--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "Victor Yue" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Day 3: 20 Feb 2008 - Part 1 Singkawang Preparations for Cap Go Meh Even though there is no alarm clock in the room, and maybe no wake-up call service, we needed not worry. Rudi, out host extraordinaire was knocking on our doors giving us the wake up calls!. We could hear the soon to be ubiquitous rhythms of the drums and the gongs just outside our hotel. We were actually very near to where the action is, and many spilled over to the road outside the hotel. The top floor of the hotel, Combo Cafe, was a great place for breakfast in the morning. There were calls - I supposed taped ones - of the birdnest swifts coming from the "swift hotels" next door. There could well be more "swift hotels" than human hotels. The swifts are not fussy and they make their own beds, for the long haul though. Rudi brought a packet of interesting glutinous rice with red beans (I suppose this must be a Hakka dish) stuffed in a small cup-like leafy container. What could that plant be, offering such a dainty and suitable cup for the glutinous rice? With Tim, our Librarian and Nature enthusiast, it was quickly identified as a pitcher plant! Wow! Now, I will need Tim to give us the actual name, be it in common English name or Latin. (^^) To me, the taste as heavenly and I suppose I must downed more than anyone else. I won't mind having that for breakfast everyday. Had transportation been easier and faster, I would have to open up another luggage to bring them back. Rudi, what was the name of this makanan again? After breakfast and the usual animated discussions that could change topics at rapid speed, it was decided that it was time for action, walking and experiencing the town. The Central Tua Pek Kong Temple, called Fu Tak Chi in Hakka ç¦å¾·è¯ (Fu De Chi) seemed to be where the actions were. Apparently, all temples were heading towards this temple today to pay their respects to Tua Pek Kong å¤§ä¼¯å ¬ and the resident Deities. Chay Tiong, I spotted the name Kong Teik Chun Ong 广泽å°ç (Guang Ze Zun Wang), but I could not find the familiar statue of him with one leg crossed. Some groups seemed to have two to three mediums or more, some with older mediums, and some with younger ones. Each team could well have more than 50 people. Interestingly, most of the team members were very young, from possibly 10 or below to those in their 30s. The young certainly overwhelmed the old. And amongst the spectators, there were many young mothers carrying their kids who could well be 6 months and below. It was immersion into the culture in every step of their lives. These teams of sedan chair bearers with their drum (seated nicely on wheels) accompanied by gongs and cymbals kept coming in waves. And so did the drizzle that could come very fine and then heavy and disappeared completely. Like the fishes in the water, the crowd of spectators moved according to the rain and the onslaught of the team moving towards the temple. As if by some invisible coordination, when a team arrives, those who were there would start to move on. The Fu Tak Chi was strategically positioned, overseeing some five roads(?) converging towards the temple. It was ren-shan-ren-hai 人山人 æµ·(people mountain people sea, in other words sea of people) bobbling on all roads converging towards the temple. The police (I cannot recognise if they are police, military or paramilitary) was everywhere, visible but almost invisible to the crowd, except to the vehicles. There were just so many mediums that I could not identify them. And with so much attractions (or distractions?), it was almost impossible to try to figure out the name of the temple of the teams and the names of the Deities represented by the mediums. I had to "recall" my art of moving with the crowd making sure that I won't be the cause of a stampede (which could easily happen when one falls). Gilles, there was this child medium that you were asking Gilles who he represented. Alas, I checked my photos, nope, I did not capture any clue. There was one holding on to a milk bottle. Ah, could that be the young Lian Huay Sham Tai Tzu è²è±ä¸å¤ªå (Lian Hua San Tai Zi?) Later I was to learn that those sedans with the red leafed plants (Daun Sambas?) were clues that the mediums could be Dayaks and representing Dayak spirits. Interestingly, I was told that the Dayaks could represent the Chinese deities, but not the other way round. I wondered why. Almost all the sedan chairs seemed to come from the same factory! There were the two blades on the arm rest, a few for standing on and a few for sitting on. And on the back, there is one blade pointing upwards on which the medium would sit on it or put his stomach on it and try suspending in the air. And on the front would be two weapons (like those used by Guan Gong) which the mediums would put their one foot on as they balanced with both hands standing on the two poles forming as part of the back of the sedan chair. It was like an acrobatic show, except that the blades are not unsharp! And in the bobbling of the black heads with colourful bandanas, there was one rather light coloured one. It was easy to spot and certainly, a great distraction to the TV crew. Soon, we saw Ronni being the centre of attention as the TV interviewed him. Is there anyone who might have captured the video footage from the TV broadcast? (^^) There was no need for crowd control (like the ChingGay in Singapore) and people just mingled around, in all directions. Fluttering flags accompanied by sharp whistles were moving in all directions. It was boggling just watching them .. and each team's direction of walking was dictated by the medium who would be standing on the sedan chair carried by his followers and waving his arms and hands. There was an atmosphere of carnival. Had it not been the kind efforts of our hosts, we would probably be starving and watching. Ah, the great points of having hosts - incredibly hospitality I must say, something I missed for decades liao (already) - is we got to go places to taste great food! Trying to round up 6 of us was quite a tough job. When one was found, two went missing. There were just too many things happening to lead us astray. We came to this neat and rather clean coffeeshop styled restaurant (those in Singapore would be familiar with the format of an older kopitiam) where we had our brunch. There was Hakka Yong Tau Fu styled soup .. sedap! (delicious), chicken, braised pork - probably of the head - which was soft and sweet - and the meat rolls that Margaret declared very good. A food critic in her earlier days, writing on the Straits Times food column, when she said it was good, it must be! (^^) And it was only like 10.30am .. we have only just begun. to be contd ... Victor Singapore --- End forwarded message ---
