Monday, February 28, 2011

Another life's irony - being successful children?

 A couple were celebrating 50 years together.  Their three kids, all very successful, agreed to a Sunday dinner in their honor.

"Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad," gushed son number one ....... 'Sorry I'm running late. I had an emergency at the hospital with a patient, you know how it is, and I didn't have time to get you a gift."
"Not to worry," said the father.  "The important thing is that we're all together today."

Son number two arrived and announced, "You and Mom look great, Dad.  I just flew in from  Los Angeles  between depositions and didn't have time to shop for you."

"It's nothing," said the father.  "We're glad you were able to come."
Just then the daughter arrived.  "Hello and happy anniversary!  I'm sorry, but my boss is sending me out of town and I was really busy packing so I didn't have time to get you anything."

After they had finished dessert, the father said, "There's something your mother and I have wanted to tell you for a long time.  You see, we were very poor.  Despite this, we were able to send each of you to college.  Throughout the years your mother and I knew   that we loved each other very much, but we just never found the time to get married."

The three children gasped and all said, "You mean we're bastards?"

"Yep," said the father.  "And cheap ones too."

Astro Yoga - learn how to float and fly

Folks, I just came back from a yoga session.  My whole body and back is aching but I feel relax and good.  The first part of the session is free style warm up where we are supposed to warm up our body and stretch our joints and muscles. Normally, the teacher will push us through a route of warm up exercise and then, she will quicken the pace and got our body heated up for a session of special yoga regime. Today, it was astro yoga. This is not the first time and we have gone through it several times before.

The good thing of astro yoga is that one person act as support and the other person just place his or her body is a pose on the support. In this manner, it is like acrobatic acts and the body, joints ,back and muscles are stretch to the limit. It is just like a balance act on a support. If we strike a perfect pose with the support, we are weightless and get suspended in mid air. If the pose is right, a petite lady can lift up a sumo muscular man like me. The perfect balance allow the flyer who is dangling on top of the support to remain suspended and floating. It is in harmony and you could relax and go into a meditative stance.  Dangling in mid air , it is a wonderful sensation.

There are so many forms of yoga and the purpose is to relax your body and calm your mind. By good and proper stretching, the muscles and joints is push to its limits and this encourage blood flow through the joints. This will cure arthritis and uric  attacks. The most important is that it gives you back the joint flexibility, a tone muscle frame and strong breathing techniques.  As we age, our joints get stiffen and our turning angles deteriorates and gradually , some angles are out of focus for us. The Yoga exercise is very painful at the beginning but it gradually will ease the pain and cure the stiffness in all our joints.

It is never too old to start nor it is never too difficult as the pose are only a few. Practice makes perfect and gradual stretching improves mobility and agility. It is difficult to fly like a bird but you can float like a bee and gets the sensation of suspension. It relaxes the mind and body and sharpen your reflexes.

If you want to learn, you have to choose a good and patient teacher who can guide you through the steps and gradually ease you into a routine with the minimum pain and suffering.  The pain in the end is an enjoyable pain. After the pain is gone, it relaxes your body and mind.

Namaste.

The fear in me.

It is funny. When our phone ring after mid night, most of the time, it  bring bad news. I remember receiving a call at 4am when my father died in the hospital and I have to rush there to see him for the last time. This memory have became a demon and have been haunting me for a long time. Perhaps, this incident have broken my guts.

I am very worried for the safety of my love ones. The last time was when my daughter met an accident with a biker and I was throw off my rythem when I heard the news. I rush there with my wife and I was nervous through the whole journey.  I think of the worse case and I am fearful.

 Through my past experience, the more I treasure a person, the more I worry for him or her. I always have the worse situation in my mind. I remain the same despite so many incidents which turn out to be not as bad as it seem. The fear is eating in me between the time I heard of the incident and the time I know the true situation. Well, as I have mentioned before "fear manifest fear" especially the manifestation came from past experience and thoughts.

I have the probia of crossing roads as I have heard of some many incidents of bad drivers and silly bikers. When a car is far away, I will call up and warn my wife or my family members with me. Sometimes, they scold me for over re-acting. This is just me especially when I am in the open.  Even walking under the ladder, I would check out whether there is any danger or not before walking under it. I am fearful of the ladder whether something will fall from the sky and cause the ladder to collapse on me.

What I am trying to convey is that everyone of us have a fear and if other people bring danger close to us or our love ones, we will shout at them or chase them away. This is the protective or defensive instinct in most of us and this is natural. Whether it is over re-acting or been prudence, it is for all of us to judge but end of the day, we should keep ourself and over love one safe and sound.

You have to explore and know your demon and manage it well.

Namaste.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

We always hurt the one we love most.

What an irony? We should love and protect the one we loved most but yet, it is the other way. We take things for granted. We know our loved ones will forgive us for all the nasty thing we do or throw at them. They are our punching bags and our reserves or back ups. However, the loved ones feel hurt as the one, we love is always nice with strangers and take good care of them to preserve a beautiful  front.

It is strange that why people are so hypocratic ? We keep testing the trust and love and we expect it to bounced back perfectly after we poke a dent into it.  Our love ones can shout and say nasty things if they are angry and emotionsl. The hurt could be deep sometimes but they will take for granted  will bounced back.

Lets take the example of a parent and their children. Their uncondition love and bonds.  Often,there are no hatred which can last over night. And for couples, there is a chnese saying " they fight at the front of the bed and make love at the end of the bed". This is how long  a querrel will last.  We are taught that blood is thicker than water and we are in a family. So, we can throw crabs at each other and we never get angry.  This sadist and abusive hypocracy is not good. Why can't we love the people who love us most.  This is the right re-action and logical manner. We should go all out to preserve and deepen the love that we have been given rather than testing its resolution.

When we are angry, we should be mad with ourself because it is "we" who are angry and we should not transfer this anger to our love  ones. When some one scold us , we should scold them back if they are not logical  and not to thank them and carry the frustration and anger to scold our love ones or show our temperament to them.

We have to wake up and realized this error if we have been doing this nasty act of joking  and talk nicely to strangers while showing your true color to our family and love ones. Our love ones are important to us while the strangers is a passing reflection.  It is an irony that we wear simple outfits when we go out eating with our family members and we wear much better and acceptable dressing when we attend dinner with strangers. Why is it so? We are showing outsiders a pretentious front while we show our true colors to our love ones.  This is really funny and silly.

In our home, a small matter is often blown out of proportion but with strangers, we maintain our cool and reason with them until the cows come home. There are many such occasions and examples, where we treat our love ones bad and stretching the limit of the love we have.  It is better that we pray with our heart with no words than to pray with words and no heart. We should response appropriately to the love we received and protect them with our mights.

Namaste.
o

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Choices in life

Life is make up of choices. Each choice we make determines our direction in life. The left turns and the right turns. If we take a left turn , the scenery will be different from the scenery if we have taken a right turn. The turns will lead us to a different path and different journey in life and different outcome. Life is mysterious in its own ways.

This afternoon, my wife and myself met up with her cousin, PL relating to the "big C" of my FIL. PL is not a qualified doctor but have read books on traditional medication for the big "C". She  have been working as a part time volunteer in Mount Mariam and been active in supporting cancer patients. She told us that cancer exist in all of us and it only become active because of poor health and stress. Some cancer is not aggressive and others are active. Most people who have cancer will isolate themselves and keep their illness a secret. They change their life style and diet drastically and takes lots of supplements. According to PL , this is wrong.  The patient should live their life as usual and get the support of their family members and advise of possible treatments from those people who have been working in this field. Apart from poison, the diet should be as usual and further strengthen the immune system.  So, the patients have to exercise their proper choice in this situation.

PL also told us that Penang have the most advance cancer mapping machine in Asia and it is very fortunate for the people of Penang. Very few people is aware of such machine and availability of good oncologist in the state and people are coming far and wide to Penang for treatment.  This is part of the medical tourism to promote  business revenue for the state. According to her, some of the Government hospitals have western and traditional treatments for cancer patients. This gives the various options and choices to the sick people,

Another critical choice, is the selection of our life partner. If we look for a perfect partner, we can never find one. The only choice is to think carefully and determine whether that person can take care of you in health or in sickness. There is certain rules which we have to observe or certain pitfalls which we will need to avoid. Love is blind and when we open our eye, it maybe too late. Most of the times, we can see the flaws in a person if we obseve ong enough  and some times, we just close an eye or both eyes  to it. Some people say love is the heart thing and we cannot see it with our naked eyes. There is some truth in this wisdom but it is not wrong to enter  a love relationship with our eyes open wide.

The piffalls in a relationship is culture , religious belief, maturity, basic character , upbring ,etc. In China,  there is a saying "Wooden door face wooden door and bamboo doors face bamboo doors". In a narrow interpretation, richman marry rich girl and poor man marry poor girl.  This is because of the traditional belief that the life style and cultures of the rich and poor is different and it is difficult for them to adapt and get acceptance from their family members, workers and peers.  If we look broadly, it is extends to upbring, culture, religious belief and much more. Reality sucks but this is Establishment.

In Chinese society, there is a saying " We provide for our children for 100 years and worry for them for 99 years. This is the difficult part to raise our children. Sometimes, they make their own choices in life which we know is wrong but they never listen.  Most of them learn from mistakes and this is part of growing up. They may fall many times and each time, they get up , they will be stronger.

As a parting advise, choices is for you to make but each choice  you make, comes with responsibility. If you decide , you will need to accept the outcome. So, think carefully and watch each steps and have a safe journey.

Namaste.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Life is an irony (ext)

 
This is really funny….
 
Men:
1. All men are extremely busy.
2. Although they are so busy, they still have time for women.
3. Although they have time for women, they don't really care for them.
4. Although they don't really care for them, they always have one around.
5. Although they always have one around them, they always try their luck with others.

Women:
1. The most important thing for a woman is financial security.
2. Although this is so important, they still go out and buy expensive clothes and stuff.
3. Although they always buy expensive clothes, they never have something to wear.
4. Although they never have something to wear, they always dress beautifully.
5. Although they always dress beautifully, their clothes are always just "an old rag".
6. Although their clothes are always "just an old rag", they still expect you to compliment them.
7. Although they expect you to compliment them, when you do, they don't believe you.

Wisdom:
WHEN I WAS MARRIED 25 YEARS AGO, I TOOK A LOOK AT MY WIFE ONE DAY AND SAID, "HONEY, 25 YEARS AGO WE HAD A CHEAP APARTMENT, A CHEAP CAR, SLEPT ON SOFA BED AND WATCHED A 10-INCH BLACK AND WHITE TV, BUT I GOT TO SLEEP EVERY NIGHT WITH A HOT 25-YEAR-OLD BLOND."

"NOW WE HAVE A $500,000.00 HOME, A $45,000.00 CAR, NICE BIG BED AND PLASMA SCREEN TV, BUT I'M SLEEPING WITH A 50-YEAR-OLD WOMAN. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU ARE NOT HOLDING UP YOUR SIDE OF THINGS."

MY WIFE IS A VERY REASONABLE WOMAN

SHE TOLD ME TO GO OUT & FIND A HOT 25-YEAR-OLD BLONDE, AND SHE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT I WOULD ONCE AGAIN BE LIVING IN A CHEAP APARTMENT, DRIVING A CHEAP CAR, SLEEPING ON A SOFA BED AND WATCHING A 10-INCH BLACK AND WHITE TV.

AREN'T OLDER WOMEN GREAT? THEY REALLY KNOW HOW TO SOLVE YOUR MID-LIFE CRISIS?






 
 
 

Another CNY dinner last nite.

Yes, I attended another CNY dinner. Why was it held yesterday ? Already passed the 15 days of celebration? Yeah, the MC gave a simple reply saying people is extending the celebration for the full 1st month and the CEO told us that it is free food and drinks and we should enjoy our dinner.  Yeah, if there is free food and drinks , we can celebrate CNY dinnner everyday for the rest of the year.  Does CNY have anymore meaning? I don't believe food and drinks alone will make us happy. The reason I went for the dinner is to meet my friends. This is an occasion for my own agenda of renewing my friendships with my long lost friends.  Each of us have been busy with our own life and rarely have time to catch up with each another.

If we are happy, simple food and drinks and a suitable place to meet will make my day. But , if there is an occasion, why not we use it to see our friends.

Talking about having no time to catch up with our friends. I was surprised that two friends working in the same organization have not met each other for a long time. One is station in KL and the other one is Penang.  When they see each other last nite, they greet each other " long time no see". I was shocked and wonder whether they work in the same organization. They said that they have been talking with each other on the phone quite often.  hey, fellas, there is such a thing as tele-conference.  This is the latest technology and it is even available on the hand phones now.  Strange bed fellas.

Yeah, last nite I was seated among my friends and we talk about everything under the sun. From politics, to business conditions  and properties in Penang . Ow, a whole lot of subjects while we eat and  drink while a  Chinese traditional music band is playing . Hey, it is funny, the band is make up of all male. Usually, the female would be the one performing. There was such a all female band from China. All the girls are slim and beautiful and it is  a wonderful sight. But , last nite , the band comprises of young man and they played wonderfully . They were not appreciated so much judging from the applause. It will be different if they are young and beautiful girls. This is a sexist world.  Yes, we cannot denied that we look to look at young beautiful girls. Nothing wrong for appreciating beauty, right.

The restaurant was filled with laughter and shout of yam-seng. My female staff with me told me that it sounds like a wedding dinner. The CEO went to every table to yam-seng. Typical of Chinese dinners. The meaning of yam-seng have changed over the years. In the old days when we knock our glasses, the drinks will be finished in one toast.Now, it is only a seep. Traditionally, we toast with Chinese rice wine but now, we toast with orange juice, tea  and grape wine. Anything will do, even water.  This is modernization and evolution of civilization. From a page with tradition and meaning to a blank page in our culture. Good or bad, it is left to you to judge.

Last nite, there was too much drinks and food. I felt guilty after drinking.  The feelings is that I have to do more exercise to burn  the excess calories off.  If we eat less, we exercise less. This is a better formula, right? Temptation of our mind is difficult to resist as we were having a fun time at the expense of the host. At the end of the dinner,the manager caught up with me and ask for my support and business. You have been naive if you think that dinner is for free. There is no free lunch or dinner. You are paid for your services in advance by the food and drinks you consumed.

This is a realistic world. Nothing is free.

Namaste.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

5 Buddhist precepts - daily vows

I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from destroying the life of beings.
I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from taking things not given.
I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from sexual misconduct.
I undertake to observe the precept to abstain' from false speech.
I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from spirit drinks, malt liquors and wines - foundations for heedlessness.

Immortality ....Do you wish ?

Yesterday, I saw a movie about immortality and it is not about living forever but living behind achievements and legacies after our death. Structures like Angkor Wat , the Egyptian pyramids, etc. In real life, everybody must die but some people find ways and means to live a little bit longer.  As science advance, the average life span will increase. But, eventually , everyone must die.

When we are young, death is very far away but when we reach old age, our friends and family members will start to pass on as all of us age. I remember there was a year when a number of  relatives of my mother's generation die in the same year. Six in a row. My mother have passed on for more than 14 years.

Today, my boss sent me a message and he told me that a long lost friend suddenly sent him a message informing him one of his school friends have a massive stroke and have passed on and another of his class mate is in coma. These news shock him and he could not sleep well last night. In his message, he told us that all of us are mortals. As we age, we will get sick and die. So, when there is a time to rest , we have to rest and when the time for us to exercise, we should drop everything and exercise. Don't kill our self over work. It is foolish if we work at the expense of our health. There should be a time to work, a time to play, a time to rest and a time to exercise.  This is within our arrangements.  If we blame  work as a reason to  miss an exercise, it is foolish and silly.  When can work be finished ? We have to put a full stop to it and treat  it as done for the day. We do an honest day of work.

There is a saying " work and no play makes Jack , a dull boy". I often heard people saying that they work 7 x 24. Silly fools, I think you are doing everything yourself . How can it be ? No sleep , no rest and no play. We have to be honest with our self and other people, this is plain silly and boastful. It is better another job before we kill our self . We are just mortals.

In chasing for glory, we often forget the fragility of our life. A simple twist of fate life will change or we die. Working 7 x 24 is like a walking zombie or walking dead.  Lifeless and meaningless.  Life without purpose is a waste. How long we live is not important rather how we live it.

Namaste.

What makes a successful person ?

My SIL, MC called and she sounded so happy. Her daugther, Eva got a first prize in her  Japanese speech contest in Japan. Her topic is what makes a successful person ? She  said that it is not wealth or frame but the person should be truly happy and smiles most of the time. I could not agree with her more. Happiness is everything. How to have happiness ? Contentment with what you have. If you are easily contented than you will be happy and when you are happy , you will be smiling all the time.

Money helps but it is not absolute. If we have money and we are greedy, we will never be happy. We will always be chasing after money and will neglect our health and our state of mind. After getting more money, we will chase after more and more money. I have told of incidents where a rich man's son light his cigars with a RM50 note in a night club. In his case, did he feel happy burning the RM50 note or just showing off.  Money have no meaning in this case. In real life, this fella die young as he is unhappy and became very stressful.

Our contentment is very basic but we expand it to follow the Jones and become part of the materialistic world. When other people have big cars, we want big cars. Other people have big houses, we want big houses to show that we are successful and people will respect us. I have a friend who have a family of four including himself staying in a big bungalow and when his both sons went overseas for further studies , his wife accompany them and leaving my friend alone in the big bungalow. Now, he is thinking of getting a small apartment for himself. He told me that after his death, his son and wife will sell off his property in Malaysia and bring all his money to the country of their choice. Is it meaningful to have a big house and so much money stash away in property or in the bank ?.

I have told  my readers a story in my previous article of a war time general who fought hard for his Emperor and win many battles. The Emperor told him that he will be rewarded accordingly and he wil be given all the land which he can covered while riding his horse. So, he jump on his horse and ride day and night , rain or shine, under the heat and rain until he fall sick. In his death bed, he told his son that he is too greedy. Now, all the land has no meaning to him and as he only need a land of 6ft by 6ft to bury in after his death.

All of us failed to see this point and we blindly chasing something which we do not need in expense of our health. So, wake up , folks.  Re-assess our needs and count our blessing before it is too late.

Namaste.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Sex and the City

I read about four women who were cheated by a Casanova. Not only money but much more.  The news was in the Star.  The ladies have reasonably good looks. How did it happen ? The man must have charming looks, a sweet talker and knows the needs of women. So, this could be a reason that love is blind. Yes, the ladies' heart must be easy to steal.

There was a story of a German couple who did not have any children and when the male went for a check up, he was confirmed to be sterile. They wanted a child very much and when he saw his neighbour have two child and looks like them, he convinced his wife to have sex with their neighbour's husband and paid him for a fee to  impregnate his wife. After 73 times of sex, there was still no result and the women's husband requested the man to have a medical check. The Doctor confirmed that the man was also sterile. Finally, the wife of the man confirmed that the children were not his. The case is in court and the couple sue the man for a refund. The man contented that he is only doing a job but never guarantee the outcome. This is a real life story.

We also read in the news that a man told wife that he has a second wife so that his first wife will not ask him where he is going. Finally, it was found out that he did not have a second wife but he is having an affair with a transvestite. The shim is treating him better than the wife.  Strange taste.

There was this story that a young man fell in love with a China prostitute he frequent and he wants a real relationship but could not accept the prostitute as his wife. Yet, he feel passionate and love her as she is good and kind to him. This situation is complicated as the man's family will  not accept the prostitute. This is reality, where the heart wants but the mind refused to accept.  A complicated situation.

Many strange stories but if you are passionate, Love is plentiful around. Once, you have the 5Cs or 5Bs,  you are an eligible one and  love will be waiting for you.

The choice is yours to seek , hunt and hurt. My advise is that if you are not interested in your potential partner , please don't give her hope and light up her fire. Emotions is like a wild fire and never ignites it when you cannot control it.  The outcome could be messy and tragic.

Namaste.

Life as a senior citizen is tough

Parachute Club


Life as a Senior Citizen is not getting any easier !!!

Yesterday, with things being a little boring, my wife asked why I
didn't do something useful with my time. She suggested I go down to
the Senior Center and hang out with the blokes there. I did, and I
told her this morning that I had joined a parachute club.

She said "Are you nuts? You're 60 years old and you're going to start
jumping out of airplanes?"

I proudly showed her that I even got a membership card. She says to
me, "You idiot, where are your glasses! This is a membership to a
Prostitute Club, not a Parachute Club!"

Oh hell, I'm in trouble again and don't know what to do! I signed up
for five jumps a week!

Monday, February 21, 2011

Those were the days ,...

The song goes like this ... " Those were the days, my friend. We thought it would never end, we sing and dance forever and a day, we live the life we choose and we fight and never lose, for we were young and sure to have our ways..."

When I see the young people , I admire their happy and carefree days which I once have. Now, it has turn into a routine and yet  challenging days which carries heavy responsibilities.  The bondage which  we add on our daily life through the years and knots of hurt feelings and heartaches  wraps around in many layers. We are trained to have a fixing mind , trouble shooting and solving problems as it comes and by the end of the day, we are worn out or "cooked". Where do we have the freedom and the time to simple things like lying on the grass and watch the sky or chit chat with our neighbours and enjoy the cold evening breeze outside our House.  All the faces and time have gone. Vanished.

I remember every morning , I will chase after the Indian man selling green bean kandong.  I will buy a bowl and eat it with bread. The Indian bread. Ow, so delicious and good. Sometimes, I will buy the kutu malyong , a kind of web-like noodle with brown sugar and coconut bits and I will chew and eat it slowly. What a wonderful feeling. Simple , cheap and good. So, carefree. I would run along the streets and chase my friends in the back lane, playing hide and seek or throwing rubber balls at each other. Time pass so slow and I enjoy Evey minute of it. Now, I watch my computer screen most of the time and when I am not on my desk , I will read my mails on my Iphone 4. I would read and answer my mail and resolve any problems arising or communicate to me.  I missed the open space , the star , the moon and the sky.

Just a reflection of my thoughts as inside me I crave for  the pleasure of the simple things I did when I was young. My friends may have been gone but they live in my memory and they will live with me forever. The thoughts of them will re-surface when my mind travels back to  my younger days. I long for my yesterdays when love was such an easy game to play and my troubles seems so far away. So, when something is wrong, I will long for yesterday or my yester years.

Live and live freely. Do whatever you can to re-live your happy days.

Namaste.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

There is a time for everything.

My sister  Jo was backed from Singapore on a three days holiday with her husband. She met an old friend and she told me that she is still in a shock as her friend was 75 kg when she last saw her and now, her dffriend is only about 50 kg. Her friend, K was only a vegetarian on occasions but now she is completely a vegetarian and attend Buddhist dharma everyday with her teacher,  According to my sister, K's daughter was a vegan and Jo do not understand the diet of a vegan.

In their diet, a vegetarian only consume vegetables and in their diet there is no meat while a vegan eat on vegetables which is above the earth. Vegetables growing under the earth like onion, ginger, garlic, potatoes,etc can be eaten by a vegetarian but not allow for vegans. Buddhist are normally vegetarians and alot of them are vegans. The logic behind this belief is that we should not hurt or destroy the mother earth which provides food for us and a place to live.

During Jo's visit to her friend, K, the latter took her to one of her daily dharma session and Jo told me that she was bored stiff as she could not understand the dharma and purpose of the dharma.  She tried to focus but she could not understand. I told her not to rush and there is a time for everything. Sometimes, you need to "touch" by your designated mentor or by an event. My MIL ( mother-in-law) before she die of cancer, she has a dream that Jesus came and free her from all her suffering and she embrace Christianity before her death. She was a Toaist in all her life until she was touch.

However, some people is touch early , some later in life and some never have this opportunity. This is all fated and we cannot just rush in to accept everything that come our way. Some took a long time to accept certain beliefs and some come naturally. Some people only believe  in themselves and from their within.

To those people,who have yet to find their Tao or their way, just sail along and make peace with your each steps forward in life. It is not a matter of how many breath you have in your life but how many times,  the breath is taken away.  For those people who have found their Tao, they have enjoy certain previleges and many breathless moments when they find peace , tranquility and their short moments of enlightenments.

Open your heart and mind and probably, you will be contacted or connected if your FM channel is properly tuned on with your destined mentor.

Namaste.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

The death of an opera tenor.

It happen again. This time an opera singer and he dropped dead with a heart attack at his early fifties. It was reported  in the Star newspaper two days ago. What happen? A healthy man walking his dog in an early morning and while at his height of his career  doing a job  he love and doing charity work for churches and schools. Good man die young? What kind of logic is this? So , doing evil will make us live longer? Do we start bargaining with Devil?

Yesterday , my sister told me that her hawker friend selling "lor mee" which I used to favor have also gone. She visit the stall recently and was informed that he has gone to sell "salted eggs". He was also in early 50's. Recently, two or three state assembly men also died at their 50's and elections have called to replace them. What happen?

As I see it, it is the life style and stress. If our life style is unhealthy we know it and our family members can see it. They will warn us but it will depend on our self to control it. It takes alot of determination to change old or bad habits. It is our indulgence in lazy life style and bad diet  that kill us.

The most important factor which kill us is stress. It is a silent killer and it push up our blood pressure quietly and cloak our blood vessel and damage our heart. It does not happen overnight but it is gradual and builds up the toxic deposits over the years. It like in ancient China a poison that is tasteless, fragranceless and painless which kills through gradual consumption. When the dosage is enough, it trigger a spark to light the deadly "bomb" in our body.

All of us know what I have said about the subject. There have been more detail literature about it. Reminding it serve no purpose if we do not take any actions. Just a simple analogy comparing it to property price.  It have been years ago, that people have been talking about rising property price in Penang island. The land is limited on the island and people love to live on the island , so as more and more people live on the island, it creates a demand and the supply of land is limited as more and more projects take up the idle land, so forcing up the price.  It is a simple economic theory of  "demand and supply". It is so simple to understand but people in the past knows about it and not taking any actions until the price is so much higher now. Now, most of them cannot afford to buy landed property now.  We are always right from hindsight and if we exercise abit of logic and gut, we can also be right n the foresight. Knowing it and not doing something about it is two entirely different things.

We should follow Nike's motto " Just do it". Don't wait anymore, start some exercise to make your body healthy and strengthen your resistance to stress. This may not be the only thing right for you as each person have their own way of de-stress and relaxation. We have to understand our physical condition and work out  an individual programme to handle our body and mind, But, the common logic thing to do is "just do it " now.

Namaste.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Women communicate better than men p(news)

LONDON - WOMEN communicate better than men and actually talk less, researchers said on Friday.

Men speak more words than women in a day, but have a weaker command of language in social situations, use the same words repeatedly and pay unconvincing compliments, British researchers said after studying how men and women communicate.

Manchester University researchers found that when conversation centred on serious issues such as current affairs men and women used similar language, but they differed widely when it came to chit-chat in social situations.

The women in the research commissioned by British female-friendly insurance firm Sheilas' Wheels had superior communication skills and used a wider variety of words in social situations, while men struggled with their command of language.

'It is men who are more likely to talk for the sake of talking when engaged in social chit-chat by recycling their words with ritualistic and redundant language that doesn't contain new information,' Manchester University researcher Geoffrey Beattie said.

The team of researchers carried recording devices over a one week period in order to transcribe 50 conversations, which were split between men and women in serious and social conversations.

Wisdom from an old lady.... (ext)

LOVELY READING

In April, Maya Angelou was interviewed by Oprah on her 70+ birthday …
Oprah asked her what she thought of growing older.
And, there on television, she said it was 'exciting...'

Regarding body changes, she said there were many, occurring every day.....like her breasts. They seem to be in a race to see which will reach her waist, first.

The audience laughed so hard they cried. She is such a simple and honest woman, with so much wisdom in her words!

Maya Angelou said this:
'I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.'

'I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.'

'I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.'

'I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life.'

'I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.'

'I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back...'

'I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.'

'I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.'

'I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back...'

'I've learned that I still have a lot to learn...'

'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'

Thursday, February 17, 2011

The death of a Yoga teacher

My yoga teacher told us that her teacher which she learn most of her yoga forms have died an almost sudden death. He was only 46 years old, in perfect health and full of life. His last wish was for her students to perform yoga at his wake. When he went to Sarawak, he was in perfect health and upon his return his health took a slide and within two weeks , he passed away. It was a surprise to all her students and friends. Well, that is life, uncertain and unpredictable.

When we learn yoga, it was to promote health and longevity. In yoga, we believe that in our life we can only breath a million times and the slower we breath, the longer is our life. It is just like a bottle of water, if you drink slowly, it last longer but if you drink fast, your bottle will be empty and your life is up.  In the practice, breathing is very important and we learn to breath in constrict postures and in the air pockets of each lung. It is to stretch the breathing and when we are back in the normal posture, the breathing will be more natural and smooth.

In his case, he have practice yoga daily and he should have strong breathing style and great resistance to virus and illness. The cause of his death is unclear and the most probable cause is because of an infection to his liver. I do not know the real reasons but I expected yogis
to have long life and his  death have broken this myth. It does not matter how healthy
you look or feel. Life is uncertain. With a sudden twist of fate , life will change.  People who is expected to die old but instead die young. This is the beauty and sadness of life . You can never predict its outcome.

During the Chinese new year, I was taught to play the cards of " in between". It is a simple game. Each player will put money in a pool which becomes the table money and subsequently , each player is given two cards. For example , you get a two and five. You are requested  to play  against the pool of money on the table. If you buy a card for a certain amount of money , for example RM40 and if the third card falls in between the two and five, you can take RM40 from the pool of money and if your third card is a two or five , you will pay double and the money will be added to the pool.

My intention here is to show you my luck and the odds of this game like in real life. Nothing is promised or as your expectation. In the game, I have a pair of two  and the rule is for me to choose higher or lower. If higher, the chances is about 90 percent , that is , if the third card is 3 to King, I will win money from the pool of money and my down side is only a two or ace or one. I am very sure that I will win and I buy big and choose a higher than two. You know what happen, the third card was an ace which is one. I lost the game. I cannot believe my eyes , the chances of a small number is very slim and it just happen.  Well, I just say that it just happen. Like what happen to my grand yogi who die suddenly. The odds are very slim.

I apologise for comparing a card game with the life of my dead grand yogi. This is the uncertainty and the mystery of life. When you don't expect it , it happens and when you expects it , it misses you. So , we have to take life step by step. Enjoy the beauty and peace in each of your steps .

Namaste.

Hisago restaurant lunch - another look at life

Today, I have a lunch with the same friend, W which I have discussed about life with him.  He is still undecided whether to retire this year or next year.  On one hand, if he retire earlier, he would have more time to start his personal project , that is, lecturing and teaching Silva Mind Control Technique. He told me that he has practice it for more than 30 years for five to ten minutes every day. He intends to study the Art of Living and possibly, take up another course, Fountain of Youth.  He is seriously looking and searching for the meaning of live.

During the lunch, he told me that it is futile for us to search for the extra million and neglect our health in the process. If you have millions, what is the meaning of another million ? If we pass our fortune to our children it will not be appreciated and they will sell away the properties and channel the funds into the pursuance of their interest. Easy money come , easy money goes. So, his philosophy is to enjoy his earning while he can and also to pursue his personal dreams to impart knowledge to the next generation.  His noble deeds remind me of a China millionaire, who donated all his fortune to charity and told the press that if his children want money, they will have to earn it themselves. In this way, his children will understand the value of money and the hardship in earning it.

Yes, the generation of the baby boomers have gone through hardship during  the Great Depression and after effect of the two world wars and they understand hunger and hard work. The Generation Y is the spoilted brats because of the fortunes handed down by the generation of the baby boomers. I have seen a young fresh graduate joining my organization driving a bigger car than some of my staff who have working many years with me during his or her first day at work.  The generation Y is very choosy with jobs and take sick leave very easily.  During our younger days, if we have a head ache  we will take one panadol and continue our work in our office. Now, a single cough will sent the young ones scrambling home to rest. What is happening ? The coming generation is getting frail and weak. This would spell trouble as life is getting tougher and more difficult as the world is getting flatter by the day. Competition is coming from China and India and the less developing countries. It is better for them to wake up in time before they slip into oblivion.

So, kids, listen to your elders and pay attention to their advise. Strengthen yourself and prepare yourself for a more difficult life.  If you believe life is difficult , it will be a good start for you.

Namaste.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Talking about the weather

It has been hot in the day and cold in the night during this CNY festive period. The heat in the day is unbearable with the glare from the sun burning our eyes and skin.  In the night, it is sometimes freezing cold. The wide fluctuation in the day and night is a health hazard and could caused a lot of illness during the period.

In Japan in snowing in certain parts of the country where snow is rare and the huge snow falls in areas where there use to be snow mild snow falls caused business disruptions and affect the volume of shoppers. What is happening to the weather ? The weather is changing and evolving and making life difficult and unbearable sometimes.

For million years of evolution, the weather is shifting to severe fluctuations and billions  of people have passed on as disasters strike like flood and severe mud flows is intensifying. Are the GODs getting angry or the Dooms day is here ? There is a prediction that the world will end in 2012 but very few people believe this will happen. After so many million of evolution , why 2012 and not 2010 or any other date for that matter?  2012 is a prediction by Nostradamus,who have successfully predicted some events which actually happen.  His frame in prediction happens to add more credence to his prediction.

Is it scary if it happens ? Well, not a sweat because billions of people will die with us the same time and if there is no choice, why worry ? Can we dig a hole in the ground or build a boat to standby or climb up to the tallest mountain to escape this fate.  Useless, we do not know what will happen and it is not necessary to do any of these things.  Just close your eyes and welcome it, if it comes your way.

Looking at this uncertainty if we believe in the theory  and prediction, it is better for us to spend comfortably. Living a reasonably lavish life if you can afford it.  Don't worry and be happy. Whether is coming true or not, it is not important if you keep your self happy and comfortable. Live in the present.

Basic theory :

The 2012 phenomenon comprises a range of eschatological beliefs that cataclysmic or transformative events will occur on December 21, 2012,[ which is said to be the end-date of a 5,125-year-long cycle in the Mayan Long Count calendar. Various astronomical alignments and numerological formulae related to this date have been proposed.
A New Age interpretation of this transition posits that during this time Earth and its inhabitants may undergo a positive physical or spiritual transformation, and that 2012 may mark the beginning of a new era.[4] Others suggest that the 2012 date marks the end of the world or a similar catastrophe. Scenarios posited for the end of the world include the Earth's collision with a passing planet (often referred to as "Nibiru") or black hole, or the arrival of the next solar maximum.
Scholars from various disciplines have dismissed the idea of catastrophe in 2012. Mainstream Mayanist scholars state that predictions of impending doom are not found in any of the existing classic Maya accounts, and that the idea that the Long Count calendar "ends" in 2012 misrepresents Maya history.[3][5] The modern Maya do not consider the date significant, and the classical sources on the subject are scarce and contradictory, suggesting that there was little if any universal agreement among them about what, if anything, the date might mean.[6]
Additionally, astronomers and other scientists have rejected the apocalyptic forecasts as pseudoscience, stating that the anticipated events are contradicted by simple astronomical observations.[7] NASA has compared fears about 2012 with those about the approaching millennium in the late 1990s, suggesting that an adequate analysis should preclude fears of disaster.[7] None of the proposed alignments or formulas have been accepted by mainstream scholarship.

Namaste.

The funny side of nagging ( ext)

An old country farmer had a wife who nagged him unmercifully.
From morning till night she was always complaining about something.
The only time he got any relief was when he was out plowing with
his old mule.  He tried to plow a lot. 

One day, when he was out plowing,  his wife brought him lunch in the field.  He drove the old mule into the shade, sat down on a stump, and began to eat his lunch. Immediately, his wife began nagging him again. Complain, nag, complain, nag  -  it just went on and on. 

All of a sudden, the old mule lashed out with both hind feet, caught her smack in the back of the head. Killed her dead on the spot.
    
At the funeral several days later, the minister noticed something rather odd.  When a woman mourner would approach the old farmer, he would listen for a minute, then nod his head in agreement; but when a man mourner approached him, he would listen for a minute, then shake his head in disagreement.  This was so consistent, the minister decided to ask the old
farmer about it.

So after the funeral, the minister spoke to the old farmer, and asked him why he nodded his head and agreed with the women,  but always shook his head and disagreed with all the men.
The old farmer said, 'Well, the women would come up and say  something about how nice my wife looked, or how pretty her  dress was, so I'd nod my head in agreement.' 
    
'And what about the men?' the minister asked.  'They wanted to know if the mule was for sale.'

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Life is interesting - A 100 kisses ? (ext)

A Punjabi lawyer working in UK wrote to his wife in India ...

Dear Sunita Darling,  

I can't send you my salary this month because the global market crisis has   affected my Company's performance, so I am sending 100 kisses. You are my sweetheart, please adjust.

Your loving husband, Tuna Singh


His wife replied...

TINKU KE PAPPA ,

Thanks for the 100 kisses. Below is the list of expenses I paid with the Kisses...:  

1. The Milk man agreed on 2 kisses for one month's milk.

2. The electricity man, Kooldip Singh, agreed not to disconnect only after 7 kisses.
3. Your landlord Kapal Singh comes every day to take 2 or 3 kisses instead of the monthly rent.

4. Supermarket owner Jaswant Singh did not accept kisses only, so I gave him other items, I hope you understand..

5. Miscellaneous expenses 40 kisses.
Please don't worry about me, I still have a balance of 35 kisses and I hope I can survive the month using this balance...  

Shall I plan the same for the next month?

Your Sweet Heart,
Kichi  
 
 

Monday, February 14, 2011

I saw a familiar reflection yesterday

Yes, letting go is hard to do. It is easy said than done. When it is time to go, it is just like letting go your past and facing and uncertain future. Sometimes, we fight to be heard to show our displeasure or to kick up a fuss to be notice. This is the side effects of aging. It is so hard to be doing something else after so many years of working and been useful. In the past , waking up is for a purpose that is going to work and everything is set for the day.

Yesterday, I saw a ghostly reflection at a meeting.  It saddens me very much because the person I used to work with is retiring from the company and the meeting was supposed to be his last attendance. I know deep inside, he knows the answer to the issue  raise at the meeting but he just want to cast some doubts and questions to be heard  and showing his displeasure. He has another agenda that is to tell all of us that he is still useful and not to be written off so soon.  But, in the process, he casted doubts on the ability  and creditability of his staff who have work and  trained under him for so many years.  He was biting too hard and he hurts the people who have once supported him in his work. What an exit !

This is not new. In the past, I have seen some many of my ex-colleagues leaving with so much anger in their heart. The reason is that some of them feel that they can still work effectively after reaching their retirement age and the company is not giving them this opportunity or they feel that the company have not recognized their contributions to the company fairly and reward them adequately and so on and so forth with some many other reasons. Yes, letting go is an easy thing to do but it is just a matter of sooner or later. The most important thing is that we have to walk out from our place of work with our head held high and dignified.  I have seen some of my ex-colleagues doing just that and moved on with their life beautifully. We just have to let go and there will be things out there for us to do. There is a Chinese saying " Age and time spare no one ".

Taking an analogy from Ajahn Chad, a Buddhist monk.  When we pick up the stick and hold on to it, it will get heavier as time goes by. We have a choice either to hold on to it and suffer the pain or throw it away and live freely. The faster we throw it away, it will be better as we can feel our hands for something else.  Just letting out of the stick is a mighty decision because  we have been holding on to it and it has become our hand or part of our body. Believe me, discard it and you will feel lighter and more mobile. Yes, it is not easy, we have to build our mindset towards this point and make it easy for us to let go.  If we are carrying a rack sack full of sticks, it is better that we take it out one by one and start throwing it away until it is time to let go. If we follow this process, it will be easier for us to adjust our conditions.

Life is full of beautiful things and plentiful of sunshine. If we take a step back, we will see a bigger horizon and more colours and beautiful things.  Smell the fresh air and emerge your self into nature and you will life more refreshing and interesting.  Just open up your heart and mind and you will know what I mean.

I would like to end this sad episode here and move on with my life.

Namaste.

Rose, Rose I love you.

Hello folks ! Today is Valentine Day.  Love and kisses to all my readers and friends. Mind you, if you sent three roses to a friend, it symbolizes your love. Three roses mean I Love You.  Ow, it is a bit playful  as I am well over the hills. But, there is nothing wrong by telling people that you love them.  There are many kind of love. Fatherly love, caring love, friendly love and the true love. The deepness of the love varies from different person to person. Some is 100% love, some 80% or 50% and the degree of love will be adjusting time to time depending on our emotions.

Normally, roses are red, violets are blue. During Valentine Day, not all the flowers should be roses and different flowers carry different meaning. If you are not aware of the implication, please ask your florist.  Don't use your own imagination because there is a norm and it is embrassing if you sent the wrong message. In Japan, the customs is to give different kind of gifts. Some people give underwears, white chocolates , handerchief , flowers, etc to sent their indiviual message to their peers , boss and friends. 

Valentine Day is a creation of the big business people and their intention is to make profits and in some advance countries, it has been over commercialized. This special day carries the similarity with Christmas  and it is wrong to understand this way.  It has no religious bearings  but a way  or an occasion to express your love and care for another person.  It is a cross culture and border less as love goes , Rosemary goes....a true love has no hidden agenda and limits.  Open your heart and feel the love in the air... does GOD come into the picture ? No. Love is just love. Spread your wings and fly into the horizons with love in your heart as out there, there is someone waiting for your love and care.

So, much for the talks  and this is the guidelines for the valentine colors :

Valentine roses:

  • Red means romantic love (the "Valentine roses," par excellence).
  • Purple, coral and orange challenge red as the color for Valentine roses. The rose color meanings for these 3 are as follows:
    • The specific purpose of purple roses is to signify that the giver has fallen in love with the recipient at first sight.
    • Meanwhile, coral signals desire.
    • And orange roses, along with apricot, connote enthusiasm.
    • The meaning of yellow roses is joy and friendship.
  • We express our gratitude and appreciation with pink roses....
  • While feelings of admiration and sympathy find words with roses that are light pink in color.
  • Peach is more ambiguous, as it can signify either sympathy or gratitude.
  • White roses the meaning of reverence and humility.
Namaste.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

I killed my gold fish

It was plain stupidity and trusting the wrong person.  Yes, I have a trusting nature and when I gave some assignment to the people around me, I will leave the whole task completely to the selected person. It has failed me many times but I repeat the same mistake. Albert Einstein once said " when we do a task the same way over and over again, if we expect a different result , this is insanity". Yeah, he is absolutely right, I am insane.

Yesterday, I bought a new aquarium for my gold fish and the vendor told me that he will deliver the equipment to me house and asked him to pay him first and he will arrange the delivery later. So, I pay up and went home to wait.  It was an hour later when the equipment did not arrive , I called to check and the vendor said that it will be delivered in a few minutes. I checked with him that how long it will be installed , he told me it can be done easily in less than 10 minutes.  So , I told my maid to empty the water in the tank and transfer the fish into a plastic pail and wait for the arrival of the aquarium. Ten minutes later the equipment arrived and followed by two technician in a van. Upon arrival, he told me that he is late for another delivery and after he unload the equipment , he told me to install the equipment my self. I refused and telling them that I don't know to install the equipment.  They were forced to put up the equipment and install the pump for me. After the installation, he start the pump and it could not work. He tried and tried but it failed to operate. He cursed and swear that it is the first time he has encountered such problem and he is late for his next delivery.  After several try and an hour later, the pump start to operate and by this time, my gold fish has turn 45%  and weak.  I try to pump them in another pond to keep them alive.  This is not the end of the story, after the pump start to operate, the technician told me that we have to let the pump run for another 30 minutes before I can put in my fish.  In my heart , I know this additional 30 minutes would be fatal for my fish.  But, I have to pray and hope for the best.  True to my belief, two of my gold fishes passed away while in the transit. I killed two of my gold fish. I could save them if I am a bit careful and plan to operate my aquarium until the installation of the new aquarium have been completed and fully certified operational. I am to be blamed for been careless and silly.

In life, we often neglect the details and fail to plan. There is no such thing as plan to fail but failed to plan. We take things for granted and assume  that  everything will run smoothly and leave it to the experts. Some of the experts and not experts but half baked in their knowledge and skill. We should not believe absolutely but to hold back some reservations and have back up plans if some thing starts to go wrong. The life of two gold fish maybe a small matter but it could have been worse if life of human being is involved.  Bad habits die hard and it will apply to small and big things.  It does not matter who small a task, we should apply the same effort , focus and attention to it. We have to make the best of everything and this should be our motto in life for it will never fail us.

Namaste.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Lunch talks about life - a sequel

This is a continuation of my previous article. During the lunch, I told my friend that our mutual friend F is migrating to Australia and he told me that he had heard the news and he was not surprise because his own family is also considering migrating to Australia.  According to him, there is a good life there and everybody is willing to help apart from earning Aussie$ and investing it back in Malaysia. He told me that this is a common trend now for Malaysian to work in China , Hong Kong and Singapore apart from Australia where their earnings is in US$ and these people came back on visit or invest in property in Malaysia.  This is one of the factor which caused the price of property to boom in our Country.

Yeah, I agree with him and in this flat or border less world, people can be everywhere as long as they have the ability and talent. This is much so for the Chinese people who have venture far and wide many centuries ago and reside in foreign land. Life is difficult but it builds up the combative spirit and harden the fighting soul and stand up to be counted. The mushrooming of so many overseas Chinese community is one of the reason of this willingness to venture far and wide.

Does it matter where we choose to settle down ?  It is a border less world and people can choose to live anywhere or die and buried anywhere as long as there is a good life. Do we need to live and die here and only here ? We should dwell on this question and change our mindset and thoughts. This choice have been exercised by so many of our ancestors and people have been living here and there in a few parts of the world. Air travel is convenient and distance is not a problem. If we plan ahead our travel, the cost would be manageable. According to my friend,  Malaysians working in Singapore can travel back weekly to Malaysia on every week ends and for Air Asia , it only cost them RM250 for a round trip if we booked well in advance. This is true as I have a BIL in Singapore who take advantage of this situation very regularly.

I have another friend who travel to Australia every alternate week to be with his son who is not coming back to Malaysia because he has a well paid job there. We have to open our mind to these changes as technology improve and time travel is faster. There is no need to exercise the choice of living a lone in Malaysia even if our family stays in Australia or Singapore or China for that matter. Be mobile and travel and make it part of your life.

For those who having been behaving like an ostrich , it is time to pull your head out from the sand and look at the sky and horizon. Things have changed and it is time for you to change and be happy.  We are not constricted but only in our mind. Break free from the wrong mindset and don't caught your self in a mind trap. It is within you to change and it is within you to exercise the right choice. So, live well.

Namaste.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Lunch talks about life.

My friend came for a visit and my  boss and myself have a lunch with him. He is thinking of retiring early and have to exercise his option in three months' time.  My boss asked him what he is going to do if he opts to retire.  " I will use my retirement years to teach the poor students" he replied. This is a very noble thing to do. What else? My boss press him for more details. " I am thinking of teaching Silva mind control as well as I have been practising it for 20 over years. It will be useful to all my friends " he continued.

Yes, there are alot of options available after retirement but we have to plan it well and find out what is our objective in life. He asked me whether I am retiring and I replied that I have uncompleted missions to complete certain projects which I was involved from the start. I told him that I should not think too far ahead as I am unsure of tomorrow.  He agreed with me and before we part ways, he told me that money is not everything.  Ok, at this age, how much do we need more. It does not cost too much to sustain our life through simple living. Sometimes, less eating is more healthy. To have 70% full stomach is enough and excess eating is bad for health. I have seen my FIL eat less than half a bowl of rice and he looks trim and slim. Well, this is not a general statement as different people have different needs.  Some eat to live and some live to eat.  Different priorities all together.

My friend's family is moving on to Australia and he told us that he will be alone.  His present house have become too big  and he is looking for a smaller and a more suitable place.  Yes, if we live a lone in a big house, not only it is eerie but it is not safe. If some thing happen to us,  nobody is around to save us.  In the states, there is a health service where certain service organization will install monitors to detect the occupant's movement and have equipment and programmes to test their health conditions.  This type of service could have a bigger market if the population ages and people live a longer life.  However, this is not the time yet and it is logical for my friend to find a suitable place to live.

Well, for some older folks there should be some kind of planning now because everything is getting expensive including the cost of buying an apartment in a nice location.  So, wait no more , old folks while it is manageable and a good place is available.

Keep healthy , keep a good diet , do some exercise and control our mind.

Namaste.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

CNY dinners -memory of the good old days

Today, I attended a dinner at 6pm which hosted by one of my bankers. The food was rich and plentiful and the company was great. I sat among some old friends and we talk about politics, experience and life in Australia as one my old friend is migrating there next month. I have been rejecting dinner invitations but I accept this one because I have to introduce my young staff to my banker friends. It is like an exposure to her to learn to socialize and talk with people in a group dinner. Anyway, it is one of the earliest dinner I have ever attended and the earliest is 6.30pm.  Strange but I attended it anyway.

I noticed that there are so much difference in this year's dinner with the earlier years.  There use to be drinks, hard liquor drinks and too much of overeating. Now, the guest is worried about cholesterol , fats and sugar. Everyone seems to eat half of what we used to eat in the past years and have been very selective. Yes, now a days, it is so easy to die.  In the past , we eat fatty meat, alot of rice and internal organs as delicacies and have no fear of cholesterol ,fat , salt and sugar.  Our parents also eat the same thing and they live into their ripe old age. What is happening  today ?

The food today is filled with chemicals. The farmers use chemical fertilisers to fatten their pigs, green their vegetables and strengthen the chickens. There are chemical here and chemical there. It is so excessive and everyday, we have been taking in huge dose of chemicals without knowing it.

In my house, my wife installed water filter for drinking and we installed a big water filter outside to water our plants and fill my fish tanks and  ponds. We replaced all the piping leading the water into my house and despite of that , my fish was poison to death several times, when the dirty water occasionally,fill up my tank. This illustrate how polluted the water is now a days. Water filter has become a necessity in life.

What happen to our clean earth and natural food.  Now, we have to selective in our food to avoid to be poison. Too much salt affects our blood pressure , too sugar gives us diabetes.  Too much red meat give us uric acid , too much fatty pork give us clogged arteries.  It was unknown years ago.  Has science may us more vulnerable to sickness and ill health.

One man's poison is another man's meat. But, medical reports and studies have generalized  these effects on our life span and condition of our health. I long for my younger days where I eat freely, drink freely and breath freely.  Now , I have to detoxify all the food and water to keep my health.  Occasionally, I am taking poison if I dine in a restaurant as I do not have the control on the food and water quality. Well, a little poison is good for the immune system. It tickle and stirred the generation of a protective substance to neutralize these  poisons.

I pray and long for the unaffected natural environment , far away from the polluted air, water and food.  Deep and high up in the jungle where I can live freely again. Watching the sunrise and sunset from the distance and gradually unwind and wither away  while listening to the wind.

Namaste.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Shaolin - The movie

It is about a greedy warlord who killed his adopted brother because he feels that his brother will kill him if he do not kill him first. Before this happen, he had trained his protege in the image of him, cruel, ruthless and mad. He was betrayed by his protege after he killed his adopted brother and was almost assassinated by his protege's follower. He survived and hide himself in the Shaolin temple which he once despise. In the process, his only daughter was killed and his wife left him. After this stage, he realized that he was wrong and he repented over his evil deeds and finally, became  a monk.  He learn Buddhism and his shaolin Kungful from the temple and was progressing well when his protege came searching for him because he cannot sleep knowing that his master is alive. There was a deadly fight between the two and he was killed trying to save his protege twice as a third enemy force starts shelling the temple.  His last words to all : I have created him and it is my fate to save him ". 

This is a great message. Who would so easily and willingly admit that he has created a monster and taking responsibility for all his evil deeds ? It takes great space and wisdom not to re-act when someone slaps you in the face. To have this restrain and control over oneself is the ultimate achievement in freeing one self from our self ego.  To forgive is easy but to forget is the hard part.  When we are hurt, the wound stays with us and open up at appropriate timings to unwind the thoughts and the bitterness sets in.  I think the show is a bit rhetoric and full of drama to emphasize the change in the actor. Maybe, it is the painful event of losing the daughter but it is not so easy to turn over a new leaf.

Having said that, a movie should be full of drama but there are simple messages which we can draw from the movie to enlighten us that life is a long and winding road and our fate is uncertain. To change our habit should be gradual and painful unless some dramatic events which change us completely. Don't wait for the moment, as we evolves, we should move towards righteousness and discard our evil deeds and thoughts. This will make us sleep better.

Namaste.

Beware of this dirty trick - extract

An Aussie walks into a pub and takes a seat next to a very attractive woman.
He gives her a quick glance then casually looks at his watch for a moment.
The woman notices this and asks, 'Is your date running late?'
'No', he replies,'I just got this state-of the-art watch, and I was just testing it.'
The intrigued woman says, 'a state-of-the-art watch?
''What's so special about it?'
The Aussie explains, 'It uses alpha waves to talk to me telepathically.'
The lady says, 'What's it telling you now?'
Well, it says you're not wearing any panties.'
The woman giggles and replies
'Well it must be broken because I am wearing panties!'
The Aussie smiles, taps his watch and says,
'This Bloody thing's an hour fast!'

Sunday, February 6, 2011

A test of moral strenght - ext . Golden rabbit?

 
THE WEDDING TEST

I was a very happy man. My wonderful girlfriend

And I had been dating for over a year, and so we

Decided to get married. There was only one

Little thing bothering me...It was her beautiful

Younger sister.


My prospective sister-in-law was twenty-two, wore very

Tight miniskirts, and generally was bra-less. She

Would regularly bend down when she was near

Me, and I always got more than a nice view. It had to

Be deliberate. Because she never did it when she was

Near anyone else.


One day her 'little' sister called and asked me to

Come over to check the wedding invitations. She was

Alone when I arrived, and she whispered to me that she

Had feelings and desires for me that she couldn't

Overcome. She told me that she wanted me just once

Before I got married and committed my life to her sister.

Well, I was in total shock, and couldn't say a word.

She said, 'I'm going upstairs to my bedroom, and if

You want one last wild fling, just come up and get me.'


I was stunned and frozen in shock as I watched her go

Up the stairs. I stood there for a moment, then turned

And made a beeline straight to the front door. I

Opened the door, and headed straight towards my car.

Lord... And behold, my entire future family was standing

Outside, all clapping!


With tears in his eyes, my father-in-law hugged me and

Said, 'We are very happy that you have passed our

Little test. We couldn't ask for a better

Man for our daughter. Welcome to the family.'

And the moral of this story is:

Always keep your condoms in your car..





A

Every good things must come to an end.

There is a saying " plan as if you live for ever but live as if there is no tomorrow".  There is no such things as plan to fail but only fail to plan.  It is important that we have purpose  and hope in our life and in the midst of planning, we think we can live for ever. But, tomorrow is never promised and all good things will come to an end at its right time. Everything will fall into its own place over time. Just the CNY celebration, it is over before we knew it or enjoy it to the fullest.  Why is it passing so fast ? It was as if a moment ago, we were celebrating the occasion together.

There is the beauty of time. It slips away quietly under our nose and before we realize it, it has moved on.  There is a story of an abbot who will invite one of his disciple to walk with him every evening to watch the sunset and there is one strict condition, no talking is allowed.  One evening, he was walking with his disciple and the sunset was very beautiful that day and the disciple cannot help it and exclaim " what a beautiful sunset " . Immediately, the abbot stop his walking and sent the disciple back to his monastery. Later , the abbot explain his action to his disciples. If we put words to describe a beautiful moment, it is like putting a limit to its beauty. There are no perfect words to describe a beautiful moment which can only fully felt through awareness. The same thing as expressing words to good food. The taste can only be felt by the person who eat it and no words will be able to carry the same taste to the listener. When we say, it is good taste or extremely tasty, it varies very differently to different people. So, it can never be felt the same by another person. That is the reason, we have to feel and be aware of its goodness instead of describing it.

If we think back about the few days of CNY holiday , how have we enjoyed it ? Can words describe the goodness which we have experienced during the celebration.  It was felt and gone. The memory of the experience is blur and uncertain. We felt it was not enough and we want more of it.  The problem with us is that our mind move on to a sequence of events too fast and we do not have the time to absorb it fully.  Many fleeting moments and bits and pieces of joyful moments.  If we slow down our actions by a 100 times, then perhaps, we can be aware and absorb the goodness of each moment in greater details. This slow down experience could make us felt fulfilled and satisfied so we do not feel that we have not enough.

Putting this analogy to eating food. We eat too much if we are not aware of what we are eating. If we slow down our eating, we will be aware of what we are eating, the good taste  and smell of the food and our body will tell us when we have enough.  Try chewing more of your food and slow down the eating process and you will realized the wonderful feeling coming out of awareness. We should train our mind to be aware of each moment and we will never feel hungry again.

I hope all of you will attain this awareness and you will have to do it yourself.  We can be trained to fish and there is no fish unless we catch one our self.

Namaste.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

How to overcome our weakness ?

The King's Speech was a very good example of how we overcome our weakness.  In the show, the Duke of York was asked to deliver  a speech on behalf of the King and he could not speak at all in front of the thousands of his subject.  He was handicap since an early age because he stammer in his speech. There was a lot of reasons which caused this handicap and one of them is that he was a left hander but was forced to use his right hand in his writing and another reason was the constant pressure from his fierce father to speech.  When his father die and his brother became the King, he was relieved because he is no longer need to speak. However, his wife was introduced to a speech specialist who only got experience from treating soldiers who have speech problem after the world war one. He was an unqualified but experience speech therapist. He make very slow progress because he need not need to give public speaking. With a twist of fate, his brother adjudicate as a King because he wants to marry a divorced commoner . He was very upset with his brother when he has to be the King because he was next in line. His problem came back as he now need to give a speech to accept the position of the King. His speech therapist help me by simplifying the speech to a few sentence and he was able to perform that task after several round of training from his therapist.  The next big challenge was that he was given a three page war speech declaring war against Germany in the 2nd World War. He was horrified and scare to death over this task.  But again, his therapist managed to organize the room by using curtains to make it smaller, punctuate the sentences and stood as a conductor in front of him o coach him over the difficult sentences and words.  Finally, he was able to complete his speech and improve in his confidence and ability to speech properly.

This film won many academy awards and it is a good example to all of us. When there is a need, there is a way. By not facing the challenges or our weakness squarely in the face, we will never be able to overcome it and make our self stronger.  By doing the things which is difficult, then we can progress to the next level.  There was a story of a man, who was travelling on a highway and that was the only road that lead him back to his home town. Both sides of the road are steep mountain sides.  One day, there was a landslide and a big boulder fell and block the road. This man could not go through and he turn back to stay in a hotel nearby. He return the next day but the boulder was still there. He continued to return the next day and the next and the next. Finally, he died in the nearby town without going back home. What do you think he had to do ?  If he faced the boulder and start digging it a little by little, he would have break it down and gone home and live happily ever after. He never tried and that makes the difference.

The movie teach us a very good lesson. When we fall down, we have to pick our self up and try again.  If we fall again, we get up again and try again. The next fall will not be so painful anymore until we are strong enough to break through.  Things can look difficult at the first glance but if we look at it  a few more times, it will get easier. To widen our potentials, we have to take challenges and take the hard knocks that go with it. It maybe painful and difficult but we have to learn to enjoy the process. There is a saying , when it gets tough, the tough gets going. 

Like  what is said in Sun Tze's Art of War, "to know your self is to win a thousand wars" and the process to know your self or your weakness is to challenge it.  From failures come success. An able man is one who have failed many times and yet keeps doing it until he gets it right.

Start now and do the impossible and you will find that nothing is impossible.

Namaste.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Pulling the string of the heart- Golden Rabbit

Talking about the romantic golden rabbit. It could be a smell of trouble for the older married couples especially the stupid Cupid's arrow is matching the young and the old. This is not a joking matter as it will create upheaval to family life and long term relationships. I am not sure how the wind of romance can fan such relationships. It could be the mystic elements of the Universe at work or it will become the fashion of the year. Or is it , a combination of the need of financial security of the young and changing needs of the old. Money is secondary if it involves the emotions of the heart or the search of  the " second spring".

Generally, I believe there are thoughts and attempts to sway from an existing relationship for many long term relationships.  The need for a change, a craving for a break in the routine, the conflicts of the daily relationship and the thinking of " something greener on the other side"  continued to pull the string of the heart. Such fantasies are normal and the core for a sustainable and strong relationship save us from swaying wild.

Relationships are a very complicated issue. When we aged, the love will turn to care but the urge of the human desire for love could remain strong in some.  For a couple, the health condition or personal desire of each partner varies with age and such desire could be suppressed or inevitable due to health reasons or the need for sexual relationship have cool down due to re-setting or priorities or religious reasons. Our sexual needs or urge dip with age and we have to understand and accept this fact. However, there are medical studies that indicate that frequent sex is a good habit and healthy. Some people have gone to the extend of using medical stimulant to sustain their sex health or prop up their dying sexual ego.  To show their "Manness", they start to visit prostitutes , having one night stands or start an additional relationships if the other partner is not cooperating. This is the start of a relationship problem.

Having enough financial resources and the desire to use it search for sexual fantasies compliment each other. The thinking that we cannot bring our money with us to the next life also fired up the desire to enjoy and use our resources. The decision of how we live our life is no body's business except ours and nobody have the right to judge us unless they be judged first.  Nevertheless, the consequence of one wrong step could spell havoc to our life and our relationship.  The pressure and feeling of guilt of having an extra-marital affair could be hurting and time consuming, leaving us no time to do the things we want to do in our life.  Going through the same journey which we have long experienced is for a  fleeting moment  of freshness but there are more important things in a relationship where the caring and attachment or joy of doing things together is another important aspect which could be enjoyable as we aged as the couple aged gracefully together.

Once, I had a friend who have two wives staying under one roof. He was the talk of the town and the envy of many and he was boast full of his sexual satisfaction and conquest.  After a couple of years, he was struggling to raise two big families. After a few more years, when we met him, he was  having healthy problem and was so stressful. He told us that his biggest mistake in life is having two wives as there was so much heartaches and stress to satisfy two families as they are struggling for his time , care and financial support. All these problems is because of his greedy need for sex.  So, folks. Every decision or blessing is a double edge sword and it cuts both ways.

So, think seriously before you take the plunge as the golden rabbit starts to cause havoc to your life but providing the chances and the trap or the fragrance to inspire you to wonder.  Kick the golden rabbit in the ass and sent it away if it ever comes near to you.

Do not hurt but run if you see one.

Namaste.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Talking about GOD after CNY lunch.

Time for family lunch and dinner gathering as part of the CNY tradition.  After lunch, my wife , BIL and SIL was sitting around chatting and catching up with what is going around.  My SIL, MC was talking about another SIL's weird behaviour and finally, we dwell into the subject of religion. My SIL, MC was talking about her late husband who have passed away a few months ago and since then, her husband have not come into her dreams or attempt to contact her. She said that her husband was a christian but have not been attending to the church activities for the past 30 years since the death of his 1st wife. The reason was that his family's call to GOD for help did not materialized and that was the reason, his family members have not entered a church since then.  After death, her husband was accorded a christian wake and was buried at the Nirvana burial hall. Jokingly, I told her that her husband is busy making new friends and have no time for her.

My SIL, MC continued to talk about religion and Christianity with all of us.  One of my BIL Jim was a christian and I think he join the church after the death of my MIL.Counting back , it would have been a few years. Another BIL,Song was a free spirit but I think he is a Buddhist in his heart.  MC told us that her husband's Pastor have requested to see her after CNY and she has decided to hear him out . She told us that the Pastor can predict the future and he sounds very real.Jokingly, my BIL, Song told her that from hindsight , everything is right. Well, I think my SIL, MC is confused and do not know what to believe. I told her to keep an open heart and open mind. When the time is ripe, she would get a calling. If there is no religious calling , it is also a calling. The end is the same whether or not , there is any religious calling.

Foretelling the future is nothing new. There are many fortune tellers and astronomers  who claims that they can tell the future , are they all GOD ? Actually, the whole Bible is a book of predictions which have been compiled through the centuries by people who claim that they can foretell the future or they receive messages from GOD and they put it in writing. Don't mistaken me, I do not take sides although I am a Buddhist.  I am trying to look at the matter objectively and is trying to inspire the quest for the truth.

In conclusion, whether I am a Buddhist or my BIL or SIL is a christian , it does not matter. It is like taking a different route to a common ending. Religion will make our life through this journey easier and more certain. If we do not receive any calling unlike those privilege ones, just keep an open heart and mind and enjoy our journey through life.  Your spiritual master will come and wake you up when the time is right. There is a time for everything , be patient and in the meantime, don't worry and be happy.

I would like to dedicate this article to MC, the lost soul.   Remember, our Yoga teacher always tell us to relax, empty our mind and be aware of the present.  Don't think too far for it may not come.  Live in the present.

Namaste.

News: Watch out folks ! Here comes the romantic rabbit.

'Year of the Rabbit' could also be year of the love cheat
 Asia | Updated today at 04:24 PM
By AFP

HONG KONG - THE Chinese calendar may be set to welcome in the 'Year of the Rabbit' but the new year could be auspicious for love cheats, astrologers predict, and those who want a younger partner.

China celebrates the first day of the Lunar New Year on Thursday and many Chinese people are keen on using the occasion to get a glimpse of what might be in store next year.

'The 'Year of the Rabbit' will see a lot of unusual romantic relationships,' Hong Kong astrologer Anthony Cheng told AFP. 'Including extra-marital affairs and relationships with huge age differences.'

Mr Cheng said husbands and wives should keep watch for wandering eyes as their trusted partners look for stimulation elsewhere, although the coming year will also be lucky for couples planning to tie the knot.

'The Year of the Rabbit is an auspicious time for marriages, so I would expect to see a lot of people taking the plunge, including famous people,' he added.

'Those who are single are likely to find girlfriends or boyfriends, those who are in relationships are likely to get married, while those who are married are likely to have babies,' Mr Cheng predicted.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

News : Fake girl friends for hire.

PARIS - A HOAX website in France has revealed something poignant in modern society by offering to rent men a girlfriend who can stun relatives, friends or business partners with their charm and beauty.

'Have you had enough of being alone? Had enough of your wife?' loueunepetiteamie.com (translatable as rentagirlfriend.com) asked last month, stressing that the 'rental services' it offered were strictly non-sexual.

After creating an Internet buzz where chatrooms fought over the morality and legality of renting out fake girlfriends, all was confirmed on Tuesday to be a marketing ploy for a site selling classified ads.

In just one month, it said, the bogus site had 180,000 hits, 550 women offered their services as rental girlfriends - and 5,000 men wanted to hire one out.

Alexandre Woog said the media sting had cost his organisation a grand total of 15 euros (S$26.30), to buy the domain name and graphic design.

Imee Ooi - The Chant Of Metta - English subtitled version

How To Practice Buddhist Loving-Kindness Meditation

Plan to retire gracefully.

It is a pity that I have seen colleagues scheming and plotting to hold on to their jobs until their ripe old age. There are those smart ones who opt to retire early or on reaching their age limit and there are those who still have the health and passion can opt  to extend a few more years. The choice is up to each individual and according to their personal finances and expectations in life. Nevertheless, if we feel that we can no longer contribute anymore positively  or we become senile or become an obstacle, it is better for us to let go and retire  instead of  hanging on and been despise by our peers and your colleagues around us.

Yes, the former PM of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew or LKY once said in his biography that retirement means  death. Once we retire, our health will fail and our mental strength will deteriorate\ if we don't work on our health and mind. Yes, we do not need to retire  if we are able to continue to contribute constructively and positively to our work and the organization which employ us,  But, hanging on for the sake of hanging on to keep ourselves  busy is a very selfish act. It is not only a waste of  time for yourself  and  your colleagues would be  trying to handle you and  also causing unnecessary hindrance to the process of change .

However, aging is different to different people. People can be the same age but their health and mental condition can be way apart.  It all depends on their upkeep , wisdom , philosophical outlook and the care they provide to their body and mind. Nevertheless, we  have to age gracefully or forcefully. It is a fact that we have to accept and work with it.

If you choose to work, then you have to plan and take care of our health,diet and mental strength. If we feel that our health , skill and knowledge is deteriorating . we will have to slow down , let go and gradually retire. Yes, it is scary to retire especially when we  have been working for so many years.  Post retiring life is uncertain and  can be wasteful and harmful. The feeling of uselessness will build up gradually if we do not manage our life properly. But , it need not  be so if we plan ahead  and gradually slip into retirement. Don't wait for the day until poor health force us to stop working , start planning activities for our self be healthy.

Be fair to our self and others. Make way when you know the time has come. Start the process of delegating, letting go, go for spiritual guidance  and train your successor if there is one. At the same time, plan your retirement over a reasonable period of time and gradually slip into it. An abrupt transition to a mundane life style is not healthy or scheming to make yourself indispensable or irreplaceable is also not healthy and wasteful. Not anybody can be like LKY, who choose to die in his work . It is not necessary to follow his way or philosophy. In Penang ,  we have our late Lim Chong Eu, who retire when he lost an election and choose to stay retired until his death. He was remembered for his commitment , professionalism and contribution to the state of Penang. He enjoyed his post retirement life and was highly respected. Those who think they are indispensable are lonely and obscured  people. There is no such thing as indispensable , the show will go on with or without us.

The path we choose is entirely up to us. It is not necessary for  the sake of  money ,self ego and prestige as life have many options. There is a time for everything and we  know it  within our self. If we know the time is right, start your plan and do the right thing  to retire gracefully. If we forcefully scheme to  stay on, it will end in disgrace or been despise by the people around us.  Leave behind a good memory of our work and our deeds.

Don't over stay. Get on with the next chapter in life and die a gracefully death when the time comes.


Namaste.