Merit Making @ Wat Chetawan Thai Buddhist Temple

It has been 8 months since my beloved mother has left this world. 

I am always grateful for the good life, education and teachings 

she had given me. Now everything is like a dream to me.

Life is just an illusion. Was it real?

I have been the only sibling who has been arranging with

the Thai Temple's monks to conduct special prayers for

my mother from time to time. My other siblings have nicknamed

me as CTO (Chief Temple Officer) because of my better

understanding and knowledge in religious matters.

I am the youngest but I am louder than them so they

have to obey my beliefs for their own good.

1. The grand entrance to the Thai Temple @ Wat Chetawan - Jalan Gasing

Petaling Jaya which is near to University Hospital and University Malaya.

 2. They have impressive steps of Naga guarding the entrance to the Main Temple Hall.

3. Many devotees come to pray at this temple daily. It would be full on every weekend with people coming to make merits for themselves and their families. Some brought their new cars there for the monks to bless for better safety and smooth journeys.

4. There is a shrine for the 4 Faced Buddha which is similar to the one 

in Bangkok's Erawan Shrine which suffered a bomb blast recently.

5. There is a bell tower at the side.

6. This morning was the 2nd time I hired a Thai Chef from Bangkok 

to cook special delicious Thai Food as our offerings to the Thai Monks

as part of the rituals of merit making for my late mother.

7. Anyone can go there and ask the Thai Chef to cook for the monks.

He runs a small Thai Food Canteen behind the temple daily.

Everyday the visitors to the temple would have their meals there

where the prices are very reasonable.

8. I have been going there so frequently since my mother's passing 

and have become friends with all the monks. One Thai monk asked me

to teach them proper conversation English and I could not refuse

after much thoughts. We have regular night classes there beneath the

main temple hall (see the small windows below) 

9. It has been challenging for me to teach them English

using the Thai language as translation and guide. I always

had to be careful at all times and remind myself to be respectful

with strict manners & rightful speech!

I always had to slap my face when I wanted to

gossip nonsense.

Please continue to conduct prayers and merit making

for all your loved ones who have departed.

....

The Slums Of Manila

I have posted all the lovely, trendy and affluent scenes of Makati, besides several touristy & historical areas. Every country has got their good and bad sides like a coin. Somehow the slums in Manila is well known due to its huge area size and piles of garbage that piled up several storeys high. It has been named as "Smokey Mountain" because it is so high with garbage and there were daily gas explosions from the bio-organic stench that triggered fire. It was smoky all over in the past.

1. My jaws dropped in disbelief from the plane, to see the huge areas of squatter homes

around Metropolitan Manila. The tall buildings are located inside the Makati City.
My wifey snapped all the photos below for me.

 2. Our tour guide driver drove us far away from Makati to visit 

the Smokey Mountains area. It was like miles of makeshift houses 

lining up the highway near the port harbor area.

 3. Everyone has to work hard to search through all the daily garbage waste

from all over Manila to look for recyclable items.

 4. Their living conditions are in a sad and unhealthy state but they

have no choice. Each tiny makeshift 'homes' are made from thick card boxes,

PVC materials and waste woods. 

This could shelter a family of 10 persons!!!

5. My heart was weakened and didn't post the photos of myself

taken in front of these slums. I know I would look bad.

The young teens live, work & play at the same spot.

 6, This is the famous "Smokey Mountain" which has been overgrown

with weeds and grass while the garbage still remains beneath.

 7. The government could do nothing but moved the daily 

garbage disposal to another area now.

That's like sweeping the problems under the carpets!

8. It was heart warming to see the kids playing happily

by just jumping like frogs without toys or sports.

Happiness is all around them. Why do we complain

so much with our life at home? 

9. Come rain or shine, that's 4 houses and could easily 

sleep over 30 people at night. They have no bathrooms, water pipe

or privacy. Their average lifespan would be 40-45 years.

Everyday someone dies and many babies are born.

10. It woke me up to see the tests of daily survival here.

The kids would salvage anything of use & value from the

street dumps and bring them home. 

11. All their loots being tied up awaiting for daily pick up

by the trucks in exchange for tokens to fill their stomachs.

They do not go to school and that's life to them.

12. The driver did not allow me to walk inside the slums, so

I borrowed this photo to show how they salvage usable items from 

the filthy monsoon drains.

Photo source

 

 13. The actual Smokey Mountain.

Photo Source