About the Visit to the Temple

It is some sort like a tradition that we visit the temple every year, normally it'll be the 4th day. This year, with me and sis leaving on the 4th day, we were practically spending the whole lot of times discussing our plans for the 3 days of CNY at home. Visiting? Nah, stay at home better. Ching San Yan? Is a must, but when? Grandma's birthday! Won't be able to make it in time. The friends? Nah, don't think I'll want to follow them.

The temple is located on top of a hill, facing the river. It's located 40 minutes drive from my house, so we don't go there often. We would visit the place during holidays, as it's quite a beautiful place. Camwhoring. Relaxation. Just to get away for a while. Besides, there's also fresh seafood at the bottom of the hill. The unique thing is, the temple is located at the end of a Malay fishing village. So, in order to get to the first flight of stairs to the temple, we'll need to cross the village. And somehow, the management of the temple worked out with the local villagers, to come up with ways to reduce the heavy jam during peak seasons such as CNY.

Climbing up the staircase up to the temple is definitely not easy. But amazingly, I did managed to get to the top in one go without needing to stop for rest at the small resting pagonda halfway up the hill. We've learnt from our past experiences that, doing so would wear us down even more. Apparently, some of those worshippers just hasn't learnt that. Ah well, they seldom come anyway. How bitchy I may be at times. *sniggering*

After the prayers, we would head over to the dining hall. Vegetarian noodle at the temple is super delicious. No, am not going to compare it with Kolo Mee, they're different. But the vegetarian noodle at the temple really is, very nice. And with the deliciously cooked noodle in those humongous big erm, cooking pot, the ugly side of the delicious noodle would be that, kiasu worshippers always fight for it. It's like everyone hasn't been eating for ages and the noodle would be gone in no time. Luckily on the 3rd day, there were less visitors, and hence we get our 2nd serving. *sniggering* Grrr, writing about it now makes my stomach growling in hunger....

Before we left the place altogether, Sis and I headed over to the other wing of the temple. There are some books and CDs on Buddhism for the worshippers. I have, since ages ago, been looking for the Great Mantra. Somehow, I find myself hooked to the tune. I have no idea what the chantings are, but I just thought it's soothing. I never did went around the temples and asked for the CD before, was a bit too shy. Sis being the most knowledgeble one in the family on Buddhism, for she joined the Buddhist Society in uni and attended classes and all before, asked the lady working there for the mantra.

And yippee me I was in luck to be able to find it. That is only after we had rummaged through the entire stack of CDs that are mostly dharma talks. Right before we left, the lady played the Great Mantra on the CD player, and I asked sis to inquire if she's got any other copy of it. That was how, I have in my possession this beautiful music. Besides that, the lady also gave us car stickers with the printings of Amitabha. Blimey! We didn't see the stickers on the table before. And we grabbed 5 copies of each printings. Yeap yeap, we have THAT MUCH cars. NOT. *LMAO*

As we were leaving, we got ourselves some pendants (is that what you call it?) and those self-protection thingy from an old man. I'm sorry, but I have no idea how you call them in English, or Mandrin for that matter, I just know it's for self-protection. We were being a little bit superstitious despite being un-conservative enough. No harm believing that Rabbits offended the Gods this year right? Sorry again, I really have no idea how you put that in English. *sniggering*

I was very happy indeed. Am happy because of the Great Mantra and the new pendant. *LOL* No no no no, I'm not the teeeny bit religious or pious in that matter. I don't take vegetarian on the first and fifteenth day of the Lunar calendar. I don't go to the temple every fifteenth day of the Lunar month. And I do take beef, though I try to avoid it.

And I'm listening to the Great Mantra the wrong way. *LMAO*