The Bizarre: You've got to be Jossing me!

I live within walking distance of a typical open-air market where you can: eat a fish head curry, buy fresh fruits and meats, and stock up on your Hell notes... er.... say what?

Joss paper, aka, "Hell notes" (or Spirit money), are sheets of paper made made from coarse Bamboo or Rice paper to resemble currency. These notes, as well as various papier mâché items, are burned in traditional Chinese deity or ancestor worship ceremonies. Additionally, Joss paper is also burned during Chinese funeral ceremonies to ensure the spirit of a loved one is sent into the afterlife with sufficient money to purchase all they desire, as well as papier mâché replicas of favourite items they enjoyed while they were living.

Kinda makes you feel bad for all those people who were burning effigies of George W. Bush a few years back doesn't it?....

Here is my local Joss Paper and Stick Store:

Hell notes are known for their ridiclous denominations.

The bills feature the image of the Jade Emperor on the front and the Hell bank "branch" on the back

Who doesn't want to take their La-Z-Boy & a six-pack with them?

I've been asking since I was 10! Please tell me I don't have to die to get a Schwinn Cruiser.

What? No black?

A house!... and with a picket fence to boot!

Because, even though it's hot, nobody wants to be naked in hell.

When they're making him out of paper.... I'm all over it.

Burning with Love,

Tess

This Errant Blogger

I am an inconsistent blogger at best.

I tend to over-think things when I'm writing. Pffffpt! I tend to over think everything, and this can be paralyzing.

I don't know what the deal is. Maybe I don't like committing to the words, or maybe I think I'll come up with something better later, or that I won't say it correctly. Maybe I'm just a coward, or a perfectionist. Yeah, that's it! I'm a cowardly perfectionist... who likes to procrastinate.

I realize that part of maintaining a good blog is developing good habits⧿and I only seem to know how to develop bad habits.

::stares blankly at the page for the next 10 minutes while sipping a glass of merlot::

What was I going on about? Oh yeah, habits!

In an effort to develop a habit of writing⧿not a riding habit⧿ *snort* I am going to attempt to make regular short posts (in addition to my long irregular posts) about anything beautiful or bizarre that catches my eye. Surely, I can do this right? I like to think we all encounter something beautiful (or bizarre) every day, if we just take the time to look for it.

So here it goes... something beautiful:

I was mesmerized by these rain drops on the leaves of a banana tree after a rain. Did you ever break open a thermometer to see what was inside? They look like Mercury don't they?

With LOVE to anyone who is beautiful and/or bizarre,

Tess