Tuesday, December 31, 2013

This is the end of 2013

Yes, this is the last day of 2013 and there were many memories for the past one year.  Many good returns and bad incidents but it does not matter, it all become memories now. Yesterday and today make me realized many things that have happen.

Yesterday,  I had a dinner with the old boys of  my compnay  and it helps me to see my future.  Retired, old and sickly.  I was among my peers who have attained the age of 70 and above.  Some of them was alright but some look sickly and week and one was the wife of my colleague who have passed away. There was a minute of silence for my dead colleague and there was a tear in the eyes of those who were present.

Today, it was my boss birthday and in his birthday  speech , he talked about his sickly mother and the gathering of the old boys and how his friends and aquaintances  drop dead like flies. He told me that all of us have to be prepared for the final day and how prepared we are , there is still a lot of uncertainties when the time comes which could make us cling on to life because life is more certain.  We cannot let go because we do not know where we are going to.  Period and no religion can help us unless we make ourself ot believe it.

Another thing is that we act as if we cannot die or we will be alive forever and we do not want to talk about death or face the reality of death and we want to live on with the hope that we live forever.  This is not real but for the moment, it help us to be happy and make us strong.  But life is so unpredictible and anything can happen.

Only the present and death is uncertain while all other things are uncertain and predictible.  So, live and live with the fullest.

Namaste.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Dinner at Ocean Green ,Penang.

Dinner at Ocean Green Penang

I lost my appetite for two days since coming back from Taiwan. I felt kind of sick in my stomach having eat the Taiwanese food for almost a week. At last, my appetite recovers in the evening for the dinner to night.

It was a dinner for the old boys of my company including one of its famous old boy MD from Japan. Looking at them at their seventies and talking about the past brings back old memories. All of us have a good laugh. Maybe, it will be the last time for some of them to meet again in Penang. Everything hard to predict.

The food was excellent . We had a set for the dinner comprising of lobster. prawns, spring chicken, satay, crab ,vegetable and tapioca soaked in coconut milk. It cost about RM890 including a private room in the old Paramount Hotel.

It was indeed a lovely feeling . Relax and warm. In the end, it is only memories.

Namaste.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Coming back journey.

Coming back journey

We have to wake up at 4.45 to take the 9am flight back to KL from Taipei. It was raining and wet and the wind was cold. It is a very uncomfortable experience but we have to manage.

Arriving at Taipei International Airport, we were surprise to see so much activities and there were long queues of passengers waiting to check in. If in KLIA, there will only a few people just wake up to arrange their stalls. So much difference and you can make your own decision on the economic developments of these two countries.

The airport was big and there were equality in the sexes. There was a girl managing the box warping station and she can carry the heavy stuff like a male. She was only a petite girl. This is equality.

The check in was smooth and the return light was smooth and easy. In KLIA, we could not locate one of our big box and we have to wait until all the bags have been cleared to notice the missing baggage. We search high and low and finally, we check with one airport staff and we were told that the big box is coming out from another baggage carrier. Why do we need to ask and this is some thing we don't understand? This is the difference In the standard of handling baggages.

It took 4 hrs and 15 minutes for the flight and 45 minutes by van to reach our destination in KL.

It was a safe trip except an almost head on incident in one of the mountain resorts.

Namaste.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

End of a journey

End of a journey

My trip to Taiwan is coming to an end and I will flying back to Malaysia tomorrow. There was a lot of traveling and walking for the past six days and I realized that age is catching up. My legs was over stretched and I know that was an injury which is start troubling my left leg.

From the moment  I touched down, I told myself that I am going to relax and enjoy the trip.  I have been to their night markets , their 101 building, the hill resorts , their lake resorts, the boat rides , their temples , their winery, their wood curving village, the home stay under 10 deg C and local eateries and food outlets. Each happening is an experience for me and I just love it.

Nearing the end of the trip really make me have mixed feelings. Just like what  Ajahn Brahm say  " life is like a concert " and when you are in the stadium, it is like a life itself . Enjoy the start , during and have no regrets in the end.

I taking his advise and going back to Malaysia will be a start of another chapter in my life. A fresh look at life and will learn to appreciate it.

Namaste.

Friday, December 27, 2013

The Hindu Buddhist Temple at Tai Chung

The Hindu Buddhist Temple at Taichung Taiwan.

It was a magnificent temple located on a hill top which house The Lord Buddha. The design was according to the Hindu Buddhist  concept but fused with local Taoism.

There was four big statute of the gods of fire , wind . thunder and lightning  holding up the roof of the temple painted in gold and the front door was greet by a laughing Buddha and there are statute of the 18 Lohan guiding the Buddha.

The statute of the Buddha was beautifully designed and your heart will melt after seeing it . Tears almost fill my eyes after seeing this magnificent statute.

The temple also house a school to further the teachings of Buddha and the view from the main door looking out was a big open space overseeing the hills and the fields. An Incredible achievement indeed.

I would like to salute the commitment of these Buddhist gurus  who can devote their lives to serve one purpose and that is to spread the teaching of Buddha.

Namaste.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

I am in North Pole.

I am in "north pole"

Yeah , the timing coincide with Christmas , the white Christmas. I am now in bed with a below 10 degree C and with the heater on. The cold is shivering out from my heart. Everything I touch is so cold. Now I know the feeling of my Aunt who have migrated to the US.

 My Aunt, MC have been delay her migration for many years despite the appeal from her daughter who is married to an American. Finally. She sold her house and decide to migrate so that she can be with her. Initially, she told us that she has to wear 8 layers of clothing to keep warm. I laugh at her when I hear it but now at this scenic spot in Taiwan where I have stay a night on a hill top, I know the feeling of coldness. I have been traveling to several cold countries and I have been very comfortable staying in good hotels but at this down to earth home stay hotel which is housed among the greens, the temperature varies as the cold and mist sets it.

The hotel which I am staying is the Das Yue Shan hotel.  It is located on top of a hill and build among the tress and the mist is thick and the room is build of glass and surrounded by. Bamboos. The surrounding is extremely beautiful.

I think it must be my age as the cold catch up with me. Very often, it is a happening which wake up our senses and make us feel life again.  I will need to travel more in the future just to reborn and live again


Namaste.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Is it fair? - wisdom joke

Fair and Square

Taking his seat in chambers, the judge faced the opposing lawyers.
"I have been presented by both of you with a bribe," the judge began.
 Both lawyers squirmed uncomfortably.

     "You, Attorney Leoni, gave me $15,000. And you, Attorney
Campos, gave me $10,000."

  The judge reached in his pocket a pulled out a check, which he
handed to Leoni.

"Now, then, I'm returning $5,000, and we are going to decide this case solely on its merits."

A holiday break - observe more

A holiday break

I really need a break and to slow down my activities to find my bearings. I have not been able to prioritize my matters as I was caught up in my job and my yoga sessions. I must slow down to think what is important to me in my life. Also I have not been thinking lately.

I remembered an analogy when a Professor told a class to fill up an empty vase with pebbles and sand. Which one you should fill up the case first ie pebbles or sand? If you fill up the vase with sand , there is no place for the pebbles but you fill up with pebbles   There is still rooms for the sand。In life , the pebbles are big matters or our life priorities. If we concentrate on our small matters , we will die as a unfulfilled person. We will not achieved our purpose in life.

If we slow down and do not rush through life  we can see life more clearly. We can take time to look at things for a longer while and if we do it , we can see more details in theses things which usually pass us by when we rush through life. A colorful scenery became a shade of black and blur shade. Everything become uninteresting.

I promised myself that I will do things slowly and patiently during this festive breaks and will absorbed more details in my journey through life. Walk slowly, eat and chew slowly , talk less and observe more. I will do nothing but just to observe and see.

Namaste.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Love is blind...

Love is blind..

When we fall in love, most of the time we become blind all together or our focus suddenly become narrow.  In simple words, we see want to see what we want see or know.  If other people were to say something which is different from your vision, you will fight to defend your position or ignore the things you don't want to hear. In a crude Chinese saying, the shit have blind the eyes. I am not saying that there is no such thing as love at first sight' and it can last happily ever after but these cases are slim. Why then love is blind?

It comes from self ego and greed ie the urge to possess. Human being is the only intelligent creature who can think and through this thinking ability , there comes the urge to process. This is mine , that is yours and this is mine. The world is divided into what is yours and what is mine.

The self ego is that by possessing a thing, we own it and control it and we are proud of it. We become more important and we feel wonderful that the love belongs to you and only you. Our image in the eyes of others will be enhance if we possess more and more thing or wealth. The self importance and the need to feel important in the eyes of others is fake and an illusion. We live within the confinement of society. What nonsense is that.

The second factor is greed. The craving factor which is taught in the Buddhist teaching. This 'want' factor is like a demon which grow us. The more we have the more satisfied or happy we are. We want a house , then a bigger house and we want a bungalow and then a palace. Our 'want' goes bigger and bigger and it is endless.  This greed if converted to love. We want to totally process another and solely belong to us and we are absolutely in control and the other half have to be in total possession and compliance. If the other half fall out of line or waiver I their allegiance and love, we become unhappy.

If we are aware if these two factors, we can break out of this mould and the confinement of society. This break through  will give freedom and the world will belong to you instead of one person.

Namaste.

The wonders of a hot water bath

The wonders of a hot bath in a tub.

When we are very tired but yet cannot rest well , we should try to submerge ourselves in a tub of hot water.
The hot water will relax the body and make  the mind calm. However, we should remained aware of the sensation on our body and open up our pores in our skin to breath.

By being aware of the relaxed body and its sensation is like focusing our thoughts to be in a meditative thought. A focused mind on the feelings and sensation will cut away unnecessary thoughts and will also rest the mind.

This is the body-mind conditioning and harmony.  A relax mind brings us a relaxed body and vice versa. It is like feeling good on the outside give positive vibes to the inside and it also apply the same if we feel good inside , it projects a good outside. So, the body  mind combination and inside and outside connection makes our body relax and our mind calm.

We should do these exercise frequently but be cautious not to make the water too hot and for high blood pressured  patients, we need to avoid such treatment unless the water is only at a warm level.

It will be a good experience .

Namaste.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Gift of imperfections

This is a book for pychology students but it can also be for general reading for those people who wants to know about psychology.  We are always looking for perfections and we get frustrated many times as there is no absolute perfections . That is when there is perfections , the should be imperfections ie like happiness and sadness between each points. So, perfection is have the same intervals of imperfections.

Nobody likes imperfections.  For example , a beautiful face but with a cut mark on the fact or a model with a hunch back and this is comparable to a valuable painting with a dot of pain on it which cuts it value sharply.  This book tells us that imperfections can also be a gift .  For example , a blind man who can developed his sense of hearing . People like Steve Wonders or the blind swords man who can sense the movement of his opponents movements or the noise of his foot steps.  We have also people without hands and who can play the piano wonderfully and excellently with his toes or a handless artist who can paint extremely well with his mouth using a brush.

There is also good and back for an item or an event.  When you have the head of a coin , there is also the tail part of it.  In life , there is a curse as well as blessings and there is an alternate of perfection and imperfections.

Superhuman food -----

MSN Malaysia Locker Room - click here

View to see how to become super human after consuming super food... good insight.
Namaste.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Ten symptoms that you cannot overlook ....( extracts)

Subject: symptoms we should never ignore ...... but the 10th.
that's you need to adopt .....
>
> 9 SYMPTOMS WE SHOULD NEVER IGNORE
> Posted: 07 Jun 2013 12:33 PDT

> As we age, we can expect some changes in our physical and mental
condition. Many of these changes are part and parcel of the ageing process,
and shouldn't cause any alarm. However, there may be some changes that are
warning signs of something more serious.

> We should never dismiss any persistent or sudden symptoms that are
causing us pain or discomfort as it could mean some underlying health
problems. If you have a high fever that won't go away, or a recurring
stomach pain, go see a doctor immediately. A thorough medical examination
may reveal nothing serious, or if there is something to be concerned about
, you would have nipped it in the bud at an early stage. I am speaking from
my own personal experience, as I have gone under the knife - twice. I used
to be an exercise addict. Doing three hours straight on a treadmill
followed by an hour of high impact aerobics was the norm to me at my gym
back in the 1980s. I was also a regular at road races.
>
> That's me giving a thumbs-up sign before being wheeled to the
> operation room on 26 June 2008, two days before my 60th birthday.
> I thought I was doing pretty well at keeping
fit until I began to experience stabbing pains in my abdomen every now and then. I dismissed the pains as the usual 'stitch in the tummy' after a run. Nothing to be overlyalarmed about , I thought. Then one evening after a strenuous workout at
the gym, I literally collapsed in the locker room. I couldn't get up as I
had the most excruciating pain in my stomach that left me drenched in cold
sweat. To cut the story short, I ended up minus a gall bladder two weeks
later. I have friends who have , like me, paid dearly for ignoring early
warning signs of something wrong with their body. These symptoms later
resulted in breast cancer, stroke and heart attacks.

> I recently came across this excellent article by Beth Howard in the AARP
magazine . It highlights nine symptoms that we should never ignore. I have
taken the liberty of re-posting extracts below for educational purposes. To
read the original article with more details, please click here.

> 1. Sudden Intense Headache

> If you experience severe head pain unlike any you've had before ,
especially if it peaks in seconds to minutes in any part of the head , it
could signal a ruptured aneurysm, a blood vessel in your brain that
suddenly bursts , requiring immediate attention.
> It could also be shingles which can cause pain in the forehead days
before the skin reaction erupts. Shingles is a painful flare-up of the
herpes zoster virus that lies dormant in anyone who's had chicken pox.
Contrary to common belief , sudden severe headaches are unlikely to be a
sign of a brain tumour
.
> 2. Chest Pain
> Any intense discomfort , heaviness or pressure — like an elephant sitting
on your chest — could spell heart attack. It may be combined with pain
radiating down an arm , nausea and vomiting , sweating , and shortness of
breath. Women can experience more subtle
symptoms , like fatigue , a
burning sensation or upper abdominal pain. If these symptoms occur only
during exertion , it could also be angina , which happens when the heart
muscle temporarily doesn't get enough blood.

> 3. Unexplained Weight Loss
> Losing more than 5 percent of your body weight — without trying — over a
period of six months could mean cancer : Weight loss is a symptom in up to
36 percent of cancers in older people. It could mean endocrine disorders
e.g. hyperthyroidism , an overactive thyroid. The condition also triggers
restlessness , sweating , increased appetite and difficulty concentrating.
> If your weight loss is accompanied by extreme thirst or hunger , fatigue
and frequent urination , it could be a sign of diabetes.

> 4. Unusual Bleeding
> Ulcers and colon cancer can cause rectal bleeding or black or tarry
stools. If you haven't had a colonoscopy recently , talk to
your physician.
Vaginal bleeding can be linked to gynaecologic cancers. Bloody vomit can
result from stomach or oesophageal cancer , and people with lung cancer can
cough up blood.
> Blood in the stool may be due to haemorrhoids , while blood in the urine
may be the result of a bladder or kidney infection. Vaginal bleeding long
after menopause may be due to the growth of benign polyps or fibroids.
Vomiting blood can result from a tear in the blood vessels or an ulcer in
the stomach or oesophagus. And coughing up blood can happen with
non-cancerous conditions, like bronchitis , pneumonia or tuberculosis.

> 5. High or Persistent Fever
> Fever is your body's way of fighting infection. But fever of 103 degrees
and higher warrants a trip to the doctor. It may indicate a urinary tract
infection , pneumonia , endocarditic (inflammation of the lining of the
heart chambers and valves) or meningitis, which may
require antibiotics to
clear up. A persistent low-grade fever — for several weeks — with no
obvious cause is characteristic of some infections , including a sinus
infection , and some cancers , like lymphoma and leukaemia.

> 6. Shortness of Breath
> When organs aren't getting enough oxygen , breathlessness can result.
Sudden shortness of breath can indicate a pulmonary embolism — when a blood
clot forms in the body's deep veins (usually in the legs), travels to the
lungs and gets lodged in the lung's blood vessels. If you find yourself
gasping after climbing two or three stairs or getting tired sooner than you
used to , doctors will want to rule out chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD) , especially if it's accompanied by a cough and fatigue and
you have a history of smoking. Irregular heart rhythm , congestive heart
failure and other types of heart disease are additional possibilities.
>

7. Sudden Confusion
> If you're experiencing sudden confusion , personality changes ,
aggression or an inability to concentrate , it's important to see a doctor
right away. In the worst case , a brain tumour or bleeding in the brain
could be behind the delirium. If you're also experiencing slurred speech ,
difficulty finding the right words , or numbness or weakness in the face ,
hand or leg , stroke is a strong possibility. Get to the doctor
immediately. Any delay beyond two to three hours may result in irreversible
brain loss.

> 8. Swelling in the Legs
> An accumulation of fluid (called enema) in the extremities can be caused
by a number of conditions , but the one that most concerns doctors is heart
failure , when the heart cannot pump as much blood as the body needs. When
that happens , blood backs up in the veins , causing fluid to accumulate in
the body's tissues. Heart failure is suspected when
both legs are affected
and the patient also has shortness of breath , fatigue and chest tightness.

> 9. Sudden or severe abdominal pain
> Sudden abdominal pain could signal that an aortic aneurysm has ruptured.
Alternatively , sudden pain can indicate a perforated viscous (a hole in
the stomach , intestine or other hollow organ) , often due to an ulcer.
Intestinal ischemia , which happens when blood flow to the intestines slows
or stops , starving tissues of oxygen , can be a culprit , too. Each of
these conditions is life threatening , requiring emergency surgery.
> Abdominal pain is frequently due to gallstones , which are hard , pebble
like deposits that get lodged in a gallbladder duct , resulting in sharp
pain as well as nausea and vomiting. Although irritable bowel syndrome can
trigger painful spasms in the colon , the pain tends to come and go over
time and may also cause constipation , diarrheal or
alternating bouts of
both.
>
> The 10th. Symptom :
> When adversity hits you , take a BIG BREATH ....... and say "Get Lost
...... 2morow I have another GREAT DAY"..........
> Take care ...... have trust in God  (or whoever you believe if you are an
atheist) ........ live clean .... eat clean ....... be happy & jolly even
in the midst of any adversity ...... love alot & be loved ..... smile &
laugh at yourself when you are lonely ...... it's your choice ( I know it's
some times a fallacy to be able to overcome all the miseries ) ......
>
> Smile for me everytime you see my name.
> Be Happy !! Tomorrow is a bonus.
> Life is precious , enjoy every minute.
> A Happy-go-lucky man is a wealthy man .....

Deep sleep experiences

Have you ever experience 'deep sleep'?

Recently, I have experience three deep sleeping experience. The level of sleep was so deep that you are totally unconscious of any senses. It is beyond the normal sleep level. Maybe , the right description is like totally dead.

If someone wants to wake you, it was like coming out from a long sleep and you just refuse to be awake as if the sleep still captures you and in control of you. If you are awake, the sense is still in a dream stage and awareness is vague and blur.

Maybe , it is the body telling the mind to go into this deep sleep pattern as a means to rest and recuperate.the feeling after experiencing this incidents is uncomfortable.
It is like touching base with eternity.

I do not know whether under these experience , I have said or make notice in my sleep which have make any sense to the listeners. I hope some one will tell me if I have said something or not.

This is a normal phenomena and it happens to many people. I believe it is a body mind experience with the body or the mind telling the other that they are stress out and needs to recuperate and return to normal level.

Namaste.

Buffet lunch at Tao, Time square, Penang

Buffet lunch at Tao, Penang.

I took my family and my sister to a fusion restaurant called TAO at the Penang Time square. I have been to Tao at the E-gate a few times and Tao at auto- city but the one at Time Square was the first time.

The restaurant offers a fixed price for their fusion  buffet which is inclusive of many Japanese dishes。The taste was okay in the past but the taste today was just average but the fresh oysters were big and good. The ice cream was good as well.

I still think that it is still value for money at RM65 per person. I would recommend my readers to try. The negative point is the Time Square itself . The occupancy of the retail lots have been low and there was no crowd making the place almost deserted. I deemed the Time Square as a failure as it has failed to attract crowd。

As a comment , the Tao is occupying too big a place and the buffet today only occupies a small section of the restaurant. This happening can be a negative image on the food outlet.

Namaste

Friday, December 13, 2013

If you feel good, you look good. ....

Towards a Happy and Healthy body
We all want to look good, but it’s also important to feel good in our minds and souls, writes Meaghan Seymour.

I like to think that I don’t have any self-confidence issues when it comes to my body image. However, my eagerness to defensively refute the depictions of women I see in advertisements or on movie screens tells me that being constantly bombarded with picture-perfect women really does pinch my nerves. It’s hard for most women to escape this.
In my early 20s, I spent a few years working as a fitness trainer. The most difficult aspect of that job (besides finding the energy to choreograph 6.30 am aerobics sessions) was supporting the many women who were struggling with notions of what they thought they should look like. I was saddened to see beautiful, smart and accomplished women harbouring obsessions with getting “skinny”, holding up magazine clippings of fitness models as their motivation.
Many Muslims stress the importance of inner beauty and may make sweeping claims that hijab and modest dress codes protect and exempt us from developing unhealthy body images. Yet Muslim women are no strangers to this pressure to look good either.
A quick look at some of the postings on Muslim-focused websites, with titles like “Why every Muslim woman should own a pair of skinny jeans”, or “Thin thighs in 30 days”, makes it evident that Muslims are also perpetuating low self-esteem and reinforcing the idea that there is one desirable way to look. While we claim that the counter-culture of Islamic fashion aims to relieve us from the global media’s perceptions of beauty, some feel that we have joined forces with it, rather than combating it.
I won’t go into the well-known, numerous reasons why we should eat healthily and be moderately active, or the long-term health benefits that will indefinitely outlast physical appeal. I definitely do condone the idea that health, strength and overall wellbeing ought to be the primary goals of starting a healthy eating or fitness regime, which will benefit not only our physical body but our state of mind, too.
But while I, like most women, am tired of being reminded of the many ways that I’m apparently failing to adhere to these constructed standards of attractiveness, I’m more fearful of the damaging impacts this attitude can have on one’s spiritual wellbeing – especially when it’s presented through “Islamic” sources.
I’ve heard it repeated all too often in lectures or print advice columns on marital responsibilities: men (our husbands) are “visual creatures” and thus require us to take extra care in order to satisfy their visual needs through our appearances. But I wonder about the effect of acknowledging this claim – are we just reinforcing beliefs that men are entitled to wives who look like the women they see on television screens and in magazines?
The Muslim community is not immune to marital problems caused by partners who turn to porn, infidelity or other outlets with the justification that their spouse’s appearances just “[do] not fit the bill”.[i] How do we even begin to confront issues like these that have the potential to cause much distress to the ones having their self-confidence torn apart?
One of the articles I mentioned above suggests that Muslim women (wives, in particular) have a responsibility to compete with the enticingly dressed non-Muslim women they see in the streets, by modelling tight-fitting skinny jeans at home for our husbands. This sort of mundane competition and narrowly defined ideals of beauty don’t seem to reflect the dignity that we claim Islam affords women.
Our Prophet (peace be upon him) reportedly loved beauty in all things, including having been known to appreciate a woman’s beauty.[ii] However, I’d like to assume that the women of his time, who managed to sufficiently beautify themselves without fancy gym equipment, oodles of beauty products or dietary supplements, and without being held to unrealistic standards, were fancied for being natural beauties.
It is also worth noting that women in his time were reportedly advised to stay away from drastically changing their natural appearances[iii] as well – much unlike today.
And let’s not forget that the Prophet (pbuh) reportedly said that religious character is given credence over good looks, especially when it comes to choosing a spouse.[iv]
While it is important to aim to maintain an appropriate body fat percentage for good overall health, our appearances shouldn’t necessarily be our sole motivation. Nor is it beneficial to focus on sculpting ourselves to preconceived ideas of perfection over being healthy.
I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to want to look good. What I am saying is that I think it’s even more important for us to strive, with the best of our individual abilities, to feel good in our bodies. It doesn’t – and shouldn’t – matter whether the beautiful shapes, sizes, curves and proportions that we have been individually created in are being represented in the media.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

A simple twist of fate,life will change....

A twist of fate ,life will change...

I received a call that my staff was involved in an accident。wow! What happen ? How serious is she ?
I started a frantic search for people who are closed to her.
For 30 minutes, I only know that she is in a emergency ward. My staff who was there asked me to wait for more news.

It was a tension wait. I called a few more people and they have only very limited information. I was told she is conscious but her legs was injured. How serious ? Don't know , please wait. Then a message came in her injury is not life threatening. She is okay but  a bit shaken.

She was supposed to take a ride in our factory bus to head home but the bus broke down and she thumb a lift home from friends in a car and then the accident happen.

If the bus is okay then she would have been alright . So, some times fate worked in a mysterious ways. A simple twist of fate , life will change or could end.

Namaste.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

It was a tired day...

It was a tired day

My banker's staff visited me at 5.30pm and we were engaged in a business talk until 7.30pm. Wow! Why are they so hardworking. Seldom see these people so motivated to work at such odd hours. Not in this Gen Y generations.

I am not a racist but I want to give a frank and honest opinion. There are two groups of bankers , the Malay and the Chinese. I have been working with the Chinese bankers  for so many years until lately , the Malay bankers become more involved in this trade. Frankly speaking , there still a gap between the two working cultures. The  Chinese are the better bankers and they are very thorough and careful.

I would to say that teaching a person how to fish rather giving the person the fish is a two very different thing. The merits and power given to a person without a struggle could ruin the person's fighting ability or survival ability.
This is like giving fishes to the person and this can take care of their food for one day.

I think this is the difference  here. Power corrupts , absolute power corrupts absolutely. This is a  very worrying factor and this could in the long run ruin the entitle race.

This fact have been aware by the leaders but they choose behave like ostriches, hiding their head in the sand. Who is going to help anyway and who cares. Now you are born  as a Chinese and in next life it could be vice versa.

There is a saying race is only skin deep.

Namaste.

Monday, December 9, 2013

Sawada ,fish head steam boat, Pulau Tikus , penamg

Dinner at Sawada, Pulau Tikus, Penang

On Saturday, I was in Gurney Plaza with my wife. We had lunch at Sevenson food outlet. Both of us order pasta and a salad. My wife told me that Sevenson was only good for ice cream but surprisingly, the pasta was good. I encourage all of you to try and the price is reasonable.

After that we shopped for 5 hours continuously but after 3 hours , I took a rest and at a fruit Juice at one of stall near Sushi Teh. My wife really have very good stamina and patience.  Yeah, she has strong passion for shopping especially shoes and bags. However, she ended the trip with only light winter wears.

We have worked up our appetite during the long walk and she asked me where to eat our dinner. I remembered a place in Pulau Tikus where I saw huge crowds eating fish head steamboats. Previously , it was a Japanese restaurant and it was very quiet until recently. I suggested to eat there and so we went for dinner at a place called Sawada.

It was crowded and we have to share a table with another couple . Yes, a loving  couple which shared their food. They must be in their honeymoon.

The restaurant serves fish head steamboat and the offer fresh veggie and special fish balls to a complained the fish head including Tofu and meat balls. The soup was very sweet and it was tasty. For two of us , for a big bowl, it cost us RM51 and it was extremely reasonable.however, right in the middle of the night, my mouth was glued shut by the dryness in my mouth. It must be the work of too much ajinomoto.  I suspected but cannot confirm.

For some people. It maybe  acceptable but for me, it maybe a bit too much.

Namaste.




Sunday, December 8, 2013

We should be thankful ...

We have to be thankful

Why am I saying this words? I have been thinking for a long time now even more as I get older. We cannot things for granted and assume that things should always been available or given to us. Even to the seconds ticking by, we should be thankful for it.

As days dragged into years, we will realize how blessed we are as we get older. We should be thankful for every breath, for each step, each mouthful of food, for your loved ones , the happy moments and countless things that we receive or have in every moment.

Taking for granted is our egoistic expectation. We will wake up tomorrow and everything will be the same. We will definitely go on with our routines, eat our normal meal and the show will go on as usual. What can be wrong ?
We are emerged in our own priorities and will not give a second to appreciate what we have and be thankful for them.

It is just like driving to work with your mind fix on what needs to be done to further our wealth and our worth without been aware of the tress and happening around us when to drive to work. This is only one example and we are unaware of the wonders and the beauty around us until a dramatic event knock us off our chair.

When things are plentiful ,we become wasteful but if we get less of each then we will realize what we have missing. Wake up and look far and wide both externally and internally. Things are getting lesser everyday so don't take for granted.

Namaste.

Saturday, December 7, 2013

One night in BP, Johore, Malaysia.

One night in Batu Pahat, Johore

It is my first trip to Johore despite many transits or fly overs. I have to fly to Senai airport and then take a taxi for one hour thirty minutes before reaching Batu Pahat town.

The population in Batu Pahat is about 500,000 and was spread over a very big area but mostly low lying houses but there is a few condo projects in progress.

By the time , I reach BP it was already 9pm after. a 30 minutes delay by MAS . My customer was waiting for us that their Seaview restaurant . It is the best restaurant in town. The food was very tasty and reasonable in price.

I reach my hotel T 10.15pm. The Katherina Hotel is the best hotel in town. I was tired and have no time to look around and I went straight to bed. Next morning my customer  came to fetch me at 9.30am and we went to a local Bak Kut Teh shop. It was one of the best BKT which I have tasted. The bones were clear cut and the meat was well cooked. I had a wonderful breakfast.

After the breakfast, my customer took me to his office and on the way he showed me the town and some if its famous buildings.

We skip lunch and about 12 noon , I took a taxi back to Senai airport and took Air Asia home to Penang.

Although it is a brief romance with the town, it will be a good memory for me. My recommendation is that if you happen to drive by , it is a place you should take time to drop by and enjoy the good food an hospitality.

Namaste.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Greed leads to craving - waste woods

In Buddha's teaching, he says that greed leads to craving which leads to suffering and unhappiness. Contentment is happiness.  There is a chinese saying " if we are contended , we will happy even if we are poor ". So , what is the measurement of  contentment ? What is the basic criteria ?

The measurement of contentment is different for different people.  Some people is happy if we have a room to stay and food to eat but some people is contented if we have RM1 million in our account and someone else maybe  contented with RM3 million or so on.  There  is so much variations and personal judgement.

Today, my friend told me that her sister's new year resolution is become a " waste wood" and in chinese, it means a useless bum and another friend of her resolved that " she wants to be a worst waste wood than her sister". She asked me what is happening ?  I told her that they are smart and wise people who have " see through " what is life.  Life is a joke.  Mind you, they  are not stupid people and they hold doctorate degrees.

So, how can we be a waste wood without working ? Only people who have earned enough or have enough means can resolved to be a "waste wood" . Such wise people knows what Buddha's meaning of impermanence or nothingness. If we gathered more than we need , we cannot take it away and can only leave for the next generation but if we do not have dependents, what is the meaning to have more than what we need.  We cannot bring it along and leaving too much for our next generation can only weaken them and deprive them the strength to earn for themselves.

It is not easily to be a waste wood or a bum because it is self depreciating and a slap to our ego. Everyone of us have big egos unless we can see through life and opted to be a waste wood.

To all the waste wood or bigger waste wood in the world, yes, life is a joke , a bigger joke , so enjoy your freedom and carefree journey through this fake and illusive world.

Namaste.

Be Smart to avoid trouble

Some time common sense is not common but cow sense becomes the norm. It all depends on the upbring of each person. Some people have inborn logic while some people need to learn the hardway.

I have experience some " cow sense " today and it is not wiithin my understanding . 

I had sent out a mail today and there was a typo error in it and one of the reader alert me of the mistake.  But , one of my staff just took on himself to reply the mail and acknowledge the mistake on my behalf without consulting me.  I was caught totally off guard and the reply was really very embarrssing for me.

It is a very illogical move by my staff and I do not understand why he has taken upon himself to reply and it is out of protocol and a very silly move.  What is he thinking about ?  What makes him tbink that he is qualify to reply on my behalf. It was all very buffering .

I was very upset and I have all the reasons to be upset because he has acted very stupidly.

When I calm down , I realized that everyone have their strong point and weakness.  The sense of logic varies from one another and the staff may have a different thinking.  The logic of yesterday and the logic today is different and it really have no fixed logic.

I had a serious debate with my wife on my daughter . She told me that my daugther M has been very rebellious and not obedient like we use to be. I told her the behaviour of Gen Y is different and they do not take verbal discipline and they want to know why we scold them. The new generation have been social network and the internet and they are more informative and they want us to talk properly and respect their opnion.  The good old days of scolding , punishment  and canning is all gone.

We have to change  and fast . Otherwise, we will be in contrasting with the changing world.

Nasmaste.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Birthday dinner at Midland's court , Penang

Birthday dinner at midland's court, Penang.

Today is an auspicious day and there  was a lot of wedding dinners in Penang and almost all the Chinese restaurants are full. But ,my brother in law was able to locate one restaurant to celebrate his birthday.

The midland's court restaurant have been operation for many years and most their waitress and waiters is old and I believe it has been I operation for more than thirty years.

I remembered of playing in a band at the weddings parties  in the restaurant about 15 or 20 years ago and I have also attended many dinners at the place. But it certainly gone out of my favorable. I can see remember the restaurant but do not have the urge to go there anymore until tonight.

My BIL ordered a soup. a fish. A Peking duck. a vegetable dish and end with.a fried wantan mee and end with a birthday cake. The food was okay but a bit pricey.

The only drawback is the passage to the restaurant . The upkeep is abit dirty because of the Karaoke bar on the 4th floor and when we were leaving we encountered with a few "Chinese dragon ladies" on their way to work. The place is abit dangerous because of the massage and girlie  jpints..

So much for the food amidst a mixed neigbourhood.

Namaste.

Friday, November 29, 2013

Dinner at Kashmir restaurant , Penang.

Dinner ad Kashmir ,Penang road . Penang I had a dinner with my boss at Kashmir restaurant tonight. It was a wonderful dinner as I have not been to that place for 5 years. I have completely lost my sense of taste for its food. It is naturals as I have been eating chicken masala and nan in Bangladesh. The taste was good over there. Before our VIP guest arrive , we talk about western restaurant in Penang. I was told by boss that Maxim was the first western food restaurant followed by Eden and Kashmir have been in operation for 30 years. It was down memory lane for me as I have stayed near Eden during my younger days. It was a wonderful childhood years in Hutton Lane , penang。 Tonight , my boss ordered chicken, mutton , chicken and fish including two plates of veggies.it also come with three different type of Nans and one plate fried rice wash down with beer, red wine and whiskey. The Nans were good and it is better than the Nans in Bangladesh. It must be quite pricey but the taste were wonderful and it was an enjoyable night just drinking and talking.. I did not quite like the VIP guest which was entertained by my boss but he turn out to be quite friendly and humble. It was a Good Friday indeed and I should be thankful for the chance to dine at. A place I almost forgot. Namaste.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

A feeling of betrayal

A feeling of betrayal When someone whom is your best friend or lover stab your back or did something hurtful and unforgivable , the feeling of hurt is like a long cold knife sticking into us. The pain is unbearable and so how can we recover from this pain. My yoga teacher disown her favorite student when she found out that she was betrayed. She was so hurt that she could bring herself to tell us what exactly happen. She keeps telling us that my yoga classmate was not what she seems to be. A spilt personality. It has been two months now but it is still hurtful for her to talk about it. It was really a painful experience. If this is hurtful, what about the husband cheat on his wife or vice versa. The hurt is the same like a betrayal and the degree if pain would be more severe. So. How shall we cure it. Not speaking about it would be a great stress on that person unless he or she have a very strong mind or wisdom. The better way would be to let it out and let the tears flow. Let it come out naturally and it can be as many times as possible. Holding back could be painful and more hurtful. Punch something or focus inwards and search for the pain and neutralize it and move on. Why should we be hurtful over some thing have happen and which is uncontrollable and there is no chance to change it。 Namaste.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Feeling the hurt of another person.

After the passing of my elder brother, one of my friend told me that he could feel the saddness and hurt in me during his meditation practice. I do not know whether to believe him or not but I believe that if you care for someone, you will be able to feel his or her hurt if we open our heart. It need not be during meditation but just to think deeply for that person. Nevertheless, during our meditation if we focus our thoughts and open our heart to a particular person, we maybe able to get the contact with the person and we can sent our positive thoughts and wishes to lift up their spirit or relieve their pain. We cannot under-estimate the power of prayer or the power of positive thoughts to help a particular person. Our well wishes and positive thoughts can also have the same power of prayer or chanting. I was once taught by a Yogi to meditate and cure or reduce the suffering of another person. We can focus our blue energy during meditation and circled the blue energy around the injuries and the body or body parts of a person suffering pain clock wise provide the healing energy to that person. It was a long time ago and I have lost touch with that practice. Another Yogi have also suggested using the Universal energy to cleanse our body and the body of anyone we want to help. Anyhow, if we are sincere in our effort, we can achieved these objectives and it does not matter whether it work or not just like the work of the prayer or chanting. Namaste.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Lunch at May Tip,BM ,penang

Lunch at May Tip ,BM I had a lunch with my sister and brother in law at the Thai Restaurant with my wife. I have not been to that in two years and that was my regular place for lunch for my bankers and friends many years ago. It was quite a smooth drive because it was a Sunday and we were the early birds. My brother in law took the orders because he is buying lunch. He ordered a Thai fried pork leg, a otak otak, scallops , crab grass noodles,fried pork, Tongyam and a desert. The food was food but it's taste have deteriorate a bit. The lady owner look sickly compared to two years ago when I saw her , I think it is the age. Her husband have also looked aged much. Well, this is life and age stops for no one. The bill came to RM180 for five person and it a compared cheap for Penang standard. It is recommendable to try . Namaste.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

River fish Restaurant Bayan Lepas,penang

River fish restaurant in Bayan Lepas, Penang. Today' dinner was a battle between my wife and daughter M. My wife wants to try a new river fish restaurant while M want to eat Japanese food. After a battle of words, we head towards Bayan Lepas for the seafood. I rushed into massive jam in Relau and it took me one and a half hours to pass the accident site. A huge lorry have skidded and block one and half if the lane leaving only half lane usable. This accident really pile up the traffic and caused many people to miss their appointments and dinners. There was a lot if waste as the traffic stalled. The travel to Bayan Lepas after the accident site was smooth and fast. I was cursing the driver the whole night until I manage to finished the dinner at the river fish reataurant. My wife ordered two pateng fish ie one fried and another steamed , a cheese egg omelet, one green vegetable and one pork fried with ginger. The taste was acceptable but not as good as the river fish at Bandar Baru and it was quite pricy. The same dish in Bandar Baru would be about RM140 instead of RM208 for the whole meal. However, it is better to try and experienced it yourself. Namaste.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Two faced person

Two face person What does it mean? How can one person have two face at the same time? Not literally. In medical terms , it is a very serious sickness and it is called split personality but in real live there are many such actor and actress who promote themselves using such skill. In Japan, the obedient culture, forced the Japanese people to have formal or informal opinion. The boss's opinion is above their own personal opinion despite their differences. There is no evil motives and they do not back stab each but will go by their consensus. In the Malaysia culture, they are called hypocrite. Their appearance and what they are is two different person. The front is the good and the internal is bad. These two timers felt no guilt as they do such things to protect and further themselves. How can it be wrong when your action to protect yourself. It a still acceptable if such acts do not hurt others but if it compromise and mitigate another persons well being then it is totally wrong. It must be. Win- win situations and it should not a winner's take all. This is bad karma. Namaste.

Monday, November 18, 2013

A Meditation Guru - Chad Foreman.

Meditation Teacher Chad Foreman I have been a dedicated student of meditation and yoga for over twenty years. In 2001 I renounced worldly affairs, sold all my possessions and moved to an isolated meditation hut at a Tibetan Buddhist Centre in Queensland, Australia, where I spent six years studying with my main teacher Khen Rinpoche, Geshe Tashi Tsering, studying Buddhist meditation, psychology and philosophy. During that time Khen Rinpoche authorised me to be a teacher. I developed in-depth knowledge and experience studying and practising full-time and receiving the highest initiations including from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, and I was also ordained as a Buddhist monk and completed numerous intensive silent meditation retreats. After years of training in a daily practice and with a firm grounding in Buddhist thought, I branched out from my own tradition and keenly pursued meditation and wisdom teachings from a variety of spiritual traditions which helped broaden my understanding of meditation, peace and enlightenment. With determination to decipher and distill the various meditation school's universal qualities and unlock their secrets, making them available to everyone without having to join any religion or follow any gurus. What I discovered is that essentially all the meditation paths either directly or gradually lead students to the ultimate truth of identity, in other words discovering who or what you are. The Way of Meditation teaches that the universal truth of wholeness, non-duality or oneness is the final understanding of all the great contemplatives and mystics throughout history. I combine the meditation techniques of traditional Buddhism with the self-inquiry of Advaita alongside the philosophical views of Tibetan Tantra and I am also heavily influenced by Zen and Chaan meditation schools. The way I teach offers a powerful and eclectic presentation of deep and profound views and methods in a modern and easy to follow gradual training system called 'Mindfulness to Mysticism'. I have also completed three years of university study at the Sunshine Coast University in Psychology, Philosophy, Counselling and Sociology. I have been trained in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which are both mindfulness-based therapeutic systems. I also maintain a commitment to be a full time student and practitioner of the The Way of Meditation, by maintaining my own regular meditation practice both on and off the cushion. I have been teaching meditation groups and workshops since 2003 and now offer e-mail and skype coaching. The Way of Meditation training is a clear and precise presentation of various Meditation Masters' essential advice on achieving inner peace, deep insights into one's true nature, and tapping into creative, compassionate and intelligent powers within yourself. I emphasize and empower people to practice self-reliance, self awareness, acceptance and continuity of practice. I live in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Oldies of the past.

Oldies of the past Today, I spend sometime hearing oldies and watching their original version of their films. Those singers like Karen Carpenters. Elvis Presley, Abba. Bee Gees Beatles, Diana Ross , Deep Purple, the Hollies, the young Michael Jackson, Donny Osbon, Cliff Richard and many more. It was like walking down memory lane. One of the song by the Bee Gees, " I started a joke" brings back the memory of the deceased Robbim Gibb. He sang the song to tell the message that life is a joke and we have are aware that life is only a short journey yet we struggle so hard to make more and more money and our ego grow so big and we live life as there is no end. Only at the end of our life , we look back that everything we do have been a joke, We struggle for so much money , wealth and property and we refuse to spend and take care of our well being and at last all have to end. Among all the singers in mentioned above , quite a few have passed away including Robbin Gibbs. In his video, he look so young and carefree. But, now he is dead. Nobody can escape the life cycle of " birth. Old age, sickness and dead". When we are born , we have to accept death". And there is no two way about it. It is not how long we live or how many breath we Inhale, it is how well we live and how many wonderful breath we enjoy. Namaste.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Who put us up there ?

Am I playing to an audience ? Some times I feel as if I am I'm a role play in a script. Just acting out my role in this big stage. A tiny bot in a big machine making the cranking sound as part of my role. Is life real? Is there any meaning to life despite there is a purpose. Is there a possibility to break free from the role and the script? Could I just wonder off? What would happen to the play? Or by wondering off a part of the a a script?whatever we do we are too tiny to influence the role. What is that spark of dust want to do ? There are billions of particular of dust floating on earth , just too tiny to do anything . But you zoom down to one particular then you could see their role in a big screen but un-notice in this giant world's stage . Revolving and evolving playing their respective parts. Bloody hell. Who put us in this big stage and letting us play out the script? There is no main actors and actress or billions of main actors and actress depending on which angle you look. Intersecting and dissecting the different roles and screens. It starts with a bow and a bang and it ends with a silence and nothing. Is there a meaning to life? So, again who put us up there? You bloody fool. Namaste.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

My Yoga lesson, yesterday

The class started off with some heavy pose and it was very taxing for me but I tried to follow up with the class. Some of my younger classmates could not take it and stop to practice at their own pace but I keep my pace. I thought I did well but at end of the lesson, I was so exhausted that I took a break and did the final pose with my own pace. My teacher was sarcastic to me and asked me why I am not following the class but instead of doing my own wind down pose. I thought she told us to do the pose at our own pace and I am just doing that just listening to my body. I was a bit disappointment as she wants us to follow her pace. Why has she changed so much ? I know that I have been following her for six years already but our body conditions changed every day. One day , it could be raining and another day, it could be shining especially with student of my age. Yoga is a very passionate and personal practice. It does not mean that what others can do , we can do. There are some pose, we can do it well but others cannot do at all and vice versa. This basic knowledge should be in her mind all the time. There are reasons that why we cannot do a pose or some day we can do it but another day , we cannot do it. As I mention, our body condition is never the same. Well, I am not quiting but I know her purpose is to make all her students perform and perform well. She wants to be proud of her students but there are lapses and she should recognized it. My wife and myself is her most supportive students and we try never to miss her class. Even if we perform poorly, she should accept it as we are not in our twenties anymore. I hope her third eyes will open wider and see a bigger picture and realize our body conditions at a particular moment and realized that we need to rest and some times, we can do poorly or badly. Namaste.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Straits Quay , last night.

Straits Quay at night I was there last night with my wife and her brother and sister. I have not been to this mall for the past few months and I was searching for Berlin Winehouse which I enjoyed their German beer and their pork knuckles. However, I found out that there at edge of closing down and they only serve beer for a few more weeks. We were hungry and we asked the counter for new outlets and they recommend us Healy Macs, an Irish pub which served food , wine and beer. I ordered a big pork knuckle and a jug of beer for a group of six. The portion was large and it was wonderful to eat like.a barbarian. This is the second place we have dinner last night . Earlier,we had Australian fine dining at the vantage mall facing tusco in Tanjong Tokong . It was expensive and the taste did not suit us well so we ended up half full , so we decide to adjourn to Straits Quay. The food at Healy Macs was quite good and for a big pork knuckle and a jug of wine it only cost RM145 all in whereas the fine dining outlet , two salmon and two pork belly and one pasta with two beer cost my BIL RM245 and we were only half full. You might wonder what is the occasion ? Yes , it was a birthday celebration for my wife. Happy birthday , my dear. Namaste.

Friday, November 8, 2013

A tea talk with my sister,jo

A tea talk with my sister, jo Last weekend, my youngest sisterJ was back in Penang from KL. She followed me to clean up my house and we sat talking about a whole lot of things while our maids were cleaning up my house. She is very health conscious and she jogs three times a week to get fit. As we chat, she asked me about meditation and how t do it. As this is my favorite topic , I told her more than a fair bit about the subject. There several meditation methods. There is a single point meditation method that is focus your attention on a single spot of light on the wall as you carry I your normal breathing. The spot will grow bigger and smaller as it varies in sight. You just have to focus completely following it's movement. By so doing, you will move into a concentrate mind and you will enjoy calm and happiness as your sight become focus . You can control your mind through practice. Another meditation way is hitting a wooden bowl and chatting at the same time. The repeated sound of woods will make your hearing focus as your hearing will control your mind. Some meditator hit one sound by sound and let the sound into space and finally the Universe. Your mind and hearing follow the traveling sound and you become completely focus. However, my most favorite method is the breathing way. My mind follow my breath and according to the speed of my breath. The intake will fill up my stomach and stretch it out especially near the naval and when we breath out , we will pull I our core until all the air is out. We repeat this in and out breathing and make our mind focus on our breath and soon we will be in deep meditation. Meditation is focus our mind on our breath as we control the movement of our body. Namaste

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Life in a cave.

I attended a full day tax seminar today. It was as tired as yesterday but I found out that I have recovered very quickly and I think it had to do with my Yoga practice. When I was in KL I met an old friend and he told me that I am fitter and younger. Actually, I found that I have been fitter as I could move around with ease. I could see that my facial complexion is also better and brighter. Today, when I was at the seminar , I could meet a few of my old friends. I heard from my friend ,Lee that one of our mutual friend is attempting a marathon at the age of 56 and that friend is attempting to do it for the first and last time..I respect his dreams but I hope he would not hurt himself in the process. Another friend told me that Dr Rajah, one of the famous Dr who used herbs to treat his patient's illness have passed away. My wife and me have been treated by him and my father in law believed in him very much and was under treatment by him for a long time for the big "c".. They told me that Dr Rajah went to a cave in Tibet for meditation and he die during the meditation in the cave. He has been a strong meditator and maybe , it was time for him to go like he said score his death. I was rather shock because he looks fit and healthy. Maybe, that is the way he die or it could be his choice to die like this. Everything is fated in life and so we leave our lives in the good hands of our creator. Namaste.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

4 hours of hard patience

Siting in LCT terminal / Starbucks KL It is not a flight delay but a last minute cancellation of a business meeting in KL. I have to sit 4 hours to wait for the flight. For Air Asia airline, they don't allow cancellation and change of flight. It is either you used the ticket at a specific time or you buy a new ticket for the earlier flight. Yes, it is not so strange to understand. I have confirmed the appointment with my friend on Monday and he told me that he is available , so I confirmed the return flight on today . This morning , he told menu cannot make it and I was stuck in this situation. I could arrange another schedule but it would imposed on others and I do not wish to do it to others. So, I have to sit it out. The wait of four hours is actually a very tiring effort and by the time I reached home it would be past 11 pm. Too late to do anything else except to sleep. I don't blame my friend who just told me that he forget about the appointment. What else can I do? It is no point veering upset but only to swallow my anger in silence. I hope he know what he has done causing so much inconvenience to me. I was tired all over after starting as early as 5am and going through four a appointments. I have learned a severe lesson and I should not rely on friends who have retired and not interest in doing business. Never force and leave it to them to decide. If he is not interested let it be. Namaste.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Another day trip to KL

A day trip to KL I woke up at 4.30am this morning with tired eyes and a half sleep face. I pushed myself up to get ready for my day's assignment . A day trip to KL for my work assignment. I don't like such day trips as it is always exhausting. Each time , I try to sleep early to prepare the trip but each time, my sleep escapes me and I could only manage 4 or 5 hours of sleep. Sleeping less than eight hours is not healthy. I have no choice and I will try to catch some eye rest on the way. The ugly feeling of the body and mind struggling to catch some sleep and my need to push my self up make me walk like a zombie as I try to fire up my body. Luckily and unluckily, the starting of the factory buses irritates me and assist in waking up my mind and body. These selfish bus drivers have doing that foe ages and will suffer some bad karma in their life. Well, have to go now to prepare myself. So, happy sleeping, folks. Namaste.

Today, another rest day.

Today. Another rest day. The day passed as usual. Nothing excited except as usual my daughter went out early to be with her friends. Maybe , it is part of growing up as she just do what she wants to do despite my many advise. We will need to learn to respect her wish. I was at the hair dressing saloon this afternoon with my wife and I had a long conversation with the hair dresser who is my wife's ex-SIL. She was a chatter box and jovial. She is a lover of ready make coffee and she spare me a cup. Well , it taste well. As usual, we talk about the development in Komtar and also about the business in the Mall. I told her that our CM LGE has done a good job to uplift the mall. It is much cleaner , brighter and busier. She agreed with me but she to meet the CM and complain about the sloppiness in the painting job. The contractor not only paint the lights and also her sign board with the same color as the wall. So. Everything was white~washed along the corridors. She hope the new RM50 million contract to modernize Komtar will not be focus on the top floor but also in the business area. One thing I notice is that the tenants in the Mall often bring food and share among them. It was quite a happy family and there is so much gossip everyday and it is interesting and easy to pass the day. I hope her well after she did my hair cut as well. It was quite an experience for me on every occasion where I would gather some news. Namaste.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Looking back

Looking back . Some times. We looked back in our past years and realized that we have make many mistakes which have changed the course of our life. What if we have married a different girl, what is we have chosen a different job and what if we do not invest in a business. All this are life decision which will make our life having a different outcome. While I was driving today while sending my younger sister home, we talk about my mother and whether if we have chosen not to do something would she live a little longer. I regretted not spending enough time with her and could have given up some venture to be with her. All these what ifs and the life changing events , are meaningless now and with stay as a non event "ifs". There should be no regrets as it has progressed as it is now. Whatever outcome of these " what ifs" whether it is a better or worst outcome remains only as a stimulation. Nobody can change an event and whatever we choose is as fated. It is a fake illusion as if we are given an option but it always come out as it is whether it is right or wrong. We can only take it positively and believe what is life giving to us a good thing. We have moved on and finish what is set for us . Namaste.

Mr Pork, TAnjung Tokong, Penamg

I was at Mr Pork, Tanjung Tokong I was.a newly open food outlet located opposite diagonally island Plaza。it is a normal western restaurant and their specialty is pork chops. However, they so serve chicken , salmon an other varieties. I found the price to be reasonable but the pork was a bit too tough to eat in certain area of the piece served. The setting is okay except the glare is too bright from the outside at lunch time. Another problem is the parking area as the shoplot is abit alleviated and people have walk up a slope before reaching the outlet. Anyway, this outlet will add another option for food among the thousands of food out in Penang. My total Bill for 5 sets is RM70 including three drinks. The price is acceptable. Try it out for an experience. Namaste.

Friday, November 1, 2013

A day before Deepavali

A Friday ,before Deepavali It is just like another Friday except with the sound of the fire crackers which reminds you of a public holiday. Tomorrow is Deepavali. the Festival of Lights. Actually, it is a celebration of lights over evil. The custom of lighting fire crackers is during the Chinese New Year but now in Malaysia , this custom also is caught on during Hari Raya and Deepavali. Malaysia is truly Asia. It is a melting pot for all Asian cultures. Another aspect of Friday is also that the next two days is our rest days. Every Friday reminds me of an end to another week. The rest days will passed every first and from Monday it will be a start of another week. Life is like rushing through time on a one way train. I believe everybody is the same, waiting for weekend to come and before you know it , it is gone again. Yesterday, I was talking to an old friend and he is young than me by two years. He told me that he wakes up at 3am in the morning as his body time clock wakes him. I told him at this age, we will have to take each year as a blessing starting with each day. Like I say, before I got to enjoy the weekend , it will be gone in no time. This routine will change with time as life evolves it as well. Don't wait too long and keep moving as time move as fast. Namaste

Hurting and Revenge

An eye for an eye , a tooth for a tooth. This is the justice we are exposed to and we carry on this tradition to see that those people who hurt us will be punished more severely or at least as severe. The comfort that getting hit and to hit others will satisfy our anger or hurt. It is just like in boxing. The boxers punched each other at the same intensity and try to knock each other down until one lost and surrender. Is this the way of life we want or to adopt the bible way of you slap my left cheek , I will offer you my right cheek. It is so realistic and so simple. These two extremes troubled our thoughts and our life as we travel through our own journey. When we are logical and sober , we adapt the bible way and if we are emotional and angry , we adopt the boxing method. Our moods and emotions swing and we live between periods of logic and madness. Sometimes, we are heroes and sometimes we are villain. At times, we change our way immediately if our base line is hit or the actions is against our taboo or principle. We sway our punches wildly in all directions and hoping to hit and hit hard. There is a sense of madness in this action but we feel better as we can get even. Actually, our mind is very fragile and if we act according to our mind, we are not ourself. There are many moments of split personality ie changing from a man to a women and a women to a man , just like swing the punches all around and letting your both cheeks to be slapped. If we control our mind, we control our thoughts , we control our life and stop our madness or punches. Life will be more blissful. Namaste.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

A sense of madness

A little bit of madness

To be creative , we need a little bit of madness. The same is said for courage, imagination, adventurous , stubbornness, firmness and many others.

Sometimes , greediness and madness is mixed in one and this combination is very dangerous. We can stretch our limits to a very thin level and the chance of risk is very increased. It is the greed that risen the madness and it goes to the border and sometime it snaps and draw on a disaster.

Gambling  is one example of Greed riding on a sense of madness. It caused many people to become bankrupt if their gamble fail.

What is madness? A courage or a fearless attitude which blinds the logic to do something. Thinking out of a box needs a kind of madness to do it. To do something out of the norm is madness.

To do the impossible also needs a sense of madness. Often, we avoid the impossible because there is a high risk and it needs mad people to the impossible.

Namaste.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Today's yoga lesson

My today's yoga session

My teacher was wearing a red top and a zebra tight bottom. She was ready for the class. I have been her student for the sixth year now and she is going back to the basics with a difference. A different type of breathing method.

For the past years , she has been teaching us the forms but know she teach us to use our breath to lead the form. In addition, she also asked us to focus on our breath and use the "in and out" breathing patten to break down the motion into tiny parts , driven by the breath in and breath out movements.

In Tai Chi , it has the same theory. When our hands move towards our body. It is breath and when we pushed out , we breath out.'the slowness in the Tai Chi form is also driven by the slowness of the breath. For the legs , if we lift them up , you breath in and when you kick out,you breath out.

My teacher agreed with me that Tai Chi and yoga shared many similarities. Once, my Tai Chi Master told me that the Tai Chi movement is like walking in the water ie each step is in slow motion and in total relax position.

The most important principle is to move slowly like in a dharma walk routine and if we concentrate on our breath , slow it down and let it lead the form, our thoughts would be totally in control.

Namaste.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Road monsters.

Road Monsters

Last Sunday, I was waiting in my car for my wife to do some shopping at the Farlim wet market. Suddenly , a car stopped at the side of my car and shouted something at me. I could not hear him as my windshield was up. He was yelling like a mad man and I wind down my car's window and asked him what is the matter. He told me not to park my car by the roadside as I was blocking the traffic.  I was going to ask  him which traffic police station s he attached to but before I can asked him , the car behind was honking him. His car was actually blocking the traffic. He moved up the road but still turning his head to see my actions, I still sit in my car at the same spot. Finally, he moved on . Really upset.

I think the best way to calm ourself is treat this people or road bullies as mad man. If you start to be upset with his irrational behavior, then we will be torturing ourself . It is meaningless to engage ourselves in a rage. How can we be upset with a mad person.

In our daily life, we can meet many if such people who are bullies and if they make you angry , then they will be happy.

Many times , I have  encountered  motorist or cars overtaking n my left or motor cyclist riding in the middle of the road , risking their lives . There are cases of three or four passenger on a motorbike , just because cannot afford a car or lazy to ride three or four times home. The trend have been rampant as some people want big family and yet could not earned enough to cater for all. So, they risk their life to make them happy.

This evening I encountered a drunken motorist riding in the middle of the road swaying here and there courting death. I wonder what will happen to his family if he is  injured or killed. How irresponsible are they in doing such risky act.

Well, we cannot control everybody"s behavior and we only have to be cautious. We should not be fearful despite the danger is real.

Namaste.

To err is human, to forgive is divine

This phase is very popularly used to seek forgiveness but forgiveness is very hard to come by. Why? It is lot to do with self-ego. Once we lost our face or we are hurt, our emotions takes over and we want to take revenge to get even at all cost. We lost our logic and forgiveness and we only focus on the hurt and lost of face. If we slow down and come to our senses, then we realized that what we have gone through is wasteful and meaningless. Is self-ego so important? Some people treat self above all and they become egotistic and revengeful. Some people treat ego as a false image and they can see through their self and make the ego vanished. The latter shows self respect and constraint and keep the real "him or her". Yes, I felt hurt many times and how long it stays with me, it depends on me and how I handle hurt. All this option is within us and if we focus and think about it, it stays with us and if we choose to kick it out, it will vanished in thin air. The power of how is hurts lies with us. It is like holding a stick in our hand and the longer we hold it, the more painful to our arms. The principle is the same. The phase " To err is human , to forgive is divine" , means that every people makes error including the person who is hurt. This is very normal in life but for the person who is hurt to forgive, it is like GOD. They have the big heart to forgive and forget to move on. In this phase , it also illustrate the difficulty of forgiving. In another words, the person who is hurt have to behave like GOD, so how many people can behave like GOD to forgive. Hence, there is a lot of unhappiness and suffering on earth. For those who can forgive easily, they will enjoy a more blissful and happy life. I hope this message find all those hurtful people who can see through the truth of this phrase and move on. Namaste.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Our base line.

Our base line

Everyone of us have our own individual base or bottom line and this is the limit of our tolerance of humiliation or joke.  Some people have a very deep base line but other people have a very shallow line . When such level is breach that is when a joke turn into a  quarrel  or a fun time turn into disaster.

Our base line fluctuate according to our mood and our temper. The range changes every now and then In each day. A joke can be fun on one day and the same joke can be a disaster In another day or in front of different people or place. Like I have said before to predict an outcome involving human beings is a impossible thing. The outcome is uncontrollable .

In order to get an ideal conclusion, the right elements of place , time and people must converge. Hence, for a difficult agreement to conclude, we must wait for the right time , right place and the right people to be there to make it a successful agreement.

One of the elements is people and as I have mention before  it is extremely difficult because of the fluctuating mood of Human beings. Their self ego and the fluid human nature makes a problem difficult.

The unpredictable character of human beings makes life interesting and colorful。Any predictable outcome would be boring in the long run.

Namas

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Is jicama the next superfood?

Dear folks,  healthy body , healthy mind .   Pls explore more to improve our diet and food intake to keep the balance.  Namaste.

Is jicama the next superfood?

Life is short

Life is short This is a very common advise and it has been repeating in our years or we have read it through and through. Each time , we hear or read about it, the message will prick our senses and we stop for awhile to think and we will move on with our priorities in life. This message never really sink into our heads until we face its end. Why are we so silly? Or do we really have no time to think about it or refuse to think about it. The latter reason should be the correct reason,  we refuse to think about it because it can be very disruptive and unpleasant.  There is a lot fear to change to do the things we like. We will be  hurting lots of people when we change our normal life to pursue what we want. Si, we don't have the guts to change. Future fear or possible fear are holding us back and this is the barrier in our life. Danger is real but fear is not. We face to really make a point to face life and pursue our dreams before it is too late. Make an attempt to experience what we want to do and to re-enforce our guts to move near to it and finally experience it. Slow down and find a place to think about it and move towards it. Whether it is good or bad, you have make it and realize it instead of dreaming it. Namaste.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Taxes ,taxes & taxes

Taxes,taxes and taxes There is a saying "we only stop paying taxes until our coffin is nailed"。With the 2014 budget, we have a new GST (Goods & Services Tax ) and a higher RPGT ( property gains tax) and also a withdrawal of sugar subsidy. We are heading towards a higher inflation with the gradual withdrawal of Government subsidies. With the GST of 6% , this consumption tax will add taxes to all other goods and services except food stuff  This multi -layer taxes will make our lives difficult especially businessman.  A 6% taxes on the value added taxes at each level of transactions will have inflationary impact . Withdrawal of the sugar subsidy , the price of the food we eat will have an inflationary impact. So everything's prices will hike over time. When BIll Gates said that Life is difficult. He is damn right and it will get worst despite whatever the Government say or give subsidies they intend to give to the people to lessen the impact. What can we say, the Government is incurring huge deficits and the household debts are very high. Fitch and other rating agencies are watching our Government's direction on how they handle the fiscal measures.  Whatever is decided in the budget. We will need to face it and spend our hard earned money wisely. We are an intelligent animal and I believe will be able to.coup and decide well in our next election. Namaste.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

My sweet lord.

My sweet Lord. This song was written  by George Harrison of the Beatles. The song was one of the hot favorite during my prime time. It was played on the radio and it influence the religious mood for a long time. During the prime time of the Beatles, all the members were not able to handle the fame and millions of fans and admirers. There was a period they took refuge in India and took up the practice of Meditation and the learn the art of the Sitar.  After this period of calm, My Sweet Lord was wrote by George Harrison , the 2nd lead guitarist of the Beatles band.  Subsequently, the Beatles was disband and Harrison became a recluse until he was murdered by an intruder. Another of the favorite song written by George was " here comes the sun".  Paying  tribute to  wonderful song writer George Harrison , here is part of the lyric of " my sweet lord" I really wanna know You I'd like to go with You I wanna show You Lord That it won't take long, my Lord Note: George Harrison wads believer of the Lord and not God. He wants to see in order to believe.,in this song , he was searching for the truth in God. Seeing is believing.

Hey Jude - wonderful meaning

This afternoon some one called my assistant about some business issue and his name is Jude. I told my assistant "jude" should be a female but she told me that this "Jude" is a man and he is very serious in his approach. To make the matter light, I told my assistant that there is a song " Hey Jude" by the Beatles and it was a damn good song of my time. To surprise, she told me that she also loved the song "Hey Jude". In one part of the song, the writer said that we should " take a sad song and make it better". Yes, we should be the carrier of joy and laughter and make the whole laugh and sing with us. Bring the joy to the world. Another part of the song " let it in and let it out , don't carry the world on your shoulder". Some people interprete is as making love and letting it go and do not stress yourself with the problems in this world. Be a peace loving guy and let the troublesome world evolve. This is really a peace loving song and the Beatles have brought the message to the world and bring wisdom to the way of our life. I paying tribute to this wonderful bank by showing of its beautiful lyrics: Hey Jude lyrics jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her into your heart, Then you can start to make it better. Hey jude, don't be afraid. You were made to go out and get her. The minute you let her under your skin, Then you begin to make it better. And anytime you feel the pain, hey jude, refrain, Don't carry the world upon your shoulders. For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool By making his world a little colder. Hey jude, don't let me down. You have found her, now go and get her. Remember to let her into your heart, Then you can start to make it better. So let it out and let it in, hey jude, begin, Youre waiting for someone to perform with. And don't you know that it's just you, hey jude, you'll do, The movement you need is on your shoulder. Hey jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her under your skin, Then you'll begin to make it Better better better better better better, oh. Na na na na na ,na na na, hey jude...

Be a good listener

I feel like I have fallen into a web and the web is holding me very tight and I am suffocating while struggling to breath. Like a drowning man, I wanted to hold on to a straw and the straw could be you. When we are in deep thoughts or in midst of a serious problem, we want to find someone to listen to our problems. Not talking but be a good listener could provide an outlet for your loved ones and friends.Listening is a very good way of communication and the speaker will appreciate your time and effort to be there and to listen patiently. Lately, I read of an organization called " befrienders". I have learn of this organization many years ago from a friend who is active in this organization and recently, my boss also said that he is contributing to befrienders. This organization is not a match making organization and the purpose is to listen to callers who are having problems and need someone to listen to their problems. The callers are not looking for a solution offered by the befrienders but just for someone to listen to what they are feeling and what is their problem. This is a good way for the callers to release their pressure and stress in them even at the end there is no solution. My message today is that we can be befrienders anywhere if we spare the time and effort to listen to what other people is talking and acknowledge what they had said. Some times, we need only to be there and listen without offering any advise or comments. Silence is golden or people said " sound of silence" can have the calming effect on the callers or befrienders. Words can often sent the wrong message or advise. Namaste.

Monday, October 21, 2013

A day, a gift

When we woke up in the morning, we should be thankful that we are still breathing and alive. We should not take things for granted as if everyday is there for you. As we step away from our bed and every breath we take, we should express gratitude and appreciation. For this matter, we should take each day as a gift instead of as a right. If you are older and still working after retirement, we should strive to contribute something everyday. We add value to the things we do and also provide assistance to the people around us. This is to show the gratitude that we are alive and is still of value. If we do not provide anymore value, it is better to be dead than alive. Many times, we are immenese in our daily routine and wondering endlessly but we still want to live into ripe old age. Is there any meaning to live on and doing nothing but selfishly taking care of our needs and passing the days passively without purpose and aimlessly. We have to repay the gratitude of living a day longer and to bring laughter , joy and meaning to this world and the people around us. It does not matter if it is little or more, we move and do it. This is to repay the chance of living a day longer. Needless to say, we are easily drawn into the circle of life, churning in rounds and living aimlessly if we are not aware that the day is a gift to you. Namaste.

Fragile relationships -an insight

Fragile relationships There has to be a strong foundation  before any relationships can hold. Relationship that based on mutual benefits and self Internet will not last. It will be like sparrows in the woods, they will split ways if trouble comes. I have my fair share of fragile friendships and I have saw many such incidences in my life. Good friends  can quarrel over a small misunderstanding and became enemy because of a word  being said out of anger.  Some is due to promotions. Self ego, money or some hurtful relationships.  If two person is not happy together, why is there a need to stay together? It is better to depart as friends instead of as enemy. Don't let emotions control you and make the situation go beyond control Nd leading each party saying or doing  the wrong things. When we are angry. We should keep our mouth shut and do nothing. Choose a good movie to let the anger weaken and wear down. When we are hurt and angry, ego and pride takes over and we lost control of ourselves. We should turn our focus inwards and look at our self. You will be very surprise that it is not what you want to say or do. A stranger have taken over you. Long time ago, I have treated a friend  very well . Taught her all I know and guide her in doing business. When she wants to get married , she have her own plans and turned against me and blame me for not supporting her business plan. It was very hurtful and all these incidences have become bad memories. This lesson in life really make me wake up and be aware of the fragility in relationships. Only those relationships which grow out of love and care can only weather the condition of hurt, anger and ego. Don't expect anything in a relationship and there will be no disappointments. Namaste.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Have a nice weekend.

Have a nice weekend Every Friday , we thank god that it is Friday and we can have nice and restful weekends . But, the weekends passed so fast and on Sunday night. We still think that we have not got enough and tomorrow is yet another long weekend. This routine have been in repetition for many years in my life. Through the years , I am feeling time passed faster when l  am getting old. I think it is the same for all aging folks. Maybe there. Is more to think when are are older and most of the time we are caught in our thoughts and memories. Yeah. The end is getting nearer but we should treat age as a number  otherwise we would give ourself a lot of reasons not to live . We should keep your energy and activity level and keep thinking like a young man。a lot of things depends on our mind. Our mind can be trained or guided to motivate our psychical body to re-act and to live with vigor. There is no logical rules that the young should stronger than the old. This is not the standard and it is possible the older is fitter and stronger than the young. I have seen older people perform better in sports and yoga。it is a matter of upkeep and lifestyle. Namaste.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Our beautiful breath .

Our beautiful  breath - My yoga session today Today , my yoga teacher taught us to use our breath to guide the moment of our yoga pose. Each movement is done within each breath. As we focus on our breath , the yoga form come in naturally and easily. The movement will be graceful and smooth. I told my teacher that this way of using the breath to guide the form is like Tai Chi and each stroke is guide with the slowness and the deepness of each breath. She agreed with me that both practice have many similarity in common. I also told my teacher that walking meditation is also the same and the speed of each step depends on the breath and in this practice , the moment is broken up into more parts. I related to her that I have witnessed and amazing female westerner who walked 10 feet in 30 minutes. This is no simple feat as it  shows how deep in the control of the mind and body. This balance and harmony of these two elements is excellent and perfect before this feat can be done.  Anyway. We have to be thankful for each beautiful breath which keeps alive and well. Namaste.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Am I stuck in a different realm?

As if I am in a different realm. Feel tired and speechless lately. I could not get out this desperate mood and still wondering within. It is suffocating and pressurized why am I feeling so strange and unable to break through. So  idly bored. Wanted to do something different , just to breakout. Have been like this a long time. Bored deep inside and have to keep a brave front and keep smiling from the outside. Just like still water which runs deep. Underneath the surface, it is churning and boiling. So restless and desperate , yet don't know what to do. Could this be the second Mano pause? I am changing and searching for myself again and wondering what actually I want in life, Is life like this ? Everyday. A set routine. Running I circles in many ways but is running in circles. The day pass into weeks and then in months and in years. Wake up every morning struggling to find my footing to stay the day. I was thankful each day and the wonderful breath I am breathing. What else do I want? In no time, we will have to ride into the twilight and never return. And that is the end of it. I am just human. Namaste.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Doing nothing?

Is doing nothing , doing some thing? This wisdom is a bit deep. The Chinese called " deep water" and in Hokkien " cium  chooi". Literally. It means difficult to comprehend . Doing.nothing is plain simple means " doing nothing" what else to say about it. Period. But, in deeper philosophical meaning, we should not be doing anything and this is the normal condition of the body.  Doing some thing is out of the normal and is an effort to do some thing. So, resting is normal and it is during this resting time, the body will have time to recover itself. Slowing down will also give us time to look into our within and make us more aware of ourself. Rushing through life is meaningless and wasteful.  Today, it was.a rest day for me and I spend most of my time resting on my couch and my wide compliant that I am lazy and  doing nothing.  Yes, I was resting and just watching TV. I told her today is a rest day , so I rest. It is not something difficult to understand. There is nothing urgent to do, so why try to find something to do. I am only doing what I should be doing , that is the norm. Come tomorrow , there will be a whole lot of task to do and there will be no time to rest.  That is life. Namaste.

Monday, October 14, 2013

It has been raining

It has been raining For past week, it has been raining either in morning ,in the evening or for the whole day. The sky has been gloomy , dark or greyish and it stirs our thoughts especially when we are driving or caught in a jam. The thoughts just came and dwell in our mind for some time before they leave you. Many memories come and go but during one morning while driving on the Penang bridge, the thought of life and death swell up in my mind. There was less traffic on the bridge and driving was very smooth and the thought just came. Life is like passing through the bridge from one end to the next. That was a journey point to point and reaching my office is the start off  of another life. Isn't it the same for you? Each journey, each day or a period of time , a life itself in the micro? It can end anytime , so we better be aware if it. Life is fragile and impermanence , yet we attach so much of our time to gather wealth or to gain fame.  We must be mad not to realize this point and start enjoying what we have. It would never be enough if we let our greed go free.  So, we better wake up and live and breath a new bout of fresh air to live differently and meaningfully. Namaste.

Brownie was naughty tonight

Tonite -,Brownie was naughty. I do not know why my dog, Brownie was not obedient tonight.  Usually, she will follow my instructions to return to her cage after I have left her out for a while to exercise her legs. During that time , I talk to her and ask her to obey my " sit" instructions at the same place every night. She has been very obedient. But , not tonight. My maid tried to  chase her into her cage but she was very playful and do a hide and seek game with her. She gave up after several attempt and she yelled for my help. When I called up to Brownie and if I point to the cage , she will run in by herself but tonight she was rebellious and continued her hide and seek routine with me.  I was very surprise and angry.  I took up a stick and smack her on her butt. The first hit was light but she keep wanting to break away and I gave another smack . She yelled in pain but still refusing to go into her cage. My maid have to keep pushing her into her cage and finally she went it. I was remorseful as I verbally keep lecturing Brownie for not following my instructions. She keep staring at me and this is her usual re-actions  when I scold her. After several verbal scolding which I don't know whether she  understand me or not, I start to gave her a pat on her cheek and I scroll my hands on her cheek and appraise her been a good listener. She waggle her tail as if she was please. I don't know whether the stick and the carrot treatment will work or not but I hope she will be obedient as time goes by. Namaste.