Sssssnakessssss

(p/s : My photos are taken with lousy point & shoot camera, I hate it!)

I went to the Penang Snake Temple this morning. Belle and Yuin Yuin visit Penang so I met up with them for char koay teow with their friends.

The Penang char koay teow at Kampung Jawa, Wahong kopitiam is not bad. The prawns are huge. I ordered the extra prawns and there are five giant prawns.

So, after Penang char koay teow, we headed over to the Penang Snake Temple. Long time ago, when I was in my teens, I had prayed to Chor Soo Kong which is the main deity in the Penang Snake Temple (notice I intentionally put the word Penang all over?). Chor Soo Kong is supposed to be the patron of studies (or scholar stuffs).

This morning, I notice there is the Tai Soo Yeah (but at that time, I forget his name). Next to Tai Soo Yeah, there are two bullheads gu-mok-ong. So, I innocently asked the nun at the temple, what is the deity’s name. Cos I was intending to make a video of the Penang Snake Temple.

She gave me a bunch of joss-sticks and said if I pray, I will know. So, I told her, Errm…I am a Christian. She beh song liao. Then, I saw the dog face deity one the ground. I know the tiger face deity is the Hor Eah (tiger god). People who are plagued with bad luck (siu yan) usually buy a piece of lard, a duck’s egg and offer to Mr. Tiger god. Then, you get some joss papers and then, you use a wooden clog and hit a voodoo like symbol and curse your bad luck to go away.

It is an interesting ritual. (normally carried out by the temple caretaker for you) So, when I see the dog’s face deity, which I think is rather cute, I mah ask the nun lor. She got tulan with me and said, ‘Lu mien chai, lu mien chai’. (you don’t need to know) and shoo-ed me away. Yerrrr….I just want to know to promote religious tolerance mah.

At the Penang Snake Temple, they have a snake farm. It turned out to be my hubby’s classmate (which I didn’t know earlier). But hor, I damn malu ler. I asked him, you retired already? He said, “I am the same age as your husband, how to retire leh?” Yerrr….how I know wor? He looks much older than my husband mah. My loukong is not yet 50 yrs old lah.

Anyway, you cannot take photo with the albino boa. But since he is my hubby’s friend and the helper at the snake farm is my deceased bro-in-law’s sister-in-law (pening leh?), they allowed Yuin Yuin and Belle and I to play with the snake. Why you cannot take pictures with the snake leh? Cos outside, they have a ‘pay service’ photo corner for you to take photos with other snakes.

The Penang Snake Temple receives a lot of Arab tourists. You can visit it even if you are not into visiting Chinese temples. There are rabbits, guinea pigs, monkeys and lots of snakes. I am going to take my kids there tomorrow for them to see the guinea pigs like G-Force.

I will bring my video camera to film more slithery snakes. I love snakes.