Hungry Ghosts Go Where?

This time of the year is terrible for me. First the haze then at times the Sumatran squall. Now it is the Hungry Ghost Festival with burning and all. Haze, smoke, weather change is killing me through my ultra-sensitive nose. Fortunately, Indonesians do not practise burning during the 7th month or we will become the walking dead. If I got hit by a bad bout of allergic rhinitis and you saw me on the street, you might think I just walked out from the gate of hell. Then you see me holding a glass of beer and you know I am human. 

Those who drink too much are called 酒 鬼 (jiu gui). They say you should not go swimming around this time because the 水 鬼 will drag your leg and pull you down to drown you. Then those who were DOM (dirty old men) may have become "hum sup kwai". Then you have the hungry ghosts or yao gui - words used to describe greedy people. You see some Chinese people like to have a lot of Gods as we have many types of ghosts. I wonder if Chinese ghosts will go disturb the "kwai lo" Westerners. 

I do remember that when I was young, they used to say that during the Lunar calendar's 7th month, the hell gate is opened and all kinds of ghosts will wander the streets at night. Some folks I know who claimed to have the third eye told me that during this time of the year, when they are out at night, they are not sure if what they saw were people or ghosts. Others said they could differentiate when what they saw have legs that do not touch the ground. 

They also said that if you are out at night, when you hear someone calling you from behind, do not answer and do not look back. Just walk away as fast as you can. It could be your boss! Haha. Gotcha! No, I mean it could be a "you-know-what". Once, I heard someone calling me at night from behind, I didn't turned back nor answered. I walked away quickly. I heard the footsteps behind catching up so I picked up speed and when I turned a corner, I ran. Next day, I got a call from Freddy. Freddy, a friend not the Krueger one from Night Mare On Elm Street. "Eh, last night I saw you and called you. You just ignored me and walked away quickly. I just wanted to say thanks for the soccer tips over the weekend". Just kidding but you get the drift. So Hungry Ghosts Go Where?

For those who may have missed, allow me to share with you my previous postings on such encounters. If you read through them, you will know what my thoughts are for such things? Are there such things? Are they for real? What are they? Should we be afraid?


Fear not. If you have fears, talk to me and I shall banish your fears forever. It can be anything, fear of ghosts, fear of cockroaches, fear of having no money, fear of losing, fear of anything. I provide very fast service no matter how long it takes. 

 Like that hungry ghosts go where?

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