北海自然疗法

最近太太左手臂酸疼，无法高举或往后弯，经友人介绍到北海一家自然疗法中心求诊。第一次去，我也“顺便”体验一下这个疗法。这里的自然疗法是结合了东、西方对经络、脊椎矫正、点穴推拿等的疗法，由两父子负责医疗。

一开始，我的肩颈、手掌、腰部、小腿分别系上了连接一部仪器的黑带，然后平躺在床上后就开始导电，不一会儿就感觉有电流冲击，感觉最强烈的是手和脚，都不由自主地抖动起来，那一刻我感觉自己像是插满了电线的科学怪人，双脚双手一抖一抖地，仿佛下一刻一个面目峥嵘的怪物就要诞生了！但是想归想，我终究还是没变科学怪人，只是颈肩开始有微微的感觉，那感觉越来越强烈，右颈肩好像有锋利的东西刮了一下又一下，到后来那个冲击的感觉越来越强烈，简直是有人在用铁锤敲我的右颈肩，一下又一下，我强忍着，心想是不是我的右颈肩或关连的部位有问题，所以感觉才那么强烈？可是那铁锤实在太凶了，我快招架不住，就在我快举白旗投降时，电流自动切断了，导电的疗程也结束了。后来和医师提起，才知道这一招叫导平，就是以电流冲击穴位来让我们体内的气平衡，至于铁锤那一招根本不该发生，那是左颈肩那里的电线松脱了，导致电流全部集中在右颈肩，才会有那么强烈的感觉。我想这要怪我“鸡婆”了，应该是疗程一半时我要看看邻床的太太反应如何，抬头起来看时电线松脱的。

接下来我们转到内室，疗法基本分三种：1）用手按摩推拉矫正骨头 2）用电抢打击穴道 3）用一块特制的木板，上了“机关”后置于臀部下面，医师再扳着病患的大腿，然后用他身体的重量往下一压，木板发出了震耳的叩声（幸好之前有看到别人在用，不然“克洛”的一声还以为骨头被压断了！），如此来回三两次，借以调整骨骼。

别问我疗效如何？我只去过一次，我相信这种疗法可能不能立竿见影，或许要多去几次，但我想久久去弄一次，就当作老爷车定期维修总是好的。

下来的两个星期，我得戒酒、戒茶、戒冷水和戒叶绿素高的三种蔬菜：芥兰、西兰花及马尼菜。啊！幸好不必戒咖啡！

（04.11.15 治疗，07.11.15太太第二次治疗时绘）

多春茶座 Toh Soon Cafe

28 October2015

这一切都是从一幅速写开始。

2015年9月16日的面子书问我要不要分享一幅我在5年前所画的速写，画的是多春茶座。一般上我不太理会这些回顾过去的照片，但这幅画却勾起了我许多回忆。5年前的那一天是马来西亚日，还在念小六的女儿配合节日到就读的韩江小学表演民族舞，我在那里画了很多速写。下午我们又去了多春叹咖啡，我也画了一幅速写。没想到一转眼就5年了，女儿今年也已中五。于是我分享了这幅回顾历史的图片，也不忘写道：“五年前的旧作，如今多春人潮汹涌、座无虚席，我想很难可以再霸着一个位子悠闲地画画了。”

Sketch of Toh Soon Cafe done on 16.09.2010

It all started with a sketch of Toh Soon Café five years ago. It was Malaysia Day (16.09.2010) and I accompanied my daughter to her school to perform dances during the Malaysia Day celebration. I did many sketches of the performers on that day. And in the afternoon we went to Toh Soon Café for local coffee and toast and this was when the sketch came about.

这幅速写经过再分享后，不小心给多春的老闆娘看到了，于是通过一位朋友私讯问我是否愿意出让？我说因为速写是画在线装的速写本子，不能拆开，但我可以给她存档照片，代价是一杯咖啡。

然后约定了时间，9月28日下午我就带了一个存档的光碟前往多春，一来就看到老闆娘在滑手机，心想幸好人不多，老闆娘还有时间滑手机，表示还有时间聊聊天了。于是道明来意，也把5年前的画作给她看，老闆老闆娘很开心，话匣子一打开就聊了半个钟头，当中老闆老闆娘还请我喝了两杯咖啡，还有烤面包和半生熟蛋。原来多春1950年就开始营业，老东家已九十多岁，儿子接手后也已经经营了30年，老闆娘嫁入黄家后老闆更如虎添翼，两夫妇配合无间，把一个座落后巷的小档口发扬光大。配合这几年乔治市入世遗后带来的大批游客，如今在高峰期多春可是人头躜动，一席难求。

Sharing my sketch with Mrs Ooi

Five years later I shared this sketch again after FB prompted me on this down memory lane photo. The owner of Toh Soon Café somehow saw this post and wanted to collect this sketch. I couldn’t part with this sketch as this was done on a binded sketchbook. So I suggested to exchange a soft copy of my sketch with a cup of their famous local coffee.

Photo with the owners of Toh Soon Cafe, Mr & Mrs Ooi. They are the 2nd generation of Toh Soon after Mr Ooi senior (now age 90+) passed the trade to Ooi 30 years ago.

Toh Soon's bosses and workers busy preparing coffee, half boiled eggs and toast for customers.
The toasts are prepared with traditional charcoal burnt method.

My sketch of Toh Soon after the bosses treated me with a set of coffee, half boiled eggs and toast. While I was sketching, the bosses made me another cup of coffee. And I left the stall with another free packet of glutinous rice dessert and a pack of famous Toh Soon coffee powder.

谈话结束后已是四点半左右，人潮开始多起来，老闆娘也去忙了，我抓紧时间赶快画了一幅速写才走，临走时老闆娘又递上了一包黑糯米粥和一包招牌多春咖啡粉让我带回家。

Sketch of the day. Colours put on at home.

Roti Bakar Kacang Phool Penang

25 October 2015

A few weeks ago I saw a friend recommended a special roti bakar (toast) on Facebook. So today with all in the family available (sometimes kids have activities) and I don’t have sketchwalk due to haze, we decided to try this out as our Sunday breakfast. The stall is located at a newly completed foodcourt at a new residential area between Tesco Tanjung Tokong and Island Plaza.

The roti bakar was a thick slice of specially ordered custom made loaf, buttered and lightly toasted. What made it special was instead of the usual toast with butter and kaya, the roti was served with a type of gravy (cooked with kacang parang/ broad beans) call Kacang Phool, which was derived from the Middle Eastern dish known as Foul Medammas. You may either have beef or chicken in the gravy, which was served top with a sunny-side egg, some green chillies, chopped onions and a slice of lime. It was something we have not tried before, an alternative to eating toast with kaya and butter. A set of Roti Bakar Kacang Phool costs RM5.00.

The stall’s FB page says that they are the first, the one and only in Penang. The young and friendly lady boss told me the Kacang Phool they serve is her mother’s secret recipe. Other than Kacang Phool, they also serve Roti Jala and Fujitas.

九皇爷三部曲 2015

槟城的九皇爷庆典（农历九月初一至初九）可说是越来越热闹，因为九皇爷斋而带旺的素食更是越来越多，琳琅满目。

小时候，素食不是那么方便，种类也不多，最普遍就是素食炒米粉。那时吃九皇爷斋，通常都是妈妈自己下厨准备，那时素食材料调味料等不多，往往吃起来感觉淡而无味，而且通常一道菜煮一大锅分三天吃，每一天都吃同样的菜，第一天还好，第二天勉强可以，到第三天就叫苦连天了（通常吃九皇爷斋的信徒可以选择吃一天、三天、六天或九天的素食）。吃九皇爷斋非常讲究，通常炊具、碗筷、杯子等之前都不可碰过荤食，所以妈妈会准备一套九皇爷斋用的，一年就用那么几天，用完洗净后就让静静躺在储物室里等待隔年再用。

现在由于种种原因茹素的朋友越来越多（宗教、健康或其它种种），素食材料调味料等也越来越多，素食大有市场，素食店也就越开越多。但是一到了九皇爷诞，素食店还是供不应求，因此就衍生了满街飘黄布卖素食的奇特街景，黄色是九皇爷的颜色，以前卖素食的小贩还会写上红色的九皇大帝四字，现在很多也不写了，反正你看到贩摊挂上黄布就是卖九皇爷素了。这些应节的素食摊贩，很多一年就是做那九天的生意，有些本来卖荤食的小贩，九皇爷诞改卖素食；有些本来卖的就不是荤的，九皇爷诞就挂上九天的黄布；也有些人向工作单位请九天假，卖起素食或到素食摊帮忙。

槟岛的九皇爷庆典，要数车水路观音庙的最热闹。每年到了这个时候，寺庙前人潮汹涌，庙前插着数支显眼的黄旗，大多上书九皇大帝，迎风飘扬，带出了九皇爷庆典的氛围。除了黄旗，观音庙前也竖立了一支高耸入云的粗长竹竿，还有两个显眼的白色纸灯笼和黄幡，而正对面的油较路则沿路搭起了挂满黄布的临时素食贩摊。

2015年10月18日（农历初六）星期天的早晨。槟城城市速写人拉队来到了车水路的观音庙写生，虽然是星期天公假日，但这里还是车水马龙，人行道上也停满了嚤哆车，要找个落脚的地方还真不容易。我抵达时已有好几位城市速写人开工了，而槟城油画大师张汉发老师也老早就架好巨型画布在勾勒着观音庙的构图，我选择了在离张老师不远处的地方写生，一来那是唯一可以落脚，角度还不错的地点，二来也可以向大师偷师J。

Urban Sketchers Penang 成员写生情景

张汉发大师街头创作大型油画

Urban Sketchers Penang 成员的画作

散会前来张合照

大约十二点多，大家都画得差不多了（有些画友有事已经先行离开），于是集合分享画作及拍个全体照后就散会了。

九皇爷三部曲之一 Burmah Rd Kuan Yim Temple, Penang no,1 56x76cm Watercolour 2015

2015年10月19日（农历初七）感觉意犹未尽，放工后再赶过去观音庙写生，这次选了另一边的角度，由于时间不多，只能画幅小的，这是拉长式的格式，刚好把三进的寺庙填满画面，没有显现太多的天空，右边背景看得到的东兴大厦我就省略了，画好刚好就天暗了。

九皇爷三部曲之二Burmah Rd Kuan Yim Temple, Penang no.2 19x56cm Watercolour 2015

2015年10月20日（农历初八）下班后再一次回到观音庙，没想到我竟然一连来了三天！其实是刚好有时间，又想说这个场景不画下来，就得等多一年了。来到车水路时原本是想进庙里速写，把有关九皇爷的庆典、拜拜的贡品、九皇爷船等画下来，可是一来到这里又马上被寺庙的气势、九皇爷庆典的热闹以及车水马龙的氛围所吸引，刚好寺庙对面的电信局前面有个落脚点，那个角度相比第一幅所画的会比较正一些，于是就有了这第三部曲。同样的，在有限的时间下，我只能来幅小的，这次我把左边背景的周天央大楼省略了，还有前景的交通灯刚好遮住了寺庙优美的屋顶也被我去掉了。

九皇爷三部曲之三Burmah Rd Kuan Yim Temple, Penang no.3 19x56cm Watercolour 2015

隔天农历九月初九，也即是九皇爷庆典最重要的一天，本想说这次要进寺庙速写，然后晚上九皇爷回銮的游行时再来几幅速写，谁知拜印尼烟霾所赐，喉咙发炎、眼睛红肿，病倒了！忍痛回家休息，错过了这庆典的最高潮，只好期待来年有机会再来画九皇爷回銮游行、乩童面颊穿孔带着长短粗细不一的铁条满街走的经典画面。

今年，我没有吃三天九皇爷斋，倒是画了三天九皇爷画！

（写于农历九月初十九皇爷回銮后一天）

St. Jo’s @ Penang Gurney Paragon Revisited

17 October 2015

Gurney Paragon in 2012

St. Joseph's in 2012 with construction of main shopping mall still on.

It was 3 ½ years ago on 8 April 2012 that we had our sketchwalk at Gurney Paragon which was partly opened to public then as construction of the main shopping mall was still ongoing. Our presence at the shopping mall piazza area in front of St. Joseph’s alerted the security guards. They were not sure what this group of people was sketching for. They called their superiors, a few guys and ladies came to see us and we explained we were a group of sketchers sketching and painting the St. Jo’s as it has nice architecture feature. After some discussions, they called their Manager and the instruction from the Manager was we had to stop and leave the premises. Reason: they did not allow any drawing of St. Jo’s and other parts of Gurney Paragon (even though it was a public area) as it would deem infringement of copyright, unless we had prior approval from the Management. At that time I was just started putting on some of the colours but was abruptly stopped, and had to pack and go. I was upset with the interruption, I brought the unfinished work home but had lost the desire to complete the painting. It remains taped on my drawing board until today. 

We were happy sketching until abruptly stopped by the security personnel.

My half finished painting of St. Jo's which remains taped on the board until today.

After 3 ½ years, PAM (Persatuan Akitek Malaysia) Northen Chapter organized a series of activities this day on 17 October 2015, the World Architecture Day. Part of the program was a sketching session of St. Jo’s with Urban Sketchers Penang. So we revisited St. Jo’s, this time with the assurance that we won’t get kick out half way, but still I had to stop half way after it started drizzling. Luckily I had most of the scene painted and I finished off the painting at home.

Sketchwalk on World Architecture Day

Some of our works

We also sketched on little postcards

My unfinished watercolour of St. Jo's due to rain.

Urban Sketchers Penang

                                                                             

2 watercolours of St. Jo's: 1 unfinished and 1 completed 

St. Jo's @ Gurney Paragon, Penang 38x56cm Watercolour 2015

Chinese Puppet Show 掌中班

Chinese Puppet Show 掌中班 

(Malay Street Ghaut, Penang 26 September 2015)

I chanced upon a puppet show by the road side at Malay Street Ghaut when I was heading to my mum’s house.

The puppet show was set up to celebrate the birthday of a deity in the temple across the road. The set up was quite simple, with the centre stage flanked by 2 side walls, all made of wooden planks secured to a metal frame. The puppeteers -an old man and an old lady were seated behind the stage with a piece of canvas hanging behind them as backdrop. The position of the stage was high enough to hide the puppeteers. Puppets were controlled by hand and fingers movements inside the dress of the puppets. This is different from another form of puppet show which puppets were controlled by sticks attached to their bodies and limbs.

Today, puppet show is a dying art. Kids no longer appreciate the show, they rather play games on their cell phones.

Hungry Ghost Festival 2015

2015 Hungry Ghost Festival in BM, Penang

2015 槟城大山脚中元节（盂兰胜会）

30 August 2015 - Urban Sketchers Penang were invited to sketch the Hungry Ghost Festival at Bukit Mertajam. We arrived at this little town in Penang around 4.30pm to witness the last day of celebration. Chinese folk culture believes that during the 7th month of Chinese calendar, hell gate opens and ghosts will enter our world. To appease the ghosts especially the Tai Su Ya (King of ghosts), who is believed to guard the hungry ghosts so that they do not become unruly, many places set up the temporary tent to house the effigy of Tai Su Ya which is made of bamboo (for the form) and coloured papers. Bukit Mertajam is famous for the festival with its majestic look effigy of Tai Su Ya. On the last day of celebration, the effigy will be burnt to send off Tai Su Ya. In Bukit Mertajam, Tai Su Ya was made to grow taller each year by an inch. When Tai Su Ya reached 26 feet in 2012, the Festival Committee decided it was optimum and would be fixed at this height for years to come.

Our sketches/ Paintings of Tai Su Ya

150830 大山脚庆赞中元大士爷金身 Tai Su Ya, Bukit Mertajam 38x56cm Watercolour

After painting, we went for dinner and when we came back, the Chinese opera troupe who used to perform on stage during the festival, were performing on ground in front of Tai Su Ya. I quickly seized the opportunity to make a few sketches of the Chinese opera characters. 

We met Jamie Vickers from LA. Jamie was touring and sketching Asia.

While waiting for the effigy to be burnt at 10pm, we went to the Festival Committee office to see some of the photo records of how Tai Su Ya was made and delivered to site for assembly.

Alan Teh, the Architect who was brought up in Bukit Mertajam and who invited us to sketch the Festival, was explaining to us about the making of Tai Su Ya.

I walked to the street at around 9.30pm and it was crowded with devotees waiting to see the finale- the burning of Tai Su Ya effigy. There were 5 fire engines stood by near the place where the effigy of Tai Su Ya would be burnt. Tai Su Ya was wheeled out from the temporary tent to the site just closed to 10pm. By then everyone was anxious to witness the burning and those with joss sticks in their hands started praying. The volunteer firemen shot the water to the sparks flying around in the sky once Tai Su Ya was set on fire. 

Standing among the crowd, I first sketched the fire engine and the crowd, and waited for Tai Su Ya's appearance and burning to finish off the sketch.   焚化大士爷金身的一刻，有五辆消防车待命，大士爷金身一烧，星火冲天飞舞的那一刻自愿消防队员就立刻朝冲天的星火喷水，以防火苗落到邻近房子引起火患。大士爷金身还未推出来时我先把消防车和围观的信徒画好，等大士爷金身一到就把祂补上。

Other sketches/ paintings done during the Hungry Ghosts Festival in Penang

21 August 2015 - Sketches of Teowchew Opera performers working on their make up below the stage. The Teowchew Opera Troupe from China was performing at Jelutong Market for the Hungry Ghost Festival. 

中国诏安潮剧团演员在台底上妆准备出场。

28 August 2015 - Kim Giak Low Choon Puppet Show at Terengganu Road.

Terengganu Rd 大伯公庙庆赞中元金玉楼春潮州木偶剧团酬神演出与槟城潮剧推手吴慧玲小姐合影。

150828 Kim Giak Low Choon Puppet Show 38x56cm Watercolour

8 September 2015 - I was looking to paint the Chinese Opera performance during the Hungry Ghost Festival but could not find one in town. Finally ended up at the junction of Jalan Kapitan Keling and Armenian Street with not the traditional performance but the Getai (pop song performed by scantily clad singers).

在市区遍寻不着庆赞中元的传统戏曲来写生，最后在椰脚街找到了一个辣妹歌台，只好转而画大士爷。正所谓：
鬼王怒目端坐，信徒膜拜；
辣妹热歌劲舞，观众欢呼；
画者挥笔勾勒，心跳加速；(*)
路人驻足围观，听歌赏图。
(*)心跳加速无关辣妹，乃振耳欲聋的音乐所致。

150908 Tai Su Ya @ Jalan Kapitan Keling, Penang 38x56cm Watercolour