太岁礼 (aka TSL)

okay I promised to blog abt it. Somehow down the pipeline, I have to tell you guys umpteen times, I dont rule my timing at G. :(

Eric was out the whole week to vietnam, I became babysitter for my foreman who happen to enjoy himself in Batam. So i am faced with my ah nehs for company and plenty of headaches with customer ringing me every 5 mins or so. (it only gets better after 5pm)

So time become days, days become weeks. and lucky it stopped at weeks and I remember to blog about TSL.

Its also my first time, that I happen to take heed of the destiny that my Chinese horoscope had on me. One of my many firsts on this religious trips. (DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A BASHING OF RELIGION TOPIC, just a aethist like me giving his opinions in a very practical manner)

Tnis yr accordingly to the geomancer, for people who are born in the yr of the rat, rabbit, horse will face a hard time for they clashes with the God that is supposed to take over this year. (I cant rem the rest of the horoscope so sorry, I only knew abt mine horoscope mentioned abt quite a few times, in the papers, on tv and forums)

So not taking any chances, I took an MC on that day and went down to Sembawang God of wealth temple with my sis on a weekday. The temple was quite a big one, and there are stagings erected to host the TSL deities outside the temple. There was quite a crowd when I went there.

Sure enuff the booth for TSL 'application' was evident enuff. Big chinese wordings on a signboard. FOr $3, you get some papers and talisman, and you need to wait in queue. So I sat there, patiently, with my sis, Who is seeking protection for my elder sis (rabbit) and my philandering dad (rat).

It was lunch time when we reached, so I waited around half an hr for the priest to finish his lunch before we could get through the ritual.

A priest came around shortly and we were ushered to the deities and he begin to chant. So I tot you know, being a man of science, just get through the motion, how hard could it get yeah?

But I just stood out like a sore thumb, for throughout the chanting, I realized the ppl will bow like every interval at the same timing, and I was the only one, who didnt bow, and shut my eyes like I was constipated.

then i looked around, and saw the priest bowing, so they were following his cue! aiyah! So I carried on. then the chanting ended, one by one, we went to the individual priests who muttered some incantations on us, and lastly he say "HUAT AH!"

(and I silly-ily replied 'huat ah' as well (softly) =x)

then the head priest was telling us there was a 'premium' package for those who wants an 'advanced TSL' blessing and prayer. and you get a pendent of the deity of the yr for protection for $2 a piece?

I was contemplating to get the pendant to place in the car and that's abt it. But somehow when I reached the booth, the 'package' seems to be so different.

I WOULD NEED TO Purchase the 'premium package' for $20 before I could purchase the pendant for $2. kinda reminds me of... you noe.. a marketing gimmick? But watever, since I am already so deep inside here, I might as well do the whole thing and over with.

So again, I went thr the mambo jumbos, got some papers to burn. and VIOLA! I am supposed to be 'under protection' for going through the ritual. (something like that)

Sis wanted to pray to the God of Wealth, so we queue up a diff line. paid $4 for some jossticks and praying items. there was some urns that had numbers in ascending orders, so i reckon we go thr each of those urns till we reach the last one, that will do the trick.

We ended up in the God of wealth statue in the temple. there is already a large crowd congregating there. I was curious to noe what the fuss is about. Orhzzzzzzzzzz its the 10 million toto draw. There was a priest inside the temple, selling the quickpick $3.50 for $10.00 a piece.

The only 'difference' was that the piece of ticket was chanted by that priest and supposed to be 'luckier than the unchanted ones?'

I bought one anyway. and the clever man holding the microphone was telling the punters only to 'open it when the draw started' . *shrugged*

I received a piece of decorative gold ornaments that you could buy in CHinatown for $2 a piece, to hang on plants or house. (only that it was chanted upon?) and a talisman in a little red bag.

Sis was telling me to hang it in the car, and I did. -_-"

the ornament is so big it blocked my view of the front screen. and my foreman was telling me, 'eh east, i didnt know u're that religious?"

-_-" Okay so I took it down only a week after.

So I left the temple, almost $50 poorer from all those rituals and prayers, amused by the sights I saw inside, but feeling a deeper sense of well-being, upon my departure.

I'll be going back to Sembawang in Dec again. to return my prayer of thanks to the deity that supposed to give me a 'hard time' this year. But I guess, as a chinese, its an enlightening episode to me. even if destiny and fate is pre-destined, this TSL shall remain a wonderful amusing thing I had done this year.