Photo show at my bookstore

[johnw]

I'm doing a show at my bookstore for this month's University District Artwalk. Not boat-related, unfortunately, though I hope to do one of canal life in Thailand soon. The show is already up, artwalk is officially Friday evening. Stop by if you're interested.

The theme is 'Worship,' and the photographs are of religious festivals and observance in Thailand and Maylasia, taken in three trips I did in 1989, 1990 and 1991. Here's a sample:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Qk62rRa2hGc/SwQ4QXvZPlI/AAAAAAAABjc/HolND7cUx9o/s640/12800008.JPG

[BETTY-B]

Is that the Taipusam festival? Outlawed all over India, but still legally celebrated in Malaysia.

DAN

[johnw]

Yes. The trishaw driver who took us back to the hotel said it was getting harder to find people to participate. Wonder why. Those fellows towing the float, by the way, are attached to it by hooks through the skin of their backs. I'd guess about 40 or more.

[BETTY-B]

haha! Ya, the temple I hung out in tried for a week to get me to do it. My excuse was I hadn't asked for, nor received anything from the gods. Which, if I remember right is what it's all about. Say a mothers son gets sick, she tells Murugon or whoever that she'll do the festival if he cures her son. Which I thought was cool because every entrant, represented an answered prayer. Anyways, true in Indian form, that didnt matter! They still pushed. I came close too. Had I have known what was really going to happen, NO WAY! Not that I did it, just that I seriously contemplated it....

They practice for it the preceding month in their local hindu temple.

A funny thing I barely remember about it is that Murugon was supposed to get married. And Shieva(Murugons father) didnt aprove of the bride or something. And as long as some hindu priest sneezes sometime during the festival, the marriage has to be put off for another year. Which means at least one more festival!

NOTE: Sorry to any Hindus if I totally butchered the history and meaning of this festival. It was over twenty years ago that I was there.

John, Mind if I post a couple pics here later? I have some from Bu Bang Fai in Thailand too.

DAN

[johnw]

haha! Ya, the temple I hung out in tried for a week to get me to do it. My excuse was I hadn't asked for, nor received anything from the gods. Which, if I remember right is what it's all about. Say a mothers son gets sick, she tells Murugon or whoever that she'll do the festival if he cures her son. Which I thought was cool because every entrant, represented an answered prayer. Anyways, true in Indian form, that didnt matter! They still pushed. I came close too. Had I have known what was really going to happen, NO WAY! Not that I did it, just that I seriously contemplated it....

They practice for it the preceding month in their local hindu temple.

A funny thing I barely remember about it is that Murugon was supposed to get married. And Shieva(Murugons father) didnt aprove of the bride or something. And as long as some hindu priest sneezes sometime during the festival, the marriage has to be put off for another year. Which means at least one more festival!

NOTE: Sorry to any Hindus if I totally butchered the history and meaning of this festival. It was over twenty years ago that I was there.

John, Mind if I post a couple pics here later? I have some from Bu Bang Fai in Thailand too.

DAN
Go ahead. I have some from Songkran in Chiang Mai in the show.

[BETTY-B]

Great! Here's a teaser. A light version of the hook assembly you reffered to above.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/Asia/Malaysia/Untitled-5.jpg

[Lew Barrett]

Great thread, friends. John, I will have to be by now.

[johnw]

Yeah, that's the setup, with at least twice as many hooks. There were people to help steer the float so that no one person had to pull the full weight of it with the hooks in their one back.

[johnw]

Great thread, friends. John, I will have to be by now.
I look forward to seeing you, Lew.

[RFNK]

Penang? Rick

[BarnacleGrim]

Outlawed all over India
Really? Why?

[johnw]

Penang? Rick
Yup. Georgetown. Interesting ethnic mix there. The fishermen are Malay, the trishaw drivers and money changers are Indian, the bankers are Chinese.

[BETTY-B]

Really? Why?

It's a pretty far out there festival. Like I said above, that is a light hooking that guy has going in my picture. Maybe the British outlawed it when they were still there? I think they still celebrate it elsewhere, but without the gory details that are still practiced in Georgetown. My knowlegde is twenty plus years old though. Things could have changed.

Here's another view of some hook tackle:

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/Asia/Malaysia/keeper.jpg

This is the actual moment the animal spirit enters the person doing the ritual. It's really incredible when it happens. It must be something in all the insence being burned.:)

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/Asia/Malaysia/bjj.jpg

A spear in cheak guy. These people dance in the streets for miles, stopping for blessings at every temple on the way to this hilltop temple where they come out of their trance when the hindu priest guy says so.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/Asia/Malaysia/ghcghck.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/Asia/Malaysia/9.jpg

[Lew Barrett]

I've always preferred the idea of a nice chat with the Buddha to getting the hook and spear treatment myself.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff76/LewBarrett/wat.jpg
This wat is Thailand's oldest wooden temple complex in Lampang, and although the picture has none of the drama and color of the Hindu festival photos, I am thinking I might like it that way!

I took the picture for the sign (not for art) to remind me of the temple's name....Pratart Lampang Luang...... and it's all I have access to on this computer. But generally, I think Hindu festivals are much more colorful than Thai Buddhist rituals anyway.

[TimH]

I love Thai food, but thats about as far as it goes :)

[RFNK]

Really? Why?


As said above, Thaipusam is a pretty extreme festival if kavadi, the practice of ritualised self-harm, is involved. Tamils who are sick or, more likely, have a sick parent or family member doing an exam etc. will promise to undertake a kavadi if things work out. It's no stretch to imagine the pressure within families and that young people would place on themselves in this context so it's actually pretty understandable that kavadi - not Thaipusam, is banned in India. Malaysia seems to be the only place where kavadi is practised so obviously during Thaipusam. Rick

[BETTY-B]

This guy was super cool. We did lots of early morning rotis together in the days preceding.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/Asia/Malaysia/Untitled-3.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/Asia/Malaysia/Untitled-2.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d10/Bridgedeck/Asia/Malaysia/Untitled-4.jpg

[Lew Barrett]

John, we stopped by yesterday (a bit late, I guess) but you weren't there. A non-communicative young man was sitting at what was clearly your desk. I was tempted to shoe him away, but bought a book instead!

[johnw]

I stayed until 7. Yes, booksellers can be a reserved lot, but Bryan is knowledgeable about books, which is the important thing. I hope you liked the pix. Lighting is less than ideal and the space for displaying art is too high, but I had fun putting it together.

[Lew Barrett]

I am just playing with you. Once we told him we were your friends, he brightened up a bit! :) Nobody can resist my merciless verbal assaults for long!