Usually, when we take Grab to a faraway place or if we have luggage, Kenric would tip the driver. When we were about to reach the Buddhist temple, Kek Lok Si, halfway up the hill, I nudged Kenric to tip, but he shook his head. Later, he told me that the moment he got into the car, he immediately felt angry and had a great sense of unease. He said he immediately hated the driver. “You know? Like two animals that just saw each other and had to fight?” WHOA! I’ve never heard Kenric say anything like that before, not even about that prick we worked with. I said maybe there was a bad spirit in the car, or maybe his aura and the driver’s aura clashed.

A Prayer Candle Might Help

At the temple every prayer hall and pagoda in the complex has a donation box. Since we had already donated once, I declined when I was asked to purchase a candle to light on the altar. On second thought, maybe that’ll do Kenric some good since his luck was low enough that he sensed bad spirits around him. Besides, I always feel weird about declining to contribute at places of worship. Right before that, I had turned down a monk’s invitation to purchase a roof tile onto which I could write my name before it was installed. The temple is probably raising funds for a new building or pavilion.

He Asked if We Had a $20 US Bill

I asked how much the different sized candle jars were, and decided on the smallest one for RM 10 (USD $2.50). I was quite annoyed when the guy (not a monk) completely ignored my request twice and shoved the medium size jar at me and asked Kenric for RM 23 (USD $5.69). Whatever. Then, he asked where we’re from and asked if we had a $20 US bill that we could exchange for the $1 US bills he had. It must be quite common that he receives US bills from visitors. It so happened that Kenric had a $20 US bill on him, so they traded while I wrote our names on a slip of paper which we taped to the jar. The remainder of our visit was very pleasant even though it was very hot.

We Survived Friday the 13th

The candle jar is supposed to last three days. Considering we survived Friday the 13th (it’s already Saturday here), and Kenric hasn’t felt like he needed to fight anyone, I will not contest that the money was well-spent. I didn’t ask Kenric what he asked Buddha for, but I hope both our wishes are granted.

The Rabbit and The Tiger

Kenric’s Chinese zodiac animal is the rabbit, and mine, the tiger. I find these sculptures really amusing because they perfectly capture our expressions when Kenric asks, “What’s wrong?” and I reply, “Nothing!”

Flowers at Kek Lok Si

Map of Places Visited