Temporarily ensconced in a corner of our breakfast room is our biggest Kwan Yin. It is made of porcelain and has a body one meter tall (standard processional size). That measurement does not include her crown, the dragon at her feet, and the ocean waves at the statue's base. This Kwan Yin traveled all the way from a temple in China to an antique shop in Puerto Galera; from there it traveled further to another antique shop in Ermita and then on to our house. It incurred some damage during transit due to its size and its fragile material. Two attempts have been made to have the damage repaired by a porcelain restorer.

This statue has two smaller versions, one with my sister Remi and the other with my sister Alice. Mike and my sisters refer to her as Apo Reyna. She has granted many wishes, especially the healing of the sick.

Round the neck of the statue is an antique, silver Chinese necklace, a gift from a previous co-worker, Agnes Caballa. On her right forefinger is an antique, silver ring with a cabochon of yellow crystal quartz, a gift from Mike. We also gave her five, brass bangles and draped her with a long strand of amber beads to syncretize her with the goddess of love and prosperity, Oshun.

Kwan Yin is associated with dragons because, according to legend, she once rescued the children of the Dragon King from certain death.

Photo by Neil de Leon