I visited to 7 temples in Kedah state on 8/8/2010

Yesterday about 6.00am, mom and I paid for RM50 each and followed the organizer to below temples. Wow ! Very punctual ! Good ! (Seldom happened here, ha....too many VIP...Ooops......)

Mom already prepared the offerings of daily requisites for the temples earlier.

On the way , the bus driver went to collect others devotees a long the road. In the bus the organizer distributed mineral water and the potato bun.....so soft...and nice for my breakfast..


When the sky went a bit brighter.....Goodness ! I'm worry...will it be raining? Hope not so, because it will be my beautiful day....my off day...and I'm having one day tour to seven temples! Please......Exposed to Thai culture....in Northern part of West Malaysia.

The first temple that we reached was WAT SRI MAHAPO, Baling Kedah. Tel : 019-5939582, 4705114. Then we were invited to take the porridge chicken ...my......my.....very delicious with the special soya sauce.

Then we went to do some donation....well ! This was the tradition...clipped the money on the lidi (soft stick) which beautifully decorated and pierced on the small banana tree. Well like this one....


Then we started to do the Pamsukula ceremony ( a small ceremony to offer monk's robe). The chief monk accepted it. The devotees started to offer the items that brought by themself. See...they had the water pouring ceremony while transfered merits. Everyone also use fingers to slightly hold each other blouse until completed the ceremony.

This building is still under construction. The time we wanted to leave this temple. Wow ! Heavy raining...run ...run...run...we run up to the bus......There were 7 buses for these trips....

Waiting for a while...then started our journey to the second temple. Ooops ! Rain stop ! The second temple we went was WAT CARUK PADANG, Sik, Kedah. Tel: 04 - 4693519

 

We were invited to take biscuits and coffee.  See !  

    

Well ! The ceremony not yet started, so I walked around. I saw a small hut which some of them prayed for the sampan (a very small old boat). At last I read for the old papers sticked on the wall. oh...actually, this sampan, more than 200 years ..was found in this area. The sampan had been adopted by this temple.

Then I went to the back and saw a few things build with glass bottle. Well ! In Hatyai, South Thailand..also had this kind of creative art....

We went into the temple to listen to short dhamma from the chief monk. Then began the robe offerings and other items. Later, the chief monks blessing us with Thai style....showering us with the chanting blessing water.....

Then we quickly left and moved to the third temple.  WAT CHONG CHARERN SUDDHAWARD,Kampung Chong, 08200 Sik, Kedah. Tel: 04 - 4694251, 019 - 4950199 Well ! A beautiful temple....good scenery from the front view.

In this temple, we took lunch. We took package rice with red syrup drink.

After the lunch meal, we started the ceremony. Almost the same for every temples.

We went the fourth temple, WAT THAT CHAREON, Kampung begia, sik, Kedah. Tel : 04 - 4647224, 012 - 5847938. They invited to take the green beans soup. Wow ! very nice soup.....

This was the bus we took. Here, the school bus mostly will be use as a tour bus in Weekends or school holidays.

By the time we wanted to leave the temples..well ! we came to know 2 women fainted. One of them did not take the High Blood Pressure pils (Need to know very well for own health status)...another one not sure. well ! They were sent to the hospital.

We moved to the fifth temple, that was WAT KURA,Wat Kampung Kura, Mukim Jenari, Sik, Kedah. Tel : 04 - 7520497 We were invited to take the fried Mee Hoon in the dining hall. Very nice Fried Mee Hoon with the small Chilli Padi !

The surrounding of the temples look like these....Wow ! so creative.....Tortises holding the light round the fence of the temple....cute one......

Then we moved to the sixth temples, WAT BUKIT PERAK, Pendang, Kedah. tel : 019 - 4319394 It looks like very nice temple from outside. Wow ! With the Thai songs....really looks like we are in Thailand. The surrounding of temples also very nice. we were invited to have Loh Mee (noodles) and Fried rice. Somehow I just can only taste a bit of them....stomach full already....

Meanwhile very good to hear the two women who were fainted just now, already in the good condition.

After the ceremony, we went to the seventh temple, and the last for the ne day tour temple. The temple was WAT OLAK MADU, Sidam kiri, Padang Serai. They invited us to take the pork porridge when we reached. Well ! I just took a bit. It was because already very full in stomach.

Have a look for this temple scenery................

We went into the temple hall...Wow ! this one is a bit special. There were many beautiful wall paintings about the story of Buddha. The chief monk is very good at speaking Hokkien. We did the last offering in this temple.

Then we left the temples and we reached home at about 8.30 pm. A very nice trip. Mom and I love that. It's hard to get chance to do good deeds. Yesterday we  went for so many temples.....we got 7 chances to be practising good deeds.....Happy days ! Sadhu ! Sadhu ! and Sadhu !

2010 Chinese New Year

This year I felt the Chinese New Year mood was not so excited, if compared to last year. Chinese New Year songs has not been heard frequently from town area shophouses. Somehow in the big department stores, we did see some programmes to boots up the Chinese New Year festival.



On the Friday morning, about 6.40am I started to drive to Shah Alam. On the way I stopped at Tapah and Rawang, based on brother's hand drew map, I reached his new house.Quite relax to drive cause no traffic jam.

My brother invited us to celebrate Chinese New Year at his new house. A very nice house....Somehow one thing was missing....The kennel has no dog. The cute dog has been sent away because the neighbours not allow. What an area??? Can keep cat but cannot keep dog....all also catergorized as pets. Since the license has been given out. Whats wrong to keep the pets. Ha...I don't understand that! OK ! Because of respectation, no help, has to agree to send the dog away, the cute dog has to follow the new family.

I'm very happy to see my handsome newphew and beautiful niece.

It's very quiet outside of the house. The weather was warm but suddenly there could be a heavy rain. Luckly, the new house has few fans and air-cons.

I like the lovely white and wood kitchen...more bigger space to move around. On the Chinese New Year eve, my sister-in-law, mother and myself started to prepare the Reunion dinner dishes. Wow ! See the photo....Yummy delicious!



We also prepared the vegetables yee-sang and the hot-pot. We did really enjoyed the Reunion dinner. One of my family member couldn't make it to join us. Hopefully, he will be around with us next year.



After the reunion dinner, my sister-in-law and her beautiful daughter started to make the 'tang yuen' (glutine rice ball)....ha....little niece make so many shapes instead of round one....never mind...let her learn....Good ! I love that !



At 12.00am midnight, we prayed for the "God Of Wealth". Then we played firework.



Only one time of playing, ha....again one of the neighbour came and told us, his children cannot sleep....'Sorry..lah..little children....One year only one time playing, tolerate a bit lah....' Huh !! Never mind, on the second day we played the firework a bit earlier.

The first day of Chinese new year, we went to a Chinese temple to pray. Then we enjoyed our new year with relatives who came to the house. Love to see the children playing around. Meanwhile we also enjoyed watching the Korean episode dramma 'Queen Seon Duk'. Nice drama ! Have a watch !

Time ran fast, the third day of the Chinese New Year, I drove back to kampung with my family members. Ah Ha...this time...I saw 2 cases of reckless drivers on the North-South highway....Pity....I also saw a dead monkey on the middle of the road, pity that it don't know the speed of people drive on the highway.

On the 8th day Chinese New Year night, some Chinese started to pray for the 'Emperor of God'...On the 9th day, it was Hokkien people Chinese New Year....This year my family cannot pray for the God because my grandma passed away last year. In the village...every where were fireworks...huh, so beautiful when you looked up to the sky..and of cause..we cannot get to sleep....the exploded sound was loud and continuous...but the Chinese New Year festival mood was there.....Great !!!

Today is the 10th day of Chinese New Year...everything went back to normal...

Awaiting for the 15th day of the Chinese New Year, my mom will prepare grand meal to let us enjoy food again.....!! My mom is a good cook....my sister-in-law also a good cook too....see...she cooked for us the sweet soup in this eve of Chinese New Year...nice to take it......

12/27/09 second day in Hatyai

6 of us already paid for 25 Baths to visit 3 temples yesterday, so we started to gather at the lobby at about 6.30 am, with the van driver and tour guide we proceeded to the four faces of Buddha in the morning. When we got there, still in the dark..

Sun rising.....marvelous...it's beautiful...........

Then we went to the hill top Buddha near to the Chow Mei Kuan Yin...so good we could see the Hat Yai panorama throughout the Hat Yai....what can I said.....with the fresh air...mild wind.....morning taste...I love them................

I really wish to stay a bit longer here.........but time constrained. We proceeded to Chow Mei Kuan Yin.

Here is another shrine in the temple compound. Inside there were 8 'Ba Xian' dieties.

In other area, we could see these beautiful statues.......

Then we traveled to the steel pagoda. This time we reached in the morning, it's cleared in view....very nice pagoda....we offered the robes...the tour guide taught us the way....round the pagoda, put the robe on the stand, cleaned the alms bowl and hung the little bell.....so nice..........very calm....and happy...........

Then the van driver send us to market. We went to take the breakfast then do shopping again. Below is the photo of Thailand King which placed on the building of the market.

We went back to the hotel and prepared to take lunch. We are very surprising that the bus tyre had been sabotaged by the local people. Anyway it's the mistake from the bus driver, he wrongly put the bus in such a location that supposed not to park the bus there.

Then we walked to the restaurant. There was a Cheng Mai peanut hawker, somehow the business was not good. He would better put some flavours for the nuts. It was because this nuts not as fragant as the peanut.

Then we went for the window shopping and walked back to hotel. This hotel should put more sofa or chairs for the customer at the lobby...cause there were a lot of older customers, especially with the long wait for bus....or van..... See ! Mom had to become a temporary security guard ! Ha...jokes.... ! Father had to sit on the floor.......

Then about 2.30 pm we left Hat Yai to Malaysia- Thai border. A lot of cars, van and bus. We had to quee for a long times.

On the way back home, before reached Sungai Petani. Well ! suddenly I heard there was a loud sound, seems like something crashing.... probably the tyre had some problem. The bus driver then stopped at the side of the highway, then have a check. Really ! it's true...the Hatyai local people sabotage another tyre which the bus driver never aware of......

What can I said this time.....to the one who did the sabotage.....Please think of the whole bus passengers lives......you can asked policeman to take care of this matter....but don't do this kind of stuff...have you ever think of the lives of the passengers who travel a long way to visit your places and not safely back to home? Think about that.....don't do this next time....you won't feel good...if you heard the bad news......which will coming back to you.............

Our bus driver drove slowly and we changed another bus to go back home safely.