According to Chinese folklore, there is an increase in the incidence of accidents and deaths during the seventh month of the lunar calendar, an occurrence attributed to underworld spirits visiting the earth during this time. During Ghost Month, people prepare big feasts to indulge the many roaming ghosts.
Eastern societies, unlike many western societies, traditionally try to appease the dead, rather than trying to banish them, by inviting them temporarily into the world of the living. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Taiwan during Ghost Month. On the first day of the seventh lunar month, 'Open Day' in hell is held, the gates to the underworld are opened and the spirits are allowed to cross over into the living world.
Not only do the Taiwanese accept these hauntings with admirable equanimity, they actually give their ethereal guests the full VIP 5-star treatment. At the Chung Yuan Festival (about halfway through the month), huge banquet tables are set out in temple courtyards and mountains of fish, vegetables, meat and other delicacies are offered as sacrifice; hanging lanterns are erected to guide the ghosts to the table; non-stop operas entertain during dinner and fake money is burnt so that guests have a bit of pocket-money to spend when they return to hell.
This hospitality is not entirely altruistic - it's insurance against paranormal acts of retribution.
Other do's and dont's to be observed during ghost month include the following:
DO: make offerings, especially the burning of "ghost money" (An estimated 220,000 tons of ghost money is burned every year around Taiwan)
DON'T: weddings, special plans, business deals and outings should be put on hold till the end of the month; no whistling, whistling is not a good idea, whistling will lead the ghost straight to your home; talking ill of the dead (even if it's true) will just bring tears and heartache; special care should be taken when walking along riverbanks where a water ghost can easily steal a living spirit; andadding to the numbers by burying the dead is, unfortunately, not a good idea.
On the 30th day of the month, the gates of hell are closed again and the ghosts return to the other side.
This year the biggest day of Ghost month was on Sunday 14th or August and I was invited to take a part of that ceremony. But of course I could only watch.
after the ceremony I was also invited to join breakfast (food from ceremony)
I just couldn't believed she died, she was London, she was Camden she was the real singer! Such a talented girl, she died way too young! Only a year older than I'm just now. And she f***d up her life with drugs...
When I was down once, after I cheated myself (like I know I would), she was singing My tears dry on their own and I cannot play myself again, I should be my own best friend and not f*** myself in head with stupid man! I believed it. She sang that "Love is a losing game" and I had to agree. Because the best way is simply to be "Just friends" and enjoy the life. You Know I’m No Good...
Than Fuck-me pumps kinda made me feel high and classy and I really enjoyed it! it reminds me of some stories and funny people back in times. And yes yes yes I own few lovely FMPs, and I love it yeah.
"Without girls like you, There'd be no fun, We'd go to the club and not see anyone.
Without girls like you, There's no nightlife, All those men just go home to their wives.
Don't be mad at me, Cause you're pushing thirty, And your old tricks no longer work.
You should have known from the job, That you always get dumped, So dust off your fuck me pumps"
And I just loved her version of the song Will you still love me tomorrow, one of my top breaking song.
I've just seen the movie, it was based on comics. Not really a good one, but this is not important now. It made me think aboutRorchach test. It's been a while since I've seen those pics for the first time, maybe on high school in psychology class if I remember it well. I tried to find Rorchach test online, but I wasn't lucky. They say you can't test yourself as your answer is not the only thing they analyze, it is also important how long it takes you to think, what movements you make... and other circumstances.
But just for fun, I've found all 10 pics and tried to think what I see, so if you want you can try it with me!
My favorite is the one in right corner, the last one on my pic. Most people would say they see but, butterfly or moth. I see two elephants sucked on the tree! When I was thinking about most of my answers I realized I see mostly animals there! Just the second pic. I think it is more than obvious that there are to ladies facing to each other right? Also I've seen two dragonflies cocoons and one vagina, Mr. Freud would be happy I guess!
Sometimes I really wish to have my own psychoanalytic who would be able to tell me that my psyche is just fine. Like everyone else sometimes I feel lil insane. But most of time I'm just like the other weirdos around. Maybe they would tell the truth from my answers here...
Pics used from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rorschach_test
it is nice to meet people from all around the world in one club, one bar one park. I loved to hear Chinese, Spanish, Wolof and every kind of language mixing on a bus on my way to centre or back home. You can feel the diversity of cultures everywhere, this is what makes London beautiful and interesting for me.
Enjoying (night) life
oh yeah, I've never known what that really means before I moved to London! Crazy nights out in clubs around Leicester square, clubbing in my favorite lil Caffe Loco or in Village in Muswell Hill.. I loved it all, definitely time I will never forget! Met some good friends some weird people, but everything counts and I don't regret anything.
Mixed pics from Notting Hill Carnival 2009 and 20010
Different part different taste
you take a walk in calm and peaceful Crouch End, chat with people from neighborhood, enjoy your coffee in a lovely cafe with a view on a park.. and than you walk 5 mins to the west and you feel like in different country (in Turkey!). Meat is hanging on the street and you can smell it everywhere, cheep food and Turkish restaurants, shisha bars with nice colorful sofas in front of store welcome you and you. But wait, another 5 mins and you are in Wood Green, full of whips where you can spend all day long! Just don't go there in the night because it might get lil bit rough and I don't even talk about the next part of London which is lil bit further to the East. Every part smells different and people are from everywhere (just not from UK). But there is also another type of weird place in London: Canary Wharf. Beautiful and modern place, that will blow your mind. Best view if from DLR train in the night, when you can see all those lights, docks and of course the tallest building in UK. It is beautiful in a day time. What is interesting there: most of people work in banks there, it means that in working days about 85% of people you meet wearing official clothes. Black and white. When they finish bars and restaurants r overclouded with people in suits so when you wear something colorful you might feel like lil weirdo in among all those business people. And than at the weekend.. it is like different place, calm, quiet and peaceful , but wait for another Monday morning!
See and taste something new every day
one day you go to the festival in South, close to Elephant Castle, than the next day you hear about big Desigual kissing party close to Tower Bridge where you even get a T-shirt for free! Sure you should go there and see what it is like! Than you must see musical Hair, Chicago, Billy Elliot and many many more, it is awesome! And did you know most of museums are for free? And some of them are so huge that you are not able to walk it through in one day. Do you know how many museums are in London? Lot.
Than you have Notting Hill Carnival in the end of August which I love, good music and dancing on the streets of Notting Hill, nice! arty on a boat on Thames?
Every day there is something happening in London, easy check TimeOut London
After long 7 months of my personal hibernation (don't even ask), my passion and motivation finally came back to me! Yeheeey, and all thanks to SayTaiwan! I can't believe I'm in between of 250 people, who were selected to attend the celebration of the 100th Anniversary since The Republic of China was established (12th-24th August 2011). Because I've been studying Chinese language for some time and I'm also interested in Chinese culture, you can imagine what this means to me! Well I live in China (Hangzhou) some time, but I have never been in Taiwan and as a student I would never be able to save money for such a trip. I'm so excited about being a part of this celebration and can't wait to meet up all those interesting people from 125 different countries!
I'm a Czech girl, I love to travel, I study Chinese and very soon I'll be looking for a job, hopefully connected with Chinese and traveling. So wish me luck! Also I'm not master in English, this will be part of my preparation for FCE exam, so tolerance pls. Have a good day!
