Clinical Chemist 68:2 (2022), published by the American Association of Clinical Chemists, carried a painting of Tanah Lot submitted by Dr. Tan It Koon. It was included in a section aptly called “Unveiling the Right Side).
Dr. Tan, retired head of Clinical Biochemistry (Department of Pathology, Singapore General Hospital), served on the Executive Board of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and the WHO Expert Panel on Healthcare Laboratories. He is a man of many talents: he has performed solo, duet (two-pianos), and in an orchestra (in public concerts and radio/TV recording programmes). Career-wise, he has served on many national committees, for instance, Deputy Chairman of the National Theatre Trust, Chairman of its Cultural Committee, Chairman for Grants and Scholarships of Spore Cultural Foundation –to name a few.
In Bahasa Indonesia, Tanah means land, and Lot means sea. Therefore “Tanah Lot” means “Land in the Sea.” It is a small rock formation off the main Bali Island, which houses one of Bali’s most important landmarks, the Pura Tanah Lot. The 16th century Majapahit Kingdom temple was built to worship Dewa Baruna (the sea god in Balinese Hinduism).
The Pura Tanah Lot consists of two buildings. The sea covers the beach at high tide, making the islet appear like a ship made of large black stones floating on seawater. The painting captures the beauty of Pura Tanah Lot framed by unique native plants on the beach.
Vince
Dr Vincent Chong is a retired Professor of Radiology at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.
