Flashbacks Begin

I've jumped headfirst into the long process of going through all the photos I took on the trip - uploading, organizing, editing, sending, printing, albuming...damn, it's gonna take forever but I will finish it! Because in 25 years when I'm still forcing all my friends to look through those albums, I will be glad I took the time.

So as I go, I'll be putting up a few photos here and there from parts of the trip I never got around to blogging about. Starting at the very beginning....

Hong Kong Harbor

Reflections in a Store Window, Hong Kong

It's the little things...

I missed Korea for two of the most random reasons today.

The first thing was that I got a new mobile phone today, and it's just not as cool as my old phone in Korea. That phone was actually quite basic by Asian standards, but I really liked it, and it had "Avatars" (little animated characters) that I could design when I was bored. That feature had no purpose other than entertainment and "cuteness," but it was the little touches like that which made Korean stuff so much more fun.

The second thing is even more random. It's raining, so I carried an umbrella. But when I went into the each store, I remembered why I usually opt for a raincoat in the US -- no plastic umbrella bags!!! In Korea, most stores will have a plastic umbrella bag dispenser set out on rainy days. You just plunk your umbrella right into the waiting bag and pull it out. Wah-la, a dry cover for you umbrella that you can reuse all day. And you never even have to get your hands wet. Some places will even have "umbrella parking," which are little slots that you can leave your umbrella in with a small key and lock. In a really busy museum, I once even saw an "umbrella valet" -- an employee who took your umbrella and laid it on the ground to dry until you came back. How neat is that?

My aunt sent me these - scans of some very silly and rather clever answers that students put on test papers. Thought I'd share them, enjoy!





My personal favorite:

To make you rethink becoming a teacher

What a fat pain in the ass. Everyone talks about how much trouble California has recruiting and retaining good teachers, well, here is one of the many reasons: It is a gigantic pain in the ass to teach legally in the state of California. Red tape and bureaucracy galore! Not to mention expensive. It's one of the only professions I know where you must continually shell out more and more money for "professional development," yet the pay you are making is barely enough to get by on to begin with. No wonder so many people quit within the first 5 years.

I've known this before, I had to deal with it for 4 years when I was teaching in California. You REALLY have to WANT to teach in order to be willing to put up with it all, and on top of that, the shit you have to go through to meet all the legal requirements to be in the classroom sucks your will to live even faster than the job itself. I suppose that could be see as a good thing - it helps to prevent half-committed people from trying to become a teacher of a whim, but for those of us that are really serious about it....what a pain in the ass, for lack of better words.

Example: Right now I am trying to register as a substitute for SF Unified; basically a job to tide me over til I move onto bigger and better things. SF Unified requires that I be a fully credentialed teacher to be a sub - fair enough, I hold a clear California credential. But that's not enough. I have to register with Ed-Join just to apply, which involves basically entering my entire resume into a website, plus other obscure information that I have to go on quests to find. Once I am on Ed-Join, I apply for the job through the website, whereupon I have to re-enter a lot of the EXACT SAME information again, because whoever created the application didn't bother to check to see what's already there. Ok, so my application is successfully submitted, after spending an hour online this morning.

Then I get an email with the list of all the OTHER things I need to provide:

1. Copy of your Edjoin application
2. Resume
3. Credential
4. CBEST scores
5. Official Transcripts
6. Negative TB test taken within the last 60 days
7. A driver's license or a passport
8. Social Security card
9. Money order made payable to SFUSD for fingerprinting ($44 if you have a California credential, $100 if you have an out-of-state credential. If you have an out-of-state credential, you will also need a $55 money order made payable to CCTC to apply for your California credential.)

OH MY GOD! To be a friggin' substitute teacher!!!!

Notice that it requires access to a printer, which means either trips to Kinkos or bothering someone I know to print it for me. Also notice that I have to PAY to prove I am not a criminal and I don't have TB. And notice the duplication of info - now they need a resume which has all the same info that I provided online.

And the transcripts on top of that -- I just spent $26 to get copies of transcripts from 3 different universities, which I will have to wait a week to receive. And the only woman who processes sub jobs at the district is going on vacation, meaning I have to wait another week til she gets back to process the paperwork once my transcripts arrive.

The thing that kills me - I ALREADY HAVE A VALID CREDENTIAL!!!!!!!!!

It's signed by Arnold himself. I jumped through a zillion burning hoops over the past 4 years to get it, and simple possession of it is NOT ENOUGH to let me be a substitute teacher without jumping through a bunch more hoops and shelling out a bunch more cash.

Every single thing on that list was required for me to get the credential, and now I have to provide all of it again. And of course, having been out of the country, most of my life is boxed up, and the file of important "teaching" documents that I left in a very safe spot has vanished somehow in my parents' black hole of a house.

Students: Have sympathy on your teachers, you don't know half of the crap they have to put up with in order to be in that classroom.

Non-Teachers: When you give us flack for getting all that lovely vacation time, remember that we earn it.

It's enough to make me look for coffee shop jobs.....

Thaipusam

Look closely at the photo - YES, those are oranges hanging from his back by hooks. And he walked 14 km like that, barefoot, in a trance. He was joined by 1.3 million others who came to participate and watch. Welcome to the Thaipusam Festival!
First a little background - (I have to make the disclaimer that I am not at all an expert here - so everything I know about this festival comes from Wikipedia and my conversations with people there. Hopefully I get it all right :-)

Thaipusam is a Hindu festival to honor the Hindu deity Lord Murugan. It originated in India, but has since been banned there. Today it is celebrated mostly by Tamil Hindu communities in Malaysia and Singapore. The biggest celebration takes place at the Batu Caves, 14 km from Kuala Lumpur - this year they estimate that there were 1.3 MILLION people over the course of 3 days. Holy shit, right?

Devotees prepare during the months ahead by praying and fasting, giving up meat, alcohol, sexual activity and impure thoughts. On the day of the festival, they gather at the Maha Mariamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur for the 14 km procession to the Batu Caves, just north of the city. It takes about 8 hours, after which they climb 272 steps to the entrance of the caves. Devotees also make the pilgrimage carrying various types of kavadi (burdens.) The most common is a small pot of milk, which is poured over a statue inside the caves to represent the cleansing of sins.

A family poses with their kavadi inside the Batu Caves.

A more extreme form of kavadi is the vel kavadi, which is basically a portable alter carried on the shoulders and attached to the skin with 108 vels (lances). These guys were absolutely amazing to watch as they climbed the stairs. It was clear they were exhausted after walking 14 km, but they kept going, only stopping occasionally to rest. They would be accompanied by a group of helpers who carried their stool, helped them balance, and massaged their legs when they rested. As they struggled up the stairs, the helpers chanted the word "vel" back and forth to each other, which I assume was a form of encouragement.

A vel kavadi coming up the stairs.Some devotees pierce their cheeks with a vel (lance).

Other devotees would hang various objects from their skin using vels. The powder is ash to make the bleeding stop.

People who have successfully prayed for a child carry the child on a bamboo pole.

The people with pierced flesh or carrying heavy kevadi were all in trances. It is said that they do not feel any pain, do not bleed from the wounds, and do not have scars left after the vels are removed. But it is not something done on a whim - they train and prepare for months ahead of time, usually with a "coach" to help them and to put them into the trance on the day of the festival. I spoke with a man who had participated as a vel kavadi a few years ago, and he said that he has absolutely no recollection of the time he was in a trance, but he knows he did it because his family took photos. I was also told that there is a bit of a problem with under prepared participants who cannot make the full pilgrimage and collapse before they reach the end.

The stairs to the Batu Caves.

A girl rests after climbing the steps.

One of the most amazing parts was watching the determination with which the participants climbed the 272 stairs, even though they were clearly exhausted. Some were having trouble even standing up straight by the time they made it to the top. It was pretty damn inspiring actually. It made me think of all the times I've been physically challenged on hikes or whatever, and had to force myself to keep going even though I was miserably exhausted. In the end, the ability to keep going is all in your mind. If you can believe you will make it, then it's not quite as bad. Now, whenever I have to do something physically challenging, I think of the people at Thaipusam.

A vel kavadi resting at the top. While they rested their helpers would massage their legs and wipe away the sweat.

A young boy with his kavadi.

Luckily, we were given the wise advise to go the night before the main day, which turned out to be the best thing we could have done. We got to see it all, and didn't have to deal with the shoulder to shoulder crowds. And we didn't walk the 14 km, we took the bus instead. Yeah, lazy observers, whatever.

Inside the Batu Caves, which are so big that once you are inside at night, it's easy to forget you are inside - it just feels like you are still outdoors because the ceiling is so high over your head. You can see from this photo that it was not that crowded when we went.

A man prays at a shrine inside the caves. Check out the broken coconuts and bags of offerings that have been left on the ground.

Father and son that kindly posed for a photo. The yellow on their heads is saffron paste. Many males of all ages shave their heads and slather on the paste, which is said to be symbolic of cooling the mind and helping to keep pure thoughts. And the funny thing was, our group had a harder time finding each other in the crowd than we normally do because for once we weren't the only yellow headed people!

Right as I was taking this photo, the man took a handful of marigold petals and scattered them in the air. It scared the shit out of me because I was nervous about getting up so close, and I didn't know what was hitting me. But a family behind me saw it happen and assured me, "It's alright, he is just blessing you!"

And those kind words of help ended up in a new friendship -- we started chatting with the man, Mohen, and his daughters, Darshini and Sharhanyah. They answered many of our questions about the festival and gave an insiders view of what its like to participate. We ran into them again 3 days later at the homecoming parade and spent the entire evening together.

Teenage boys always love to get their photo taken!

One the participants make it to the top, it's time to remove all the hooks and come out of the trance. We were lucky enough to see this part up close and personal, which I guess is hard to do on the main day because of the crowds.

First, the devotee would sit or kneel while his attendants removed the hooks from his skin, rubbing ash on the wound to stop bleeding.

Then, they would go through some sort of ritual which I unfortunately cannot explain - I was never able to find out what goes on during this part.

The moment he came out of the trance, the man would collapse the ground in exhaustion. This transition was really interesting to watch because you could clearly see the contrast between the person in a trance and the person afterwards - two very distinct personalities.

Post-trance exhaustion.

We also got interviewed by the local TV station. This is my friend Janne from Denmark in the spotlight.

And in the grand tradition of randomness of Asia, there was a market and a huge carnival complete with games and ferris wheel right outside the Batu Caves.

A girl begs for money next to a stall selling furniture.

The thing that impressed and surprised us the most was how accepting the participants were to the presence of observers. A good percentage of the people at the caves were just there to watch and take photos, and no one seemed to mind at all; on the contrary, they seemed thrilled that we wanted to be there to share the experience with them. It was easy to start up conversations and get up close and take photos. A very positive atmosphere, which made for a very memorable experience!

Thaipusam Homecoming

On the last day of Thaipusam, the chariot returns the 14 km to the temple in KL, pulled by a truck and accompanied by hundreds of followers. As it passes through each neighborhood, the local Hindu families come out and bring plates full of bananas, flowers, incense and other foods as an offering. Several men sit inside the chariot, and as each offering plate is passed up, they exchange a few items and pass it back. The families then take the plate home and eat the food for good luck. On each plate is also a pile of ash, which is rubbed onto the center of the forehead.

We only knew about this part of the festival because a restaurant owner told us the night before. The chariot leaves the caves around 4 p.m., moving VEEEERY slowly, and arrives back at the temple around 4 a.m. We didn't want to stay up that late, so we took a bus out to meet it along the route that evening.

And it was a beautiful sight to see; all lit up surrounded by people praying. Although it was lacking the dramatics of the scene at the Batu caves, I actually found this part just as enjoyable. Everyone was dressed in their traditional clothing and the air was filled with the most incredible fragrance of incense and flowers. Again, no one minded that we were there as observers; in fact, they were gracious and welcoming - thrilled that we wanted to experience it with them.

The chariot as it makes it's way back to KL.

A couple rubbing ash on their foreheadsFather and son, with matching freshly shaven heads.

I guess you can use anything for an offering plate...silver dish, colander, whatever!

A father and child pray as the chariot passes.

Parents also lifted their young children up to the chariot to be blessed. Most of the time, the kids were crying in confusion by the time they were lowered down, which reminded me of the trauma of going to see Santa when you were too young to understand who he was.

Another tradition for Thaipusam is the breaking of coconuts in the streets. Individuals or groups of people purchase big piles of coconuts, and as the chariot approaches they hurl them one by one onto the pavement, spraying coconut water all over anyone who happens to be nearby. I was told that it signifies the cleansing of sins, and that each coconut costs about 1 ringgit. Some people buy up to 500 coconuts, which would cost about $140.

I wasn't able to get any photos of the actual coconut breaking because I was too worried about getting the camera wet. But I did get this one - these are two Chinese ladies that lived in the neighborhood who came out to collect the broken coconuts, which were still totally usable as food. I thought that was a funny little example of cultural symbiosis - the Hindus break the coconuts and the Buddhists eat them.

Just as we started to try to figure out how the heck to get ourselves back to KL, a car passed us, and it turned out to be the family that we had met at the caves the first night. Coincidence? We hopped in, and they took us along to Mohen's parents' house for a short visit. Then Mohen asks us, "Do you want to come and see the transvestites dance?" OF COURSE! Turns out there is a "transvestite prostitute den" along the parade route, so once a year on homecoming day, about 20 transvestives dress up and dance in the streets before the chariot arrives. There were also some Indian drummers and what I've called Stick Dancers doing a traditional dance where they each hold 2 sticks and hit them together. Very cool! There was a huge crowd around them, but everyone readily let us up to the front because we were foreigners. One of the many benefits!

Stick dancers

Yes, this is a man.....pretty, isn't he?

Me with the transvestites. I don't know how I manage to look like such a dork in so many photos.

The girl in the pink is Darshini, the 15 year old daughter of the family. She was one of the most intelligent teenagers I've ever met - so comfortable speaking with us, even though I found out later that we were the first foreigners she had ever really spent time with. She was the leader when we pushed through the crowds to get a better look, and she was even brave enough to pose with the transvestites.

The city pays workers to clean up after the procession, and apparently the streets are spotless by the next morning. I wasn't able to find out what happens to all the coconuts.

It was by far one of the most memorable nights of my entire life! I feel so thankful that I was lucky enough to witness something like this in person.