Temperature soaring

The water from my taps is warm. It has been so for the past week, and I don't see it ending soon. Penang, like the rest of the country, is experiencing a heat wave. Searing temperatures in the mid-30 degrees with no rain in sight. Almost impossible to stay outside the house if there's no shade. Air-conditioning units working overtime to circulate cool air in the rooms. Electricity bill for February was already high enough due to the extra usage before Chinese New Year. I expect my electricity bill for March to be high too as the air-con is turned on, even for short durations. Only saving grace: no need to use the water heater while showering. The water's warm enough. And to add to this heatwave came unwelcome news from the government that domestic users will face a eight percent service tax if their electricity usage goes beyond 600kwh. I'm biting my fingernails and hoping I won't cross this threshold come this next meter reading.

UPDATE: I saw these stories today pertaining to the increase of service tax that comes into effect on the first of March. This is the first one:

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — Over 80 per cent of domestic users whose monthly electricity consumption is 600 kilowatts per hour (kWh) and below will continue to enjoy zero service tax on their power bills, says Treasury Secretary-General Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican.

He said only domestic households who consume more than 600 kWh of electricity a month will be affected by the eight per cent service tax hike that came into force on March 1, 2024.

“We did not change the goalposts for those who are subject to the service tax; we just wanted to clarify that currently, the (six per cent) service tax has been imposed on this segment (over 600 kWh a month consumption), which is rather a small segment, ” he told an editors briefing here today.

Johan Mahmood said commercial and industrial electricity consumers will also not be charged for the service tax, as they are not subject to the tax all this while.

Similarly, the service tax will not be imposed on the water bill, he added.

The government is slated to raise the service tax to eight per cent from March 1, 2024, from six per cent currently.

And this is the second one from Business Times.

KUALA LUMPUR: Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), in a notice on its website, has clarified that only if your electricity bill is more than RM231.80 a month, will you pay the 8 per cent service tax that comes into force on Mar 1, 2024. 

The government has widened the scope of services that are taxed and increased the service tax rate to 8 per cent, as part of the government's list of tax reforms this year to boost the country's fiscal position.

Before Mar 1, 2024 the service tax rate was 6 per cent.

According to a statement by the Ministry on Feb 28, 2024, only users of more than 600 kilowatt joule (kWj) will see a 8 per cent service tax on their electricity bill.

However, the increase will not include services such as food and beverage (F&B), telecommunications, parking space and logistic services that include delivery of goods.

About 85 per cent of electricity users  are below this threshold and will not be affected by the service tax.

It will however impact some 1.2 milion households.

Service tax is not charged on treated water.

2024 Chap Goh Meh activities

Today's the 15th day of Chinese New Year. Chap Goh Meh to the Hokkien community in Penang. As usual, I spent my time at the Swee Cheok Tong for the annual worship of the deities, principal among them being Tai Tay Eah. This year, I had to provide additional support to the Trustee that had always been responsible for our worship sessions. He had just had three stents put into him in the first week of Chinese New Year! Anyway, there I was at the Kongsi to oversee the burning of the gold jossip papers for the deities and silver joss papers for the ancestors. And then there was the packing up of the worship food items to ensure that those who turned up for the worship could collect their share. I shall be very glad when my Trustee returns to full strength in time for the third lunar month worship of Tai Tay Eah's birthday.

My Chap Goh Meh is also normally spent with a visit to the Poh Hock Seah (寶福社) temple in Armenian Street after clearing the foodstuff at the Kongsi. I've been doing this annually for quite some time now. The stroll from Carnarvon Lane to Armenian Street is a short one but lately, the heat has been very unrelenting. Despite sheltering from the midday sun by walking in the shade, being out in this weather makes me very tired indeed, My routine is to burn a bunch of joss sticks at the Poh Hock Seah, calling on Tua Pek Kong to bestow good fortune on me and my family. The previous night, the deity had been taken on a procession to the Hai Choo Soo (Tanjong Tokong Tua Pek Kong) (海珠嶼大伯公廟) temple for the annual flame watching ceremony. The return journey was made on Chap Goh Meh morning itself, and I had missed it by about an hour because I was still at the Kongsi. Come to think of it, I have only managed to meet the returning Tua Pek Kong once in the last 20 years or so. 

But actually, this year's Chap Goh Meh proved to be a little different from past years. Some of my former colleagues from the old Ban Hin Lee Bank days decided to have a small get-together at the Gudang Cafe in Armenian Street Ghaut. That was where I proceeded after my visit to the Poh Hock Seah: to join up with Daphne Saw, Wong Yuen Chee and H'ng Boon Hock, the latter two turning up with their wives. We spent some two hours regaling ourselves with old stories and gossips about our banking days, and good food too. Yes, the company was good. 

Revisiting BM hill

Second day of Chinese New Year. Sunday, the 11th of February. We heard that the Bukit Mertajam forest park in Cherok Tokun had finally reopened after a two-year closure for repairs and rejuvenation. 

My daughter, back from Kuala Lumpur, was eager to explore the hill trails but my wife was unable to join us, So it was just me with my daughter as we set off along the trail beside the stream that ran through the park. Though the tarmac road had been improved significantly, the hill trail we took was basically untouched. A huge tree that had fallen across the trail more than two or three years ago was still uncleared and we had to clamber across the trunk. Because hikers were still finding ways to get into the forest park despite its temporary closure, the earthen and stone trail was still very much in use by them and thus, nature had not had time to reclaim it. 

At one point, I decided to veer off the normal path and took my daughter to find the park's biggest tree. Her first visit here. This is reputedly the biggest known tree in Penang, whether on the mainland or island. 

Eventually, we emerged from the trail to rejoin the tarmac road. I was surprised by the work done by the Public Works Department to improve the condition of the road and also the steep slopes beside it. But there was still one problematic part that was covered by torn blue sheets of plastic. I wonder what the Department is going to do next. They can't simply leave the job unfinished. It would be quite an eyesore. 

Oh, by the way, because we had rejoined the tarmac road at a bend where the metal ladder stood, we did not even reach the old Wawasan 2020 viewpoint. It would be interesting to see what has happened to this place. It shall be left to another trip, and perhaps I may even climb higher next time to the clearing where the tea house is.

Tacoma @ cross roads

Of all the original tacoma trees planted by the housing developer about 20 years ago along the road where I'm staying, only one remains standing today. It occupies a small patch of public land situated directly outside my house and that of my neighbour. It is a splendid tree, providing me with shade in the afternoons especially when the sun has moved north of the equator for half the year. My only quibbles are that the tree blooms far too often and the road and my compound are littered with tacoma flowers which demand my time to sweep away constantly. If not the flowers, then it is the dried, brown leaves. Occasionally, small branches also break off and fall into my space. Birds also seek the tree for refuge at night and in the mornings, I see their messy droppings on my ledge. Despite these minor inconveniences, I remain grateful for the greenery outside my window. At the very least, I can say that I get some exercise and tranquility from sweeping away the flowers or the leaves. 

I was saddened when a similar tacoma tree opposite my house was chopped down by the City Council last month. My neighbour told me that they had not complained about the tree to the Council. If that is so, then the initiative must have come from somewhere else. Perhaps from the Tenaga Nasional Berhad because I could see that the electric power line was getting entangled among the branches. My side of the road though, there are no power lines.

So this tree outside my house is the last one standing, and I would want it to remain for as long as possible. However, I now notice that there is some leakage from the underground water pipe that feeds into the neighbour's house and I'm wondering whether this could have been caused by the roots. The water authority has been informed to get the leakage fixed and I should expect their workers to come any day. What I'm fearful of is the tree's fate. If it is determined that the roots are the cause of the problem, no amount of repairs will be safe from the ever expanding roots. There may come a time that this tree needs to go too. I shall rue the day when it happens. But for the moment, I shall still enjoy the shade and greenery that it provides me. 

A hundred years' time

Paṭisota is the official facebook page for the sharings from Bhante Dr Gangodawila Chandima. This here is a wonderful story reproduced from his facebook. It is food for thought. We are all ordinary folks. Have you ever wondered how you will be remembered in a hundred years' time? Have you ever thought about this?

In 100 years, like in 2124, we will all be buried with our relatives and friends. 

Strangers will live in our homes we fought so hard to build, and they will own everything we have today. All our possessions will be unknown and unborn, including the car we spent a fortune on, and will probably be scrap, preferably in the hands of an unknown collector.

Our descendants will hardly know who we were, nor will they remember us. How many of us know our grandfather's father? 

After we die, we will be remembered for a few more years, then we are just a portrait on someone's bookshelf, and a few years later our history, photos and deeds disappear in history's oblivion. We won't even be memories. 

If we pause one day to analyse these thoughts, perhaps we would understand how ignorant and weak the dream to achieve it all really was. 

If we could only think about this, surely our approaches, our thoughts would change, we would be different people. 

Always having more, no time for what's really valuable in this life. I'd change all this to live and enjoy the walks I've never taken, these hugs I didn't give, these kisses for our children and our loved ones, these jokes we didn't have time for. 

Those would certainly be the most beautiful moments to remember, after all they would fill our lives with joy. 

And we waste it day after day with greed and intolerance.

CNY paritta chanting

Yesterday would be my only opportunity to attend the paritta chanting sessions at the Nandaka Vihara meditation society for this Chinese New Year. Never thought that I would have the patience to sit through one hour of chanting by the visiting monks from Sri Lanka, but I did. They were superb. The nightly chanting sessions began last Sunday and will end this Saturday. On the last day, the monks will be chanting throughout the night until dawn.  

CNY lunch dana

Lunchtime on the first day of Chinese New Year was spent at the Nandaka Vihara Meditation Society at the foothills of the hill at Cherok Tokun. Although forewarned by See See, I didn't expect to see so many people in the old meditation hall. Along one side of the hall were some 20-or-so local and foreign monks, mostly from Sri Lanka. The most senior among them was this Bhante Meetalawe Vineeta Mahathero from the Polgasovita Vipassana Meditation Centre in Piliyandala. From the second to eighth night of Chinese New Year, the monks will participate in the nightly paritta chanting sessions at the temporary pavillion next to the stream.

(Image from Nandaka Vihara's facebook)

(Image from Nandaka Vihara's facebook)

(Image from Nandaka Vihara's facebook)

CNY greetings 2024

At long last, today is Chinese New Year. It's the Year of the Wood Dragon, and that's the reason why festive greetings and decorations are sporting the dragon as the main motif. As usual, we have our dear daughter and son back with us for a few precious days. We're all so tired after a final day of cleaning, cooking and feasting at the reunion dinner yesterday. We tend to alternate between a regular dinner and a steamboat annually. This year, it's a steamboat dinner but a roast chicken still features prominently in the menu.

Somehow, there seemed to be lots more for us to do last night because after dinner was over and the final cleaning was completed, I overshot the time to prepare ourselves for the late night worship to welcome in the New Year. And as a result, we actually began and ended the worship session a bit later than usual, after the whole neighbourhood had completed their worship and lighting off their fire crackers. We also managed a short trip to the Tua Pek Kong temple down the road. Not too many people still there at about 1.30am in the morning. As for today, there won't be many visitations to do except to my mother-in-law in Bandar Tasek Mutiara in Province Wellesley South. But that's in the afternoon. For the midday, we shall be going to the Nandaka Vihara for a Chinese New Year lunch dana. Other than these, it's basically lazing around the house for the rest of our time....

 

Zodiac coinboxes

Pages 46 and 47 of my book, Ten Thousand Prosperities

With this being our Chinese New Year festive period, my thoughts go back to those distant years when I was still with Ban Hin Lee Bank: that home-grown bank in Penang which transformed into everyone's preferred banking institution from the 1970s till the end of the 1990s. What possibly set the bank onto this journey to be so popular with their customers was the series of golden coinboxes. Alongside these cherished coinboxes, the printing of angpow, or red packets, for free distribution also contributed to the bank's allure, but that's a story for another time.

In my 2021 book, Ten Thousand Prosperities, I expressed the belief that the most enduring gift ever produced by Ban Hin Lee Bank was its series of coinboxes. These coinboxes played a pivotal role in fostering a culture of saving among customers, significantly contributing to the healthy growth of savings accounts. This happened approximately five or six years after the bank had introduced savings accounts into its banking services.

The first coinbox was shaped after the bank's iconic building in Beach Street and it remained etched in memory as a symbol of the institution's prominence. Interestingly, the concept initially faced resistance from the directors. However, witnessing the remarkable success of other banks implementing similar initiatives, they eventually embraced the idea. The angular design of the coinbox exuded an aura of strength and reliability, qualities that were particularly valued during the early 1970s as the bank started its journey of reinvention. 

In 1977, the year that I joined Ban Hin Lee Bank, a series of coinboxes based on the Chinese zodiac signs was introduced. For every year for the next 12 years, there was a new coinbox in the shape of the Chinese zodiac animal for that particular year. A plastics company was commissioned to produce the first of these – a horse’s head – which were given to savings account holders in early 1978, as the Year of the Horse began. The coinbox was very well received and in the years that followed, the bank increased orders to meet demand. 

Towards the end of 1982, there was a cultural dilemma as Chinese New Year approached. How would the bank respond to the Year of the Pig? The pig was considered unclean by Muslims and it was unthinkable to offer them a pig coinbox. The solution was to make two coinboxes in 1983: a pig coinbox to continue the logic of the series, and a bear coinbox for any account holder who would prefer that instead. 

Account holders and staff alike recall how every year, in the first fortnight of distribution, scores of people would wait patiently outside branch premises to open a new savings account and be eligible for a coinbox. Even though staff were mobilised from other departments to assist with this, those at the savings account department often worked well into the night to finish processing the day’s account opening forms, only to come back the following day to face a fresh crowd of people. But the surprising thing was that while they moaned in private among themselves, they took pride in the annually increasing savings account deposit levels.

Today, these Chinese zodiac coinboxes are collectors’ items. With the series ending in 1989, the bank turned to other designs and shapes to keep the momentum of coinboxes going but although the subsequent coinboxes were multi-coloured and appealing in many ways, there was no repeat of the fervour that had greeted the Chinese zodiac series.

 

Pre-CNY shopping

In the run-up to this year's Chinese New Year, the Kampong Baru wet market here in Bukit Mertajam was already full of people at six, six-thirty in the morning. I went there this morning to buy fruits for Chinese New Year Eve worship and couldn't find an empty parking space for quite a while. Then, when I could finally slot the car into one, I found the stalls packed with shoppers. 

I'm told that shoppers are buying less foodstuff this year because of the biting inflation but even when they buy less, the number of people is still the same as in previous years. The spirit of celebration remains undiminished. Tomorrow is going to be another mad house there....

Rice bucket filled

Li Chun (立春), or Jip Chun, is done with for yet another year. Slightly past 4.30pm today, I topped up my rice bucket to the brim with a new bag of rice to symbolise abundance for the family. I also seized the moment to stick a new chun (春) character on the bucket. If I'm not mistaken, as the Gregorian calendar has an extra day in this month, Jip Chun next year should fall on 03 February 2025. Note: my annual writings about Li Chun can be read here. By the way, I tried balancing an egg on its end today. Urban legend has it that today is supposed to be one of those very few days in a year that it can happen, but I don't quite believe it myself! Nevertheless, I still tried...and succeeded.

Embracing the tranquility

The period I cherish the most each year falls between January and March. During this period, the mornings are still cloaked in darkness at seven o'clock, slowly getting light and with the sunrise unveiling itself only about half an hour later. This darkness provides an opportunity for me to linger in bed longer with lights off, surrounded by tranquility, and accompanied by the gentle chirping of birds outside my window. This appreciation for such moments only dawned on me after my retirement in December 2009, bringing an end to the need for early rises in preparation for work. The months of January, February, and March in 2010 marked a period of pure joy, and this sentiment has endured, making these three months a source of continuous delight. How many more such opportunities do I still have? I do not know. But what I do know is that I must make the best out of it, every year to come. So, for goodness' sake, kindly refrain from calling me too early in the morning, alright? I'll be incoherent and I may simply ignore your call.

Note: The chart below is from timeanddate.com and it shows the times of sunrise and sunset in Penang from December 2023 till March 2024. What I'm trying to illustrate is that from the eighth of January to the second of March, sunrise occurs on or after 7.30am. 

Sri Lanka: Day 3, Part 1 (Anuradhapura)

That's me in my white sarong, next to Saw See. It was acquired the day before when we were still staying in the Na Uyana Aranya. The reason why I was even wearing a sarong at all for the first time in my life was because my dormitory mates wanted the four of us to make a unified impression when we visited Anuradhapura on the third day of our spiritual trip to Sri Lanka. Normally when visiting the Buddhist sacred spots in Sri Lanka, it was a standard requirement for the visitor to wear an all-white outfit. That was what we were advised back in Penang. Get your white clothes ready, because visiting some places in Anuradhapura and Kandy required it. That was why underneath my sarong was my original white pants. But....we noticed many visitors not adhering to the all-white rule and they were still allowed into the compound to partake in the religious activities. Maybe as visitors to a foreign land we were trying too hard to comply with the traditional norm. With my sarong though, I wasn't out of place in Sri Lanka but I think that I looked a complete nerd wearing it, right? Anyway, it was a priceless experience. Ha ha....

Anuradhapura is some 100 kilometres from the Na Uyana Aranya. Although we had left the forest monastery in the wee hours of the morning, it still took a bit under three hours to make this journey. We could have arrived at our first destination in Anuradhapoura, the Ruwanweliseha, earlier but the bus was forced into a detour when some roads leading to this ancient landmark was flooded. But eventually by 7.15am we were all set to enter the compound. The Ruwanweliseya is immensely huge. One of my travel companions was so overcome by the sight that he openly shed tears of joy. The structure dates back over 2,200 years and is one of the tallest monuments in Sri Lanka. The white dome stands at 338 feet tall with a circumference of 950 feet. It sits on a high terrace surrounded by elephant sculptures. It contains an untold wealth of Buddha relics unknown to the common man. Dotted around the landscape are several monasteries and shrines.

The first thing we did on arrival was find a place to relieve ourselves after the long journey without any toilet break. That done, it was time to light the oil lamps at the fence, after which Bhante Aranagavesi led us to a spot to collect our offering for the morning pooja. Thereafter, we entered the vahalkada, or main entrance, and began walking clockwise around the stupa until we located some empty tables to place our offering of a milk pot and flowers together with some incense sticks. While Bhante Dhammasubho and Bhante Aranagavesi led the group through some chanting and brief meditation before the great stupa, However, I decided to explore the place a bit on my own. If I don't do it, the opportunity would be lost forever. The sound of some musicians caught my ears and a procession of devotees holding up a long train of orange cloth soon came my way. Somehow, there was this elderly woman who looked at me. With the slightest motion with her eye, she invited me to come over and hold the cloth. I did so; I touched the cloth and then brought my hand to my chest. The procession continued and I left to retrace the steps back to my companions who by now had finished with their contemplation and was getting ready to leave. True enough, there was no time to enjoy the place further. And as we left, I noticed that the orange cloth that I had held briefly earlier was now being wrapped around the dome of the stupa. So that's what it was for! We were hurried back to the bus to continue with our journey. And what's that? Breakfast, of course! A vegetarian feast of milk rice, string hoppers, plain and egg hoppers, sliced bread, salted fish, noodles, rice, lentils and dhall curry among other things. We were famished after the Ruwanweliseya experience.

A short distance away was the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Temple, site of the first Bodhi tree in Sri Lanka. The tree was grown from a sapling of the original Bodhi tree under which Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, India. Sangamitta Theri, the daughter of Emperor Ashoka, had brought it over from India some 2,300 years ago (third century BC). The Bodhi tree at the Nandaka Vihara in Bukit Mertajam was itself grown from a sapling of this tree in Anuradhapura. We spent only about half an hour here but during this time, we were shown around the grounds of the temple. We looked up in awe at the Bodhi tree and its leafy branches. It was a long walk to and from the car park, and we were required to deposit our shoes before entering the temple. In Anuradhapura, we were required to do this several times at several places, and as the day wore on, the temperature kept getting higher until it was an ordeal to walk barefooted on the very hot ground. By then too, I had discarded the white sarong as it was hindering my wide strides. 

At the Sandahiruseya, our third stop of the day, the ground was really hot and we could hardly walk properly on the granite. The sand, however, proved to be a relief and it was considerably cooler. We skipped from the main stupa to the small shrine beside it. Sandhahiruseya is the second-largest hemispherical stupa in Sri Lanka. Newly built marvel crafted by the Sri Lankan Army Corps as a poignant tribute to the memory of their fallen comrades from the Sri Lankan Civil War with the Tamil Tigers. Upgrade of the place is still ongoing and we were brought round to see stone carvings on the Buddha's life. However, it was still very much work-in-progress with no indication when it can complete. Apart from the Stupa, what intrigued me the most were the Buddha statues in the shrine hall. Five statues depicting the five mudras or gestures of Buddha. The hall also possessed a golden stupa with its Buddha relic.

And our final stop in Anuradhapura was at the Thuparama Vihara. This place is considered as one of the oldest stupas in Sri Lanka and holds great historical and religious significance. It is believed to have been built in the third century BC and Buddha's right collarbone relic is believed to be enshrined here. Over the centuries, Thuparamaya underwent several renovations and rebuilds due to natural disasters and human activities. The current restored stupa, surrounded by rock pillars, other monastic structures and ancient ruins, preserves the essence of its ancient design. 

To be continued ....

Ruwanweliseya

The flooded compound of a house

Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Temple

Sandahiruseya

Abhaya Mudra (Fearlessness Gesture): The right hand is raised, with the palm facing outward. Signifies fearlessness, protection, and peace. It is often associated with the Buddha's encouragement to dispel fear.

Dharmachakra Mudra (Wheel-turning Gesture): Both hands are held at chest level, with the index fingers and thumbs forming circles. The remaining fingers are extended. Symbolises the turning of the wheel of dharma, representing the Buddha's first sermon and the continuous cycle of teachings.

Dhyana Mudra (Meditation Gesture): Both hands rest in the lap, palms facing upwards with the right hand on top of the left. Symbolises deep meditation and concentration, representing the path to enlightenment.

Bhumisparsha Mudra (Earth-Touching Gesture): The right hand extends downward, reaching toward the ground with fingers pointing to the earth. Represents the moment of enlightenment when the Buddha touched the earth to bear witness to his awakening.

Vitarka Mudra (Teaching Gesture): The right hand is raised, and the index finger and thumb form a circle, while the other fingers are extended. Represents the transmission of knowledge and teaching of the dharma. It is commonly associated with discussions and explanations of Buddhist doctrines.

Thuparama Vihara