...the gates of oriental hades...

Here it is again...after a year, the gates of hades are opened again last night. It is the Chinese Halloween. Ghosts and ghouls will be roaming everywhere. Restless and lost spirits will be searching for vengeance and settle their unfinished business!!!

It is the time of the year, children are forbidden to be outdoors late at night for the fear that this evil supernatural beings will possess these urchins (that explains about some kids I know...). Swimming is not allowed either for the fear that there maybe evil spirits lurking in the water, waiting to claim another life (where are you, Esther Williams???).

This Hungry Ghosts Festival (or Phor Thor in Hokkien) is celebrated throughout Asia from Hong Kong to Singapore where the Chinese populations are the majority, for a month long during seventh month in the Chinese Lunar Calender. That gives these spirits one month to have great food, entertained and haunt and do whatever they are up here to do.

It's no less especially in our island of Penang (or anywhere else in Malaysia). Almost every roads or lanes or housing estates have their Phor Thor committee that will organize feasts and offerings to these wandering spirits in hopes of pleasing the ghosts and obtaining "good luck" for the living.

There is a tall paper effigy of the King of Hades under large extended zinc canopy erected in the middle of some roads or lanes. In front of His Royal Hade-ness, is a long, long, long table (hey, something like King Henry the VIII's). Miles and miles of food is offered to his Hade-ness and all those wandering spirits...roasted pigs, roasted chicken, roasted ducks, bags of rice, sacks of sugar, fruits, kuehs and cooked dishes. Hell notes by the bags are lined up (for bribery??? I wonder if there are cases of CBT down there...) .

At night, the venue is turned into an "entertainment" outlet for both the dead and the living (hmmm...scary isn't it...you'll never know who's next to you). There used to be Chinese puppet shows and Chinese operas (tong tong cheng). The costumes worn by the opera actors were marvellously decked with colourful, glittering and most eleborated you ever see. But as years go by, someone from "down" there, sent in a suggestion that less is best...so comes the "koh tai"...scantily clad girls (some looked like they are from "down" there) strutting their assets (if they have them), singing and dancing the nights away. I noticed that when there is a Chinese opera around, there are more dead than the living and when there is a koh tai, vice-versa. Well, so much of entertaining and respecting the dead and His Royal Hade-ness!!! No Big No Small!!! Rows and rows of benches are put in front of the stage.

Anyway, ever noticed that when there is show at night, the front row is always empty??? Why??? WHy??? WHY??? Hehehe...you should know, they are for the VIPs (guests of honour).

So let me share some stories about these "guests" with you...I do not know if it's true or not, but these stories have been going on for years...

1) There was a Chinese lady who brought her newborn in a baby carrier (basket) to pay homage to the King of Hungry Ghost. Like any others, she had to lit some candles and joss sticks and burn some hell notes. There were many people praying around on that morning. Roasted pigs and other food were offered on the long tables. Since there was a little space on the table, she placed her baby there...went on the lit the candles and joss sticks and was fervently praying...when suddenly, she heard screams and shouts from some people nearby. She turned around and noticed they were crowding around her baby. She rushed to her baby and saw her baby in spasms. She panicked and screamed and cried. Moments later, there was a dead silence from the baby carrier. Her baby was no longer moving. Apparently, when she placed her baby on the table, the King thought it was another dish of meal and sapu even the "soul" of the little tot.

2) It was drizzling...but from her house, the family could see and hear the sounds of the Chinese Opera troupes singing, the cymbals crashing and the pipe playing. There were a few caretakers around and a few bystanders in umbrellas watching the performers on the stage in their routine. There were less then ten people that night watching. As the rain got heavier, more people left the vicinity, either scrambled under the zinc roof where the giant paper effigy stood or gone home. She could still see the performers went on with their acts on stage. The sound of the music was a little faint than earlier, but still audible enough. Next to the stage, was a row of hawkers selling loh bak, see koh tng, fishball soup, etc. Since it's almost dinner time, she decided to take her umbrella and walk across to buy a nice hot packet of fishball soup. Her four year-old niece wanted to go along. So, she carried her niece in one hand and a blue umbrella in the other. As she walked towards the stalls, passing by the stage and the rain was still pattering, her niece was smiling across her shoulder and kept pointing to the front of the stage and whispered in her ear that there were so many people watching the opera. She stopped at her heels as, there we no one right infront of the stage as the rest of the spectators have scrambled in under the roof. Without missing a breath, she made a U-turn and waggled her way back home!!!

3) The Khoos were having their usual dinner at about 7.00pm, in their residence in Greenlane, when the neighbour's dog howled. The howl was so loud that it covered the din from the opera nearby. Mrs Khoo got up, and peeked into the back lane just behind her kitchen to see if there were intruders. Several houses in the housing area has been broken into weeks before. Much to her aghast, the back lane was empty except for the dim lights from the streetlights. She brushed off the dog's howling and went back to join the rest of the family members on the dining table. After finishing dinner, the family left the dining room. Mrs Khoo was all alone clearing up and washing the dishes. With her face facing the window, she could see clearly that there was a figure of a woman standing there with a child. She was surprised and stepped away from the sink. The woman's face came into full view as the woman got nearer to the kitchen window. In a soft voice, she asked Mrs Khoo if she could be spared some leftovers. According to the woman, she and her child have walked for miles and very hungry. Mrs Khoo was about to turn around to get some kuehs that was left on her dining table, when she noticed from the corner of her eyes, the woman was "floating" away. She screamed for her family and told them what happened. It seemed the woman was a wandering spirit passing by.

4) This happened to the Bee Hoon Soup stall opposite the graveyard of Paya Terubong. The staller was mending his stall till the wee hours in the morning. At about 1.20am, a group of teenagers came over and ordered some bowls. After finishing their meals, they paid the uncle money and left. The uncle stashed the money away in one of the drawers in his stall. After wrapping up the sales for the day, he opened the drawer to count the day's sales...much to his horror, the cash that the teenages paid were nothing but a stashed of burnt papers...joss papers to be exact.

5) Now, this one happened many, many years ago...way back to the 80s. It happened in the famous Wembley Theatre. This theatre is known to be haunted. This lady in her 30s was watching a midnight movie. In the middle of the movie, she had the urged to visit the ladies powder room. She managed her way in the dark to the room. She was all alone in the toilet. After doing her business, the stood right in front of this large long mirror, tidying herself up and brushing her hair. Suddenly, she noticed a lady with long hair standing next to her. Without thinking anything amiss, she went on brushing her hair. She lady asked if she could borrow her brush and she has forgetten hers. Then the other lady took her head off her body and cuddled it in her arms and started brushing her hair. Whatelse, she fainted and woke up after a few minutes to relate her horror encountered.Ifll, there are more stories to tell, but I think I have to compile it in to a book. These are some of the more famous ones. I will throw in a horror story in this blog every now and then, when it comes to my mind.

After the last day of the Hungry Ghost Festivals, the King of Hades and all the spirits are sent back to where they come from and some maybe left behind to cause harm, hurt and downfall to the people...and those who were left behind, joined politics!!!

Till then...good nite