Happy 2014.....

The year is coming to an end with only one more day to go. Many things happened in 2013, both at home front and in the World. We just have to take into account of what we have done..... Always remember to maintain a kind and compassionate heart towards all living beings.

Money is not everything, your health is, so is your family and love ones, the environment around you too and the person standing next to you. Think a little lesser about yourself and think more for things around you. SMILE.....

Wishing all my readers a safe and fruitful 2014

Festive Greetings....

Thailand again....

Have been missing here partly due to work and time constraint. I could have blogged from home but am so lazy after a day's work, mentally exhausted and drained. It is no joke updating profiles and apps for the benefits of Users.

I took a trip again this time in late November 2013 to Thailand. Despite the mobs and protests going on, I supposed I am use to such of Thailand. It is part of their life and life goes on. Those who bothers joined the mob, those who need food go back to work - who bothers. Thailand depends on tourism and I can see the amount of tourists in the airport certainly did dipped. To the joy of those like me who wants to get good exchange rate, I have my wish fulfilled (S$1 = B25.04). Anyway all the monies that I changed goes back to Thailand when I did all that I need to do. Shopping is last on my list, it all goes to temple donations, robe offerings etc.

Like to share some photos here. This is a Temple built by a Thai Actor...don't remember his name. It is a massive landscape and the Temple that house a giant Somdej Phra Buddhacara Toh Phramarangsi statue in gold. Not sure where is this place, Kohlak or at Nakhon Ratchasima. Most devotees are after amulets from Wat Rakhang and they are collectors'items.

This beautiful temple boast super clean restrooms. You have to take off your shoes and wear a house slipper to the toilet. This place also boast free food, from appetizer papaya salads to main dish chicken rice, kao phat, phat thai, and dessert like chandol. My brother and the group settled for the noodle soup. The Q is much shorter and it is always 2 helpings. Of course we donate to the money box so that such activities can go on and benefits others.

Because it is a place of worship, the people who came in buses are Thai. I hardly see foreigners like Singaporean. Singaporean is only interest in shopping and eating and so they are settled in the main city of Bangkok.

Do visit this place and enjoy the beautiful landscape and food. Thumb up to this Thai Actor who activate this place and the massive people who maintain and cook for people visiting here. Whether you are Thai or Foreigners, help to keep this place clean as it is now. 

KUDOS!

Veggie....Parsley

I have shared the goodness of Mulberry Leaves and this time I am sharing that of Parsley.

Here is a health care tip to protect and clean our kidneys. I believe this is important. I normally share things that are easy to buy from market, cheap and good and will not cause harm to the body.

Today...it is the vegetable named PARSLEY !

Parsley, to many is not a main vegetable, it is a garnishing vegetable. It makes your food look fantastic with this green on it. To the Chinese, this is certainly a much needed garnish. It gives a nice smell in your mouth, it adds fragrance to your food and not many know that it actually clean your kidneys.

We have been feeding our stomach with everything we think is delicious or exotic. Many of us are oblivious that we are constantly poisoning ourselves. Our organs are carrying added baggage and due to overweight, some organs breakdown. Kidney is one of the most important organs we have on us. 

With all the rich food and drinks consumed over time, our kidneys faithfully filter our blood by removing excessive salt, poison and unwanted minerals from our body. However hard the kidneys work, we will still accumulate all these rubbish. So here is how you Clean Your Kidneys and add a thumb-up for your health. I call this a S$1.00 treatment.

 Here it goes...

1) Go to the market/ supermarket/ neighbourhood stall and buy a bunch of Parsley (Chinese parsley)

2) Wash and clean it thoroughly 

3) Slice the parsley into small pieces 

4) Put these slices pieces into a pot of water and boil it for 10 minutes

5) Let the beverage cool off 

6) Filter the pieces and keep the beverage in a bottle or container. Put it in the fridge

7) Consume one glass daily, better in the morning when you stomach is empty

The magical things will happen - you will notice accumulated salts and other unwanted minerals/ poison coming our from your urination. You will realize a change in your body and you will feel good. Try it and let me know.

There are many benefits which you can find from the internet, so go and check out for yourself.

Happy Birthday.....to a Great Man

I like to pay tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew in my small way. As a Singapore Citizen, I am glad I am not born in the era of unrest and it is because of the stable and safe society in Singapore now, many of us, a younger generation do not know what our grandfathers or fathers went through.

It is indeed a blessing to live to 90 and I pray you live many more years in good health and among your family and people who truly love you. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR LEE KUAN YEW.

Many of us will not make the mark of 70s. In the Chinese Alamac, any living beyond that is no longer recorded as you have lived beyond the age and is consider long life.

I am sad to see people posting negative remarks and ill wishes hiding behind psuedo names. They are not brave enough to be up front, these are the people we Chinese call "little people - 小人". Too bad, this great man have more merits than all the little acts behind the scene. If one is not brave enough to face the challenge therefore such people are not worth the attention. It is a bark from a little puppy.

Mr Lee is a strict father. He had to be. We are a multi-racial country and "one grain feed a thousand kinds of people", how to please everyone? People are not able to see the bigger picture and see far. Many matters are not to the heart content. How about living in a corrputed society? Look around us and count your blessings.

Anyway a Nation need to move ahead. It is what the people want and the Nation will grow that way. I believe what goes up must come down. What good days we have, the bad days are only waiting eagerly to come. All the peace of a country can only be maintained by people who want peace and harmony. If Singapore loses its Peace and Harmony, hope we will find a second Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

Once again Thank You Mr Lee, for all that you have done for the Nation!

Wonder Vege - Brococoli

This is a well known vegetable. People without teeth will find it hard to chew, but cooking it till it is too soft will lose all the nutrient.

I love this vegetable but I don't always eat it. I knew it has many many benefits and again I have friends who undergo Chemo has been consuming this. It helps to regenerate the blood cell because every chemo killed the blood cells.

But I am sure there is one thing not many will know - this wonder vege is an effective sunblock. Yes! It is better than any sunblocks because it protects the skin against cancer.

Whether this vege is consumed or rubbed on the body, it helps to guard against Cancer because of a compound called Sulforaphane. Researchers said that this is an inhabiting agent to Cancer and "it triggers chemoprotective gene".

I have known someone who is going to chemo. She takes this vege practically everyday. The miracle happened. Her cancer cells did not grow or spread. She is still living today.

Therefore how to eat this"? If eating this vege day in and day out, you would probably phuit. So to help oneself this friend learned ways and means to make this vege likable. So she

1) She boils it over hot water for 5 min., add a little salt and a drop of oil, scoup it up and eat it just as it is.

2) She puree the vege and drink it like a beverage

3) She stirr-fried it and add a little egg white, add a little water with starch and she had a dish ready to eat.

4) She puree the vege, add flour and dough it until it blends in nicely. She ran it over a machine that make noodle and she had broccoli noodles

5) She also make broccoli bread with her little bread making machine. She add raisins and we have a green looking hulk bread.

6) She chopped some broccoli with lean meat, stuff it into broccoli dough that she made and we have broccoli dumplings. These dumpling can be steamed and it also can be a bowl of dumpling soup.

7) She also made broccoli cake, add walnut and raisins.

Actually it is endless to how you want to consume this vege or as a matter of fact, everything edible. It is experiments, trail and errors and most of all "imagination". I am an ad hoc chef. I have no recipe but I will find anything in the fridge and cook things I like to eat.

Therefore for people fighting cancer, this is your wonder vege. I supposed all green vegetable carried Sulforaphane but broccoli is the Winner. 

Next time when you want to go to the beach, blend some broccoli puree and rub in on your body. This is good for people who love to swim in the sun. Asian are not so keen on sun tanning but in the West, I suppose skin cancer is common and this is natural, cheap and no added chemicals.

Three cheers to this wonder vege - BROCCOLI !!

Chrysanthemum & Wolfberries Tea

See the floating flower petals and red wolf berries, aren't they beautiful? This golden color tea is much loved by the Chinese for decades. 

It is an easy to make beverage. You just have to pinch some dried Chrysanthemum  flowers, add in a tablespoonful of  Wolf berries, pour in hot water (and if you like you can boil it over heat for a few minutes) and cover it for 15 minutes. To those who prefer it sweet can add sugar.  I love to drink it original without sugar.  The taste of flowers fragrance lingers in my mouth and nose and it is so refreshing.

Given so many flower teas, this one is definitely Chinese. Mum used to make it and it is believe to take away heatiness. The word 'heatiness' is associated with imbalance of  fire element in our body. This 'heat' will cause sore throats, hot body, sticky eyes etc. When you eat too much BBQ, spicy food and lack of sleep, this tea detox and keep you well.

So what good is Chrysanthemum? Here it says that Chrysanthemum tea contain Vit C and is anti spirochetal in nature. It helps to ease heaviness in the head which maybe caused by viral infection. The flower is free from caffeine and thus from all the side effects like anxiety, tension, irritation, nervousness and confusion. As a natural coolant it helps to lower temperature if you have a fever. For those who are all time worrying about pimples and acne, this drink helps to cool down your liver and lungs (皮和肾） and detox so that you can look beautiful again. There are many goodness in drinking this golden beverage but it gives additional benefits coupled with wolf berries.

Do you know that Wolf berries has a Chinese name called Gouji?  Gouji is around for thousands of years. This item boost the immune systems and is high in vitamins, minerals. It is a known antioxidant. Chinese cooking loves to sprinkle a few of Gouji for medicinal purpose. Wolf berries is very high in ORAC and it simply mean Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. This mean its properties has many goodness like age-defying and protect against free radicals that is detrimental to good health. You may like to know that these include heart disease and cancer. Gouji is rich in Vit B1 and C. It contains minerals like calcium, chromium, magnesium, potassium, copper, manganese and zinc. These minerals in the body balance electrolytes, act in muscle and joint health and immunity. It is high in Carotenoids which is anti-cancer. It also support eye health. There are many more goodness and to list them will be endless.

Therefore the combination of  Chrysanthemum & Wolf berries Tea have many benefits and it is a wonder drink and can be consumed Hot or Cold all based on one's preference.

I suggest you try and I am sure you will love this golden fragrance drink. It is cheap and effective.

Danger of Devoting to an Individual....

In today's society, we tend to chase or follow trends. It started from people we idolized, to movie stars, to singers, to public figures, to politicians and even religious leaders or people who is capable of using their personalities to make us believe and follow him.

It is dangerous to idolize and worship these people because they are public figures. To make sure they get big followings and some for monies, most of the time it is more than meet the eye. You do not know what is behind the scene and the hidden agendas.

The recent high profile case of City Harvest Church is an example. The amount of monies that people donated to the Church is misused by the Leader. To date from all the news I read, he is not even bashful, humble or apologetic.  A person can only be salvage if a person knows shame, admit that he is tempted by opportunities and am remorseful. However this person said God apologized to him, that all these bad happenings have fallen on him. If the amount of monies in millions are taken for the sake of supporting some humanitarian acts, I am sure even if he is in the wrong, we all will said that he overlooked the governance . The part that hurts is the monies is taken for invested interest.  Chinese has a saying "Going up the mountain frequently will surely meet the Tiger". Chinese also has another saying "Die also don't want to step into the Courtroom Door". Cheating has a way of exposing itself. Cheated so much that it is hard to cover the trails, the deeper the court dig, the stench is getting worst. Anyway I am not here to criticize, I am just stating the facts. Of course there are die hard.

Back to my own religion - advice that we do not idolized. We do not idolized the Buddha, our Teacher. We venerate Him as the Teacher that shows us the Path to Realization. No Masters, Monks, Lama, Rinpoches is greater than BUDDHA. Buddha is the Teacher of all these highly realized Buddhist Masters, Monks, Lamas and Rinpoches and of course US, the devotees. There are of course people who wants to make fast bucks, pretend to be one and collect pledges from unsuspecting devotees. Like I said before, it is very easy to raise monies in the name of Spiritual Divinities.

Buddhists are taught not to idol worship but there are still people who do not know the Dharma and stepped into pit holes. It is very important to understand Buddha's teaching but many have not understand the basic teachings and analyzed it.

I respect my Guru with clasped palms. I asked my Guru once that I heard he is a reincarnated famous Lama and he said it is not important. I asked him to give me some background to who he was in the past and what was his achievements, and he did not. He said that there are so many such people out there who said that they are the reincarnate of so and so high practitioners/ lama/Rinpoche - and are we able to confirm it our self? The only way out of sufferings is to practice for our own Realization following the teachings of Buddha. All these gurus are trained disciples and before enlightenment are still human. Being human, we err!

I know many of us wants to collect as many merits as possible.  Are doing for the good of others Or we want to make a name for our self? What is the motivation behind the donations of tens to hundred thousands of $$$? Therefore Watch your motivation that the good you do is not stained by selfishness.

In Emptiness teaching, there is no Offerer, no Object of Offering and No Receiver - can we accept that? For the time being, I cannot. I am still very gross and make lazy effort to refine myself. It is a slow process. At least I know my defilement. I know my Three Doors are stained and I am trying to clean it up. I know to all the goodness I have done, some of them are stained with Pride. I wanted to be Accepted, Acknowledged and Recognized and I want people to follow me and also listen to me. Is this not Attachment? As long as I am in the vicinity of the 8 Conditional Winds and am shaken by it, I have to work very very hard to achieve understanding of Realization.

My Deepest Veneration to the Triple Gems. My Deepest Veneration to my Guru Sakyamuni Buddha and Buddhas of the Three Times. My Deepest Veneration to all my Gurus of Past, Present and Future who show me the Path to Enlightenment. My Deepest Veneration to all Bodhisattvas and Protectors.

May all Beings be free from Sufferings, the Cause of Sufferings and may they not be separated from Bliss and may they see the Path.

_()_ _()_ _()_

Modesty....

WoW! I really take my hat off these women. I suppose the World advanced to such a state that people think they do not need to dress appropriately in public.

Look at these pictures, they are so skimpily dressed. I will not even wear this at home, and ever such in public. What is there to show? You have figure? You are young? You have a bigger breast? Or the bra is too tight to keep it in place?

I bet you these are not Singaporean. If they are than they are "one screw loose". They are oblivious to people around them. They do not know how to respect others and I am embarrassed. You can say that I care more about the values that will be imparted to young people. Such views if wrongly imparted will turn the young into a shameless society if they think that dressing such is OK. I am not a prude!!! I think as a woman we must know how to respect ourselves. There are plenty of clothes around. If you can afford buy branded, if you can't buy simple. It is not the $$$ in the clothes you wear but the way you wear it.

I believe in dressing appropriately at appropriate places. Gym attire should be wore in the Gym, pajamas are for bedrooms, lingerie are internal and can be wore in the bed rooms as well. Nowadays, the swim wears are the skimpiest ever. Who created Fashion and Trend? They throw modesty out of the windows.

Some of the singers are thinking they can attract crowds by doing so. Of course people love to watch their MTVs. They dress as little as they can, come up with all kind of make-up or no make-up like a dead has arise. They dance and grit on the stage and dirty dance with themselves and male dancers. They have all the cheap thrills by rubbing against each other and of course their so call Fans are having cheap thrills as well. They lead a Culture and these people have NO social responsibilities.

GOSH! the World is going backwards. There will come a day we walk around like early man - DRESS LESS!! It is already happening. I really believe that what goes up must come down and what happened than will come back as a fashion now. It is the Law of Gravity.

So WOMEN, if you chose to dress like this, you are inviting to be abused. If your modesty are being abused, you ASK FOR IT. If you are sexually abused, I supposed your dressing said you enjoy it and that is why the animals are at you. If you are killed in the process....I am so sorry. I am a Buddhist and I should have compassion. Writing here as a warning is compassion because Buddhist believe that what you Sow is what you will REAP.

To the people creating FASHION, they only need to make themselves known and of course make money. To those who are blind, they follow without thinking. People think the lesser cloth on the body mean they are SEXY. It is not a good word, not complimentary like ''you got brain". SEXY means arousing or tending to arouse sexual desire or interest!!!

Clothes are created to make the body looked beautiful. Different type of clothes are for different functions and places. There are of course people who think clothes limit their movements.

As a woman, I feel shamed that another woman do not know how to respect herself which also reflected badly on other women too.

There are so many rape cases, rape and killed cases, men who molest and outraged women's modesty and all imaginable and unimaginable happened. It is these under-dressed people, social media and all the bloody/ sex movies implanted all the wrong concepts, thoughts and ideas.

Of course you can say it is your choice.

Letting Go....

I realized long ago that ‘suffering’ is a lonely process. No one can share and no one can take it away. It is a lonely path, you have to keep 'phyco-ing' yourself…and find ways and means to walk out of this ‘wall’ that encased you. For of all of us, I believe in some way or another experienced this along our life. Most came out fine, some did not come out at all…they lost themselves in their own World. They ‘shut’ out and people called them crazy or mad.

To all my readers, please GIVE yourself a chance. Come out, walk out and remember that there are people who cares. If you are caught in the web, when you find yourself helpless and when you are frightened..there are helplines…
 
I saw pain, I saw struggles, and one encouraged oneself to come to term with the lost relationship. IT IS BRAVE! It is the greatness of a woman’s love, one deserves better. Acknowledge the pain..accept the process of recovery. The road is not going to be smooth sailing..but the rainbow is ahead!
 
...A LOVE NAMED “LETTING GO”- this is the title I gave to this piece.

There is a kind of love,
hanging on teardrops,
sadly beautiful.

There is a kind of love,
deeply pained the heart,
but you see a smile on the face.

There is a kind of love,
that lives on forever
but I am no longer a part of it.

Once I innocently believe that
no matter how long in Time
how far into Space
Love will not change

Love does not need a reason!
But now I saw my loved one brushes pass me
Holding another’s hand
Tears continue to flow in my heart!

Love cannot become a burden
I chose to let you go
Even though I am bleeding profusely inside
Because I love you so much
I do not want to see you sandwiched in between
My wish is very simple
that you go on in Life happily

Everything has come to a standstill
but pain did not stop
You will only know if you have truly LOVE,
and our happiness is now only memories.

No amount of Love can make you change your mind ..
I once wished that I walked this Life to the end with you,
Just holding your hand.
Now I can only be comforted
That I am once part of this 'Wish'

Loving someone is not to be his BURDEN
Having Love in the heart makes Life beautiful.

Our meeting is Destiny
Knowing you is Affinity
Loving you is Fate

The condition of Love arises and now it is over.
The ability to ‘Let Go’…is true love!

There is a Love, named “LETTING GO”

LETTING HIM .. .IS LETTING ONESELF GO! IT IS GIVING ONESELF A CHANCE TO GO ON....IN LIFE.

...true to the song from ABBA - The Winner Takes It All

Graciousness....

 

What is graciousness? It is a personality? NO,  you either have it or don't. Many people do not know what is graciousness and how to be gracious. So what does this word covers?

 

To me, this word means kindness, compassion, graceful, pleasing and courteous. It also mean good taste, tactful and acceptable.

 

For example someone said "Lian, you are looking good"....for a gracious person, she will reply "Oh, thank you for your kind words"; and there are pretentious people who will say "No lah, you must have seen wrongly." For whatever the reason, why one cannot graciously accept the compliment?

 

Graciousness have kindness, compassion and empathy in it. Because in Singapore, life is on a platter for most "middle and upper class people". These people lived in good resident, elite environment, have fleets of cars, good jobs but many are lacking graciousness.

 

Recently there was a case that a maid was abused by her employer for not listening to her but went to attend to the employer's child who was crying. I cannot see anything wrong with the maid but she was kicked, pinched, pour hot water, slapped etc. What justified such attacked when the employer is educated and hold a top position? Local Chinese has a saying "Educated but filled with shit in the brain".

 

There was one maid who was tasked to take care of the employer child and this child throw tantrum. The maid is trying to pacify the kid but the continuous crying of the child got the employer so worked up that she pulled the maid ears, slapped her, kicked her, burn her with an iron, tore her hair. I was wondering, it is the employer duty to bring up her own kid but here because she got a maid she felt that it is the duty of the maid. So much for an affluent society who breeds "educated rubbish human" who knows no kindness and empathy. They do not deserved a maid.

 

It is sad to see these maids coming from poorer countries who are here to make a living. They do not want to be a maid if possible but life is such that they have no choice. These maids are here to tender to your home, your kids and all the household chores that you hate to do and she deserves better than to be ill-treated. Talking about human rights!

 

The next group of people are foreign labours, people coming here to take all the dirty jobs that Singaporean are too high class and too educated to do. They are also being abused. Fortunately Singapore government took care of their board and at least they don't sleep on roadsides, slumps, back lanes or a cramped up small little room that are occupied by 10 of them. They have no proper place to wash up, cook and rest.

 

It pains my heart to see other human being treated worst than a dog. No wonder they said "Leading a Dog life". Do not underestimate dogs, they live better than me too.

 

Therefore if one is not gracious and have empathy, sooner or later all the dirty actions will be brought to light and exposed to public. It goes to show how bad a person can be. If one has no graciousness towards stranger, than do not take them into the family. If one brings in the maid, one brings in another family member. Feelings are reciprocal, if you are nice and train the maid, she will do what you want the way you want it.

 

I have a friend who have 3 maids in the house. They eat what the employer eat. She bought clothes for them, buy them gifts and gifts for their family and she gives them extra pocket monies during festivals. Her maids are well-behaved. They cook and wash for the family. They also help to look after the old folks at home and of course her pet dogs too.

 

Therefore graciousness is cultivated.

 

When you have brains and look do not mean you are graceful and gracious. When you have monies do not mean that you are gracious as well. The I and MINE ego is larger than life. You can see loads of such people when you drive on the road, when you are at supermarket, when you are waiting for buses, when talking, when you travel overseas. There are such people all over the World but I am seeing the ''micro'' which is Singapore.

 

I for one got lots to learn from these. Just hope that I will grow old gracefully.

Happy 48th Birthday....SINGAPORE....

Once again it is the time of the year where we, as Singaporean celebrates our National Day. I looked forward to this day and so do many Singaporean. There are various activities organized and some are already finished, on going but the much looked forward to is the 9 August 2013 Parade.

This year the Theme is "Many stories....one SINGAPORE". From the time of Independence in 1965 to date, I am sure there are many stories to tell. I am looking forward to the show by MediaCorp "Mata Mata" in Malay and translated means "Police, Police", Those were the days where police wore Bermudas, high stocks, and blue/grey top, black shoes. The weapons they carried other than gun was a baton and a whistle. They looked very smart back than.

The National theme song every year was different. This is also the song that I looked forward to yearly and it never fails to bring tears to my eyes. I think the overwhelming feeling is gratitude. As a Nation grow, it underwent many uncertainties, racial issues, political neighbors and how to make the country safe and create gainful employment for her citizen. Today, I like to once again say "Thank you Mr Lee Kuan Yew and all the Ministers that brought us to what we are today". It is a merit and the credits cannot be denied because it is the truth.

Sharing with all my friends visiting here and from various countries, Singapore is my Country, My Home and without this I have no identity. Hurray Singapore....!!!

Majullah Singapura!!!

The beauty of Cactus...

"Cactus is a member of the Cactaceae family.... " and all these you can read from the Internet if you like to find out more.

 

I love these spiky plants in all shapes and sizes and they are so pretty to look at. I always kudos Mother Nature when I started to be awared of the surroundings and environment. I am curious about just anything that is a product of Mother Nature. She gave us so many beautiful things ranging from trees, to flowers, to plants, to animals, to minerals and crystals. The most complicated thing Mother Nature gave us is HUMAN.

 

Today I am here to share some of the pretty pictures I took of these spiky vegetation. Singapore is not a desert so we have to bring these plants into Singapore. We are hot enough for it to survive but not good enough for it to grow everywhere so we keep them in an enclosed plant-house, let it grow and "pay money" to enjoy looking at it.

 

These plants are edible since it is a source of food and water for human and camels in the deserts. I ate some Mexican Nopal by making it into soup, throw in some chicken, with garlic and ginger. The stock smell lovely and taste delicious.

 

Many know that the flowers from cactus plants are lovely and very very pretty. Their colors if not white are vibrant red or deep pink, yellow etc. There are also plants under the Cactus family that are non-spike like S-pipe Epiphyllum oxypetalum which is also known as Midnight Queen. Therefore when you are with plants, pick one and really look at it from the stems to the leaves and the flowers. Touch it and feel its texture. It is therapeutic to touch plants and healing to talk to a plant. At least it blooms to show its appreciation and not talk back at you.....

 

 

 

 

My love for Trees

Many people love flowers and plants. I have a friend who is a layman but he took the trouble to remember the names of these plants as in botanic names. I am not able to remember too complicated names of flowers and plants and therefore bought a book. I enjoy looking at all the beautiful flowers and plants and the colours and shapes never fail to mesmerize me. 

I love Trees. If I can I like to hug the tree trunks. I like to look at the barks textures and their colors too. Looking at the trunks also make me look at all the parasite plants clinging onto the trees and realized that parasite orchids are so pretty and so are the stag-horn ferns.

Trees gave me a feeling of security. It is big and strong and animatedly friendly. Their roots grow right down and it is so ''down to earth''. It stands by itself and silently grow, spreading its branches and some reaching for the sky. Some trees have branches that spread out to give shades and sanctuary to both human and animals that come under them. It shade away the sun, to provide a cooling place to relax. Have you sleep under a tree? Try it. 

Some trees stand for a few hundreds years. It saw the changes of the earth. It saw changes of people, it saw changes of the landscape around it and that of many eras. If the tree can speak, it can tell you lots and lots of stories of past and present.

It is painful to see trees being cut. Can you hear the trees speaking to you, can you hear its whisper? It not only do what we see it can do, it also protected the environment.  How many of us see these, appreciate and are grateful of it presence? 

In Singapore, although we are a small island however the government keep this place green. Children are taught about the environment. We are never short of trees and places that are Parks for people to socialize and relax.

Here are some pictures of tree trunks that I took while visiting Cloud Forest and Flower Dome. Enjoy!

Phobias...and facts

Phobias...yes, frightened of something. I am scare of lizards and I will scream when I see them. I do not know why. Phobias have something to do with things that happened to us, whatever age. It doesn't happened when you are young, it happened along the way, whatever age. It is not born. We can be afraid of just anything or nothing. The things that you are afraid of cannot affect your daily life or else it becomes a ''sickness''.

I heard of a story that there is a lady who cannot see slabs on the ground. Due to this she cannot walk out to places where there are slabs and most of the path or walkway have this square of rectangle slabs design. However she seek hypnotize treatment. The treatment made her retreat to her past lives and that was the life she died when a big slab of stone fell on her.

Sharing something light, today I read something on phobias and like to share with my readers. I never knew there are so many names for various phobias....enjoy !

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia - fear for long words

(Lian : After trying to read this lengthy word, surely I will be terrified of long words)

Phobophobia - a fear for developing fear

(Lian : I did not realized that actually being fearful is also a phobia of fear)

Didaskaleinophobia - an intense fear of going to school

(Lian : So now when your children die, die don't want to go to school, this could be the reason)

Trypophobia - a fear for holes

(Lian : Are you fearful of holes, anything that is round that give you a creepy feeling?)

Caligynophobia - a fear for beautiful women or handsome man

(Lian : May not be bad. Too many beautiful people out there and not beautiful like me may be able to find a husband)

Nomophobia - this is the fear of todays people, not having their mobile phone with them

(Lian : There are people 24/7 at all time and are helpless without their mobile)

Murder....for what?

As I was typing my last article on child abused, on the same day in the afternoon a gruesome murder took place in another part of Singapore. This news shocked the whole Singapore as it was a double ''Death" - a father and son.

As we read with tongue in our cheek, we were wondering who is this cold-blooded person who killed a father in their home and dragged the body of his son underneath the car for at least 1km.

Many were speculating who is this person. Some said it could be a relative, some said Ah Long, some said business competitors and all the mind ran freely, each developing their fantasy even when police said don't guess. Well everyone drop their spectacles, it is none of the above. The suspect is even more shocking - it is a police officer! The Police Force now have to stomach all the finger pointing, criticisms and of course there are public attack. There are those who must create discords or add some caustic remarks to the already remorse Police Force. However I kudos our Police Force!

Anyway, it is not the fault of the Police Force. Everyone themselves is a black sheep. The only reason is you did not have the opportunity to be one yet. So don't point fingers so fast. The suspect I believe is not a bad person but circumstances made it that he did what he did. I am sure there are better choice if he needs to solve his problems but he resolved to slashing the old gentleman and than his son to death. As a police officer, he knew he cannot escaped the gallow.

Till now we knew he was brought to court. He was charged this morning of double murder but what caused him to do what he did? Why did he needed to kill? The son who ran after him was ran over by the car he drove and was dragged 1km away and dislodged in the middle of a busy road causing huge traffic jam. How did the whole incidents took place, under what circumstances, how were the victims hurt, where/what was the weapon...still is a ????

I think we should not blame anyone for this unfortunate event. We just have to watch the happenings. The Court will give justice to the bereaved family. The suspect will have to pay for his sins - I do not believe it is manslaughter because he slashed the victims throat/ neck areas knowing this will surely caused death. Moreover he is a police officer, big and tall, trained in defenses - both victims had no chance against him.

In Singapore if a suspect committed a crime as grievous as this and in a rich man house, he has no chance to hide his identity - there are CCTVs in the house which already have captured his doings. In actual fact Singapore probably have CCTVs installed in most places i.e home, petrol kiosks, cars, neighbour's home - what chance of escape have one?

My heartfelt condolences go out to the victims' family. The old gentleman''s wife who lost her husband and son on the same day; the younger victim's wife and children and the whole family probably is still in disbelief and shocked.

My heart goes out to the suspect mother and family and he is the sole breadwinner. It could have ended differently if only one holds one's temper and not react at the spur of the moment.

Death is certain, the time of death is uncertain and the place of death is also uncertain.........

Children...Teacher

Can anyone be a Teacher? Especially Teachers, do they have the empathy, energy, commitment to a growing child? Can Teachers take on so many children - crying, screaming, running around and some are hyper and difficult to control? Do Teachers have LOVE for children and are the Teachers supported?

Many who are parents can tell you that a child is most challenging to handle. I do not deny that at time you will wish to spank them but spanking them do not make them better. It will make them even more rebellious.

I may not be a teacher but I have been tasked to tuition a difficult boy who failed his examinations, refused to learn and I am the final straw to his parents. He is silently rebellious and hard headed. No amount of coaxing worked, no amount of kind and encouraging words helped and of course harsh words took no effect. I felt like tearing my hair and asking myself is he not salvageable? Then a little spark lighted my thoughts, could it be he couldn't read? I asked him to read a passage and other than I, he, she, is...he was not able to read. GOSH! all these years and this is his final chance to move on to secondary school...how to make it? I looked at all his other subjects - he was borderline in Science, History, Geography and he scored slightly higher in Chinese and Maths. Zero for English. I decided that I deduced correctly. I coached him on all subjects but spent hours with him in teaching him how to read a word... I would say c.o.m "com" and m.o.n. "mon" so when two of them joined, it is ''common". Once he got the hanged of it, he picked up very fast. He dissect the words and read the sound and when he joined them together, he got the sound of the words correct. This way he also learned his spelling. After one month he was able to read for me and when I asked him to spell, he dissect the words and spell to me correctly. Gaining confident in English, he started to pick up on all the other subjects too. When the final examination came, he sat and passed. With good scores in English, Chinese, Maths and Science, he went to an elite school. Today he is an engineer in the aerospace industry. He told his wife and children how I coached him. I told him  "There were times I wanted to give up". He is my achievement and did me proud,

Moral of the story - understand the child and why is he behaving this way. Some children want attention and will do rebellious actions or make noises. If the Teacher have no empathy than she is not fit to be one. For my case was he could not read and tried to avoid and know not how to speak up.

Coming from a affluent country, most are young working parents and they leave their children with Child Care Centres. No one is there to monitor whether the child is taught correctly. No one knows whether the child ate his meal, let alone being abused. There are also parents leaving children at home to be taken care by maids. There are incidents caught on CCTV on child abused. There are incidents of sex abused as well.

Gone were the days when we grew up under Mom's care. Mom who cook, wash, clean and took care of us and the family personally.

Co-Retreat 2013 - Bintan

 

We had our company yearly retreat and chose to stay at Angsana Hotel, Bintan. This is a sister hotel of Banyan Tree and therefore we expected good service and they did delivered. The concept is different from some family hotels where you have so many kids running around and the noise pollution of screaming kids and adults can be annoying. We took some beautiful photos of the group, scenery, food and the team building training that when on for 3 days 2 nights. We also did not missed the famous Banyan Tree Spa but it did not delivered to our expectation. However the Angsana Spa had a nicer, vibrant ambient and the therapists were engaging, friendly and warm. The Jamu treatment is highly recommended if anyone is going to stay at this hotel.

 

It is true that a picture speaks a thousand words and therefore I have many pictures to share here. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kindness

Actually if you really look around, you will find people performing kindness in every directions. It is not racist nor is it a religion. KINDNESS is the word that makes the dark day bright; the sad, happy; the helpless sees hope; the angry soften and it makes the world goes round.

I especially like this story. It is so innocently simple and warm. It is so easy to find beauty in the eyes of a Child. Being adults, our judgement is always so clouded and complicated. I hope the sharing of this piece of story brings out the warm in you and do your Kindness without reservations.

A little boy wanted to meet Kindness. He knew it was a long trip to find Kindness so he packed his bag with potato chips and six-pack of root beer and started his journey. When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old man. He was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to him and opened his bag. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so he offered him some chips and the old man gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.

His smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Again, he smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word. As twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug. The old man gave him his biggest smile ever...

When the boy opened the door to his own house later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy.

He replied, "I had lunch with Kindness." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? He's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his father's face and he asked, "Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?"

He replied "I ate potato chips in the park with Kindness." However, before his son responded, he added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime! Embrace all equally!

Have lunch with Kindness......bring chips, or a few cans of root beer with you !

Religion Monies....

It saddens me to see, and I am sure these are happening not just in Singapore but all over the World.

Monies is the roots of all evils. When there are so much monies, if one does not use it to benefits oneself, it will be wasted sitting there. It is these thoughts that brought reputations down the drains, not to oneself but the religion as well as its denomination too.

What makes people think they can use 'Religion Monies' and on the pretext that they are doing good for the religious mass? In the name of  ''GOD" monies can be raised easily and without questions. People give willingly to ''GOD", not to person or persons so that they can use it for their own interest.

 

When so many people are working so hard and honestly to bring home bread and butter to make ends meet, for educations of children, for a roof over heads, for some food on the table or a piece of cloth to cover the body and here people in the name of "God" live a good life.

 

Actually I really like a story I read and to cut it short is that when you die you bring nothing but your merits and demerits.

I followed the news of the happenings. I am sure the members are hurt. Of course there are some die hards who do not want to accept the truth. They just have to ask themselves, they are steadfast in believe to "GOD" or they are fans running around a "make believe representative" of GOD and a celebrity wife?

Spiritual sanctuary is a must because there will be time when one needs inner peace and to be freed from all mundane activities. When one is sad, when one is troubled, when one needs an advice, when one wants to find a solution. One prays and retreats into oneself, to be in touch within with the 'spiritual entity'. It gives you strength, comfort, and the courage to move on. However because we have so many agendas ourselves, it is so easy to pull spider webs over our eyes.

 

Anyway I am not interested in the millions and trillions if it is not mine. Although there are people who think they can escape going to be ''roasted'' after all who knows. I am not taking the risks because I know there are places of ''fire'' waiting. It is we choose to go there not that we have to go there. Before going there firstly suffers on Earth, being named ''untrustworthy'', being named ''a cheat'', being bog down with all the legal proceedings - are you able to sleep? Don't tell me that all these really doesn't matter, it will definitely have psychological effects.

Bird flu...H7N9

Many of us are travelling either for leisure or for business but how many of us vaccinate our self before we travel or are we ignorant? Recently there are also reported death in China on the H7N9 flu. It is reported but how bad is it no one knows. So to take care of yourself, no matter what country you are traveling to, protect yourself.

 

What is H7N9?

Flu or Influenza is a viral infection. There are 3 types of Flu A, B and C. H7N9 is Avian Flu and belongs to the A category which comes from birds. This Flu H7N9 is currently notorious in parts of China. The mostly affected areas are places we all love to go like Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui.

 

Authorities are trying to establish how did this bird flu spread to human and it is so deadly. There are virus spread by animals and people are not able to understand why, even dogs. I have friends who just touch any cute looking dogs along the walkway, not knowing the dogs background. There are people who keep pets and they sleep with their pets. I will not say too much here or people who love their pets will throw stones at me.

 

So what are the signs of H7N9?

These are indicators but when we have persistent fever, cough and you cannot breath properly, it is better to see a doctor than pass it off as normal flu. Bird flu will lead to serious breathing problem, pneumonia and eventually death.

 

So is there a cure?

My doctor say 'No'. There is no indication that it is communicable between human but better to be save than sorry. So if you are travelling, vaccinate against flu.

 

So what to further prep yourself?

1) Personal hygiene - wash your hands

2) Watch what you eat and make sure they are steaming hot and cooked

3) When you touch any animals, especially birds i.e chicken, pigeons etc. do wash your hands.

4) I know there are people who love to consume animals' blood, do avoid.

5) We all love animals but please avoid touching any animals dead or alive if you do not know what is the caused of death.

 

There are many ways in daily hygiene that one should note and practice and ways to ensure one immune system remains strong.

Wheatgrass...

Recently I have been drinking Wheatgrass juice. I know this grass has been around for a long time and many people are already using it as a juice, coloring, made into cakes, as an alternative medicine. It is also not a cheap drink because a small cup is S$2.00.

Many were said about this grass that it can be used for various medicinal purposes. I am not able to find anything concrete or proof that it is a 'wonder' grass for that matter but again anything grown naturally cannot be too harmful. Consuming such drinks, one needs to be moderate and not overdo it.

It smells like freshly cut grass. Not many can take the smell but I like the smell of freshly cut grass. The smells tell you that it is green in color. Wheatgrass is green in color. Beautifully green and it gives a color of Life. We all know that green color in the grass is called chlorophyll.

 

To consume wheatgrass, we have to separate the roots from the stems. A handful of wheatgrass probably can only give you a small portion of juice. This concentrated juice is nutrients and said to contain Vitamin A, C, E, iron, calcium, magnesium and amino acids.

 

So what can this wonder grass do? Below are extracts from various sites....

 

"Wheatgrass is used for increasing production of hemoglobin, the chemical in red blood cells that carries oxygen; improving blood sugar disorders, such as diabetes; preventing tooth decay; improving wound healing; and preventing bacterial infections. It is also used for removing deposits of drugs, heavy metals, and cancer-causing agents from the body; and for removing toxins from the liver and blood."

 

" Some people use wheatgrass for preventing gray hair, reducing high blood pressure, improving digestion, and lowering cholesterol by blocking its absorption."

 

"Wheatgrass is used for cancer and arthritis in alternative treatment programs. "

 

So much to this wonder grass and many more can be found on the net.

 

When I first took it, it helped me to clear my bowels easily. People said it may cause nausea but I am OK with it and I suppose everyone body is different.

 

Again I want to remind is to take everything moderately. I take it as a health drink. People who said it works wonder, yes maybe in combinations with other supplement they have been taking and they give credit to wheatgrass. So don't buy every thing said at 'log, stock and barrel'.

VESAK 2013

HAPPY  VESAK  2013

 

TO

 

ALL BUDDHISTS AROUND THE

WORLD

 

 



Buddha's Birthday...

VESAK Day celebrates the Birthday, Enlightenment and the Parinirvana of Sakyamuni Buddha. Today is Buddha Birthday, Chinese Lunar Fourth Month Eight Day which Buddhist acknowledged as the Million Buddhas Birthday! Today is also my birthday.

Because it is a holy day, holy in the heart to those who believes. I believe in the teaching of the Buddhas, the Dharma which is the Truth and the Sangha who spread and carry on the Teachings. May I and all Sentient Beings benefits from the merits of the Triple Gems.

Above is a Birthday Greeting from Khenpo Dorje. Thank you Khenpola.

Silence....

Silence...doesn't mean quietness
Silence...is only outlook
Silence...all the noisy inside
Inside the Head and
Inside the Heart

Silence... all assumptions
Silence... all imaginations
Silence... all voices
Silence...Silence...Silence

If I am able to walk out of these noises
I will realized
that Silence is not loneliness
Silence than will allow me
Solitude

There are so many Rules
and Regulations
To Do and Not-To-Do
Right and Wrong
Who sets the Rules?

Can I be myself
Must I measured up to others expectations?
Do I need to be congenial
Can I not be myself?

When I sit down quietly
My Mind will come up with its scripts
It is like writing a novel
All characters are but fake
All stories are but made up
It is actually empty

Silent the Mind
Silent the Heart !!