Roger and Stephen in Singapore

Thursday, 22 November 2012

Osaka and Kyoto

We recently spent a long weekend in Osaka and made a day trip down to Kyoto which is about half an hour on the train from Osaka
Osaka and Kyoto were bathed in autumn colours that were intense reds and yellows and as we had not seen autumn for 2 years it was lovely to experience. Osaka does not have a huge range of tourist attractions but enough to fill in a weekend. Osaka has a large castle which is impressive and is lit up at night. Osaka's vibrant restaurant and entertainment district is situated in the Dotonbaci district. Many of the restaurants serve crab which is very popular in Osaka. Another popular food in Osaka is Takoyaki which are octopus dumplings that are cooked on a special hot plate. Umeda Skygarden is a great way to see the city as the the observation deck from the 37th floor offers 360 degrees views of Osaka. The observation deck is reached from suspended escalators from about the 30th floor.

Kyoto was very interesting and we wish we could have spent more time there but the weather was not the best. Kyoto has many historical areas and is one of the a main districts where you can spot a Geisha. We managed to spot 2 which was very interesting to see amongst people going about there Sunday shopping etc. We were also lucky to observe a traditional Japanese wedding taking place in a temple. After the ceremony the couple and guests walked through the park to the reception. Beside the river there is an area that has traditional buildings which contained many restaurants and bars along a narrow cobbled alleyway. Some of these bars could only hold half a dozen people at a time as they were so small.

Autumn colour at Osaka Castle

Autumn colour at Osaka Castl

Osaka Castle at night

Cooking the Takoyaki

Dotonbori by night

Food and produce market Osaka

Out for a days shopping

Escalator up to the Umeda Sky garden

The suspended escalators

Umeda building

Reminded us of Melbourne

Autumn colour at Yasaka shrine, Kyoto

Traditional wedding in Kyoto

A wedding guest

The happy couple

Tuesday, 13 November 2012

Deepavali

Today is a public holiday in Singapore to celebrate Deepavali or Diwali which is a major festival for the Indian community.

It is believed that Narakasura, a demon, ruled the kingdom of Pradyoshapuram. Under his rule, the villagers suffered a lot of hardship as the demon tortured the people and kidnapped the women to be imprisoned in his palace. Seeing his wickedness, Lord Khrishna set out to destroy the demon and the day Narakasura died was celebrated as Deepavali, the triumph of good over evil

Little India has been lit up with decorations for many weeks and has been very crowded with people buying decorations for their homes from the temporary market stalls set up.

Deepavali is a colourful festival that is celebrated by Hindus and is also known as the festival of lights. One important practise that the Hindus follow during the festival is to light oil lamps in their homes on Deepavali morning. By lighting the oil lamps, the Hindus are thanking the gods for the happiness, knowledge, peace and wealth that they have received. The Hindus consider Deepavali as one of the most important festivals to celebrate.

The rituals today include rising early in the morning to have an oil bath, which is an important feature of Deepavali. Hindus will be dressed in their new clothes on Deepavali. Most of the ladies would be in new silk saris or Punjabi suits of various bright shades. Many will also pay their respects to the elderly and most families would go to the temple after having breakfast. Giving of gifts is also common as well as children playing with firecrackers to celebrate the festival.