day 886

Let Twelve Songs Be The Verse for this frabjous weekend...
Verner Panton exhibition.

day 885

Let Twelve Songs Be The Verse for this frabjous weekend...
Bird over Seminyak beach, Bali.

day 884

Picture 10 of 10:
Dholak player, Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore.

My favourite of the Deepavali pictures.

day 883

Picture 9 of 10:
Food to share, Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore.

day 882

Picture 8 of 10:
Preparing diyas, Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, Singapore.

day 881

Picture 7 of 10:
A pujari with the blessed diya, Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, Singapore.

day 880

Picture 6 of 10:
Blessing the diya, Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, Singapore.

day 879

Picture 5 of 10:
Close up of a Pujari, an Indian priest, at Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, Singapore.

day 878

Picture 4 of 10:
Lighten up the diya, Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore.

day 877

Picture 3 of 10:
A lady preparing her own diya in the backyard of Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore. Note the green can - she was using butter for her diya.

day 876

Pic 2 of 10:
Mother and daugther, Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore. Note the extensive henna paintings on the mother's palm and fingers.

day 875

The next ten pictures are a series of people pictures taken during the morning of Deepavali, both at Sri Veeramakaliamman and Sri Mariamman temples, Singapore.

If I have to dedicate this series as I did to previous one, I would like to dedicate this to the beauty of diversity we have on this earth, acknowledging that the quality of the pictures actually does not justify the dedication.

A bit of technical note: it was not really a bright day, the temples were in the darker side, and (apart from capturing a big pot full of steamed porrige) I was using my long lenses all the time due to the tricky situation to respect the religious activities - so I decided to use ISO1600. The results, as you see, are not very sharp pictures - but at least I could capture some of the moments. And lacking of practices, I forgot to change the ISO setting when I was out in the temple courtyards!

Picture 1 of 10:
A young lady applying white tilak to her forehead, a holymark symbolising blessing, at Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore.

day 874

Happy Deepavali/Diwali/Dipavali, 17 Oct 2009.

The left hand of the Dholak player, Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore.

day 873

Happy Deepavali/Diwali/Dipavali, 17 Oct 2009.

Symbolic offerings puja, Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, Singapore.

day 872

Happy Deepavali/Diwali/Dipavali, 17 Oct 2009.

Diyas, cotton string wicks inserted in small clay pots filled with oil, to signify victory of good over the evil within an individual.

Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore

day 871

Happy Deepavali/Diwali/Dipavali, 17 Oct 2009.

Pujari, a Hindu priest, at Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, Singapore.

day 870

Happy Deepavali/Diwali/Dipavali, 17 Oct 2009.

It is Festival of Lights, where people light diyas - cotton string wicks inserted in small clay pots filled with oil - to signify victory of good over the evil within an individual.

Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore.

day 869

Selamat hari raya Galungan, damai di hati, damai di bumi. Happy Galungan. May peace be in your heart, may peace be around us.

Seminyak, Bali.

Today is also papi's birthday. Happy birthday papi, I am blessed to be your daughter. May you rest in peace.

day 868

A random picture, I am not sure whether this is Belfast or Vietnam.. but I personally love the tone.

day 867

Finally, my favourite picture from Bali, a wee crab moving snappily along Seminyak beach. I took quite number of shots for the bugger. Wish he was crawling closer..

day 866

One morning somewhere along the beach in Seminyak, Bali.
Picture 8 of 8, taken in sequence.

day 865

One morning somewhere along the beach in Seminyak, Bali.
Picture 7 of 8, taken in sequence.

day 864

One morning somewhere along the beach in Seminyak, Bali.
Picture 6 of 8, taken in sequence.

day 863

One morning somewhere along the beach in Seminyak, Bali.
Picture 5 of 8, taken in sequence.

day 862

One morning somewhere along the beach in Seminyak, Bali.
Picture 4 of 8, taken in sequence.

day 861

One morning somewhere along the beach in Seminyak, Bali.
Picture 3 of 8, taken in sequence.

day 860

One morning somewhere along the beach in Seminyak, Bali.
Picture 2 of 8, taken in sequence.

day 859

The following eight pictures are taken one morning somewhere along the beach in Seminyak, Bali. The night of that day was a full moon night, the last before the Galungan.

Never mind that the last word of my three word-name is the name of the Baliness goddess of knowledge, art and literature, I do not have any ideas of the prayer's procedures and meanings. So, the pictures have to go without captions. Oops.

I would like to dedicate the series to some good 'ol friends of mine who I know love Bali so much: Michael (rest in peace), Mona, Eric, Berthy & son, and Melati...

Picture 1 of 8, taken in sequence.

day 858

...And during my trip to Bali this time, I've found out too that my heart is such a complicated thing that sometimes it reacts without logic, without warning, without pity on me...

I am not getting over it yet.
But I am sorting this out now.

It was a nice trip after all. Thanks P&P, and happy birthday!

day 857

...And its delicious nasi campur and (only recently tasted) babi guling... :)

day 856

...and the warmth of Baliness,
with their souls in every single deeds they do..