A few days ago we went to Thaipusam, a Hindu holiday mainly celebrated by Tamils in Malaysia and Singapore. People don these huge shrines and walk for four or five kilometers from one temple to another. The purpose is to ask the gods to grant a wish, or to thank them for already having done so.It's a pretty intense spectacle. The shrines have dozens of hooks going into the bearer's skin, and most people have their cheeks and/or tongues pierced with little tridents as well. Supposedly the celeb...
When I was riding my motorcycle around Bali, I stumbled across a cockfight. It's a tradition across the island that has survived attempts to stamp it out for the sake of tourists who might be disgusted. I've heard it's currently both legal and illegal, so I'm not really sure what to believe. It was a festival atmosphere where the fights took place, with a gamelan troupe loudly going at it in the temple next door. People bought satay and other snacks, gossipped about their lives and speculated ...
Seth: I have used quite a few toilets in my life. But I have never had the distinct honor and privelege of using an Exeloo until a couple of weeks ago. Verily, it was an excellent loo. After I used it, I made Erin try it out. She emerged doing the happy dance.I hope you enjoy this tour of the Exeloo as much as I enjoyed using it. I love New Zealand.
Ever the eco crusader willing to do his part, Seth tries his first bites of possum pie and explains a bit about the invasive species problem in New Zealand.
Seth: Although Erin and I are on a pretty tight budget (especially in expensive, "developed" countries), we do try to do some special activities regardless of cost. The skydive was one and an overnight cruise on Milford Sound was another. One of the things I've always wanted to do was to swim with dolphins. I thought you could only do it at those fancy-schmancy hotels where they capture wild dolphins to swin in the hotel pool. But in NZ, you can swim with them in the wild. I chose one organiza...