In the evening my 4th aunty set up a meeting with my cousin Jane who is now a Buddhist nun and is at a local monastery. I got lost with the bus system and took a long time to get there. My cousin, as it turns out was a very busy nun and was under the impression my mom was with me etc,... and was quite disappointed to just see me. I was quite grumpy by the time I got to her place and feeling ill exhausted dizzy from getting lost and wasn't all that polite. Strange, how it all turned out. I really felt like I was bothering her and taking up her time somehow. And yet we had exchanges where we reached mutual understanding of things of where we are in our lives and in our current condition of things. When leaving for the bus station,it had begun drizzling. I saw a couple rummaging through two garbage cans for food. This really depressed me. It was so sad to see. This couple was not old or middle aged. Why did they have to do this in the dark of the night? They seemed able physically to work and get paid. It's just so sad and disturbing. I really wanted to say something, and demanded to know why. I held my Sagittarian tongue and just kept on walking in the rain.
While on the bus, there was night traffic at 10:30pm. How is this possible? There was a procession for MaZu on the street with fireworks. I got off the bus to check out the festivities at night on the road. There was a band of young men playing traditional instruments. Of which really is a challenge to my ears. I watched the energy of these young men, playing instruments and carrying large parade pieces. They had good young chi, honorablly placed and executed. I was impressed with the focus, dedication, and unity. The fireworks I must say, super dangerously executed. I am glad no one got hurt.
I had to take the MRT home after the bus and I came across a woman whom I first noticed was her face and her energy. She had a divine face. She was an elderly grandma. My eyes were fixed onto her face trying to figure out what was it that made her so divinely beautiful in a culture of modern time that celebrated youth and women in their teens. Then I saw her pull out her recitation prayer counter. And I knew it was her practice of her mind that is divine, oozing out of her pours. I felt so lucky to have come across someone like her next to me on MRT. I also love all the art displays on the walls of MRT stations. I really appreciate art and access to viewings of art in public places.
