Yup, it’s that time of year again. The end of Ramadan, the middle of Yom Kippur, and the delightful Chinese frenzy of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. It’s also the big lantern festival, so here are some sights from our very own Chinese Gardens in Jurong East. This is the Stone Boat on the left, on […]
I returned to Singapore yesterday, just in time for the Hungry Ghosts season, otherwise known as the Seventh Month festival. (If you don’t mention the word “ghost” you won’t scare away customers.) I went to Jurong Point mall to stock up on food, and found myself in the midst of seasonal festivities. Well, it’s not […]
In my last post I mentioned that the Japanese and Chinese Gardens exist as a result of city planning decisions – that in the industrial wastes that would eventually occupy the Jurong swamps, Singapore’s government realized that people needed a place to go for greenery, tranquility, and recreation. Naturally, since this is Singapore, we could […]
During a taxi ride last week I was talking to the driver about the APEC conference, which was held in Singapore this month, to much local ballyhoo. He asked where I was from, and when he found out that I’m American he said, “You know what one thing I’d really like the U.S. to do […]
This is the seventh lunar month, according to the Chinese calendar. It’s the time of year when the ghosts are out of hell on furlough. If you’re a Buddhist, this month is devoted to filial piety; you honor your parents and ancestors, pray that they are in a better reincarnation, if they didn’t manage […]
A double delight! Thursday, August 20, saw the beginning of both the Taoist Hungry Ghost Festival and the Ramadan fast. Singaporean TV celebrates the start of Ramadan by having lots of people interviewed on the news saying that you should be mindful that not everybody does everything the same way but they’re all worthy of […]
OK, maybe not running amok, but certainly off the reservation. I think I’ve mentioned that you frequently bump into Buddhist monks in electronics stores in Singapore, shopping for cellphones and stuff. Well, here are a couple (the men in orange) taking pictures of each other outside the Fullerton Hotel – on the River Walk downtown, […]
OK, so we joined the Unitarians for a tour of the Lotus Mountain Twin Groves Monastery. This was founded by a rich Chinese-Singaporean businessman in 1885 or so, and used to be surrounded by serene groves, babbling brooks, etc., but now is hemmed in on 3 sides by HDB housing highrises, and on the fourth […]
Yes, there are some! Mostly Americans, but include at least one Singaporean – a lapsed Buddhist(!). They got going about 2 years ago. Here’s their website: http://uusingapore.org/ We joined them for a field trip to a Buddhist monastery yesterday; apparently they meet in each other’s homes or various public venues (mosques, temples, etc.) for religious education. And […]
Have I mentioned that Singapore has a bunch of Buddhist temples, as well as mosques, synagogues, churches and so forth? Well, it does, and they look great – lots of gold-plated Buddha statues and reliquaries, especially at the spanking new Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown, which just opened in 2007 and is an amazing […]