Overheard....

Overheard in a drama, a Korean actress said : "My house is nice and warm, I do not like to go out during winter, because it's cold outside, my nose will turn red and the tip will fall off, because it's made of silicon."

When you come back to me again

This song is dedicated to all the important people in my life, and to those who have me in your mind as well.

When You Come Back To Me Again - by Garth Brooks

There's a ship out on the ocean at the mercy of the sea
It's been tossed about, lost and broken
Wandering aimlessly
And God somehow, you know that ship is me

'Cause there's a lighthouse in the harbour
Shining faithfully, pouring its light out
Across the water, for this sinking soul to see
That someone out there, still believes in me

On a prayer, in a song I hear your voice and
It keeps me hanging on
Raining down, against the wind
I'm reaching out till we reach the circle's end
When you come back to me again

There's a moment we all come to
In our own time and our own space
Where all that we've done we can undo
If our heart's in the right place

On a prayer, in a song I hear your voice and
It keeps me hanging on
Raining down against the wind
I'm reaching out till we reach the circle's end
When you come back to me again

And again I see my yesterday's in front of me
Unfolding like a mystery
You're changing all that is and used to be

On a prayer, in a song I hear your voice and
It keeps me hanging on
Raining down against the wind
I'm reaching out till we reach the circle's end
When you come back to me again

When you come back to me again

Om benza sattva hum!

Today I went for Vajrasattva 金剛薩埵 puja, the very last prayer session in the center for this year, as the group is going for a retreat in Bodgaya India soon.

Vajrasattva is the Buddha of purification. As the "action" or karma protector, he also manifests the energies of all Buddhas. The main purpose of Vajrasattva practice is to purify our obscurations. "Obscurations" means negative emotions, negative speech, negative actions, that obscure our Buddha nature.

"The only virtue of sin is that it can be purified." In fact, there is nothing that cannot be purified, even the most apparently heinous deed.

Why is it Vajrasattva that we choose for purification? When he vowed to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all beings, he made this wish: "When I become a fully enlightened Buddha, may all beings be purified of their obscurations, their ignorance and their negative actions simply by hearing my name, seeing my form, thinking of me, or reciting the mantra that contains my name."

It so happens that this purification puja comes at the right time, when I feel I need to purge out all the negativities trapped inside me, rid all the obscurations relating to body, speech and mind. Everyday, in the course of work or at home, with colleagues, with friends, with family, situation may arise that cause misunderstandings, hurt, verbal/physical abuse, evil intentions, and all the negative actions that we commit everyday, and they keep accumulating each day, if they are not purified. I needed to rid all the negative feelings and thoughts in order I can start brand new again.

We chanted the 100-syllable mantra of Vajrasattva. We also dedicated the merit of this puja to the victims of the Mumbai terrorist attacks, those of whom were hurt by the terrorists or those who lost their lives. Let's hope the world becomes a better and safer place, and we ourselves become better persons, through all the pain we witnessed, experienced, confessed and purified.

Black bean soup

Last night I was just telling my mom, I am craving for Black Bean Soup. It has been ages since I last had black bean soup. It is a chinese soup with ingredients like black beans and pork ribs or black chicken, that's all. I have always like this soup (eventhough my mom seldom cooks this), which is rich in taste. They say it's good for replenishing the red blood cells in your body.

I found this pix in Apple's Kitchen and her recipe there.

Cravings

I had only been away for 10 days, and not 10 months or 10 years, yet I have loads of cravings for our local food. And I have been so sleepy since I returned. What beats me is, the trip was only 10 days. Last time 3 weeks in Europe and back, I was perfectly fine and kicking *scratch head*. And I had plenty of sleep in Dubai as it was supposed to be a free and easy trip. Luckily when I returned, I did not gorge myself silly with all our local food I was craving, because I was busy sleeping away. I was craving for Char Kway Teow, Hokkien Mee, Kway Teow Soup, Satay, Mee Rebus, Nasi Lemak, Hainanese Chicken Rice and even porridge ..... the list goes on. The best substitute I could find in Dubai was a Thai stall in a foodcourt selling kway teow soup. Elsewhere you could not find any Chinese soupy stuff except the western soups. And then on the last day in the airport on my way back, I found Phad Thai in the foodcourt inside the DFS area. That was the best fried kway teow I had. Haha.

So today for lunch, I just had the splendid Hokkien Mee from the coffeeshop nearby. It is not the Hokkien Prawn Mee we are used to. It was a different typical Hokkien style used in Tze Char stalls. The noodles was stir fried with dark sauce. The ingredients used are normally prawns, pork slices, fish cake slices, cuttlefish slices, cai sim veggie and PORK LARD! And as sinful as it is, I regret to say I LOVE pork lard! The original yellow noodles after stir frying turned dark and a little starchy. The taste of the yellow noodles together with the dark sauce and ingredients made up a really unique taste which I grow up with. My family has a love relationship with this Hokkien Mee. My grandma used to love it, my parents love it, I love it and even my niece loves it. My mom's version is normally not so dark.

My friend in Dubai was craving for Popiah, so we brought up 3 big turnips and together with all the Popiah ingredients like popiah skin, crushed peanuts, crushed chips, black sweet sauce, crushed garlic, chilli paste, and even Kueh Pai Tee cups (the cooked turnip can be used in these cups too, another dish)! We were able to make our own Popiah.

Fingers crossed

I am keeping my fingers crossed for a deal, hopefully it will come in soon. This client of mine has been very picky as there are many competitors out there grabbing for his attention. I even met some fellow competitors when I was there meeting my client. What I gave and what the competitors gave already made up of a huge pile of documents stacked up high. He still has not made a decision. But at least my this client has called me back to ask questions or to hurry me to find what he wants - a few times. Even though I was away for 10 days, he still waited for me although he kept saying he needs to "decide in 2 days time". So means I still stand a chance. I hope I will clinch the deal, within these few days. He is one of my most challenging clients so far.

Spaced out

Wit is the salt of conversation, not the food. - William Hazlitt

I may not be a witty person, so during meals with friends, I normally tend to be the quiet one and eat my food and sip my drink, although I have been told I am by character, talkative. My friends are usually even more chatty than I am. They would talk about anything under the sky, and sometimes also pretty noisy. Basically sometimes when people talk, they do not necessarily want to listen to what you have to say, because they want to be listened to. And I do not mind being the listener. This is not really interaction as it's a one-way communication. Actually, sometimes, I really do not mind just be the one sitting back, and listening to my friends' chatter - sometimes can be entertaining, sometimes gossipy, and sometimes embarressingly loud. But mostly I do prefer to have only one companion when I go out, instead of a whole group. This is because I find that when it's one-to-one, it is easier to communicate and share stuff personally. And you get to understand the individual better and vice versa. That is why sometimes I do not like to go out in a group, it is more often than not, senseless banter. Somehow in a group, besides being entertaining and great for networking, it has less substance to me, nothing for my soul.

I remember long ago, on an overseas trip with 2 friends, it was a 12-day vacation package. My 2 friends were pretty excited and were talkative most of the time, when we were in the coach driving from one place to another. I think it was on the 4th day that I started to get a little irritated, because they were talking and talking throughout, as I plugged into my then CD player. And that evening, when they went out pubbing, I stayed behind in the hotel room and just chilled. I guess I just need my own space sometimes.

Shakespeare & Co Cafe

I passed by a cafe while I was shopping in the newly opened and largest mall in Dubai - the Dubai Mall with 1200 shops - where it has the largest indoor aquarium in the world and indoor ice-skating rink. This cafe is called Shakespeare & Co.

This chain restaurant/Coffeehouse is found all around Dubai city. The owners of this place is Lebanese, however, they've managed to bring together English antique furniture, chandeliers, walls filled with colorful tiles with different flowers painted on them... and created a 17th century ambience, with good coffee. All branches offer both indoor and outdoor seating in a classical, French stately home-themed atmosphere with an antique décor made-up of distressed wood, heavy drapes and colourful cushions on Victorian-style sofas.

I especially like the decor of the branch in Dubai Mall, all vibrant colours on the walls and its colourful chairs. I did not have chance to have coffee there so maybe next time I will try. Perhaps this franchise outlet will come to Singapore soon. :)

Ginger & Charlie

Here are Ginger and Charlie, the camel soft toys I bought at the airport for my niece and nephew. The UAE is popular for their symbolic camels, so it makes sense to buy these back as souvenirs.

Arabian nights

More of the amazing photos I took of the Desert Safari. I won't forget the beautiful sunset, and the sand dunes and the fantastic heavenly weather. By the way, that's me in the traditional abaya (with face covered) for ladies - the attire is all black, a black long dress with black long sleeves. The men wear a full-length, loose garment with long sleeved called thawb and mostly they are white. I was wondering.... what happens if black is my unlucky colour?

I would like to thank David and Veg for their hospitality during the past 10 days in Dubai and for being my driver, fetching me everywhere. I think we had a very nice time together with Rich Friend, recalling our past in school, remembering the names of our old classmates, and also all the boo-boos we went through in our younger days. Till we meet again very soon..... take care!

Cruising along the Dubai Creek

Late one night at the centre of the city, the historical part of Dubai, we took an abra (small water taxi) and view the old trading port and the dhows from the water. The cruise costs only one dirham and passes many of the city's historic as well as modern landmarks. A stroll around the wharf offers a picturesque glimpse of Dubai's trading heritage, where dhows bound for distant places dock to unload their goods.

The Dubai Creek, a natural sea-water inlet which cuts through the centre of the city, is the historic focal point of life in Dubai. The abra, one of the small water taxis which criss-cross the Creek from the souks of Deira to those on the Bur Dubai side. Mostly, workers use this as a means of transport to cross the Creek. We squeezed ourselves with them on a short ride. Sometimes we can also book the entire abra and have a fascinating hour-long trip from the abra embarkation points to the mouth of the Creek and inland to the Maktoum Bridge.

On the Deira side, a broad and well-lit, paved promenade extends from the Corniche, which faces on the Arabian Gulf, all the way to the attractive purpose-built dhow terminal constructed beside Maktoum Bridge. On the Bur Dubai side between Maktoum and Garhoud bridges, Creekside Park provides pleasant paved walks and extensive landscaped public gardens.

The night breeze was something truly breathtaking as we sail along the Dubai creek under the moonlight. To end the night after the ride, we had a little late night supper at a restaurant facing the Creek.

Vegetable & Fish Market

Nearby the Gold Souk, was the Vegetable and Fish Market. Late that night almost midnight, the market was still bustling with tons of people, as well as tons of fishes, crabs, lobsters, vegetables, fruits and dates and many other food stuff. There were many stalls peddling their fresh produce and mostly they are also wholesalers to smaller players. I found it interesting to see the sea of blue in the market, all the sellers are wearing an uniform blue, selling their seafood. The workers also help buyers transport their purchases to their vehicles in the form of wheelbarrows. All fishes or sea food are loaded onto the wheelbarrows, and the workers peddle their prized produce. If I had no constraint over baggage weight, I would have lug back to Singapore fresh and cheap seafood from this market!

Dubai Gold Souk

One of the evenings, we drove to the old district of Deira to visit the Gold Souk. A 'souk' is a traditional market This is the area where over 300 jewellers open shop selling all sorts of authentic jewellery. That's why it earned Dubai the name "City of Gold". One is truly spoilt for choices if they want to buy gold or diamonds or precious stones as every store sells different designs. What makes shopping for gold at this Deira souk so special and worthwhile is the fact that the gold prices are among the lowest in the world due to low gold prices as well as no sales tax. I did not buy any pieces. My friend did purchased a gold necklace for her mother-in-law, while I absorbed the ambience of being surrounded by gold, gold and gold, and yet feeling very safe. There is rarely any crime or break-ins here. If my mom was here, I think she would go crazy, marvelling at all the gold pieces. She is highly addicted to admiring gold, hehe...

Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai

Another place nearby is Madinat Jumeirah - The Arabian Resort of Dubai. It is a magnificent tribute to Dubai's heritage and is styled to resemble an ancient Arabian citadel. It is luxurious and ornate, opulent with an overwhelming sense of tradition. Meandering waterways form part of the resort.

The entire shopping mall was housed like a traditional colourful and vibrant market. Meandering paths lead visitors through a bazaar-like atmosphere in which open fronted shops and intimate galleries spill onto the paved walkways. The sounds of craftsmen and women at work combine with the aroma from street cafés and boutique restaurants.

I like the structure of the building, the traditional feel. And there was great views of the Burj as well in different parts of the mall. We just strolled and shopped in a relax manner in the afternoon, enjoyed a sip of coffee and juices in one of the cafes. We had lunch in a chinese restaurant where we tried the Laksa and Nasi Goreng and Wanton, which is a world of difference from what we get here. Authencities aside, we must count our blessings we are able to get chinese food there.

Burj Al Arab

One of the must-see places in Dubai is of course the iconic Burj Al Arab (Tower of The Arabs). My friend drove me along Jumeirah Beach to see the Burj and also to enjoy the sea breeze. Jumeirah is the area where the rich live and where property prices are escalating. I do love the beach a lot. The sand were so so so soft and fine and clean. Many foreigners especially Caucasians were sun bathing and swimming there (the locals are seldom seen, especially the ladies). I can understand why they love it. The weather was fantastic, the sun is out but not scorching hot. And the breeze is splendid, with the great view of the Burj at the backdrop, as well as Atlantis The Palm Dubai in the nearby islands.

I did not get to go to Atlantis this time, its a cluster of residences and hotels and mall in an island the shape of the palm. They happened to have the official grand opening on 20 Nov, with 2000 worldwide celebrities attending the event, with the largest fireworks ever displayed in the world at midnight. As it was crowded and strict security during those few days in the islands, so we did not manage to visit. Maybe next time.

Bye, Bubbles...

Rich Friend has 2 rabbits, Bubbles and Snow. Bubbles is a Holland Lop while Snow is an Angorra.

Bubbles has not been eating for 3 days. Today, after the blood test and xray, the vet said Bubbles has stones in his kidney and suggested that he be put to sleep. But Rich Friend was not prepared, so she brought Bubbles home. However something was not quite right. Bubbles was fidgeting. So Rich Friend brought him back to the clinic again. In her own words, "he was very sweet, didn't even need the jab, he went by himself."

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." - Anatole France.

Hey friend, I know you are devastated about Bubbles. He was, no matter what, your first pet, before Snow came along, before Muffy came along. I have always had a non-preference over Bubbles because he had a bad temper, and thumped his paws whenever he was angry. But you love him for what he is, and that made me respect you. Your soul has indeed awakened, and your kindness for Bubbles, Snow and Muffy has permeated our circle and influenced us to love animals more. Don't be too sad, my friend.

May Bubbles have a good rebirth. Om mani padme hum!!!

Home sweet home....

I am back! A whirlwind 10 days in Dubai, and experience with a new place. Just need my beauty sleep for a while, as I arrived real early this morning. I miss my bed and bolster so much..... More photos later...

Another thought... I am considering whether to make this blog private. Only people who are really interested in what I write will be given access to this blog. I have found that sometimes, I am being "evaluated" and "judged" based on what I wrote and my daily thoughts. I guess I am like most bloggers, write about how I feel and experience in my daily life. And I am sure most bloggers would not reveal much of their personal problems or frustrations or feelings to sensitive personal issues. What most people would write are their joys and happy moments from their daily happenings. I guess I am like them too. Thus sometimes for people who do not know me well, they tend to misinterpret and judge me on what I wrote based on their own personal opinions. Well, I prefer they keep their personal opinions to themselves because some remarks are not necessary, and may not be necessarily real conclusion of me and my character. As a hypothetical example, if I write that I hope to buy my dream car one day, it does not mean I am a spendthrift who will splurge on unneccessary big expensive items all the time. Nor does that mean I am only interested in high end stuff.

On the same note, I would like to thank those readers who visit my blog frequently and gave me encouragement. I will think about whether I am making my blog private soon. If you are my supportive readers, you will be given access after you email me.

The villa

This is where I stayed in Dubai. My friend has a nice cosy villa in Uptown Mirdiff, Dubai. As property prices are on the rise everywhere, especially those in the city, my friend preferred this quiet neighbourhood, about 30 minute drive from the city.

Dubai is a Muslim country and is basically a very safe place to live in. Crime is low, as I heard there is heavy punishment for say, for eg. theft. It is very safe to walk about at night. Dubai is extremely cosmopolitan with expats from almost every country living here. Emiratis only make up 20% of the population. The rest are predominately unskilled workers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Indonesia and other poor nations. A smaller number of expats come from America, Canada, Europe (mostly Britain), Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, South Korea and China.

Uptown Mirdiff, eastern Dubai

My friend in Dubai lives near this quaint and popular neighbourhood called Uptown Mirdiff, which is a cluster of residential apartments and shops and restaurants. She lives in a villa, which is the equivalent of a semi-detached house in Singapore context, and it is barely a 5-minute drive from Uptown Mirdiff to her house.

While during my stay there, I went to Uptown Mirdiff a few times, for grocery shopping at Spinneys, for a sandwich in Gourmet Burger Kitchen. There are Starbucks, Mothercare, Claires, La Senza, McDonalds, Baskin-Robbins, 2XL, Damas, Adidas and more. I really like the Grand Piazza, the covered colonnade leading to open style walkways, dotted with cafes, restaurants and shops in a relaxed environment. Life in Uptown Mirdiff provides a wealth of facilities to keep the neighbourhood full of activity. Plus, the weather in Dubai has turned better, the days are sunny but not hot, the nights are cool with a relaxed feel.

As fine as sand

I went on the desert safari today. The day before, there was a sand storm in Dubai. The night before, it rained (which was something very rare in Dubai - rain). I told Veg - wah such coincidence, while I am here, there was rain ..... water ..... "yao shui" ...means got wealth. Good sign. Hehe.

Because of the rain and sand storm the day before, today the desert was especially beautiful. Look at the fine tiny particles of the sand, they were so fine. And the sand dunes were beautiful. the result of the wind. You could see the desert wind blowing across the slopes of fine sand. I was in a 4-wheel drive, and we went up and down, up and down throughout the desert, like a roller coaster, for a good 45 minutes. What a bumpy ride but quite fun. Not for the faint hearted as it could make one nauseous.

I managed to capture plenty of nice shots. I saw the sunset in different stages. I saw the huge red red sunset, something we hardly see in Singapore. More pixs soon.

"The mind is as large as the sky, and our actions need to be as fine as sand."

This Buddhist quote summarizes the intimate connection of contemplative presence and action. A fully graced contemplative presence is free, boundary-less, and loving, and this presence is not just an end in itself but is meant to be a gift for others.

Shopping in Dubai

Hello from Dubai! What I was doing these 2 days was just shopping and shopping. Visited 2 huge modern and upmarket malls, the Festival City and City Centre so far. What I like to see in malls are checking out for those brands that are not available in Singapore. For those usual brands we have in Singapore, I normally would compare the prices and see if they are cheaper here.

So far, some stuff I got for a steal :

Marks & Spencer blouse - 45 dirhams (S$ 18.80)

New Look 3/4 denim pants for niece - 19 dirhams (S$ 7.90)

New Look denim bermuda for niece - 19 dirhams (S$ 7.90)

Where on earth can you find such deals at these prices? Marks & Spencer blouses usually cost S$ 50 and above in Singapore and Dubai and everywhere. But never in a sale I have seen prices below S$20. And where to find nice-looking denim pants for just S$ 7.90 in Singapore? Hardly. And these items are not from pasar malam. They are from upmarket shops. Of course there are other stuff which are about the same in Singapore and Dubai. Hence the sole purpose is to find those interesting ones that are A STEAL.

MOF

It's the start of the school holidays! Brought niece and nephew out for lunch before I fly off. We went to MOF (Ministry Of Food), wanted to reward them for their good year-end exam results. Both are promoted and able to continue to be in the top class of the school next year. I am so proud of them. They ordered the 2 different kids sets and I ordered the Spicy Char Siew Ramen. The kids' appetites were good today, they added the salmon sashimi and the tamago sushi as well. And they had to have their desserts, as usual, the famous Hokkaido ice cream and milkshake. Kids are kids, they were so noisy and cheeky throughout, that we adults had to struggle with their hyperactive energy sometimes.

Notice the area below niece's right eye was all bruised. She fell down few days ago at her friend's house and hurt her face as well as her legs. I gave her a new nickname - "Little Miss Clumsy".

Battle of the smses

Early this morning, I received 1st sms from a friend telling me about her encounter with a stranger in the MRT, she went on to describe the stranger in full detail yadah yadah yadah.... (the sms was very long).

Then followed by 2nd sms from the same friend, about feeling guilty about her criticism of the stranger's looks, and how she shared with her colleagues the same story, and their reaction..... yadah yadah yadah..... (the sms was very long).

Then yet another 3rd sms from the same friend again, about how her colleagues like her stories and how they felt she should start her blog about her funny stories about strangers she met... yadah yadah yadah.... (the sms was long).

So I replied .....

Me: Yes maybe you should start a blog to share your stories. I have been blogging almost 4 years liao.

Friend: Yes you told me.

Me: Oh, did I give you my blog address then?

Friend: (after 3 hours interval) You very long-winded you know.

Me: Goodness, I just asking only. Your smses even longer hor.

Friend: Ok next time no more. You ding dong.

Me: ...................!!!??? (felt so 委屈 and ridiculous)

Lesson learnt:

1. We should just learn to be a listener and be mute. Maybe friend wants to be the one "talking" but did not wish to have any response from her "audience".

2. Can anyone tell me the definition of "long-winded" ???? I admit I can be long-winded sometimes, but surely not this incident!

Happy birthday, sis!

11/11. Today was sis birthday. She wanted to have steamboat at home. So I bought and prepared all the ingredients, then marinated them, cut them, sliced them, and cooked the soup stock full of goodness, with chicken stock, pork ribs, dried scallops, minced meat and corn. There were so much food I bought for the steamboat; sliced pork, sliced chicken, sliced fish, cuttlefish, shelled prawns, sea cucumber with mushroom, fuzhou fishball, tang hoon, young corn, seafood sticks, scallop sausages, chicken sausages, chives dumplings, tou fu, fish dumplings, mushrooms, liver etc.. I think I had enough food to feed the army. Then I had to dig out my BBQ pot and steamboat pot from the store room and had to clean them thoroughly. Actually the purchasing and preparation already so tiring. I will forget about having steamboat during CNY reunion dinner. Just eat out, boost the economy a bit! And I don't have to clean up the house afterwards!

We also had chocolate cake, and ice cream and cookies! Gosh, it was a sinful dinner. But then it's a celebration, so it's alright. Godbro joined us today, after a long while, so that's cause for celebration too. Hope she likes the Coach wristlet I bought for her (which matches her Coach handbag). Happy birthday, sis! Hope you will worry less and stay happy always!

Trip preparation/packing begins....

Among some stuff I intend to bring to Dubai, one is Ngo Hiang. I asked my mom to help me make some wrapped meat rolls for my Dubai friend. So the past weekend, I helped her cut, peeled and chopped the water chestnuts, pork meat, prawns, carrots, fish meat. And then I was steaming and steaming and steaming those rolls for few hours while my mom wrapped them! It was no joke. So exhausting. Now I know why I am not cut out for the kitchen.

This "before cooked" pix was taken from gregwee.blogspot.com and the "cooked version" pix is taken from www.yebber.com, as I was too lazy to take any pixs then. Mom made these wonderful Ngo Hiang during last CNY too

Beautiful momentum

Countdown for my Dubai trip in 3 days..... suddenly so many things to do and buy, and things to clear. Last minute appointments with clients who called for a meet up ( I love my clients, especially even the difficult ones). I need to clear some paperwork before I fly, although I will be bringing my laptop along. Need to buy some gifts, need to buy the (fresh) stuff requested by friend, and also things to settle, and I have not started packing. I so happy I can catch up with Veg soon, have not seen her for a year! And glad to be able to finally see my tai tai friend's big house... hehe.

Long time ago, I had actually planned to go somewhere on a holiday with another friend, sometime around this year end, but somehow things are so unpredictable. Sometimes, we cannot even predict what will happen tomorrow and where our friends have gone to or sometimes we are disappointed at how they have turned out to be.

For now, I so busy but so fun. And hopefully when I come back from this trip, it will be a change of luck, to be even better.

I pray that one day soon, I will be able to go on a Dharma retreat to either India or Nepal or anywhere..... anywhere where the masters/gurus are. I will be even more excited if that happens, when my good karma ripens and when my calling comes. I hope by then, I will be at the retreat with the right company. Om mani padme hum!

Hort Park stroll

After a very full hi tea buffet with friends yesterday, we went to Hort Park. As it was already evening and getting dark, we only managed to explore only one small part of the entire park. We had a stroll at the forest walk, the metal bridge which was supposedly 2.4km long. I think we walked about half of the entire length of the bridge and turned back, and that took us about 45 minutes.

The park is interesting and consists of a few areas from Hyderabad Road all the way to Mt Faber. I will go back to explore the rest of the park next time. I saw many plants and trees which were pretty uncommon, so I would like to photograph those, as I am a nature lover. Would also like to venture into the other side which is another long bridge, Henderson Waves. Note: Those with acrophobia are advised not to walk on the bridge as it can be pretty daunting looking down.

After the long and sweaty walk, we had to cool ourselves down at Raffles Town Club last night, for a bottle of red wine. *hic*

My dream came true

I was reading my past entries and saw this post about my dream in end 2005, in regards to my new house and Avalokiteshvara (Guan Yin). I realised I am quite blessed because the dream came true.

That time, I dreamt that I was going into an apartment and the "unit number was #06-18" and it "faced a very big field". Indeed, late last year I finally chose my unit and as I was the second last Chinese (due to the ethnic quota allocated to each block), I did not have much choice left. When the computer screen flickered the availability of the units left, the highest floor remaining was the 6th. So my new house turned out to be on the 6th storey indeed, as in the dream, and it also faced a big piece land in front, with views of greenery and trees in the distance, with no blockage.

I dreamt that some distance near the apartment, I saw "my Mom praying and bowing" to the the "four-armed Avalokiteshvara floating in front of the high seat", and with "very fair almost to the colour of translucent white". In real life, what happened was when I was about to shift house, my Mom chanced upon a very beautiful statue of Guan Yin which she fell in love with immediately and decided upon the purchase. Before that we were still pondering which Buddha to invite into our new house. Guan Yin is Avalokiteshvara. And our Guan Yin is indeed translucent white wearing green, sitting on a lotus, she is the most beautiful Guan Yin I have seen.

I was almost unable to purchase this house as I was allocated an unit at another location, which I did not like. And those units I liked, they were all chosen and I was at risk of not even being able to select my current location. All the units were taken up by the time I was supposed to choose. All the units with best facing directions were taken up. I remembered I was so worried about not getting the house I like, and being sent to another location which was worse. I remembered the Master's reassuring sms "You buy the apartment first. Then do the fengshui. The Buddha will protect you and bless you with a good house".

Indeed the Buddha has blessed me with a good house that I like very very much, with a river at the SW of my new house (if I were to choose the other location, there is a river at the NE of that house!). My main door is where the wealth area is, and the house faces the direction which is astrologically one of my best lucky directions. The location itself is so convenient with many amenities and the price of the apartment has doubled now. My family is happy staying in the new house.

The Buddha has already "found" a house for me 2-3 years ago through that dream. Why didn't I have enough faith then?

Latte Halia!

That day, Rich Friend wanted to have her coffee fix at Dome, as she has some vouchers. So we went there. I saw from the menu they actually have Ginger Latte. I ordered that as it was something new to me, and I liked it. Reminds me of our Teh Halia (our local ginger tea). The Dome's Ginger Latte was foamy and thick with the faint taste of ginger, making the milky coffee a little bitter. And I didn't mind bitter. We believe the ginger can help remove the "wind" in our internal body system . If the Dome's Ginger Latte is done the same way as our coffeeshop in making the Teh Halia, I think my Ginger Latte would have been even more foamy, because of the "tarik" (pulling action). Haha!

OTT oldies

Years back, whenever we have family gatherings, the whole bunch of us would normally decide on a specific theme, and came to party with the agreed theme, just for the fun of it. I remember this get-together was a "Tie Party". All of us ladies and guys all came wearing a tie. It was such fun. And most of these are my aunties, mind you. All the oldies in my family are very sporting.

There was another time when someone went to Bangkok and bought back many pieces of a particular short T-shirt with horizontal stripes, in all the different colours she could find. And so the entire bunch each of us had no choice but to make sure we wear the Tshirt for a birthday party. There were yellow, red, green, brown, white and purple etc.... All here are some of my aunties....

And another daring Christmas, we had a "Over-The-Top" Xmas theme. So we plied on whatever our hands can lay on ... clothes, accessories, hand-sewn items, handmade items, underwear, netting, shorts, tights. We did not have a specific personality to imitate. We created our own image instead. Those days were such fun with my adorable aunties.....

Fa la la la la ...

Saw Ikea's christmas pamphlet. I am dreaming of a REAL live christmas tree....

Deck the halls with a real live Christmas tree, fa la la … ever felt like Christmas just isn’t the same with a tree that comes out of a box? If you’ve always wanted a real live Christmas tree in your living room, hop by the IKEA this December to pick your very own. Trees are available in 4 heights: 1.6m ($45), 2m ($69), 2.5m ($119) and 3m ($159). Tree bases are sold separately. Delivery available at $20 per destination.

And what do you do with your tree after Christmas? You can bring it back to Ikea between 1 and 15 January 2008 and they will give you a $10 IKEA voucher for helping them take care of the environment. Your tree(s) will be sent to recycling plants to be turned into compost for use in gardens and parks.

And I am especially sold by the RECYCLING theme.

Change or not?

Six months ago when I shifted house, I called Citibank to inform them that I have changed address. They still send statement to the old house. I called them the next month again, and the next and the next. Till finally, exasperated, I went down personally to the branch, and signed and filled up all the forms they gave me. And they told me they will send me a letter within 5 working days once the database has been updated. I waited 2 weeks. Today I finally received their letter to confirm the change of address from the old to my new house. The letter was sent to my old house address. *faint*

Welcome the new US President

That couple

This is one of my favourite shots of my parents, taken by moi of course. We were in London, and this was somewhere near Westminster Abbey, the place where Prince Charles and Princess Di got married. I think my parents looked cute in this photo, in their windbreakers and warm clothings. I remember the weather was so fine, during Autumn. And the tulips that filled the park nearby and around Westminster Abbey were a delight. I simply like the old colonial buildings and their history. It was a nice walk.

Gonna break free~!

Last week, I have inked a contract for an independent partnership so that I can create a niche in this area, something which I am familiar with. If my other plan is successful, it would be ideal! But that will have to wait a few more rounds/weeks. Then I will have the best-of-both-worlds arrangement.

At least things are moving slowly, positively for me, so far so good. I am not being fussy, but I have to consider whether I can work with the person I am working with. That's very important in the long run. I dislike sabotage, betrayal and games. And sometimes, you have an inkling whether you can click with someone or not. Whether you are an employer or employee, you have a choice. So far, these few weeks, I have met quite a few nice and kind people who have helped me.

Rich Friend has been asking me since last year if I am interested to visit our buddy, Veg, in Dubai. She asked me again today because she will be going there for a business trip next week. I think I have been putting off a trip to Dubai for the longest time, as Rich Friend and Veg have been asking me to visit. So I guess this time I have to say YES! It will be a "sponsored" trip for me, plane ticket courtesy of Rich Friend and lodgings courtesy of Veg! AINT'T I LUCKY ??? So I am 99% confirmed I am going. Been longing for a faraway trip since last year (the nearby trips didn't count), but I really didn't have the luxury to go anywhere as I couldn't afford the time due to many constraints and happenings. I guess I couldn't say no this time, as I really need a break.... badly.

So.... Dubai, here I come! :D

Debt free

Between the past Saturday and Sunday, within 24 hours, I attended 3 pujas, as it was a special occasion. I was so tired last night but I did sleep very soundly throughout the night, with nice dreams.

It is quite common for me to feel exhausted after each session of puja, because that's when all your troubles and obstacles, fears and difficulties are being eradicated, with the help of Rinpoche and so many lamas (28 to be exact). It is also the opportunity to clear your entanglements with karmic debtors who have come to make demands in this lifetime, and at the same time, placate those future debtors, prevent future obstacles from ripening, as well as to seek blessings from the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Dharma protectors. In addition, pujas help to create more merits for yourself as well as your loved ones. There are many types of pujas from different Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for different purposes.

For the past 6 months or so, I have not had the chance to attend pujas because the center was undergoing renovations, and even when they started about one and a half months ago, I could not attend as something would always crop up at the last minute which prevented me from going...... until the arrival of Lati Rinpoche. On hindsight, now I know why I have encountered some of those obstacles and met some undesirable people these past 6 months. Eventhough I have always taken precautions by sorting out advise and help from others beforehand, I was still beset with obstacles. Sometimes in some ways, even people who could help you, could not. Some things that are meant to happen will still happen, no matter how hard I tried to prevent them.

That is why I can fully appreciate pujas. And I feel as light as feather, knowing my problems can be resolved, if I have the faith and enough merits. So we should try to create many merits and to perform good deeds all the time. Who wouldn't want to be debt-free, right?

Cherish

This quote is dedicated to New Friend. I know there are constraints you are facing, and decisions you have to make, and you are at crossroads grappling with your ideals. I know sometimes we need to take a break, but don't pause for too long. I think you know what you want from the bottom of your heart but you think too much of others' opinions and expectations. Be brave. Maybe the answer you want to find is right before you. 加油!

Cherish your visions;

Cherish your ideals;
Cherish the music that stirs in your heart,
The beauty that forms in your mind,
The loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts,
For out of them will grow delightful conditions,
All heavenly environment;
Of these if you but remain true to them,
Your world will at last be built.

Bo-gay rascal

We wonder why recently when we took photos of nephew, he always looked grim and grouchy with his mouth firmly shut, unlike his usual wide-grin smile. Then we discovered... it's because 5 of his teeth have dropped at about the same time. So now he is as bo-gay (toothless) as an old man!

She did a Karen Cheng!

Unknowingly, my 9-year-old niece did the hugely famous "Karen Cheng" pose with her basic mobile phone. Karen from Perth even formed the Facebook Group called “Doing The Karen Cheng” – devoted to the crazy people, a bit (or a lot) dressed up, taking their own photograph in a mirror.