For dinner, my aunt made many dishes. My favorites were stuffed tofu, a small bowl of steamed salted fish with pork that she saved for me from yesterday, and a dish of mixed leftovers (Choy Kiok). The leftovers of multiple dishes, from two nights ago, regardless of flavor were dumped into one big pot. They were then slow cooked with lots of a leafy green called gai choy (Chinese mustard), dried whole chilies and tamarind paste. The resulting dish has an overall spicy and sour flavor, but individual bites bring out the flavor of the original dishes. It’s hella good!

Kek Lok Seah

After dinner, my sister drove us to Kek Lok Seah, a Buddhist temple for an event called…Ready? “The paying of Homage to the Multi-Millions of Buddhas Ceremony” or simply 转运. Attendees walk in a procession of three laps. They can chant “Namo Amituofo” (the Chinese version of the Amitabha Buddha Mantra) along with those heard on the loudspeakers chanting from inside the temple. Some attendees were chanting, and most held the palms of their hands together in a praying position near their chests.

At the end of the third lap, they would receive a pink bun that’s made to look like a peach, tiny packets of rice and tea that have been blessed, and maybe a talisman that would be burnt at the front gate of the recipient’s home. Those who bring a shirt can get it stamped with a prayer for additional blessings.

My guesstimate is there were a few thousand people in attendance including a few relatives of mine. Kenric and I made a donation for incense and oil. My sister and my niece were waiting outside the temple. Since they are within the one-year mourning period of their father-in-law and grandfather respectively, they couldn’t enter the temple. I didn’t challenge that irony. We walked one lap to where they were waiting near the car, and left shortly afterward. I hope all deserving prayers are answered.

Important Appointments

Map of Places Visited