May 2005 b

Paper Jellyfish

This was my first Vesak here in donkeys years, not that donkeys can count but perhaps thats what they mean. We commemorated the birth-enlightenment-death anniversary of Buddha by precariously ascending ladders and placing paper and cane hexagons all over the light sources outside our house. Im not sure whether to go all profound and talk about the light signifying the banishing of ignorance and bringing the light of knowledge etc etc or just go lowbrow and say that we did our best to outshine the neighbours' efforts. I think ours was the best on the block in terms of driving out the darkness.
Oh and you may be wondering about the paper jellyfish. Well, that's what the lanterns look like. Their tissue paper skins opaquely florescing and dozens of tentacle-like streamers flowing under the hexagonal bodies, floating in a world of houses and coconut trees. And then they have the mothers of all these paper jellies hanging about town, great big brightly coloured jobs with mechanical doobies making them turn like slow motion dervishes under pandan shades. Mesmerising for one easily entertained.