Lay-zi-ness

It has been a while since I last updated. Been a lazy asshole these few weeks. Last thursday seems like the most busy day and productive day for me for a long time. There are two main on going projects I have to handle and a third one is gathering steam.

Went back to my hometown last weekend, it was a last minute plan. It was the birthday of our village's temple patron deity, 玄天上帝. It was a three days events. Started on Friday and ended on Sunday. It's has been like almost ten years I didn't go back for this event.

I never miss it when I was still back in my hometown. I was trying to get a train ticket on friday, and hoping to be able to get a place and be back in my hometown on Saturday morning. Only problem is I didn't realize it was a school holiday. All the ticket has been snaps up. Only then did my brother told me another second cousin is driving back too. I gave him a call and after work he came a pick me up. We pickup up his sister along the way, and leave KL at about 9:30pm.

We stopped to refuel at a petrol station near Kuala Lipis at about 11pm, and from there on I took over driving the car from him all the way till we reach my grandma house at about 3:30am. Been a long time since I travel long journey at such odd hours. When we passed by some restaurants which are serving the bus passengers, it reminded me of the time when I was still studying in univ, and journey to and back during the semester break and opening. The bus will always stop at those restaurants whose main customer are the bus passenger. Most of the time, the aircon in the bus was freezing cold, and I hated it because I can't stand cold.

The next morning (Saturday) I was wide awoke at 7:00am. Get ready to go to the temple. "Cross-bridge" ritual were to be taken place at about 8:30am. When I arrive at the temple, there was another ritual still ongoing and almost come to an end. I almost forget about this ritual. It's the ritual of welcoming Jade Emperor God into the temple. It is carried out in the wee hour in the morning, starting at around 3-5 am.
Normally this welcoming ritual is followed by the "dot-the-eye" ritual.

"Dot-the-eye" ritual is the process of infusing the deity spirits into a new deity statue. During my teenage years, this is one of the most exciting event. Normally after the medium "Dot-the-eye" of a deity statue, we will "test-drive" it by putting in on the palanquin, or kieo (in hokkien). Some skeptics do not belief in existence of deity. There was a year, a group of this skeptics were present during this ritual. Four of them carry "Na cha" deity which has just been "dot-the-eye" and try to prevent the palanquin from moving.

They did somehow manage persist and hold on to one spot, but I could see they were sweating fighting to prevent the palanquin from moving. Also I did note the audible squeak came out from the significant amount of friction between the wooden parts of the palanquin.

Anyway, I did had a good round of carrying the palanquin this time round. It's sort of release and smoothen the flow of "zhi" in my body. It's tiring, yet a relaxing feeling once the tiredness subside. Also manage to busy-body in a few of the ritual and chanting some mantra that I have almost forgotten. Meet a couple of long lost childhood friends too. All in all it was a good trip home.