Rambling over the past - In relation to the present.

 

The Lion's Gate Portal is happening and it is a matter of how far or how near one is from a deep understanding of what is being revealed here. I what is announced is absolutely accurate then the event that is transpiring today at different stages to different locations of the Planet is indeed a moment to revitalize, rejuvenate and recuperate this form I am in. For a moment staring at the rising sun as I always do, I noticed an extra intense brightness of the Sun like it was lit up from behind by a brighter source of light. I was conscious of this because I felt happy and not afraid if i would loose my sights for staring into this intense brightness for a split second and it was gone...the pigeons were my witness as always. It was later that i stumbled upon the YouTube Video on The Lion's Gate Portal and event that is happening in the cosmos at present and it is an alignment of three planets The Sun, The Earth and Serious the Brightest Sun in the Galaxies. Watch the Video better than me trying to explain, but the crucial thing is to be aware at this moment in time while it is purported to be happening in time, is a giant step towards self liberation. Towards the removal of all baggage's and burden one load on the shoulders, from sleep walking like a lifeless zombie looking for food from within garbage cans, to be liberated from the tedium of doing something over and over for no apparent reason, to be awakened from the sleep of ignorance, from the being a servant to Fear and Lust, from becoming blind inwards and outwards having no faith left in the Mercy of the Greater Self; Who Is Present Here in This Moment?

The celestial event will last through the 8th. to the 12th. of August  which happens to be my Birthday, how awesome is that? It will an interesting birthday for me this year as I pass the 3/4 Century mark of a man's age; I am getting old, no doubt about it and i can feel it telling me all over my body. Age is not just a number, its a number with a vengeance!. Now I know that getting old sucks, what am i to do?

Remember Nino Soprano the pianist at the Lobby of the Saint Peter's or was it St Paul's Hotel where i stayed  when I was in Rome. How old was Nino then? Did he think that growing sucks? He seemed ok by me doing what he loves doing and getting highly paid for it. I am proud of the fact that i was able to buy him a drink and chat with him at the bar. I try not to think too much about ageing however i am acutely in touch with my inner and outer motions and emotions. It is like saying I am spiritual not as much religious by virtue. I love this world and there is no doubt in my mind that i will miss it when I am dead and gone. It may be an illusion, a realm of Maya where all is impermanent and nothing is real, I still feel an attachment to it for it has been a rich experience for me being alive in this world. #ninosoprano #stpeter #maya

When I stood on the main street of the ruins of Pompei I have no feeling good or bad whatsoever, I felt just by being there it has touched my soul this ancient city demolished by the wrath of a volcano that shed six feet thick of ashes covering anything and everything. #pompei #  

I have stood in the hall of the Pantheon in Rome I felt the touch of Western History. #pantheon

Here's Mr. Lawrence Loh, Penang's famous Architect and his son who was about to perform the Kavadhi ceremony and I stumbled into them one day at the Lorong Kulit, also known as Rope Walk where you can buy and sell anything and everything under the sun. This was chosen as the beginning point of the Kavadhi procession. This is where the devotees involved gets pierced and skewered with rods and hooks all over their body parts and then pull a chariot like cart with the Divine Deity by ropes attached to hooked which in turn are attached through the flesh on the backs of the devotee. Awakening pure consciousness through self mortification, through pure pain.  

I was just a witness to this annual event and have attended quite a few since my childhood days. Sometime in 1981-2 I returned to Malaysia to do my final semester program which involved travelling to a location of my choice and I chose to do it in my own country and I was and am glad I did. On one of the occasions I was able to record my own Uncle Ranjan who passed away recently perform the ceremony. So I had the first class seat at taking pictures and proceeded to follow his journey all the way up the one thousand steps Hilltop Temple of Lord Subrmaniam near the Botanical Gardens which  is about six kilometers away. #subramaniam

Some do their Penance while others to simply show a token of gratefulness for the boon received; thank You Lord for the Grace you have showered on me. 

If one Google or check the Internet on the subject of Thaipusam, or Khavadi, you might find some interesting stories written on the subject I do not intend to go any deeper like who is Lord Subramaniam and so forth cause I am positive i have posted this story in the past. 

#thaipusam #lordsubramaniam #Penang

 

Then there were days spent creatively like teaching Art to a bunch of school kids and keeping myself busy making my own artworks. I cannot remember whatever happened to this particular painting, where it is or who got it. It was worth making it while it lasted. I spent hours in the rear end of the Museum Galleri Tuanku Fauziah at USM. I spent a few years of my life hanging out at the Museum but was never officially employed or paid for anything that i did. Which was ok as I enjoyed doing what i was doing and achieved my intention of having a solo exhibition or two without costing me arm and leg while at it.

#galerituankufauziah #usm #museum.

This was a major piece I did while hiding in the rear end of the Museum and it is now the collection of the Museum. I donated quite a few pieces of my works to the Museum when I was working ad hoc as a residence artist and made a few great friends in the process. 

teaching Art was fun for me but i would never make it my career, for one reason , I hate giving grades to students for their efforts. I am not disciplined when it comes to keeping records and evaluating artworks; this is my bad. However I enjoyed teaching every chance i had.

I learned that as I was teaching i was also learning about what I was teaching and once it got underway I am just creating my art in front of a bunch of students and I knew that they were enjoying watching me.

When I teach I made it an effort to not categorize the group of students I was teaching, albeit predominantly Chinese, Malays or Indians, a bunch of rich kids from the International School or a group of Malay girls that came from across the channel, the Mainland, on a school trip.