What if you know you're going to die soon?

I read about something that Deepak Chopra just wrote below : 

We never know for sure if an illness is, will be fatal or not until the condition of the patient  deteriorates past the point of recovery or of course death. Until that point, and operating under imperfect knowledge the position to take is that life is precious and should be supported if there is a  possibility of  recovery to  a good quality of life.  To assume it is one’s karma to succumb to an illness before the fact is a defeatist presumption beyond one’s actual understanding. The rule of karma will be fulfilled regardless of one’s choice. When  your life has a chance, it is better to take a chance on living.

Although Buddhists know about cause and effect, karma yadah yadah etc... But to blame  one's own or another person's illness, misfortune, bad luck on karma is purely "adding salt to the wound". Like Deepak Chopra said "The rule of karma will be fulfilled regardless of one’s choice". One's own actions (cause) result either in good or bad consequences (effect). If we are enjoying life, happy and wealthy, we are so  called  reaping the fruits of the past and enjoying good merits. If we are suffering the "bad consequences", do we call it "retribution" ? What I'm trying to say is, there is no point rubbing it in. What we can do is to carry on positively in this precious life even if you do not like your current state of life /mind, even if you believe you are going through a bad patch, even if you know you are going to die soon. Make the most of life.

I know of someone who went to see a psychic or medium, and was told she has one more year to live. When I heard of it, I was appalled that a psychic or fortune-teller or sooth sayer or whatever you call it, would actually tell the person that she is going to die soon. Even though I believe the "professionals" may know, I do not think it is advisable to tell the client, especially if it is about death.  It is only useful to advise what can be done to avert the misfortune (if that is possible).

The consequence is, this person, even though she is not suffering from any deadly illness, panicked knowing that she is going to die, surrendered her insurance and got back some cash, went on holiday trips, eat all she wants (even though she is diabetic), fully determined to 'enjoy life to the fullest' in her so-called final year, without wanting to leave any spare cash, without thinking of her family. So, is she "making the most of her life" upon knowing the unconfirmed truth? Even if she manage to survive the crisis and pull through the year, she may probably still die from eating all the unhealthy and sugar-laden junk food! 

 

So what would you do if you know you're going to die soon? Make the most of your precious human life, carry on the good deeds you are doing, do not blame it on your own karma or whatever you call it.  Look forward to a fantastic year ahead. Move on. Push towards a happy mindset and create positive causes now. Happy New Year, folks!

P.S. Sorry for writing about 'death' on the last day of the year. But what better time to take stock of what we have accomplished so far on this very last day of the year to think of how we are going plan and achieve life's objectives for the future, or at least for the next year. Goodbye, 2009!!!!

On the mend

Had a not-so-comfortable dream last night. I was in a peculiar albeit calm and cool place. It was a rocky place (huge white rocks to be exact) with a stone house facing the sea. A little boat was docked by the sea next to the stone house. There was a voice in the dream telling me to get something from the man in the house. I remember the layout of the huge stones/rocks surrounding the house.

I was given something (not sure what that something was as I could not recall any object) by a stout and tanned burly elderly man who was wearing singlet and shorts. He looked more like a fisherman to me. Then a voice seemed to tell me I was to go meet a friend A, who needed my help. I was to take the boat with her to some place. The voice told me to look after A as she was in mourning and did not seemed to be herself.

True enough, when I got on the small boat, I saw A sitting there. She gave me an indifferent look and a quesy smile, but thereafter her head was mostly bent staring down at the floor most of the time. As the boat moved along slowly, I sat down next to her trying to engage in small talk. She just gave me polite answers. Suddenly I noticed there was a huge black lump the size of a ping pong ball grown on the side of her face, somewhere behind her right cheek. I was shocked as A is a very pretty lady in real life. There were even little tiny dots on her face. She spoke to me so softly that I could not hear anything. Someone was whispering to me to look at A's hair which was infested with dandruff (or was it lice?). Ugghh... I was a little uncomfortable and felt my head itchy as well. I told A when we reach the place, she had to go and bathe. Again she gave me a nondescript reply.

Then we reached a place, some building in the middle of nowhere but surrounded by lush green fields and mountains. It was quite breezy. It made me feel light and cool. Inside, I gave A a very large white towel and asked her to go bathe. She just said that we go meet our teacher first, the one who was to teach us sewing!! I was mystified! SEWING??!! We came to a lady in a room, with a sewing machine. I looked at the sewing machine with disdain and told A, could I not learn sewing as I was not interested. A said she was going to make me an embroidered blanket or something, so asked me to hang around. In my mind, I just wanted her to go bathe.

I cannot recall the other details in the dream. What exactly was the message of this dream? I know A is in mourning right now but I don't exactly know her very well. I wonder if she needs my help in some way.

The Unusuals

Blogging on the go. Captured this somewhere along Jalan Besar. Man carrying 2 heavy bags rushing across the road hurriedly. Notice what was printed on the exterior of the cab "When drinking is good". Contradictory. Guess what ad it was. The facade of this building was also somewhat out of the ordinary. We can find some unusual quirky moments in the simplest of mere moments.

The Green Series

I named these random shots the Green Series.

The Walk.

Escalating.

Ben 10 Meets Oscar.

The Lone Ranger.

 

Caught.

Serendipity.

The slow rhythm of waiting

Today I went to pay my bills at the AXS machine. There was such a long queue that I decided to have lunch first, as I was famished.  Even after my lunch, the queue at the AXS machine was still long. With no choice, I went ahead to queue anyway.

There was a young girl in front of me wearing a yellow T-shirt, chatting with presumably her friend. Then it was her turn at the machine. As I had already waited for the other few in front of me for a while, I thought this girl, like the rest, was taking an even longer time to finish her task.  I got a little impatient as the minutes ticked by. And finally, just as I was about to give up and almost wanted to hint to the girl to hurry up, I saw at the back of the yellow T-shirt she was wearing were printed these words "I'm a slow learner."  Immediately I stopped at my track, and recovered myself (from impatience and frustration), then I felt somewhat guilty. I guess it takes little encounters like these to help us learn a little patience sometimes. And patience is the companion of wisdom.

What's cooking at home?

Caught "Life Transformers" on Channel 8 earlier and saw the plight of a real-life story of an unfortunate family. This weekly program finds some poor and needy families, showcase their hardship and what kind of harsh environment they are living in, and how through the help of the hosts, volunteers and kind-hearted public, assisted these families in improving their livelihood. I thoroughly support this TV program, because it reminds us that there are always people who are suffering and more unfortunate than us. It reminds us to be contented in our lives. It reminds us to lift a helping hand to those who may need our help.

Having watched the show kind of made me guilty because I was actually about to post some of the dishes I did recently, all simple home-cooked food in a typical Chinese family. We are here feasting and yet some people has nothing to eat. Tonight's episode an elderly father and 2 sons had to share a packet of rice daily. If they are still hungry, they drink lots of water. I won't mind cooking for needy people if need be or help in any other way. It makes me realise how lucky we are to have enough food on our table everyday, and to even indulge on other luxuries too. It makes me realise no matter how much we can help, there are simply many many others who are still living in unfortunate conditions who need our support. May people from all over the world who are suffering from illnesses or poverty right now, meet their benefactors and be able to receive a helping hand from the society. Hope that they can pull themselves up to carry on for a better future.

This is HK Grilled BBQ Sauce Chicken. Wanted to try out the BBQ sauce, so I chopped and almost minced garlic and onions and together with the BBQ sauce, marinated the little drumsticks for a couple of hours. Then before I grill them in the oven, I spread a little Char Siew sauce on top the drumsticks (to enhance the taste), and sprinkled some sesame seeds on them too. The smell of the sauce of the grilled chicken in the oven was so fragrant it filled the whole house. What came out were awesome juicy little chicken drumsticks with the sweet combined taste of BBQ and Charsiew sauce.

I usually cook dishes from whatever we have in my fridge. Usually I would mentally be planning each dish immediately. For Sweet Sour Potatoes with Stewed Pork, I originally had a few potatoes left, so I opened a can of stewed pork to be added into the potatoes and tomatoes. I used lots of chopped onions, together with a little vinegar, and some pasta sauce, to come up with a tangy dish. Next, French Beans With Minced Pork. I marinated the minced pork with sesame oil, light soya sauce and pepper, then I stirfry it with chopped garlic and the small french beans. The Cauliflower dish was a little failure. I used carrots and chinese mushrooms. I used the dark Mushroom sauce to fry everything together, hence it was a little too dark and dry but edible. The last dish was Sambal Prawns with Petai, my favourite, cooked by my mom. We have this dish pretty often.

Another time, I made Sweet Sour Chicken. I marinated the chicken chunks and dip them in corn flour before frying them. Separately I cooked the potatoes, carrots, onions and as well as mixing the sauce. Next was Steamed Cod Fish, which is my favourite fish. It was very simple, with just thinly sliced mushroom, ginger, and little chilli. For adornment, just add spring onions. So fresh and juicy. Sometimes I buy the raw salted eggs from the supermarket and boiled them. We eat it straight with rice. My niece loves it. Our regular soups are usually corn soup or lotus root soup which we double-boil for hours, with wolfberries, dried longans, red dates and ribs.

Four harmonious friends

Share with you something. If you recall in my earlier posts, a few weeks ago while I was on the cruise, I said a prayer to the Buddhas for protection and also supplicating to the Nagas not to cause more harm to humans in terms of natural disasters and causing illnesses. Towards the end,  I silently asked to be given a sign if my prayers were heard.

Remember the peacock I saw in the restaurant? There were in fact different beautiful paintings of peacocks, and I don't know why I had to take a photo of this  beautiful white one with this stranger. I also chanced upon a small shelf  at an inconspicuous corner where different types of tea were displayed. I saw a small porcelain elephant with tea inside. When we were reaching land, I saw the first boat which was sailing very fast towards our direction, and I noticed its name "Noble Jewel". I also saw a real live monkey while we were at the deck waiting to get off the ship. The lost monkey was roaming on the dock below. How often do you see a live monkey in such an obscure place?

So what's the connection, you ask? Well, in the Vinayavastu (Foundation of Discipline), the Buddha tells the story of the Four Harmonious Friends – a pheasant, a rabbit, a monkey, and an elephant – who lived together in harmony. Each of the younger animals showed respect for the older animals’ life-experience and knowledge by carrying the older on his back. It is said that wherever a picture of the Four Harmonious Friends is displayed, the ten virtues will increase, the minds of all will become harmonious, and many auspicious events will occur.

You may think I am being silly. Well, those sightings were the signs given and my interpretation, even though they might sound so coincidental. It was only when I was sorting out the photos as well as by chance came  across a picture of the Four Harmonious Friends, then I realised and connected all these. As for the rabbit, well, I recalled a someone wearing a very unusual rabbit blouse too! So I would like to think  my prayers were heard by the Three Jewels, as well as the guardians of the seas and skies. Just feel happy and blessed. May all be harmonious and auspicious.

The flood

I sneaked back to bed at 7am this morning because 1) it was still early, 2) I only slept at 3am chatting on MSN and 3) the weather was too hot.  Then I had a dream which I remembered quite clearly.

I was with 2 lady friends, one was a stranger I have not met before, and the other, C, I have met once or twice. The funny thing was, in the dream I could not really see  C's face clearly although I knew it was her. The 3 of us were chatting, and C was ordering  saying to me "You should come to Waikiki with me. I have been there with my son, I can show you around". I kept quiet, surprised at her insistence although I did not know her well.  I was thinking in the dream, "why should I go with you?" and "why should I go to Hawaii when there are plenty of other places I want to visit?".

Then all of the sudden, I was in some place. I was supposed to try on some clothes in some dressing room, and there was a long queue waiting outside only one cubicle. I was impatient and did not want to wait. Then again, C appeared, and told me to go to another room somewhere behind. So I tried to find my way behind, coming across a kitchen, and there was a flurry of activity around. I was finding it so weird by the minute. Then I supposedly found the room, and when I entered the door, I was ushered to a table, and a guy instructed me to eat. There on the table were 3 dishes and all were vegetarian. A guy was telling me this was what the monks were eating. Then 2 chinese monks, wearing grey robes, came in and joined me sat next to me to eat.

Then just as suddenly, it began to rain as I stepped outside into the open, which looked like a huge place.  The rain was getting heavier.  Everywhere was flooded covering  up to the ankles, almost reaching the knees, that the whole deserted place looked like the sea. My niece, nephew and sis suddenly appeared, as well as that C friend again. C instructed me and sis to bring the kids somewhere across walking through the flood. I was getting a little pissed with C, not sure what she was trying to do.

My niece waddled off very fast a distance in front of me, as we made our way across the waters. Sis and nephew were further behind. It was raining and flooding and cold and windy. I was shouting to niece to be careful. Then all of a sudden we discovered the waters were actually too deep. It had suddenly reached my shoulder! I shouted at niece to wait for me but she could not hear me. I panicked when I suddenly could not see her. I turned around to look at my sis who was busy chasing after my nephew. I shouted desperately for my niece and swam across the waters. Then I managed to catch sight of her head popping up the water, as she was still trying to walk across the flood. I rushed to her and hugged her and made sure I held her tight to me. Just as immediately, my sis shouted to me from behind saying my nephew had disappeared! Again I panicked. We were all shouting his name.  I screamed at my sister to come to me fast, as she was getting hysterical. Then we moved in the water slowly as the water has reached my shoulder. Then within the next few seconds, I spotted my nephew who was strangely not crying or afraid, he was standing on an empty bus stop seat, so that he would not be covered by the flood. He waved at us. We were so relieved. I remembered I dived in towards his direction and in an instant, I carried him up. Just as I did that, all of a sudden, the waters subsided very fast till our knee level. Sis and I were hugging the kids so tightly, extremely relieved. Then I woke up. So drama.

Gosh what a horrible dream. And I do not like C, who is usually a quiet person but why was she so kaypoh in the dream and insistent that I followed her instructions. Think I have to be careful with this person in real life. Boo.

A fuzzy Bak Chor Mee Christmas

Christmas day lunch time, the family went for our favourite Bak Chor Mee in Crawford Lane. This is the famous Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles which used to open stall at the old Marina Square Foodcourt many years ago. I remember in those days, at whatever time it was the whole day, this stall would have a long queue. So we did not even have to think about eating this during peak hours.

Ever since we found out this long-lost stall had shifted to Crawford Lane, we would make our regular trips to have their delightful Bak Chor Mee. As usual, the queue was long considering it was lunch time. I queued for about 30 minutes before we could nom on our noodles. Luckily the western food stall next door served fantastic western set meals too. So while we were waiting, we ordered 2 plates of the Fish & Chips and Chicket Cutlet to share (appetiser, hehehe).

I would consider this my favourite Bak Chor Mee stall. What made it delicious was the mix of sauces and vinegar added, chewy noodles plus the generous helpings of minced pork, pork slices, liver, dried fish, and chinese mushroom, which were all thinly sliced. The men would usually order the bigger size $5 or $6 bowls, while the regular size cost $4. We usually order the dry version, but the soup version was also nice, especially the kway teow soup. Sometimes we add a bowl of wanton soup as a side.

For Bak Chor Mee lovers, this is their present address. Be prepared to queue if you want a taste of this unique Bak Chor Mee.

I got a call from an aunt for an impromptu Christmas party at her place with the whole ging gang on the very night. It was supposed to be a present-less potluck party, since it was so last minute. I cooked fried rice with whatever ingredients I could find from the fridge. We had the usual suspects of ham and roasted chicken, salad, cheese, log cake and the not-so-usual Christmas dishes of curry chicken and ahem.... fantastic famous braised trotters specially flown from Bangkok! It was a nice reunion since my uncle and wife and godbro were back for a visit from Bangkok. So we did have our little Christmas gathering after all and so much nicer without the expectation and hassle of having to buy gifts.

I did not take many photos, because I was too busy drinking wine and catching up with my aunts, uncles and cousins. I probably had 8 full glasses or more of red wine. So I had a nice, warm, fuzzy Christmas after all. So, good bye Christmas, see you next year! *hic*

A very un-Christmas dinner

Christmas Eve, I had a nice Christmas dinner with the family at the furthest end of the island. We intentionally chose Changi Jetty to be really away from the Christmas crowds and traffic jams in town and Orchard. And instead of the traditional Western turkey dinner, we opted for chinese food with a kampong flavour!

Well, we were at Tekong Restaurant and ordered these dishes. Braised duck is one of the restaurant's signature dishes. It looked a little darker and drier from those selling outside, but that only means the flavour of the sauce has permeated the tender duck meat nicely. Sis wanted stir fried seafood lala, which came freshly done with fragrant garlic and condiments. Then there was fried tofu topped with mayo sauce and pork floss, another winner. We ordered 2 unusual vegetable dishes. One was the spinach in a claypot with fried whole garlic and century egg with wolfberries, hence the dish was very light and appetising. The other veggie was what I wanted. It was Mani veggies stir-fried with egg and topped with ikan bilis. I had tried this dish a long time ago and was won over, and other restaurants do not usually do this dish. However this time, it looked drier than the previous more soupy version. We also ordered sweet sour ribs for the kids.  Overall, a satisfying dinner. 

So you see, we had a very un-Christmas dinner. But that's ok, it was nonetheless a very pleasant dinner next to the seaside with cool winds (we sat outside al fresco style). Most importantly, it was nice because we spent some time with each other on this special occasion.

BTW, to digress, I just found one long-lost blouse which sis bought for me from Turkey more than 20 years ago! It is a black and white baggy tunic blouse, very baggy and ethnic looking.  I loved this blouse to bits. It has some arabic-looking designs on one area and animal prints on another area. I thought I had given it away to Salvation Army long ago. So tonight I wore this blouse to dinner. By the way, that animal is not a turkey ok.... although the blouse was from Turkey. :P 

The year we stopped having Christmas parties

Just realised I have not written "personal thoughts" for a while. In a way, it is good, because that means I am not feeling too nostalgic or angry or sad or anything extreme, to "inspire" me to pen down thought-provoking literature. Heh. I am just feeling calm and normal right now.

A couple of years ago, we always had office parties in my ex-company every year. And I remember each year, we would joke that our christmas wish was that we need not attend another party the next year (meaning some of us wanted to leave the company). Frankly, sometimes office parties can be a drag. You do not know whether the  someone you bought the present for the gift exchange would like the gift, and would I have liked the gift I received from the "unknown" person from the same gift exchange. It was also a drag if you "kena" being assigned to organise the small informal party, with budget constraint. I only enjoyed buying personal gifts for closer colleagues because those were the people I worked closely with and I considered them friends rather than just colleagues. Anyway I was glad when it was finally over (I left the company). This is the second Christmas I need not attend any office parties, and I feel so relaxed and carefree, because I am not a social butterfly. I prefer a quiet simple meal  and spend time with just loved ones and close friends.

This year is also the second year there is no planned family christmas party with my extended family. It can be rowdy with about 30-40 of us at one time. I guess everyone is busy with work and life (especially this year being the economic crisis year), some of us were affected and did not feel the mood to celebrate. Either this reason or no one wants to be the organiser, hehehe. When I was younger, sis and I always "kena" this responsibility. It is always like this, everyone wants to party but no one wants to do the shit work. There is also the huge hassle of buying gifts especially for the whole ging gang of kids and the grown-up teenagers who are mostly in or going into their 20s. Let's see how next year, maybe I will volunteer to organise again, if I am in the mood! :P

So it is weird come to think of it, 2008 was the year I stopped having all Christmas parties (not intentionally of course)!!!

The only 2 christmas gifts I bought this year were for niece and nephew. To me, kids should never go without gifts, because I remember when we were young, sis and I loved our little childish gifts alot.  This year, I let the kids choose what they want. So we went shopping. Nephew chose the thick and heavy newest edition of Guinness World Records 2010. He immediately started to regal me with all those amazing facts from the book. Niece chose many little cutesy Japanese items, like files, stickers, writing pads, writing papers and envelopes, all so kawaii. Plus one passport holder (or notebook cover) with all different outlines of heart shapes and designs which she is going to bling with crystals.

 

Our little tea-time snack from Crystal Jade. Quite reasonable hi-tea set at $3.80. You get Po Luo Bun, egg tarts, and almond beancurd. Kids loves the melt-in-the-mouth almond beancurd and egg tarts. 

 

Mom bought me many tops and bags from Bangkok, and some more on the way to Singapore. She bought so many things that she came back with an extra luggage and bag.  See my this "SMILE" T-shirt from the Land of Smiles?  I will consider all these my Christmas gifts for this year. :D

P.S. This year is the first time I sent Christmas greetings through Twitter! What a hassle-free novel way of sending greetings even to strangers, although I do still love snail mail. Don't care if the other bloggers know me or not, but I've been following their tweets daily, so they are "familiar" to me.  Merry Christmas, bloggers! Keep on writing!

The quintessential 9

How do you like my christmas-theme collage? This is put together by random past collection of photos which I found cute and interesting, with the help of wonderful Apps like Splashcolor, Photoshop Mobile and Polarize. I sum up Christmas 2009 with 9 keywords  which are quintessentially me this year.  Merry Christmas, everyone!

Dreams.

Survival.

Places. 

Healing.

Directions.

Togetherness.
Tricosmic.
Gratitude.
Compassion.

Crabby me

I normally do not like to read online astrology reports on zodiac signs because they are too general.  But the below which Chelle sent me, is quite true as it zooms down to my actual birth date.  I think it is quite accurate, as far as I'm concerned, take it or leave it. Hehe...

July 6 Cancers are extremely tactile and draw immense pleasure from a well-decorated and harmoniously maintained environment. While status often plays a big role in their need to be surrounded by luxury, they are basically down-to-earth and derive pleasure from helping those with fewer resources.

You should embrace: Spiritual transcendence, charity, objectivity

You should avoid: Pretense, snobbishness, needing to win Friends and Lovers

July 6 natives don't like to share their friends and may seem bossy when it comes to giving advice or suggestions. They can be manipulative in romantic matters and have a hard time regaining their confidence if a love match fails. Holding on to people they care about can become an obsessive habit that is difficult for them to break.

Children and Family

Because July 6 natives want to believe that their familial relationships are good and satisfying, they may idealize their childhood into representations quite different from reality. They have a tendency to use similar techniques as they raise their children. These individuals need to understand that their little ones are better off knowing a "bad" truth than a "good" lie.

Health

Food issues often loom large with July 6 individuals, who may eat and drink to escape their feelings. It's important they do some aerobic exercise several times a week in order to combat potential circulation problems.

Career and Finances

July 6 individuals have a marked artistic ability and are often drawn to careers in the arts, though usually in a behind-the-scenes position. They make talented designers, fashion consultants, carpenters, and decorators. Although intelligent and able, these people are also generous to a fault. They're likely to spend money they can ill-afford on friends and loved ones.

Dreams and Goals

July 6 individuals seek their happiness and accomplishment through relationships with the people they love. Even though they can be unintentionally deceitful in these matters, they are also intensely loyal.

Summer sun during winter

We don't have snow in Singapore even though it is winter time!  It's summer all year round. Was on the road when I saw the blazing afternoon sun shining at me. So I got out my handphone and shoot.

It looked dark because I was shooting against the light / sun. But I liked the dark shadows and with blue skies and clouds and all.

 

The sun was behind the clouds, hence there was the outline from the clouds. This series all dark because directly shooting at the sun!  However, it was actually very hot and bright.

 

This was shot from my window. Such blue skies (with NO editing) and unusual cloud formation. And this will be how we spend our Christmas in snow-less Singapore. 

The winter solstice

Today is the winter solstice and the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, which also means today is the shortest day of the year too. We Chinese call it Dong Zhi 冬至.

Traditionally, Dong Zhi is also a time for a family reunion with perhaps a dinner. One most significant highlight of Dong Zhi is eating Tang Yuan 湯圓 or balls of glutinuous rice, which symbolize reunion. These balls are made of glutinuous rice flour and sometimes brightly coloured. The flour balls may be plain or stuffed with peanuts or black sesame. They are cooked in sweet ginger soup.

Tonight, timely as it was, we had our "reunion dinner" as everyone just got back from their overseas vacation. We dished out bowls of Tang Yuan for dessert.  Was chatting with someone a couple of days ago. I mentioned about Dong Zhi and asked my friend if her family would be having Tang Yuan or dinner. She said they do not celebrate such occasions. I think my friend, who is from another religion, deemed this day as a Buddhist or Taoist occasion. I was like "duh...". Well, not surprisingly, I'm afraid the younger generation nowadays does not even know what is Winter Solstice or the Chinese tradition behind it.

Foodie Confidential

This is my very own Foodie Confidential, ripped off Sunday Times column of the same title. Well, Singaporeans are passionate about food..... although I must confess, I am not a food connoisseur.

Are you adventurous about your food?

I'm not fussy about food, will try any cuisine for at least once and any dish cooked in different styles. I once tried a dish which tasted like transparent mushy jelly they called "camel's feet" in Beijing, still not sure what that was!

What is your favourite hawker food?

There are plenty, like satay, bak chor mee, black carrot cake, orh luak, etc...! But I would say my favourites are the dark Hokkien Noodles, our famous Chilli Crab, and possibly, BBQ Stingray on banana leaf with cincalok chilli.

What is your favourite fast food?

It's a toss between MOS Burger and Subway. I usually have scallops rice burger or ebi rice burger from Mosburger and sandwich with ham fillings from Subway. I do not take other burgers (besides chicken burgers) anymore because I do not take beef. I heard Wendy's is back in Singapore, so I might go and check it out.

What would you never eat?

Besides beef (I stopped in 2005), I would never eat fried insects, or monkey brain, or anything that is too bizarre or any living thing which is meant to be eaten alive.

What is your favourite home-cooked dish?

I have two. Sambal prawns with petai and steamed cod fish. I like the crunchy green petai (stink beans) which is slightly bitter (it purges out pungent gas/urine afterwards) but it is good for clearing body toxins. I don't get to eat steamed cod fish often because mom seldom buys it (too costly) and she does not like cod fish. But being someone who is not really a fish person, I would say cod fish is my only favourite. Steamed cod fish has loads of health benefits, has no fishy smell, and it tastes creamy and buttery. It is a great easily absorbable protein with no carbohydrate or fat.

What is your favourite cuisine?

I don't have a favourite, but I like Chinese, Japanese, Northern Indian, and Thai.

Which cuisine do you think is the most boring? 

I find Turkish cuisine a little boring.... lamb kebabs are usually too strong a taste for me. When I was in Istanbul, the daily usual fare served is either chicken or fish with little rice and raw salad (their rice is sweetish). The second most boring cuisine to me is Cambodian.

What are your favourite desserts?

Anything with chocolate, coffee, tiramisu or rum and the likes. I do not fancy fruity desserts. For Asian desserts, I prefer tang yuan (dumpling soup) wrapped with black sesame paste, and smooth almond paste (preferably from Hong Kong).

If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to dinner, who would it be?

His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I would explore and source for the  most delicious  vegetarian dishes I could find in the whole world. Best is if I can cook for Him myself. I am sure I would get his immense personal blessings. Also, it is like food offering to a Living Buddha and I can ask Him many questions on Buddhism.

What would your last meal be?

My granny's simple minced pork porridge which is out of this world, and porridge is light enough for the tummy, before my final journey to another place....

My role model

I am so glad I finally found this old photo of my smiling Great Grandmother who passed away almost 30 years ago, at age 90. She was a devoted Buddhist and full-time vegetarian for the later 40-50 years of her life. Here, she was wearing her Buddhist robe and with her mala beads. She was a regular authority at the temple.

Her constant daily practice and her strong faith in the Three Jewels led her into her final blissful journey. She will always be my role model. You can read about her here.

Cheong sum lady

A few of us helped Granny pack her luggage a few days  before her trip to Bangkok. As she was going to attend a grand wedding in Bangkok, we also helped her choose what to wear.  

 

Look what we uncovered.... there were practically more than 10  pieces of cheong sums in Granny's wardrobe. Some were knee-length, some were full length.  Over the years, Granny has amassed a number of pieces of cheong sum, specially tailored for special formal occasions. Most of the designs and flowery prints were quite nicely made, and they looked smashing, especially on a grand old lady.  

We took some time to decide which cheong sum she should wear this time. Most of them, she wore only once or twice before, and we still had to help her recall which she wore before and on what occasion, in case people see her wearing the same piece again. Haha! But seriously, Granny could not remember all these minor things now. We finally chose the one on the top left cheong sum, black green flowery prints, which she has never worn before. We also found her matching diamond and pearl necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings. I even had to pack everything nicely into the luggage for her, as we were afraid she might have left out certain important stuff.

This was Granny in her cheong sum during one of her 大寿  birthday celebrations. Chio, eh?

What a fish

A fellow blogger, Yue Heng, wrote a good post, about his thoughts on witnessing a fish's death.

He wrote: "It was a horrible sight. All sentient beings want to live. I wouldn't want to be forcibly suffocated to end up as someone's meal. If someone tried to capture and eat me, I would fight furiously because I do not want to die. The same applies for the fish. But it was fighting against overwhelming odds".

"All tremble at the rod. Life is dear to all. Comparing others with oneself, one should neither strike nor cause to strike." The Buddha

He also added: "The Tibetan Buddhists have an admirable practice of blowing mantras over the flesh of animals that they consume. Those who scoff at this as an act of superstition are missing the point".

The reason of reciting and blowing mantras upon meat that you are eating, or on dead bodies or old bones, is because it purifies karmic obscurations and allows one to have a good rebirth. It is beneficial for the animal that has been killed by reciting this powerful, purifying mantra before eating it and dedicating strongly for the animal's consciousness to be transferred immediately from the lower realms to a pure or upper realm. We can also blow on water, sand, or talcum powder and sprinkle it on the bones or skin of a dead animal or person. At the very least, it will shorten the duration of their suffering in the lower realms.

People may find it strange that at times I blow mantras on my food, or on live encaged crabs in the supermarket, or if I meet animals. I remember I recited mantras for Rich Friend's pets, 2 bunnies and a dog on the few occasions I meet them. One of the bunnies, Bubbles, has since passed away (and I hope he has a good rebirth).

This act of liberation I learnt from many of my  gurus who are very compassionate and passionate about liberating the lives of not just us humans, but also for the animals as well, whether dead or alive. My guru, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, is a very kind  Living Buddha who is always reciting mantras, blessing and liberating everyone, every animal, everywhere he goes.

Below are some clips of Lama Zopa Rinpoche blessing and liberating animals all over the world, be it in a group or just one animal.  Rinpoche went out to sea and chanted on a plaque engraved with mantras, and have the plaque lowered into the sea, touching the waters, in order to bless and liberate the living creatures in the sea. Likewise, for even just a spider Rinpoche sighted, he would circumambulate it around holy stupas and  holy objects to bless and liberate the insect.

Blessing fishes in Santa Cruz, CA
Blessing spiders in North Carolina
Blessing goats and cows in Nepal
Blessing monkeys in Indonesia.
Blessing cows in India.
Blessing roosters in India
   
You can read Lama Zopa Rinpoche's advice on how to benefit animals here and what mantras to recite. Watching these clips always make me guilty of killing even an ant or cockroach. To the uninitiated, it may seem funny and weird the way we bless and liberate these animals. It is only as humans that we have the ability to do so, to be compassionate to animals. I am sure as humans, we do not want to be reborn as animals in our future life. So feel for these animals, and care for them while we can.

Together or not together?

I have not been following the new Channel 8 drama series, Together 当我们同在一起, which is set in the 1960s. However, there was an episode I caught by chance. The leading actress, Jeanette Aw, was forced to become a dancer cum "PR officer" in a night club, in order to help pay off the gambling debts of her father. She was in love with her neighbour, played by Dai Yang Tian, who also loved her. He would wait outside the night club every night for her to finish work, without her knowledge.

One night while the guy waited for her outside the night club, he witnessed her getting into a cab with another man. He followed them on his bicycle and even fell down along the way. He barged into the hotel room, confronted and punched the man, who was actually drunk. The girl, shocked at his appearance, slapped him and asked him to leave. He left in a huff.

It was actually a misunderstanding but the guy did not know it. The girl did not sleep with her client. It was then that the girl realised he has feelings for her. All along she thought she was the one who loved him. When she tried to explain to the guy later, he said he would no longer bother her anymore. Girl was heart broken. I think the girl is to end up marrying the guy's best friend, or something like that.

In life, this is how fate often plays the trick on star-crossed lovers. Both parties love each other yet both do not tell each other about their feelings for each other. It is often when something happens that both realise they love each other, but by then, it is too late.

If I were the girl, I would not remain aloof and reticent and would have tried to explain the misunderstanding to the guy when he was calmer. If I were the girl, I would let  him know my feelings for him, instead of having to second guess. If I were the girl, I would not choose to remain silent and be misunderstood when problem arose.

If I were the guy, I would profess my love to the girl earlier so that she knows my feelings. If I were the guy, I would still wait for her outside the night club every night because I want to ensure she is safe. Better still, I would help her pay off her father's debts so that she does not need to work in a night club anymore.

If you love someone, let him / her know. At least if the feelings are not mutual, you  can move on faster. Do not wait to address a problem only when something happens or when misunderstandings arise and when both are already hurt. Often when one is deeply hurt, it is only then he /she realises it is time to let go and move on, whether one still loves the other party or not. And like they say, 越伤得深,越明白爱要放得开.

313@Somerset

Dropped in at 313@Somerset, the new shopping mall in Orchard Road briefly. Didn't have time to shop. Was just there for lunch at the Food Republic on the top floor. Perhaps will review the place and shops next time (BTW, Uniqlo has an outlet here too!).

I ordered the Thye Hong Prawn Noodles. Had to check how good it was compared to the outlets in Vivocity and Suntec City.  They used Opeh leaves, cut into the shape of a boat.  Well, the Opeh was supposed to enhance the taste of the fried noodles. I would say it was comparable to the Vivocity outlet. 

Also ordered BBQ fried chicken wings and Bak Kut Teh from Balestier, as the signboard said. The wings were not up to expectation, it was  hard, whereas the BKT was just so-so. At the rate some of these dishes were priced in a food court, I think I could have gone to Han's or Jack's Place.

I noticed something new in this foodcourt. There was a lady peddling drinks on a 2-wheel scooter! What a novel way to go about in this huge foodcourt, plus the lady was very smiley, friendly, quite pretty and spoke good English. This two-wheeler is battery-powered and called the Segway, distributed by a company who has collaboration with Jackie Chan. Remember Jackie Chan was here to launch this some time back? Well, this two-wheeler will set you back at about S$13,000. I heard some individual professionals have bought it as well, to use it as a mode of transport to work.