This year I did my annual Thaipusam walk from Lorong Kulit to the waterfalls following the Kavadis bearers while clicking away with Lee Khai's camera. The day was scorching hot I was also penniless to even afford a drink. So along the way I beelined my way towards every free drink stalls and consumed whatever was offered to keep myself from being dehydrated. It seemed like this year there was more hype than real spiriutal endeavor where the Kavadi procession was concern and there was alot less bearers and more onlookers and drunk or stoned dancers wiggling their skinny butts tothe tune of the latest Hindi Hip Hop music infront of the roadside stops. These 'pit stops' are today sponsored by the various electronic companies as part of their community contribution and was decorated with elaborate images of the Deities such as Krishna, the Cool 'PlayBoy hindu Lord and Lord Ganesha the Elephant headed son of Shiva. The music has not changed in volume from the past, it was full blast as usual loud enough to heard in Mumbai, India. 
When I offerd to donate my blood at a Blood Donation booth I learned from the Chinese lady taking my blood pressure that my blood pressure was very high, do I suffer from hypertension, she asked. upon learning this I sat for a very long time to digest this new information about my health. I guese I had suspected and expected this sooner than later but this was the first time anyone had told me so. When I reached the end of the road at the waterfalls temple where the Kavadi bearers walks up to the hill temple to pay their devotion to Lord Murugan, (To Kong Misai, The 'samseng' Deity who weilds a '
parang' in his hand just to make the point), I realized that this will be my last Thaipusam walk. There were quite a few Chinese brothers involved in the procession and they were not going to let the Hindus out do in mortifying themselves. It was Pain in every form as usual, self mortification on a grand scale in the name of the Deities and Demigods to whom promises were made and vows were fulfilled. The Thaipusam has always been one of my 
fascination eversince I could remember growing up in Penang and my Hindu relatives, those who were children to my Granduncle, a Singhalese from Sri lanka married to a Hindu, were part of the reason for this. I have an uncle whose name is Ranjan, and I have an aunt name Susila and another named Kamala and my grand auntie who is still alive, we simply called her Minachi. Although I rarely see them except on Deepavali and hari Raya Puasa I love them no different than loving my Malay or Muslim relatives. I take pride in the fact that I have such a diverse family tree made up of so many branches of race and ethnic heritage.
Hence Thaipusam has a deeper meaning to me than just another tourist attraction or an opportunity to take pictures of beautiful saris and gory pictures. Other than the fact that on kavadi day there was always intense energy in the air, energy ma
nifested in the form of intense sight smell and taste and of human emotions and devotions.
When I offerd to donate my blood at a Blood Donation booth I learned from the Chinese lady taking my blood pressure that my blood pressure was very high, do I suffer from hypertension, she asked. upon learning this I sat for a very long time to digest this new information about my health. I guese I had suspected and expected this sooner than later but this was the first time anyone had told me so. When I reached the end of the road at the waterfalls temple where the Kavadi bearers walks up to the hill temple to pay their devotion to Lord Murugan, (To Kong Misai, The 'samseng' Deity who weilds a '
parang' in his hand just to make the point), I realized that this will be my last Thaipusam walk. There were quite a few Chinese brothers involved in the procession and they were not going to let the Hindus out do in mortifying themselves. It was Pain in every form as usual, self mortification on a grand scale in the name of the Deities and Demigods to whom promises were made and vows were fulfilled. The Thaipusam has always been one of my 
fascination eversince I could remember growing up in Penang and my Hindu relatives, those who were children to my Granduncle, a Singhalese from Sri lanka married to a Hindu, were part of the reason for this. I have an uncle whose name is Ranjan, and I have an aunt name Susila and another named Kamala and my grand auntie who is still alive, we simply called her Minachi. Although I rarely see them except on Deepavali and hari Raya Puasa I love them no different than loving my Malay or Muslim relatives. I take pride in the fact that I have such a diverse family tree made up of so many branches of race and ethnic heritage. Hence Thaipusam has a deeper meaning to me than just another tourist attraction or an opportunity to take pictures of beautiful saris and gory pictures. Other than the fact that on kavadi day there was always intense energy in the air, energy ma
nifested in the form of intense sight smell and taste and of human emotions and devotions.
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