~Flawlessly IMperfect presents : A beautiful Disaster~

Heya peeps!! It's been a long time since I had something decent to post, so...here I am now...haha. I went out today to Bugis . I was working my way from Parco Bugis Junction to the Kuan Yin Thong Hood Cho Temple at Waterloo street to pay my respects and pray for a safe new year.

Upon reaching Waterloo street, I was looking at scores of people!! 'People mountain, people sea', as the chinese would say. What's more was that the Chinese New Year stalls and decors were mostly done up already, adding to the vibrancy of the whole of Waterloo street. I was indeed greeted with a riot of colors, sights and sounds that was unique to Waterloo street, espcially around this time of the year. There were stalls which were selling plants which had symbolic meanings to the chinese, new year goodies, Chinese New Year decoration items, and the list just goes on...

Squeezing through the hordes and winding my way around to reach the temple, I went in and offered joss sticks, praying and giving thanks to the Gods for the blessing bestowed upon us, and not forgetting to pray for the new year.

( Kuan Yin Thong Hood Cho Temple)

When I exited the temple, I headed in the direction of the hawker centre for that one and only item I always go for; either the pork/fish porridge from the porridge stall. Whenever I am within the area of Waterloo Street or after praying at the temple, I would always, without fail, get my dose of the best porridge I had ever tried. You can't imagine how good it tastes, only you have to try it to find out. But on my way there, I was enticed by the rythmic sounds of the digeridoo, drums and bells combined together. Curious, I headed in the direction of the sounds.

When I had located the source of the groovy beats, I was looking at a man, whom I asumed (upon first sight) to be a busker of some sort. He looked like he was taking a breather after the previous round of music-making, but was back to his instruments soon after. I could see that all his musical instruments were his Digeridoo, a Thai-style kind of gong, a drum and bells attached to his ankles. Amazingly, he was the one who was playing all those instruments in tuned and rythmic fashion, all by himself! I was really astonished by his talent. But he was no ordinary man it seems. He was a Japanese man leading a wondering life, and I could see his luggage behind him. From 2 boards on which he placed each on both his left and right, and roughly from what I can recall what was written on it, it says:

'My one and only reason for travelling around the world, MUSIC IS MY LIFE. With music we can communicate and it knows no borders and recognises no frontiers.'

(All the words may not be the actual thing I read but it is along the same meaning as well)

When I read those words, I was truly touched, to say the least, of his passion in music and making people like you and I realise that music is not only restricted to certain people but it lives in all of us, regardless of race, language, religion. It makes you realise how important music is to us and certainly made me more appreciative of other people like him, who has only one goal; which is to communicate with the masses with this melodious artform. Of course, he was also trying to get people to donate since he has 2 baskets in which people can out their money in, to show appreciation to his cause. But I believe that the money is mainly for his travel expenses to other parts of the world, waiting for him to deliver the same message, and allowing others like me to reflect on how music can change the world. For me, today was truly a real eye-opener, not to mention a wake up call for myself on how great someone like him was, who wanted not fame, sympathy or fortune, but just to live his passion for music.

8:56 PM