Malaysia, then Back to Singapore for Thaipusam

This weekend we took the ferry to Desaru, a beach destination in the Johor region of Malaysia (http://wikitravel.org/en/Desaru). We made it back from our overnight trip just in time to witness Thaipusam (http://www.etour-singapore.com/thaipusam-singapore.html), a Hindu festival celebrating the birthday of the deity Subramaniam. During the festival, Hindus show their faith by piercing their bodies with sharp objects. Then, friends or relatives load something called a kavadi on the devotee’s shoulders, and he goes on a 4km walk of faith. In Singapore, the parade goes down Serangoon/Selegie Road, which is about a block from our house. The whole affair was really interesting, as thousands of onlookers lined the street, burning incense, and passing out candy and juice. Teams of musicians would beat drums, blow horns, and chant during the procession. Entire families would camp out for the day to lend support to those walking past. What was striking to me was how everyone attending was really festive and in a good mood. This was a celebration, not a spectacle. No one, except us, seemed to be grimmacing in pain as each devotee passed.