Monday, March 11, 2013

Snake Temple, Bayan Lepas, Penang 18 October 2012

We have passed by the snake temple many times. And each time, I pass by, I remember how my older kid got the fear of snake from M. She was about 3 year old and was watching telly with M who has ophidiophobia when suddenly the telly shown a snake. That caused M to jump up immediately with much fear. From that day on, my child is scared of any form of animal resembling snake. 

Today, I need to make a stop here as this was the only convenient place to pass time before I could pick hubby up from his work. I told my child of the plan and sought her permission. 

There are snakes curled up over branches in a vase at the temple. 
Here is a good read of the temple.

While sipping coconut juice at the stall outside the temple, my little kid spotted two snakes coiled on the tree just right on where we sat! 
We found out it is indeed a poisonous snake called the Temple Pit Viper from the snake poster on our wall at home. 

As to how I would overcome the fear instilled in my child, I think, it is just how we overcome our fear. It takes time and it is a journey we have to go through on our own. I hold a high positive image of her letting go of the fear and letting her have all the time in the world to do so. 

1 comment:

~CovertOperations78~ said...

The Snake Temple is such a mysterious and amazing place. No-one knows why the Wagler Pit Vipers / Temple Pet Vipers decided to come and make the temple their home. It is a good place to visit, but I hope visitors will be more mindful and don't keep petting and stroking the snakes. Snakes, like all wildlife, should be treated with respect and empathy. It's kinda crazy to see parents urging their toddlers to stroke the venomous snakes.
Maybe your daughter can learn to desensitize herself to snakes by touching and viewing the non-poisonous ones first? When I was little, I saw my mother reacting fearfully to a snake on TV, and I thought that I too had a fear of snakes. By the time I was about 8 or 9, I realised that I didn't have a fear of snakes, I was just copying my mother's reaction! How silly!