How Disgusting!

I don't think I've shared this little chunk of information with you out there in blog world. This story was told to me by my husband, it is all 100% true, you are not going to believe it! You will wish that I was lying.

My husband works in the shipyard next to us, I'm at Keppel-Fels and he is at Jurong. Most of these shipyards have what they call cantinas. No, not the wonderful cantinas that serve margaritas with chips and salsa. These cantinas are what we back home would call a lunch room. It's a cheap, convenient place for the people in the office or even the yard to grab some lunch. Now, as you can imagine, shipyards are not the cleanest places on the island, but what I am about to tell you is ... well disgusting.

My husbands employer is in the offices next to the cantina. They are separated by a door and and small machinery space for the air conditioning. One afternoon there was a noise or something coming from the cantina so my husband was going to open the door to see what was on the other side. When he opened the door the cleaning lady was in the cantina cleaning up after lunch. She was mopping - both the FLOORS and the TABLES!! with the same mop! I almost died when he told me this. She had her cell phone between her chin and her sholder talking to someone, just mopping away! Let me tell you, I am not germophobic. But that made me want to go buy a small bottle of hand sanitizer (which you don't see everywhere here like you do at the checkout counters back home) to keep with me at all times.

Now, whenever we go eat somewhere I wonder if that is how the table has been "cleaned" off. I don't want to touch anything!

I Miss Wal-Mart

...and Target...and Bed, Bath & Beyond...and Home Depot...

Did I tell you we have been without a trash can in the kitchen for about a month now? Some time ago we had some pest control people come to our condo to help us with a little ant problem we were having. Well, after they left I noticed that our trash bin lid was smashed in. Many emails and phone calls later we got the pest control company to pay for the trash can...however, when they dropped off the check they took our dented trash can with them. So, here is the problem....we are having trouble finding another one. It's not like I can just run down to any of the stores I mentioned above and get a new one. No! They stores you think would carry them, don't. Robert and I did find one, but they couldn't get it to scan so we said forget it! I think I am going to have to go to a department store, their version of a Macy's or Dillards, to find one. The things I used to take for granted.

Elegant Curses

To construct a Shakespearean insult, combine one word from each of the three columns below and preface it with "Thou":

7th Lunar Month

Want to know how superticious the Chinese can be? Well...in August they "celebrate" (not sure if that is the word I would use) the 7th Lunar Month. This is where on the first day of August the gates of Hell open up and the kui (uncared for spirits or spirits under judgment that are locked in hell) roam the earth to eat their fill before being locked up for another year. The belief is that once the gates are opened, these kui will come out to look for food and if no one has prepared any offerings for them, they will go into homes to help themselves. Fearful of such visits, people are generally quick to make offerings to appease and ward off the hungry ghosts. It demonstrates the concern in Chinese religious belief for the pitiable existence of souls not cared for by the living.

As part of the celebrations of this festival, a ge tai (variety show) is often held, primarily to entertain the kui in the hope that when distracted or happy, they will not look for or disturb living beings. The first night of the ge tai is traditionally meant for the kui to attend. Another practice is to hold celebratory dinners, during which various items of luck and blessing will be auctioned off. Many would bid for these items in the hope and belief that they would, in year ahead, bring prosperity to the owners. The most prized possession is a block of charcoal. This relates back to the myth of Mu Lian, where it is held that when Mu Lian finally reached hell, the buns he brought to feed his mother had turned into charcoal.

The believers lay emphasis on giving offerings to ghosts because it is regarded as an important means of seeking fortune. Offerings such as paper (or hall) money and paper replicas of objects from the material world, such as cars, computers and even mobile phones. These paper objects are burnt so that the departed can enjoy comforts in the afterlife.

Other believers have warned that Special attention must be given to the "hungry ghosts" and the "lonely ghosts," this is because they have no living descendants can easily get bad-tempered and destructive during their "vacation" back to Earth. The paper objects can prevent them from doing any harm to the living or the dead, the Chinese would use lanterns to distract them away, or make sacrifices and burn "hell notes" or "paper replicas" for them to use in the underworld, in a safe place outside their homes (to prevent them from coming in) to "bribe" these disturbed souls.

Superstitions
Here is the list of ‘advices’ to heed during the Hungry Ghost festival

• Don’t move, renovate or marry during Hungry Ghost Festival as it is considered inauspicious.


• Stay away from swimming during the 7th month as it is believed that the water spirits will drag these little ones into the water and drown them.


• Avoid old trees. It is believed that the spirits will hide there.


• Children are advised to return home early and not to wander around alone at night. This belief is due to the reason that the wandering ghosts might possess children.