Marsha

Meet the newest member of our family. She is a Perodua Myvi. A very common car amongst the local Malays. We call her Marsha because she looks like a marshmallow :)

A lesson on Thanksgiving!

A fellow member of my branch, Kaitlyn, approached me after church one day and asked if I could come and talk to her school class about Thanksgiving. They were having a whole unit on festivals from around the world. She thought it would be so much better to hear from an American who could give a more accurate account of what this holiday really means than for her to just check on google.
At first I thought that it would be a very short presentation but I ended up talking for about 35 minutes! The kids seemed excited about the presentation and most of them liked the pumpkin pie that I brought in for them to try. Some came back for seconds. This was the first time all of them, including many of the teachers, had ever tried this holiday dessert.

Snake Temple

One Saturday we decided to check out the Snake Temple. 

It is also called the Temple of the Azure Cloud.

To explain, here is info from another website...
Built in 1805 in the memory of the renowned Chinese monk Chor Soo Kong, the Snake Temple is situated in the small town of Bayan Lepas and is famous for the fact that it has pit vipers living on the temple ground. Legend has it, that Chor Soo Kong, who was also a healer, gave shelter to the snakes of the jungle. After the completion of the temple, snakes appeared on their own accord. Today the snake population of the Temple of the Azure Cloud is very small, due to the urbanization of the area, but you can still see them coiled up on the altar tables, and touch them if you are brave enough. Originally the snakes were said to be rendered inoffensive by the smell of the incenses, but just for good measure, today the resident vipers are devenomed.

People paying tribute to a Buddhist god.

Can you see the snake on the ring of the tree?

There was also a section of some caged snakes, some deadlier than others.

Notice Darby and I are not even touching this snake!

Basketball

One of the activities that Jaxon is involved in this semester is Basketball. They practice every Thursday after school and have had a few games. Not a long season but glad he had something to keep busy with for awhile.

Boot Camp!

Whenever and where ever I move to a new place one of the first things I try to figure out is 

what will I do for exercise. I am glad that it did not take me long to discover a new love...

Boot Camp! 

We meet 3 mornings a week not too far from where I live. 

The instructors always have a new workout prepared for us so you are always kept guessing of what you will have to do that day. Everything is held outside on this field, rain or shine!

Working out with a great group of people makes it so much more fun!

Thaipusam

One of the first celebrations that I was able to witness in Penang was Thaipusam. This is a Hindu festival that is held each year at the time of the full moon that occurs between mid-January to mid-February. Parades and rituals are held in many locations throughout southeast Asia. The festival is the opportunity for Hindu followers to give thanks to one of their gods, Lord Murugan, a son of Shiva.

according to the BBC website...

On the day of Thaipusam itself devotees go to different lengths to show their devotion.

Some simply join the crowds processing in the intense heat to climb the steps to say prayers to Lord Murugan at his shrine.

Some carry pots of milk or "paal kudam" on their heads as a show of devotion and love to the god.

Others carry elaborate frameworks on their shoulders called "kavadis", which have long chains hanging down with hooks at the end which are pushed into their backs. (Kavadis can be carried in honour of other deities as well as Murugan.)

Many of these pilgrims are pierced with two skewers (or 'vels' - symbolic spears); one through the tongue, and one through the cheeks.

The piercing by skewers symbolises several things:

• that the pilgrim has temporarily renounced the gift of speech so that he or she may concentrate more fully upon the deity
• that the devotee has passed wholly under the protection of the deity who will not allow him/her to shed blood or suffer pain
• the transience of the physical body in contrast with the enduring power of truth

Still others go even further and pull heavy chariots fastened to metal hooks in the skin of their backs. The skin tugs as they go, and they grunt and growl.

The devotees who go to these extremes say they don't feel any pain because they are in a spiritual and devotional trance which brings them closer to Lord Murugan. The trance can be induced by chanting, drumming and incense.

Pictured above is a Man who seems to be "psyching himself out" to prepare for the body piercings of items that will attach to him before he makes his way through the streets on his way to honor his god.

Women also participate, however not as many.

People are watching as many of the "believers" are getting their bodies prepared 

in order for them to pay their respects to Lord Murugan.

After their bodies are prepared they stop at this small shrine before 

making their way into the festival procession towards the Balathandayuthapani Temple.

walking up the steps toward the temple and overlooking Penang

Inside people gather around and sit and visit with each other after paying their respects.

The Balathandayuthapani Temple

watching as some men were carrying this older man down from the temple

Many choose to have their heads completely shaved as a token of gratitude and devotion. Women and children can also participate but not as frequent as the men.