We took our bags, and took off on the bus towards the KL LRT station to take the LRT from Cempaka Station to Masjid Jamek to kick off the start of our field trip at the Mosque. First, my group visited Masjid Jamek, a peaceful and calm place of worship for the Muslims, the majority religion in Malaysia. Walking around the praying spaces, there was a lot of nature and spaces to wash yourself so that you would be clean for praying. The magnificent dome of the main mosque, and the geometrical shapes on the minarets made this place of worship an architectural wonder. With a simple ' Terimah Kasih' to the watchman, we were on our way, this time to the Chinese temple. In the middle of a busy street, motorbikes, vendors, and all, was a home to all the deities of the Buddhists, in the Chinese Temple. From the many benches and mini-shrines outside to the beautiful statues and the fortune-teller inside, the Temple, unlike the Mosque was more relaxed to visitors. While some of us took the incense sticks and lit them in big pots filled with ash, others went to a little room to learn of their destiny and their life in future. The deities, standing grand, were all for anyone who wanted to pray for anything (health, good fortune, and more) but they were all not as mighty as the Buddha, the almighty being for which this grand temple was in existence. After much happiness, mostly over fortunes, and some disbelief, (mostly over fortunes), we marched on in our group to Central Market, where we had a tasty lunch with most of it being Western, but some of us choosing the Asian option. Our last stop on this spiritual journey was to be the Hindu Temple, my place of worship. Before we stepped into this grand palace of culture and religious wonder, we had to take off our shoes as a respect to the gods. The moment we stepped in, we could hear the joyous music, drum beats, along with the colorful and intricate designs on the ceilings. Praying to the gods as the priests washed them, and showing my friends all the different gods made me feel wonderful as I was showing them all these stories and culture entrenched deep into the religion: Hinduism. It was stunning and magnificent, walking around the temple, looking at all the statues. After walking 7 times around a black box with statues of the gods, (customary for Hindus who come to pray), it was time to leave this wonder. The next part of the trip was, admittedly more exciting for most, as it was a time of skill. Bargaining, getting the right price, getting the right glasses, getting the right laser pointer. Reaching the end of the street only to find that you could have got the same thing for 30 rm less. Oh yes, this was Chinatown. McDonalds, shopping, food, more shopping, McDonalds, then, it was time to leave. Knowing that this trip was ending and that we would have to participate in lessons the next day was not a great feeling as we climbed back onto the LRT and traveled back to Cempaka, to reach back to school. Although the day had been fun, we had learned many things about different religions and places of worship, and it was truly a religious journey, if an exhausting one. But more exhaustion was to come for me, as I had to travel to Mont Kiara, this time for Basketball!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Ball Games, Baby Golf- Broken China...
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Common Elements In Creation Myths
"All men have need of the gods"- Homer. Creation myths are explanations of the world. Although these myths are separated by time and place, many of them still manage to retain common themes and similarities between them.
Themes of void, nature and sacrifice are unusual in myths because the people's beliefs and ways of life were so different. A common element in many myths is void before earth. For example, in the Phan Ku myth, before Phan Ku created earth, there was nothing except for a cosmic egg. Another example is in the Nordic myth where before earth, there was only Ginnungagap, the vast emptiness. This proves that regardless of time and place, there can be connections between myths.
Another common element in many myths is the explanation of nature. In the Phan Ku myth, Phan Ku caused all the natural phenomena, and when he died, all the parts of his body became part of the earth. Also, in the maori myth, Rangi, Papa, and Tawhiri were the beings that caused all the natural phenomena such as floods, storms and more. This proves that people from different countries can still share the same thinking and ideas.
A third common element in many myths is the theme of self sacrifice. In the Phan Ku myth, when Phan Ku died, he had to sacrifice his body so that the earth could become a better place to live in. Rangi and Papa also had to sacrifice their bodies for a better earth in the Maori myth. This shows that people can still have the same themes and feelings about sacrifice even if they live very far apart.
All these common elements in myths have proved that myths are so spread out over the world but humankind thinks the same all over the world. "Myths are the early dreams of mankind"-Freud. That is something I truly believe.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
My Bag
Many things are important to me, and some of the things that I think are the most meaningful and important to me, I put in my "bag". By seeing the things that I put in my bag, you can tell a lot about me.
The first thing I put in my bag was a book, "Crocodile Tears" by Anthony Horowitz. I love reading books (especially fiction) and when I thought What should I put in my bag?, a book was the first thing I thought of.
The Travel Australia book represents my love for travel. I have always been fortunate enough to go on many holidays to many places around the world, and since I was small, I have grown to love travel and seeing culture and diversity of different places around the world.
Obviously, I couldn't fit a piano in my picture (But now that I think of it, maybe I could have) so I chose my Vic Firth Drumming Practice Pad as my third item for my bag. I chose the practice pad because I think that music is one of the best things in the world. I like learning about music, and already know how to play one instrument (piano), and a whole section of instruments (the percussion section).
iPod Touch. Such a revolutionary device. But everyone carries one. Why would I chose it for my bag? My iPod does not only mean iPod alone but I chose it to represent all electronics. My electronic devices are important to me because they bring fun for everyone. When I want to do something fun for a short length of time, I can count on my electronic devices to bring some excitement and fun. Electronic devices do not replace outdoor activities, but they are something to turn to when you are just looking to do something that can keep you engaged.
On to number five. You may have noticed blocks in the picture. No, I am not a baby and no, I do not still play with blocks. (For your information, those are my brother's!) The blocks signify creation because you can create many things with blocks. These blocks signify my interest in creating and designing things. Which is why I like the games Sim City, and Age Of Empires.
I chose my swimming medal as my sixth item for my bag. I love to go swimming, anytime, or anyplace. I love the water, and I love the thrill of swimming in races. Although I don't have much stamina, I am always ready to go for a swim, and always jump in the water happily. But maybe not when the water's freezing cold.
Down to number seven. My seventh item is my notebook. My notebook shows my love for writing. I love making up stories and writing them down and I can always think of great ideas for different types of stories. My notebook is a whiteboard for all ideas.
Monopoly is the eighth item in my bag. I chose Monopoly because it is my favorite board game. I like Life, Monopoly, Chess, and many other board games. Parcheesi, anyone?
My last item in my bag is my statue of Ganesh, a Hindu God. I chose Ganesh because Ganesh defines my religion and my religion defines who I am in many ways. My religion is very important to me and I try to follow it the best I can. My religion is very important to me, so I chose the statue as the last item in my bag.
All nine items that I have chosen for my bag show not all, but a little bit of what kind of person I am and what kind of personality I have. I hope that now, you understand a little bit more about me and know about the nine things that are the most special to me in my life.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
My name
To many, your name is something you cherish. It is the thing you have to live with the second you come out into the world. Your name is an ID Card to show who you are, and it is the thing you will be known as until the end of your life.
In some ways, a name is like a movie. You may see the title but you don't know what the movie is about until you actually see it. Like a movie, a name is your identity but people don't really discover who you are just by knowing your name. My name, Rohan, comes from Sanskrit, a language that is an old hill and it means "To ascend". Just like a movie, you don't know if I'm really going to ascend until you figure out who I am and what my personality is. You don't just know if I will "ascend" in this world just by learning my name. Maybe I will, maybe I won't (Although,hopefully I will!).
When they chose my name, my parents craved something short, simple, easy to pronounce, but also something meaningful. After pondering many options for countless hours, they finally settled on a name for their firstborn- Rohan. That name did not come from a friend or anyone famous but it was perfect for them- and it is a perfect name for me too.Thinking about my name, I concluded that the name Rohan (To Ascend) is something that I would like to be called for the rest of my life.
Changing my name is not something I would even dream of doing, because my name is so important to me. Now I really feel that I will 'ascend' through the journey of life with my name and I would not trade Rohan, my name and identity, for anything.
This is a picture
I wish had never been taken.
This is a photo I asociate with the journey Of Life!
This is the first picture that came to mind
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