink the milk. When the living get to do something for the departed, especially a loved one, they feel comforted." An enthroned paper effigy of the King of Ghosts presided over the ceremony. "We have to invite the King of Ghosts to the event. Every year, we have an effigy that is 2.54cm taller. This is the traditional practice," said Lam. "Later, we burn it along with the other effigies and joss paper offerings." The Buddhist prayers began at 11am, while the Taoist rites took place at 3pm. Each participant went home with a plastic pail containing oranges, rice, salt, cooking oil, and other items. Lam said there were complaints that it was unfair to conduct the ceremony in Jalan Ulu Air Molek every year. He said it was too costly to perform the rites at the federation's graveyards in Taman Kebun Teh, Taman Johor Jaya and Gelang Patah as well. "We can invite the spirits to come here so they can receive the offerings," he said. "For five years, we have been collecting RM88 to RM138 from each participant. The cost of petrol and prayer items have gone up. "So, we cannot afford to be extravagant. We may have to revise the fee next year." Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Awaken to life's simple pleasures Posted: 15 Aug 2011 09:04 AM PDT 2011/08/16 by Chuah Bee Kim LAST Sunday, I saw the most spectacular sunrise in Desaru. Perhaps the sunrise that morning was not more glorious than any other day, but on any other day, I would be too busy running errands, meeting deadlines and paying bills to watch a sunrise. It would not have cross my cluttered mind to do so. But last Sunday was different. I wanted to welcome the breaking of the dawn which to me symbolises a new beginning. So even though it was the seventh lunar month, also known as the Hungry Ghost Month among the Chinese, and I wondered whether the spirits of drowned victims were going to walk out of the sea as I waited on the pitchdark beach at 5.30am, I was determined not to let my imagination run wild. At daybreak, other people started to arrive on the beach. The sun did not appear until after 6.30am, which was baffling because I thought the sun comes out at around 6am to 6.30am. I was wrong, because the sun only began to rise above the horizon after 7am. If I had known that earlier, I would have lingered in bed a while longer. But I would have missed the break of dawn, and that was a sight to behold. Watching the sunrise, I remember when West Malaysia moved its clocks ahead by half an hour to match East Malaysian time, which is eight hours ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time. That was in 1981, and many people, I believe, were excited about the move. Due to our proximity to Singapore, the republic also did the same to facilitate trade and traffic across the Causeway. As I embarked on the journey home to Johor Baru, I took the new 75km Senai-Desaru Expressway (SDE). The toll for the one-way journey was RM11.20, and it was worth every penny as it was a relaxing drive and the last 27km stretch of the RM1.4 billion highway was scenic. Since the opening of the 27km stretch — from Cahaya Baru to the Penawar Interchange — in June, the Lotus Desaru Beach Resort has recorded a surge in tourist arrivals, especially Singaporeans. The resort's group chief executive officer, Datuk R. Doraisingam Pillai, said Singaporeans had always made up about 60 per cent of the resort's visitors and the opening of the SDE has contributed to a sharp increase. It looks like the resort is not the only place that is going to enjoy a boost in tourist arrivals as the SDE will also benefit other attractions such as the Desaru Fruit Farm, Ostrich Farm and Crocodile Farm. The distance from Ulu Tiram to Penawar is also reduced by 16km and travelling time is shortened by an h o u r. What made the drive through the scenic stretch memorable was the sight of the kelong and oil palm trees that flank the SDE. Another highlight of the journey was the Single Plane Cable-Stayed Bridge across Sungai Johor. Upon exiting the SDE, my thoughts drifted back to the sunrise again. One can enjoy the simple pleasure of seeing the sunrise any day and wherever we are. We need not travel far to honour the dawn and greet the sun. How many sunrises can one enjoy before the impending sunset? I'm not being pessimistic, but time flies by while you savour life's journey. Try to embrace all of life's trials and tribulations and come what may, accept it all with a smile; and make time for simple pleasures while yo u 're at it. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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