Synonymous with the infamous hungry ghosts festival in Singapore is the frequent setting-up of temporary stages called getai in many sub-urban areas (this year's first getai was surprisingly staged along Orchard Road)!
For those who are mystified over the term getai, please visit wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getai.
While going home from Yishun MRT station one evening, i chanced upon a getai that was set up in a really constricted area! Damn, how many people can you hold in this small little space that borders HDB flats within a few meters?
It would not start until 8pm and yet you could already see people looking around for seats and patiently waiting for a night of usually raw dialect entertainment.
No matter how crowded it is, no sane human will jostle for a seat at the first row known otherwise as the VIP seats. Since getai serves as a mode of entertainment to those spirits, these seats are entirely reserved for them. As you can see, it's not difficult to set them apart from the norm (hint: on the seats).
The sound and light technicians were testing the sound system, smoke effects and lighting when i passed by. Seldom would you get to be at such close proximity to the back stage! I enjoyed the good old secondary school days when i get to play this on a frequent basis.
A final look - i was too stressed and tired (plus hungry) to stay for an additional hour to catch the show!!! Let's see if there's any more around Yishun with just a week left to Hungry Ghosts Month.
If not, do look out for my post on the mooncake festival!
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