Minions Rule The World.

I've had just enough time to...  try to foil the Minions domination of the world.

The 9 Minions that invaded Malaysia...

There is a despicable plot going on. And it is worse than World War Z – worse than the hungry zombies. After all, the zombies only bite. But Minions do worse! They turned you into giggling idiots singing bananana and potatos! They made you listened to a language you do not understand but laughed at hideously anyway. No one understands how they did it but world leaders are seriously discussing a global wide immunization or even lobotomy as a last stand against this insidious infestation.

Minions Attack!

And the Minions are doing it through the assistance of diabolical McDonald entering homes unsuspectingly through the happy meal. There have been reported cases of madness and fights in every McD outlets in Malaysia where the most serious cases of Minion Mania in the world were observed to occur. It has been speculated that the “Kiasu” (“scared to lose”) syndrome of the average Malaysian must have made them especially susceptible to the Minions attacks. It was reported that a lunatic bid of RM38 millions for a set of the minions was made in ebay.

This is an emergency announcement. Up to now, it has been confirmed that 9 “species” of Minions have been sighted in the country. They are all highly dangerous. Do Not, I repeat Do Not tackle them on your own, do not own them, do not bring them into your house. Shut your ears and eyes and run away as fast as you can if you come across one. Our Special Intelligent sent out this warning regarding these dangerous “creatures” among us. They are –

(1)  Tim Giggling,  (2) Tim Giggle Grabber,  (3) Dave Gadget Grabber

(4) Evil Minion Chomper, (5) Tom Googly Eyes Grabber

(6) Stuart Light Up Grabber, (7) Stuart Babbler Grabber

(8) Jerry Breakdancing, (9) Evil Minion Noisemaker

Stop giggling. You have been warned! 

The Face of An Artist

I've had just enough time to...   see the budding of a star

Taken outside the Ubud Palace in Ubud, Bali

On a leisurely stroll one morning passing by the Ubud Palace, I spied a group of young boys practicing their craft. To the tempo of imaginary music that only they themselves heard, they stomped and jerked violently. The sequence was not a graceful flow but a series of sudden violent movements and abrupt stops. The expressions on their faces were deadly serious and exaggerated as they played the characters of their act.

But it is more than an act. It is their religion and they are playing the Gods. They are not just performing a dance, they are re-telling the story of creation and they are honoring their Gods in the recreating of the tale. This went deeper than the passion for their craft. It is their faith and they are living it.

I suspect that it will be many years before these boys ever get the chance to perform before an audience. Meanwhile, they trained every day and showed a dedication stronger than any professional athlete. And what drove them is not fame, adulation or monetary rewards. It is their culture, their beliefs and it is beautiful to watch.

But even among them, one particular boy stood out. You will have picked him up just by looking at the photo. His divine expression, the sharpness of his moves and his total immersion into his character is mesmerizing. His talent is undeniable. He is the future star of the play. I hope one day to be able to return to Bali and watched a performance and recognized him there.

The Master

Bathing Ritual in The Temple of Sacred Water (Thirtha Empul)

I've had just enough time to...   be cleansed by holy water

 

Taken of the bathing pool in the Temple of Sacred Water

Water, the elixir of Life

Cleanse me

Purify me

Refresh me

I am born again

Without my sins

Without my worries

Without my pains

I am renewed

By sacred water,

The elixir of Life

Devotees in prayer during purifying ceremony

This temple is regarded as one of the six most important temples in Bali. It got its name “Thirtha Empul” meaning “Bubbling Spring” from a legend. When the evil King Mayadenawa poisoned Lord Indra’s troop by creating a pool of poisoned water, Lord Indra saved them by stabbing his flag pole into the ground creating a bubbling spring of sacred water which has curative power. A temple was built at this site in 926 AD. For more than a thousand years, Balinese have come to this sacred site to heal and purify themselves.

The Secret of the Indian Thorn Apple (in The Patan Golden Temple).

I've had just enough time to...   learn about the Indian Thorn Apple

Taken inside the Golden Temple of Patan...

Thank you all for your interest in the thorny fruits carried by the monkeys in the images that was shot in the monastery in Nepal. Thanks to Kismet who supplied the lead and some of your suggestions, we have together solved its mystery. The thorny fruit is the fruit of the Indian Thorn Apple or “Datura Metel” (see earlier posts). But first, something about the temple itself.

The temple is situated just two hundred meters north of the famous Patan Durbar Square and was built in the 12^th Century AD. Its original location was in Bahalkot and according to legends, the Buddhist monastery was built because of a dream by the disgraced Queen Pingala of Patan as the way to win back her husband’s affection. And it worked. 

where mouse or...

King Vaskar Deva Dutta had a dream that the idol of Buddha that was moved from Bahalkot disapproved of the new location and the temple should be built in a place shown by a mouse chasing a cat. One day, he did see a golden mouse chasing a cat and ordered it to be constructed there and named it “Hiranya Varna Mahavihar” or the Golden Buddhist Monastery. I guess that is why the rats are sacred in that temple.

According to Sanskrit literature, the Indian Thorn Apple is said to be grown from the chest of the Hindu god Shiva, the god of inebriants. In Nepal, the plant is considered sacred to Shiva and thorn apple flowers and fruits are the most important offering gifts and are offered at every “puja” or offering ceremony to please the god. The Indian Thorn Apple flowers are often depicted in Hindu Tantric Arts often in connection of the incarnation of Shiva. The plant is poisonous but is used for medicinal, ritual or intoxicating purposes and is also abused for criminal purposes. If by now, you are confused about Hindu god and Buddhist temple, it is because in Nepal and large part of India as well; Hinduism and Buddhism coexist for centuries and much of the culture and beliefs have spilled over from one to the other.

The Indian Thorn Apple is not as exotic as you may believe. It belongs to the same family as that of the Angel’s Trumpets.

pigeons and human happily co-exist.

The Invasion of the Angry Birds.

I've had just enough time to...   eat a few angry birds.

Taken of the advance force of angry birds that I found in Bidor, Malaysia. They were eaten by me.

Once in a while, we will have an invasion by an alien force that swarm through all our defenses. We were fooled by their disguise, their cuteness and let our guards down. Before we know it, they are everywhere – in the bags we carried, the clothes that we wore, dangling from key chains, hanging from ceilings, there is no stopping them.

First, they stole our children’s heart, then their grannies’ pockets. They decimated our adult’s time and ate at their mind till they yelped at high scores and mourned when they could not bring a building down. They made them into zombies that could only move their fingers to pull at illusionary catapult to send angry birds flying. And crashing. And the monkeys have the last laugh.

I belong to the special force that tried to stem this invasion. I found some angry birds taking hold in a small town called Bidor in Malaysia that is famed for their herbal duck soup. Their evil scheme here was to take over the gastronomy delight of this small town and I was sent to disrupt their plan of conquest. So I did my part to reduce the population of angry birds there by eating them! But there are just too many. I tried my best and live to talk about it. I don’t know about you but I find angry birds rather yummy.