Whale Temple at Vung Tau

Vung Tau is about 120km away from Saigon and its one of the prime resort towns in south Vietnam. The French built many villas and bungalows in the area and many of the rich and famous of Saigon also built their holiday homes in Vung Tau (before the Vietnam War, that is). Aside from beautiful colonial period villas, Vung Tau also has its share of temples and pagodas that lean against the mountain and face the ocean. We did go to a temple in Vung Tau although it's nether built against a mountain nor facing the ocean. This is the Whale Temple (Lang Ca Ong Temple). This temple is dedicated to a sea-deity who apparently appeared in the form of a whale to save the people of Vung Tau. I found a travel website that has an interesting write-up about the "whale-cult" in Vietnam.

Anyway, here are some pictures from the Whale Temple:

Tiles from Vietnam

More tiles... this time from Vietnam.

Vietnamese Wealth and Earth Gods

The first thing that struck me with Vietnamese popular religion (many many moons ago when I befriended my first Vietnamese friend in college) is that it's very similar to Chinese. Of course, centuries of political and cultural domination by various Chinese dynasties must have its effects.

During this trip to Saigon (July 11-15) the most visible manifestation of popular religion is the shrine found in many homes and businesses - the shrine dedicated to the worship of gods of earth and wealth. The shrines are placed right on the ground - a significant location indicating their "earthly" connection since gods are generally enshrined on higher levels.


Several gods appear to be honored at these shrines. I'll start with the two gods represented in the form of two small statues. The god seen seated on the right is a grandfatherly figure. He is often called "earth god" but a more apt translation of is "god of the locale." He is the god that guards the locale, the area. He is thus the guardian of the wealth and resources rooted in the area, the specific earth in which a home or business stands. He is also a sentry of sorts - watching the comings and goings of the area, keeping negative and interfering forces from causing harm, and ensuring the general security and peacefulness of the area. In Vietnam, this deity is identified as Ong Than Tai. In China, he's Dudi Gong. The Chinese Malaysian equivalent is Tua Pek Kong (literally, "Elder Uncle Deity."). It should be pointed out that Vietnamese seem to consider Ong Than Tai as the "wealth god" and the other as the "earth god." Or perhaps he is both. After all, all wealth is generated from the earth, the soil.

Images of Ong Than Tai in Vietnam are always accompanied by another god known as Ong Dia. Some sources on the web say that he is the "earth god" of the Vietnamese. He is a portly looking guy with a distinctive mustache and holding a sack. Iconographically, he closely resembles an ancient Indian Buddhist deity that was once widely venerated in China but today is mostly known in Japan as Daitoku-ten - the chief god of a group of "Seven Gods of Wealth." In this context, he dispenses wealth from the sack in his hand.

(Note: In this picture, their sitting positions have been transposed. This is the only case I've seen on this trip.)


Aside from the statues of the 2 gods, behind them is a red wooden tablet engraved with Chinese words in gold. Identical tablets are enshrined in many Chinese homes in China and around the world. The tablet is dedicated to: "Dragon-deities of the Five Directions and Five Earths" (note the five cups of tea offered) and "Lords of the Earth, Wealth-deities of the Front and Back" (front and back of homes and businesses). In Malaysia, instead of reading "Lords of the Earth, Wealth-deities of the Front and Back," it says "Chinese and Malay Lords of the Earth, Wealth-deities." One can do some pretty interesting social-political readings of this change - issues of Chinese ethnic identity in a Malay-Muslim majority that is Malaysia. But that's another blog (or paper!). And for someone else to do. For sure.


Apparently, these wealth and earth lords are into garlic - bulbs of them. It'll probably make them very happy to take them to all those Garlic Fests found across the US. One way to get on their good side.

Side note: Some Buddhists believe that only ghosts and ghouls are particularly into garlic....

Tiles - Penang

I've noticed since the last few summers that often times it's only when I take people around Penang that I start to see all those things that I've looked past or taken for granted while growing up in this town. I was walking around Little India with Ryan (when he was in Penang a couple of weeks back) when I noticed how interesting some of the tiles that line the external walls and walkways of buildings built during the colonial period. Here are some photos for anyone who might be interested in such things (I also saw the same concept used in old buildings in Saigon - will have those pictures up later).

Multiculturalism, religious pluralism or simply covering all bases?

Outside a shop in Little India in Penang. I guess the Buddha was not included since he's probably seen as too nice to give anyone any grief for being left out of the tea-party.







p.s. Probably just covering all bases - Malaysians tend to be very practical in all matters and manners.

Air Itam Market

I like going to markets - particularly outdoor markets such as the Air Itam ("Black Water") market in Penang. It's located inland on the northeastern side of the island of Penang. By the way, Penang is said to resemble the shape of a turtle. In Chinese popular beliefs, the turtle is a symbol of longevity - thus a good geomantic (fengshui) feature.

I used to live around the Air Itam area but since I was 12 my folks moved to Gelugor (see map). As a kid, going to this market on the weekends was always a treat. We bought at least 2 if not 3 of our pet-dogs from this market many, many moons ago. I can only remember the names of one of them - Rex.

There's Ryan, catching me in the act and giving me the evil-eye.

Ryan's stopover in Penang gave me an excuse to walk around Air Itam market with a camera - having an "angmoh" (literally "red-haired" - used in local Hokkien dialect to denote any Westerner, in Malay, any Westerner is colloquially referred to as "Mat Salleh") around is always a good excuse for anything!



Scooters everywhere. It's a pretty efficient mode of getting around, being that roads are relatively narrower and there are no winters to reckon with in Malaysia. I'm sure the environmental impact is probably no better than cars (although, surely better than trucks and SUVs with one driver and no passengers). Penang is known for having lots of scooters and my cousins from outside of Penang have always feared driving in Penang as they are nervous about all that scooting around. Buut what you quickly learn is to drive as if they are not there - they will know to move away from you when they need to.

Mom selecting some chicken for dinner later that night. [Curious note: During our 5 days in Vietnam we were served poultry not even once. Bird flu?] Most of these open-markets or wet-markets (Ryan: "Why are they called wet-markets?" Hun: "Umm... you'll find out first-hand/foot when you get to the seafood section.") sell all kinds of all things. The usual (and unusual) meats, vegetables, fruits, daily necessities, cooked food, clothings and household items. And pets (no, we don't eat dogs in Malaysia).



























But we do eat frogs, eels and tortoises. These are considered special/fancy fare - not your everyday pork, fish and vegetables. Increasingly though, devout Buddhists have been going to markets to rescue these creatures by buying them from vendors and releasing them back into the waters.

Lost in Translation

I'm back from southern Vietnam. Before I post anything from Vietnam, I reckon I should get a few postings up on Penang, Malaysia - where I was born and grew up and where my parents and extended family are still at.

So here's an interesting pic from Penang. Doesn't she look pretty happy to be confined?

Your first guess (in good faith) is probably that it's an ad for day-care for babies and kids. Nope. Now you might be thinking, "oh my gawd... it's true... Asians think confining women and not letting them into the streets is a good thing." Maybe. Sort of. Actually, it's an ad for these care facilities for recent mothers and their babies. Chinese Malaysians generally practice a period of "confinement" (30 days? 40 days?) for recent mothers and babies where extra, special care is required for both. For the mothers, it means having all their (special diet) meals prepared and served, special baths and they are not to engage in any activities deemed to be detrimental to their health. The special diet consists of nutritious food (deemed nutritious by traditional Chinese medical system) and food/beverage that expels the "wind" women who have just given birth are believed to have an excess of. This "wind" is not quite gas... and not quite the idea of qi/chi/prana. It's something in between and neither.

Care of the babies also include teaching mothers baby care. In the past, families employ "confinement ladies" to come to their homes and stay there for the entire period, taking care of the mother and child. My mom had one when I was born. These days, many people opt for the "confinement centers" as it has become too expensive to hire private care-providers. As the ad indicates, it costs somewhere in the MY$2000 (US$1 = MY$ 3.40) range to be at a confinement center whereas hiring a private care-provider can cost upwards MY$8000.

"Multifaith Holy Spirit Presentation"

I have been thinking about what I should post on this blog before I leave for Vietnam for a short vacation with my folks. And then this popped up. I kid you not but I did receive an email today that caused me to do a quick double-take to see if it's suddenly, somehow, April 1 [I'm pretty sure it is NOT].

I've deleted the name of the organization etc. but I am sure if you are curious enough you will be able to Google it or something. But here is the text of the email:

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Multifaith Holy Spirit Presentation New Proposal
From: [email address deleted]
Date: Tue, July 10, 2007 1:10 am
To: [email address deleted]
Cc: [email address deleted]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attachment : Artist Expression of Interest Setter, Support Setter for Festival Australia Program

Subject : Multifaith Holy Spirit Presentation – New Proposal

Currently [city name deleted] Buddhist Society [acronym deleted] is in the process of proposing and organizing Multifaith Spirit Presentation for interested staffs and students of the universities, with the application of scientific methods in the evaluation and quantification of supernatural holy spirit. This is part of the scientific research projects in partnerships with various religious organizations, in concurrent to the Festival Australia Program for 2008 among Multifaith Festival Committees in, expected to be eligible to be participated by all university faith groups in Australia.

The objectives and purposes of the presentation are:
(a) encouraging the exchange of ideas of various religious philosophies via physical observation of nature
(b) promoting friendships and multicultural via holy magical presentations with religious inclination
(c) inculcating the application of scientific techniques to verify various religious-relevant events of supernatural types

Those who are interested to contribute more ideas to enable such religious magical shows from small to big scale to be presented in the future Multifaith Centre are welcome to contact me. These will include the potential new areas of scientific research in religious practises:

(a) Presentation and practical in the quantification of holiness via physical instrumentation for prophets, Ghostbusters etc
(b) Determination of religious faithfulness using quantitative approach by measuring the blood pressure and nerve impulse during investigation
(c) Further exploration of the truth of karma and reincarnation via sixth senses under meditative state using true-false confirmation, back to the past and future and biological time machine (Doraemon-mimic)
(d) How to measure “qi”, “ying-yang” in Taichi among Taoist using modern instrument
(e) Validation of geomancy with modern techniques in Vatshu-sastra (Indian) and Feng-Shui (Chinese)
(f) Influence of holy songs and music on the growth and movement of animals and plants in zoology and botany, for example effects of holy music on snakes in India and Sri Lanka
(g) Formulation of protective fibre in making Arabic flying carpet and headscarf for woman with radio messages from angels
(h) Simulation on the modern formulation of mummy preservation in mysterious pyramid strategically located in ancient Egypt with curse in the time of Moses
(i) Communicate with spirit using specialized voice and hearing instruments in Indo-China
(j) Detailed evaluation in the applicability of Aboriginal and other Australian native religions in well-defined scripts for memory and study skills improvement
(k) Exhibition of functional Aladdin lamp, crystal balls etc for the comparison of the accuracy of fortune-telling via statistical approach
(l) Performance of yoga fire and floating meditation for religious physical self-defence
(m) Practising Jesuit methods of walking on water as one of the emergency escape methods in dangerous situation on marine or water areas based on force balance


For the safety reasons, no inter-challenge of holy spirit is allowed where special permission is required when the application of unknown spirit, ghost, zombie, Dracula, vampire etc required in real site. Normally true film recording by participants with demonstration is sufficient in such cases. Preparation and set-up of instrumentation for specific purposes have to be listed by the participants for verification and preparation. Participants should ensure the safety of performance of individuals, preferably accompanied by high level priests or spiritual masters as preventive measures if necessary.


Please fill in the Expression of Interest Form and Program Support Letter as attached and return to me by 15 July 2007. Website for reference:
- Forms available. The output of the program will depend on the feedback on alternative Multifaith presentations for [name of city deleted].

[name & contact info or sender deleted]

"Stupas Everywhere" - parting shot of Namtso

With a blue line of mountains north of the wall,
And east of the city a white curve of water,
Here you must leave me and drift away
Like a loosened water-plant hundreds of miles....
I shall think of you in a floating cloud;
So in the sunset think of me.
...We wave our hands to say good-bye,
And my horse is neighing again and again.
- Li Bai

Or another translation (by Sam Hamill)

Green mountains rise to the north;
white water rolls past the eastern city.

Once it has been uprooted,
the tumbleweed travels forever.

Drifting clouds like a wanderer's mind;
sunset, like the heart of your old friend.

We turn, pause, look back and wave,
Even our ponies look back and whine.

Final views of Namtso