Rants and raves about stuff happening in and around my life in Singapore

Saturday, June 24, 2006

China Town


Nearly every major city in the world has a China Town of one form or another. Some are big and beautiful, others are nothing more than a row of resturants nestled snugly in side roads that one needs to make a special effort to Vist.


Singapore's China Town falls into the big and beautiful category, and is an absolute must visit for any tourist.


Row after row of shop's line every single street selling absolutely everything that you could possible imagine at prices that you would not believe possible.


It's one of my personal favorite parts of Singapore as there is simply so much to see and so much to take in. Not only the shops, and the food but if you're really really lucky .....


You'll run across a street performance of one kind or another like this troup of kids who apart from making a few dollars, clearly enjoy what they do.


From perfect timing ......


To perfect balance .....


To perfect flexibility .....

So if ever you find yourself in a jam as you rush through life, remember that timing, balance and flexibility will always help you through to the other side.

(ok, crap pun but if you think about it a little it actually works).

So if you find yourself in Singapore, and even if you do nothing else there, make sure to come and pay China Town a visit. Your first visit will certainly not be your last!


Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Haw Par Villa & The 10 Courts of Hell

Today, on the last day of my 3 day leave the sun decided to show itself so I managed to take my Niece and her friend who are visiting me here in Singapore to Haw Par Villa.



Haw Par Villa is home to hundreds of statues and figurines of characters in Chinese mythology and legends, some of which appear below.


This tiger gaurds the entrance to Haw Paw and stands on the tail of a giant snake.


There are so many things happening in this photo you need to study it for a while. If anyone wants to send me a wide angle lens for my camera let me know!


The legend of Wusong killing the tigger (looks more like a dragon though)


And I'm sure everyone knows about the Monkey God of Chinese legend.

Traditionally, Chinese believe that when they die, they go through judgement according to what they have done in their previous lives. Through the 10 Courts of Hell they will be judged and rewarded/punished accordingly.


At the Haw Par Villa, you travel the journey of the 10 Courts of Hell, starting from the entrance guarded by the Horse and the Cow to see what punishments are handed out to all wrong doers.


In the First Court of Hell, King Qinguang conducts preliminary trials and each prisoner is judged according to this deeds in his past life. The good walk across the golden bridge to paradise, the bad get to tour some of the other courts.


The second court, reserved for kidnappers, deposit stealers, incompetent physician and matchmakers. Thier punshiments are beatings and starvation


dropped in a volcano and made to swim in a river of lava


or subjected to extreme cold depending on which crime they have been found guilty of.


The third court of hell is reserved for those who are ungrateful, disrespectful to elders and/or escaped from prison. For them their heart will be dug out. For drug addicts and traffickers, tomb robbers and those who coerce others into crime and social unrest, they will be tied to a red hot copper pillar and grilled.


The fifth court is reserved for those that have plotted someone's death to get his property or money, or if they are a money lender charging exorbitant interest rates. They will be thrown onto a hill of knives.


The sixth court is for those that cheat, curse or abduct others. Their punishment is to be thrown onto a tree of knives. Those that are found guilty of the misuse of books, in possession pornographic material, breaking written rules and regulations or waste food, their body will be sawn into halves, either vertically


or horizontally.


The ninth court of hell is reserved for the worst offenders. Those that commit robbery, murder or rape, will have their head and arms chopped off. While those that neglect the old and the young will be crushed under boulders.


Once they have completed the earlier stages of hell, they will be sent here to begin their next incarnation as appropriate. They drink the broth of forgetfulness, wiping their memory clean to start a new life eventually leaving hell through one of the six gates.

Well worth a visit and highly recommended for everyone to go and see for themselves.


And so it Begins

My first ever blog, a chance to rant at everything that pisses me off on a personal level, to express my own thoughts and emotions on current events, politics, religion and just about everything in between. A chance to strip naked and lay myself bare before an unassuming public. Kinky shit or what!. And no need to ask, the answer is "yes" of course, life is far to short not too.



And so it begins...