THE MYSTIQUE OF LOVE AND MARRIAGE

Traditional Chinese wedding dolls 

Then Paul stood in the meeting of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious. As I walked around looking carefully at your shrines, I found an altar with this inscription, 'To a God Unknown'. So you are worshiping in ignorance and this is what I am going to make known to you" (Acts 17:22-23).

Since love, courtship and marriage are important events in human life, so important that our women would sacrifice everything to find a lover, the desire to know the future, especially among young girls, has been an urgent need since time immemorial (If you are interested in palmistry, please click here to find out how the lines of marriage can affect your love life). Due to the passionate nature of love itself, it is nothing surprising why many young girls, especially teenage girls, want to know how and where to find a boyfriend and who their future husband would be. This is perhaps the reason why the superstitions about love and marriage continue from one generation to another even though they may sound ridiculous, weird or even spooky. 

I will begin with the apple since it has always had an essential role to play in love probably because it is the forbidden fruit that caused the fall of Adam and Eve. When I was fourteen, my girlfriends believed that if they peel the skin of an apple in a long continuous strip in front of the mirror at midnight, they would be able to see the image of their future soul mate in the mirror. If it breaks, according to them, their future soul mate would die. One of my classmates tried out this method and reported that she did see the face of someone in the mirror. She encouraged me to try out this method but at that time I was worried that I would kill someone should the apple skin break and chose not to do so.

Many generations of young girls have peeled the skin of an apple in a continuous piece and tossed it over their left shoulder in the belief that it will fall in the shape of a letter showing the first letter of their true love's Christian name. If it breaks, it is an omen that they would end up as old maids. A girl who wants to know how much her boyfriend loves her would drop a pip from an apple she has eaten on to the fire whilst whispering his name softly. If it goes off with a cracking sound, then it is an indication that he is head over heels in love with her. 

One of the simplest and most popular of all love rituals is The Daisy Oracle (He loves me, He loves me not) which goes all the way back to medieval times. Just get a daisy and pluck off its petals saying "He loves me" with the first petal and "He loves me not" for the next petal. This is repeated until the last petal and what is said predicts whether there is love or no love. In America, it is believed that if a young girl holds a mirror over a well, the face of her future spouse will be reflected in it. In Britain, however, it is believed that a young girl who sleeps with a mirror under her pillow will dream of her future spouse. Similarly, she will dream of her future spouse if she sleeps with daisies or a piece of wedding cake under her pillow. 

It is also believed that if a young girl goes to a churchyard at midnight and walks around it twelve times, the ghostly shape of her future husband will appear. According to Hungarian folklore, if a single woman picks twelve sage leaves in the garden at midnight and holds them to her heart, the shadowy form of her future husband will appear on the other side of the garden. If she picks twelve sage leaves at midday on 25 April (The Feast of St. Mark) or at midnight on Midsummer's Eve, the first unmarried man who comes along will be her husband. 

One of the most appealing superstitious beliefs suggests that once a girl has set her heart on a man, she should pick two long-stemmed roses, naming one for herself and one for her dream man, twine the stems together, and repeat these words before going to bed:

Twine, twine and intertwine,

Let my love be wholly mine;

If his heart be kind and true,

Deeper grow the rose's hue.

And the rose is expected to turn darker in color should her wishes come true. In America, there is a simpler way to make your boyfriend love you - just wink at the biggest star that you can find before you go to sleep. An alternative way is to voodoo him to fall in love with you since a voodoo love spell is a powerful love spell that works almost instantly but, of course, this is very unethical. What will happen if the spell is broken? 

If a woman desperately wants to keep her man, it is not uncommon for her to use black magic on him. In this aspect, the Miao people, a minority ethnic group living in Southern China, are well-known for their black magic and witchcraft. Also known as "gu", it is a concentrated poison taken from five poisonous creatures; the scorpion, centipede, venomous snake, spider, and toad. Travelers to this region who have been seduced by the Miao women would have unknowingly taken meals laced with this powerful poison and if they return to their lovers within the time they have promised, they would be given an antidote. If they do not intend to keep their promises, they would die of "gu" poisoning. Since this deadly poison is tasteless and does not act immediately, its victims can live their normal lives before they begin to feel sick. Once they begin to feel sick, the poison would destroy them from within and they cannot escape death without the antidote.

If the "gu" is too deadly, there is probably an easier way to keep your man. I remember watching a Chinese documentary about ghosts and superstitions some years back. In one of its episodes, the "master" talked about an artiste who was living with his girlfriend and he was shocked when he found out that his girlfriend has been collecting his pubic hair and keeping it in the belief that he would belong to her forever if she keeps his pubic hair.

The kiss, which is the symbol of love, is also surrounded by various superstitions. Being kissed by someone who leans over your shoulder is believed to be unlucky as it is common sense that anything performed from behind makes you vulnerable to attack. It is a bad omen to kiss someone on the nose as superstition claims that this will cause a quarrel. The 'love bite' is also believed to be a bad omen because it is often associated with vampires and may cause a couple to break up.

Even love letters are not exempted from superstitious beliefs as indicated in the following examples. Superstition says that if your hand trembles while you are writing the letter, your lover has a strong affection for you. Making a blot while you are at work indicates that your lover is thinking of you at that particular moment. Never post a love letter on a Sunday (you will quarrel with your lover if you do) and never send an insufficiently stamped letter. If two different admirers send you a letter in the same post, it is an indication that you are never going to marry either of them. Lastly, burning love letters is considered a very bad omen so always tear your love letters instead of burning them if you don't want to lead a miserable life.

As for engagement rings, superstition claims that there are precious stones most appropriate for the month you get engaged. The garnet which symbolizes commitment in love is the birthstone for January, the amethyst which symbolizes spirituality, integrity, and purity of heart is the birthstone for February, and the bloodstone which is known as a stone of courage is March's birthstone. The diamond which symbolizes eternal love is the birthstone for April while the birthstone of May is the emerald which symbolizes a happy and successful marriage. The agate symbolizing health and long life is for June; the carnelian symbolizing a contented mind is for July; the sardonyx symbolizing courage, happiness, and clear communication is for August; for September, the sapphire, symbolizing fidelity and integrity; for October, the opal symbolizing faithfulness, confidence, and creativity; for November, the topaz symbolizing love and fidelity; for December, the turquoise which is a symbol of love.

To propose to your lover on a train, bus or in any public place is considered unlucky and if a man encounters a snake on his way to propose he should postpone his proposal because or it will bring bad luck. If he is being interrupted by another woman when proposing, this woman will become his second wife some day. It is better off for a man to stay single if he is refused three times as he would be happier being a bachelor. Superstition also explains that anyone who receives a marriage proposal at a dance but rejected it will have a lot of bad luck. And of course, a woman should never propose to a man as there is an old belief which says that a woman who is so eager to get married and ended up proposing to a man will end up begging for bread.

The maid who asks a man to wed,

Will come to want and beg for bread.

The belief that May is an inauspicious month for weddings and June an auspicious one originated with the Romans. The old superstition which says, "Marry in May, rue the day" has been around since the days of ancient Rome. The month of May was named after Maia, a reclusive Goddess who dwelt alone in wild caves far from civilization and is therefore an unsuitable deity for lovers. To be safe, avoid the month of May, especially the 13th. June, however, was named after the much loved and fiercely loyal wife of Jupiter, Juno, the Roman Goddess of marriage and childbirth. For the Chinese, August is a lucky month in which to get married and this is particularly true if the wedding date is on the 8th of August because 8 is a lucky number for wedding. The Chinese, however, would avoid the ghost months, March (tomb-sweeping Ching Ming Festival), July (Hungry Ghost Festival), and October (ancestor memorials Chung Yeung Festival) as these are inauspicious for wedding. As for the days of the week to wed, Monday is believed to be good for wealth, Tuesday for health, Wednesday the best day of all, Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses, and Saturday which the most popular day to marry is the unluckiest day. 

What would you give as wedding gifts? Never give the couple a knife set as a wedding gift even though they love to cook because knives cut things in two - this is bad luck as the knife set signifies a broken relationship. Like the knife set, scissors are also a bad wedding gift. In Chinese 'giving clock' means 'attending a funeral ceremony' and therefore it is bad luck to give a clock as a wedding gift as it means "the end." Giving a mirror is a sign of bad luck because, according to a superstition which originated in Ancient Rome, breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck. 

According to folklore, the bridesmaid who catches the bride's bouquet will be the next to marry but if she stumbles on the way to the altar, it is likely that she would never marry at all. Never let another woman try on your engagement ring as she will steal the heart of your husband and your wedding will never take place. Superstition also makes it very gloomy for the couple should they drop the wedding ring during the wedding ceremony. If the bride or groom drops the ring during the wedding ceremony, whoever drops it will die first. Should the wedding ring roll off the altar steps, the marriage would come to an abrupt end. If the wedding ring breaks, the marriage would come to an end through the loss of a husband. Never wear your wedding ring before your wedding ceremony as this would bring bad luck. And never take off your wedding ring after it has been slipped on your finger as this would also bring bad luck.

Like humans, ghosts also want to get married. The Chinese ghost marriage in which one or both parties have died, is a 3000-year-old tradition and is still practised in rural China. This kind of marriage is arranged by the family of the deceased as it is believed that a single man who dies will give his family members problems unless they find him a wife. Therefore, if the deceased did not get married when they were alive, they would have to get married after their death. If a living girl marries a dead man, which normally happens if the groom's family is super rich, she will live a chaste life and become the caregiver of the family. A ghost marriage is very similar to a normal marriage as it observes many of the typical marriage ceremony and rites but since one or more parties are dead, the deceased are represented by paper effigies (over a bamboo frame) wearing wedding clothes. Their wedding chamber is decorated with paper effigies of the furniture that they need to use in their new home such as a dressing table, bed, refrigerator, television, computer, table, chairs, mobile phones, and even paper servants. The deceased are treated as though they are alive as they participate in the proceedings. Once the wedding ceremony has been completed, the paper effigies are burnt so that these could be sent to another world. It is believed that these afterlife marriages would enable the deceased to live a happy married life in their new world - a happily ever afterlife. It should be noted that China is not the only country practising ghost marriage as other countries such as France, India, and Sudan also have their own forms of ghost marriage.

Thanks for reading. You may also like to read Is Marriage Really Necessary and Important in Today's World? and How Long Should a Widower Wait to Remarry After the Death of His Wife? To view the content page of this blog, please click here.


Reference:
1.  SUPERSTITIONS BY PETER HAINING. TREASURE PRESS.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES FROM POPE FRANCIS THAT CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

The young and handsome Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Pope Francis)

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born on 17 December 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He became the 266th. pope of the Roman Catholic Church on 13 March 2013. He is the first Jesuit pope, the first from South America, and the first from the Western Hemisphere. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Francis Xavier. The son of an accountant whose family had emigrated  from north -western Italy's Piedmont region, Bergoglio had distinguished himself at the age of 20 when he entered the seminary in 1957. In 1958, he chose the intellectually challenging and socially rigorous Society of Jesus as his path to priesthood. He taught unruly boys, washed the feet of prisoners, and studied overseas. In 1964, his superiors assigned him to be a maestrillo (teaching student-priest) at the Institute of Immaculate Conception in Santa Fe, Argentina. During his two-year tenure at Santa Fe, Bergoglio exhibited two characteristics - strictness and leniency. "What distinguished him was that he was dedicated to getting the full potential of every individual. He was demanding - but at the same time, he accompanied you throughout that process," says a former student, Jose Luis Lorenzatti. Twenty years later, as a professor of theology and philosophy at his alma mater, Colegio Maximo, Bergoglio exhibited the same traits. According to a former student, Ramiro de la Serna, "As a professor, he was very porteno, using jokes with double meanings, very picaresque. But at the same time, he was very strict, very demanding. He was close to the students, but he wasn't going to give us any extra points for that closeness." Bergoglio was ordained a priest in 1969 and was the provincial superior of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in Argentina from 1973 to 1979. In 1998, he became the archbishop of Buenos Aires and was made a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II.

These 20 inspirational quotes from Pope Francis will surely change your way of thinking and help you to live a more meaningful life.

• Let the Church always be a place of mercy and hope, where everyone is welcomed, loved and forgiven.
• The Church must be a place of mercy freely given, where everyone can feel welcomed, loved, forgiven, and encouraged to live the good life of the Gospel.
• Faith is not a light which scatters all our darkness, but a lamp which guides our steps in the night and suffices for the journey.
• Having faith does not mean having no difficulties, but having the strength to face them, knowing we are not alone.
• If we start without confidence, we have already lost half the battle and we bury our talents.
• Miracles happen. But prayer is needed! Prayer that is courageous, struggling and persevering, not prayer that is a mere formality.

• Although the life of a person is a land full of thorns and weeds, there is always a space in which the good seed can grow.
• The family is where we are formed as people. Every family is a brick in the building of society.
• Take care of your family life, giving your children and loved ones not just money, but most of all your time, attention and love.
• Abortion isn't a lesser evil, it's a crime. Taking one life to save another, that's what the Mafia does. It's a crime. It's an absolute evil.

• Truth, according to the Christian faith, is God's love for us in Jesus Christ. Therefore, truth is a relationship.
• Let us never lose hope! God loves us always, even with our mistakes and sins.
• To be saints is not a privilege for the few, but a vocation for everyone.
• If we wish to follow Christ closely, we cannot choose and easy, quiet life. It will be a demanding life, but full of joy.
• From my point of view, God is the light that illuminates the darkness, even if it does not dissolve it, and a spark of divine light is within each of us.
• Holiness doesn't mean doing extraordinary things, but doing ordinary things with love and faith.
• We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future, spread love. Be poor among the poor. We need to include the excluded and preach peace.
• Human rights are not only violated by terrorism, repression or assassination, but also by unfair economic structures that creates huge inequalities.

• My mission of being in the heart of the people is not just a part of my life or a badge I can take off; it is not an "extra" or just another moment in life. Instead, it is something I cannot uproot from my being without destroying my very self. I am a mission on this earth; that is the reason why I am here in this world.
• This is important: to get to know people, listen, expand the circle of ideas. The world is crisscrossed by roads that came closer together and move apart, but the important thing is that they lead towards the Good.

References:
1.  Pope Francis and the New Vatican. Washington, DC: National Geographic.

Pope Francis and the New Vatican is a breathtaking book of photography which reveals the Vatican in the time of the "People's Pope", with extraordinary images and illuminating reporting from inside the city walls and beyond.

You may also like to read QUOTATIONS FROM THE BIBLE. To view the content page of this blog, please click here.

CHRISTMAS IN KUALA LUMPUR

December is the most wonderful time of the year and it is here again bringing with it all the joys of the Christmas season. The Christmas season is one of the most magical times of the year, especially for Christians, because it is the time of the year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Prophets have foretold His coming long before he was born. The shepherds and astrologers knew that He was not an ordinary baby and they all shared the excitement of His birth on the first Christmas day more than 2000 years ago. Even the star stopped over Bethlehem to mark the way for them.

It should be noted that Christmas is not just about presents, Santa Claus, or decorating trees. It is certainly more meaningful to us if we remember the reason we celebrate Christmas.

According to Luke 2:8-17:
There were shepherds in that region, living in the fields and keeping night watch by turns over their flocks. The angel of the Lord appeared to them as the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were very much afraid. The angel said to them: "You have nothing to fear! I come to proclaim good news to you - tidings of great joy to be shared by the whole people. This day in David's city a savior has been born to you, the Messiah and Lord. Let this be a sign to you: in a manger you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes. Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

"Glory to  God in high heaven,
peace on earth to those on whom
his favor rests."

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another: "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this event which the Lord has made known to us." They went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger, once they saw, they understood what had been told them concerning this child.

Matthew 2:1-12 says:
After Jesus' birth in Bethlehem of Judea during the reign of King Herod, astrologers from the east arrived one day in Jerusalem inquiring, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage." At this news, King Herod became greatly disturbed, and with him all Jerusalem. Summoning all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. "In Bethlehem of Judea," they informed him. "Here is what the prophet has written:

'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the
princes of Judah,
since from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.' "

Herod called the astrologers aside and found out from them the exact time of the star's appearance. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, after having instructed them: "Go and get detailed information about the child. When you have found him, report it to me so that I may go and offer him homage too." After their audience with the king, they set out. The star which they had observed at its rising went ahead of them until it came to a standstill over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house, found the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did Him homage. They they opened their coffers and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They received a message in a dream not to return to Herod, so they went back to their own country by another route.

The Christmas story reminds us that Christmas is a time for giving as Jesus is a gift from God to the world. For God so loved the world that he gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him may not die but may have eternal life (John 3:16). Regardless of the hardships that we have experienced throughout the year, as Christians, there is a spirit of giving and happiness among us. Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most (Ruth Carter Stapleton). Like the shepherds and astrologers, we celebrate Christmas with great excitement and joy. Let us invite Jesus into our hearts this year and have a "Merry Christmas."

Scientists believe that Christmas decorations can improve our mood and make us happy. This is perhaps why we feel happy during this festive season. I always look forward to see the Christmas decorations in the shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur every year and take photos with these stunning decorations. And I am proud to say that Kuala Lumpur has some of the best Christmas decorations in the world. One of my favorite hobbies is photography and I never miss out the opportunity to pose for and take Christmas photos every year. Below are some of my Christmas photos taken this year.

A starry Christmas 2019 at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

A Dazzling Christmas 2019 at Fahrenheit88 Shopping Mall, Kuala Lumpur.

A Wild Christmas 2019 at Sungei Wang Plaza, Kuala Lumpur.

The three photos above were taken by my brother who is also my photographer. After posing for photos, it's now time to show my talent in photography. I'll begin with Christmas Dreaming at The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City. Located at Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, 59200 Kuala Lumpur, The Gardens Mall is a premium 6-level shopping haven. It has a range of different stores where top international fashion brands reside. This year, The Gardens Mall with its beautiful snowy Christmas really looks like a jungle of Dreams.

Christmas at The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City

Christmas Dreaming at The Gardens Mall

A Snowy Christmas

A Beautiful White Christmas

A Jungle of Dreams

Next, I'll take my readers to Santa's Toyland at Mid Valley Megamall to enjoy the sights and sound of Christmas. Located at Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City (next to The Gardens Mall), Mid Valley Megamall is a shopping mall surrounded with hotels and offices.

Christmas at Mid Valley Megamall

Welcome to Santa's Toyland!

Christmas is joy, religious joy, an inner joy of light and peace - Pope Francis

Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts - Janice Maeditere

God put Santa Claus on earth to remind us that Christmas is 'sposed to be a happy time - Bil Keane

The WOW! Wild Christmas at Sungei Wang Plaza is my favourite. Established in 1977, Sungei Wang Plaza is located at Jalan Bukit Bintang, Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur. This seven-storey shopping center is also connected to Bukit Bintang Plaza. There is an interconnecting bridge that links Sungei Wang Plaza and Bukit Bintang Plaza to Lot 10 just across the road.

Let's have a Wild Christmas at Sungei Wang Plaza!

Now, let us go to Pavilion Kuala Lumpur for a starry Christmas in conjunction with the release of the highly anticipated movie, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. This year, its Center Court is transformed into a galactic Christmas playground, with amazing showcases, experiential pop-ups and everything STAR WARS in collaboration with Disney. Pavilion Shopping Mall is located at 168, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur.

A Starry Christmas at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

God never gives someone a gift they are not capable of receiving. If he gives us the gift of Christmas, it is because we all have the ability to understand and receive it - Pope Francis.

You may also like Berjaya Times Square and its glittering Christmas at 1, Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur. Berjaya Times Square is easily accessible via monorail / MRT and is within walking distance from Sungei Wang Plaza and Pavilion.

A Christmas Glitter

A glittering Christmas at Berjaya Times Square

Some Christmas tree ornaments do more than glitter and glow, they represent a gift of love given a long time ago - Tom Baker

Lastly, we will stop at Suria KLCC, the epitome of shopping in Kuala Lumpur, to experience its Christmas wonders in white. Suria KLCC is located at 241, Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50088 Kuala Lumpur and is easily accessible via LRT. With the KLCC-Bukit Bintang Walkway (near Pavilion), you can walk comfortably from Bukit Bintang to Suria KLCC, and vice versa.

Christmas wonders in white at Suria KLCC

The tallest Christmas tree in Malaysia can be found at Suria KLCC

Thanks for reading. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.


Reference:
The New American Bible. New York: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT @ FACEBOOK

The Equality Act of 2010 defines sexual harassment  as "unwanted conduct of a sexual nature which has the purpose or effect of violating someone's dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them." According to Australian Human Rights Commission, examples of sexually harassing behavior include:

• suggestive comments or jokes
• sexually explicit pictures or posters
• requests for sex
• intrusive questions about a person's private life or body
• insults or taunts based on sex
• sexually explicit emails or SMS text messages
• obscene phone calls

Similarly, the Project deSHAME  report, online sexual harassment is defined as unwanted sexual conduct on any digital platform and is recognised as a form of sexual violence. Online sexual harassment encompasses a wide range of behaviors that use digital content (images, videos, posts, messages, pages) on a variety of different platforms (private and public). It can make a person feel threatened, exploited, coerced, humiliated, upset, sexualised or discriminated against.

Sexual harassment is nothing new and it continues to be a severe and pervasive problem in our world today. What's wrong with our world today? Is society so sick to the extent that sex becomes as necessary as food and water and this biological need must be satisfied even though this would mean that the perpetrators would have to resort to sexual harassment? Sad to say, even young children can have a penchant for pornographic materials and are thus not exempted from sexually intrusive behavior as indicated by the more recent cases (Please click here to read about a 12-year-old boy who raped a 4 year-old girl and here to read about an 11-year-old boy who raped his 12-year-old cousin). We cannot deny the fact that there are many sex addicts out there who are psychologically sick, immature, and immoral who often resort to sexual violence or cyber sex to satisfy their unusual sexual desire. If they could find a willing partner and they are geographically separated (being remotely connected via computer network), perhaps not much harm can be done if they choose to remain anonymous to each other. However, with the use of a webcam to transmit real-time video of the partners, cyber sex can turn into a sextortion scam particularly when the perpetrators have the intention to blackmail.

Those who have strong cravings for sex ought to think twice when they receive a message of invitation to cyber sex as there are many sextortionists out there waiting to lure them into video calls encouraging them to masturbate, show their private parts, get nude or sexual and secretly record the victims' sex videos. The perpetrators would then threaten to make the video go viral unless the victims agree to pay a ransom. And of course these sextortionists would keep asking for more and more money until the victims go bankrupt. When the victims can no longer afford to come up with the money they ask for, these videos could still go viral.

Although sextortion can be very devastating for the victims, they should not panic but stay calm and seek help. The first thing a victim must do is to stop all contact with the sextortionist and stop paying him as it would only result in more demands for payment. Next, collect evidence, keep a record of all contact with the sextortionist and lodge a police report. Talking to family members or trusted friends can help to ease the pain as the victim needs their support. The victim may also seek the help of a counselor. Self-blaming should be avoided as this can happen to anyone and the victim is not alone. 

In this article, I would like to share snapshots of my conversation with a sex maniac from India @ Facebook. Although I ignored him totally, I still feel very upset about the whole thing because of his obscene behavior. I think this sex maniac / sexual addict must have some kind of behavioral or psychiatric disorder or he wouldn't be so desperate for sex. Or is he a sextortionist trying to make some easy money? Either way, it seemed that he did not know how to feel ashamed of his behavior as he kept pestering me with his unwanted calls and smses even though I totally ignored him. I admit that I was really enraged by his weird, disrecpectful, disgraceful, and irrational behavior. His nuisance calls in the wee hours of the morning were so annoying that I could not sleep and had to turn off my mobile data. I didn't understand why his calls could still reach me after I logged out of Facebook. To let go of the anger I feel towards him, I will publish snapshots of his entire conversation. These are arranged in chronological order below. Please click to enlarge the images.

He started the conversation telling me he was from India and was proud to be a Christian. That was his first message at Facebook Messenger.

Next, he started to call me but I declined his call. I told him that it was not necessary for him to call me as he could always leave his comments about my blog posts @ my blog or Facebook.

He then asked for my whatsapp number but I did  not give it to him. Could this be a sextortion scam? I told him to read the 'About Me' page in my blog if he wanted to know more about me. I don't have the habit of introducing myself as I have given a very clear description of myself in my blog. Looked like he was only interested in sex chat as he was too lazy to read anything about me. That was why he asked me where I'm from - a stupid question which I did not answer. 

He told me he had a Church in India and asked me if I would help poor Indian people. Who were these poor Indian people he referred to? Sex maniacs or sextortionists?

I did not access my Facebook until a few days later. Before I knew what was happening, he suddenly requested for sex chat and started to call me repeatedly even though I did not answer any of his calls. I also stopped replying his messages at that instant. Was his sexual behavior out of control? Or was he just trying to get some easy cash by offering his sex chat services? He may also be a sextortionist waiting to get a ransom. Do poor Indian people make money this way? 

He seemed to be very enthusiastic in offering his sex chat services as he kept calling me repeatedly in the wee hours of the morning. What a shame! I didn't even know him.

He kept requesting for sex, calling me, and asking me to call back. What on earth made him that think I would call back? The thought of him was nauseating. I couldn't help feeling that he was not only cheap but also hateful, irritating, annoying, and disgustingly dirty.

Not knowing how hateful and disgusting he was, he sent me messages requesting  for sex when I did not answer his calls . 

According to him, he was "in the mood" but that did not justify his obscene actions. He should seek help from a prostitute instead of begging for sex and pestering someone who is totally uninterested in his sexual services.

Why did he still call repeatedly knowing that I would NOT answer his calls? Shameless creature!

This sex maniac from India then sent a sex GIF.

He kept calling me and sending me messages even though I ignored him completely.

He sent the sex GIF again and again.

As you can see in the snapshots, I totally ignored his calls and messages but he was unrelenting in his attempt to request for sex. Why was it so difficult to get rid of this cheap guy?

Lastly, I blocked him @ Facebook. He should be thankful that I was kind enough not to report his sexual harassment to Facebook and erased his face and name from the snapshots above. However, I am still wondering if I should expose his face to the whole world.