NEAT AND TIDY

What you see is the cleared space in front of my house. I didn't do the clearing and neither did I hire anyone to do it. Instead, I know that it is my neighbour, Mr Ooi, who has helped me to clear the space. He and his wife saw how busy I have been and they have been truly wonderful neighbours. Without my having to ask, he helped me to clear the little jungle outside. When I was at my busiest, Mrs Ooi cooked dinner and brought it over for me. My other neighbour, a nice old granny, comes over and waters the plants for me and helps bring in my laundry should it rain. Well, I am indeed blessed to have people who care about me.

NO TO OVERCROWDING

I don't know about anyone else but I feel ill at ease and stifled in a room crowded with things.

We should try not to put too many items in a room. What we need to have is the minimum. Overcrowding leads to a tense, nervous energy.

FENG SHUI 'CRIME'

What you see above is a portion of my work table at home. It is really in a mess and has been that way for the past two weeks. Being a practitioner of feng shui, I have committed a feng shui crime by not eliminating the clutter on my work table. It is said that ones state of mind would also be cluttered as well. So one of the things that I MUST do immediately is to clear the desk after I have finish doing the blogging for tonight.

ENERGY CHANGE

My friends and colleagues say that I am a bundle of energy as I seem to be moving a lot. Well, I think I get this burst of energy from constantly moving furniture around.

In Feng Shui practice, we believe that if we rearrange furniture regularly, we will be able to shift the energy flow. It doesn't really have to be some major rearrangment, just moving some of the contents of a room will also be enough. Believe me, you’ll feel the difference! I do as I am constantly changing the arrangement of the furniture in the library. I notice that even the teachers, staff and students will be more at ease and livelier when they are in the library.

ESPRIT DE CORP

What you see above is the teachers and staff of my school working together to get the resource centre ready for judging this coming Wednesday. Though I am in charge of the resource centre, I cannot make a success in the management and running of it without my colleagues.

In the second picture, my colleague, Tuan Haji Mustafa presented the modules to Puan Norma that he did when he was at university to the library. Puan Norma too has been working very hard with Puan Hafizah to come up with a very attractive display for the exhibition corner. They are still working on it. They even came back to school during the weekends to do some work.

In the third picture, my school peon is helping to put up a chart on the wall. Do you know that he is not doing this during his working hours. He usually comes and helps out after he calls it a day at 4.00 p.m. He would usually help until 6.00 p.m. In the next picture is Miss Ng who has also been going back only after 5.00 p.m. each day. She has been helping to catalogue the CDs and DVDs in the library. The one in the last picture is Ustazah Roslina. She too has been working until 6.00 or 7.00 in the evening each day. And she has to bring along her little children as the baby-sitter only looks after them until a certain time. However, she will diligently go about doing her tasks. Now my dear readers, don't you agree that this is a good example of the spirit of cooperation.

Not in the picture is Sharveen, the head librarian, who took the photos. He too has been staying back after school to help prepare for the judging. Also absent from the photographs above are Puan Baz, Puan Rosni and Puan Asiah who all have been working at the library over the weekend. Then there are Puan Khairah and Puan Kamariah who have also been helping to ease my burden by taking some of the workload from me. I am really in awe of the commitment and dedication that they have shown. I totally agree with my principal that it matters not if we win or lose the competition, she said that in her books we have already won with our team spirit.

GOLDEN CHICKEN

I have for a long time been trying to find out the name of this particular plant that my mum likes to buy from Cameron Highlands. She tells me that if we have a cut then all we need to do is get a small patch of the fur from it to apply on the cut to stop the bleeding. For your information, it works.

There are qutie a number of local names for it, for example, pakis hanuman, pakis monyet, Pakis Sun Go Kong, Ayam Emas or Golden Chicken. I guess all the names refer to the golden furry patch of the plant.

THE ROOTS OF THE GROUNDNUT PLANT

My mum keeps telling me that if a parent wants his/her son to grow tall, then go and buy the roots of the ground plant. They should boil the whole plant and then let the child drink the water. This is not a one off thing but has to be carried out over a few months. According to my mum and aunts, the child will grow taller and it seems that it is also good for the boys when their voice starts to change.

WEEKEND ACTIVITY

I can concentrate on my work from Monday to Friday but once it is Saturday and Sunday my mind would think of being with my mum and aunt in Ipoh. They are both well into their seventies and so they cannot get about as well as they used to when they were in their sixties.

I usually tell my mum to wait for me to go back during the weekends to take her out for shopping or marketing as it would be rather dangerous for her to go alone. My sister would usually buy supper for her at night. She goes with a neighbour to the bank to get her pension and when she has to go to the clinic, she calls a taxi. The same applies to my Aunt Linda. she would usually get her neighbours to drive her to the bank and the clinic.
We must remember that when we were young and helpless, our parents and elders were the ones who took care of us and protected us. So when they are old, we should take care of them.

ALA AND I

Happiness to me is bumping into friends who are dear to me like when suddenly this Malay lady appeared right in front of me and asked me if I knew who she was. How can I forget her. Salasiah or Ala is one of my dearest friends. I first got to know her when I started teaching in 1986. We were colleagues for five years and we shared many happy times together. She was shopping at TESCO with her daughter and hubby. What a pleasant surprise for me. It is lovely to see that she looked so radiant and happy with her family. That made my day.

FRUIT SEASON

Buah Petai: To help treat diabetes
Jackfruit

Mangosteens

Pulasan

Longan

Rambutans

This is one of the most colourful seasons in Malaysia as many of the fruit trees are bearing fruit and also the different types of delicious fruits are being sold at the makeshift roadside stalls. Fruits contain lots of vitamins and eating them would be good for us. However, the fruits must be eaten in moderation as they have very strong yin and yang properties. Durians are very yang and too much would cause heatiness. Mangosteens on the other hand is yin and too much would also not be good for our health.

IT'S REALLY HIM

I think that people have become sceptical and extra cautious nowadays as there have been reports of people being cheated by strangers. One good example is the message sent via email about one getting a windfall. Some have fallen prey to this con and find themselves losing instead of gaining money. Then there are pransters who get a kick out of making false emergency reports resulting in the fire brigade finding nothing at a reported accident site.

It is because of such tricksters and pransters that genuine callers and senders are viewed suspiciously by the recipient at the other end. This happened to Taiwanese entertainer, Shuo Luo who has a habit of calling members of his fan club to wish them on their birthdays.

Here is an excerpt taken from an article posted on the Asian Fanatics website:

Last year, Show randomly selected one of the members of his fan club, to phone and wish her happy birthday. This year, he will no longer be randomly selecting and as long as the members’ birthday are on this month, he will personally phone to wish happy birthday. He revealed that last year, when he said to fans over the phone “I am Show Luo” many people thought it was a prank, and even thought he was from a fraud company and replied back to him: “If you’re Show Luo, then I’m Nicholas Tse!”
Source: http://asianfanatics.net/news/index.php?act=news&fid=68&page=5

LEARNING TO LOVE MYSELF MORE

According to the astrological predictions for my zodiac sign, I will be extremely busy towards the middle of the year as I might achieve some form of success. However, the prediction also warned that I might overstrain myself in the process and do irreparable harm to my health.

My school resource centre won the state level excellent award and now we will be contesting for the national level. And for the past two weeks I have been working very, very hard clocking in only 2 -3 hours of sleep a day. The pace has gone a gear faster as the officers from the technical department have come to give advice and also more pressure on me and my colleagues to add this and change that. At first I complied but then I started getting headaches and my mind started turning blank.

When my mum reminded me to be mindful of my health after she read the latest issue of World of Feng Shui, I sat back and took stock of the situation. Then I told myself that come what may, I must love myself more. I have to know my limits. So, I am taking it a bit easy and just work at a slower pace. No use killing myself for a competition. I have the responsibility of looking after my mum and Aunt Linda. So I have decided to be a bit more selfish and take care of myself.

DIVINE AND FENG SHUI PROTECTION

According to my monthly zodiac chart, the month of July is not a good month for me as the Five Yellow has just flown into my sector today. This means that I need to be take care of my health and also be extra careful on the road to prevent from accidents. It might also not be smooth sailing at the workplace.

So I have taken extra precautions to armour myself by following the Feng Shui advice given by Lilian Too in her book. I went to the WOFs store in Ipoh to get an amulet to give me extra protection from the dreaded five yellow. I also bought a five element pagoda keychain to carry around with me so that things will go smoothly at the workplace. To prevent against accidents I went and bought peacock feathers from a shop in Little India, Old Town. I also went to the Buddhist temple on Sunday to pray to Buddha and Kuan Yin. There one of the monks also did a blessing ceremony for me.

I am sure with the blessings of the deities and the Feng Shui cures that I have, I will be able to cope with such a difficult month. Do say a prayer for me. I will be really grateful.

MAJALAWI FLOWER

The fruit and flower of the Majalawi

One of my favourite activities during the weekend is to go to the Farmer's Market near the Ipoh Stadium. There are so many things to see and buy there. Quite often, I also get to learn about some new herbs which was exactly what happened last Saturday.

The Bunga Kedekai or Majalawi Flower was being sold by a peddlar selling traditional Malay herbs. As I had not heard about this herb, I did not sample the drink offered by the man. However, I told him that I would find out more about the herb later.

Of course, I took photographs as usual. Anyway, I have found that the fruit and flower when boiled and made into a drink is said to help improve ones memory skills and also to revitalise us. Maybe I'll go and buy some from the peddlar next week if he is there.

FAREWELL TO AN ICON

The Internet is filled with news about Michael Jackson's funeral which will take place in less than a couple of hours. There will also be a memorial service for Allaryaham Mikhail (that is his Muslim name since he embraced the religion prior to his death).
Michael has become even more famous in death than in life joining the ranks of Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. Now he will be able to get the rest that so eluded him in life. Goodbye, MJ.

RED DURIANS

We do not have durians that have red coloured flesh here but it seems that this variety can be found in the island of Borneo, specifically in Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei. Wonder how it taste like? Anyone out reading this post tried the red durians before?

BABY SMELL

Today my friend, Ustazah Roslina, brought her baby daughter to the library in the evening. Her hubby had taken the baby from the babysitter's place. Of course, I immediately left what I was doing to go and play with Sajidah. Babies are such lovely creatures and they smell nice too. I wonder why?

THE GOLDEN ROCK THAT BALANCES ON A HAIR

I only learnt about this incredible Golden Rock called Kyaiktiyo when I read the latest issue of the World of Feng Shui. The big rock or boulder can be found in Burma or Myanmar. Kayiktiyo is a boulder of about 20 metres in height with a 7 metre high stupa on top covered with gold leaf giving it is golden appearance. It is said that the boulder which is balancing precariously on the edge of a ridge has survived a few earthquakes. Amazing, isn't it? It is said that the reason why this is so is because of a strand of LordBuddha's hair placed in the stupa.
Worshippers believe that placing a gold leaf on the surface of the rock will ensure a prosperous . However only men can do so. Ladies are forbidden to enter the place as they might be having their monthly menstruation and this could be detrimental to the wellbeing of the rock.

It looks so majestic in the pictures that makes me want to go visit the place to see it for myself. The only drawback is that I am not allowed to go near the rock. Shucks!!! Not fair.

Here is more information about the Golden Rock:

KYAIKTIYO

Kyaiktiyo Pagoda (also known as Golden Rock) is a famous Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon State, Burma. A small pagoda (5.5 m (18 ft)) sits on top of a golden rock, a granite boulder covered with gold leaves pasted on by devotees. The rock itself is precariously perched and seems to defy gravity as it perpetually appears to be on the verge of rolling down the hill. The rock and pagoda are at the top of Mt. Kyaiktiyo, It is the third most important Buddhist pilgrimage site in Burma after the Shwedagon Pagoda and the Mahamuni Pagoda.[citation needed]
According to the legend associated with the pagoda, the Buddha, on one of his many visits to earth, gave a strand of his hair to Taik Tha, a hermit. The hermit, in turn, gave the strand to his adopted son King Tissa, an 11th Century Burmese king, with the dying wish that the hair be enshrined in a boulder shaped like the hermit's head. Tissa, with the help of the Thagymin, the king of the Nats found the perfect place for the pagoda at Kyaiktiyo where the strand was enshrined. It is this strand of hair that, according to the legend, prevents the rock from tumbling down the hill.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyaiktiyo_Pagoda

POTAGER

The above pictures show the edible garden that is grown outside the dining hall of the school hostel. It is also known as kitchen garden or potager.

Why not try starting a potager of your own? Besides having to save on buying vegetables, one gets to exercise. Furthermore, homegrown vegetables would be free from pesticides.

A QUALITY MOST ATTRACTIVE TO FEMALES

If I were to ask teenage girls what quality they would like in a man, I guess most would say that they want someone goodlooking. I am sure that quite a number of ladies in their twenties, thirties and more would also say that they to would like someone handsome. However, that is a superficial quality. Looks do fade with time, you know.
To me a quality I find most attractive in a man is that he is filial to his parents. I was taught that a man who is filial to his parents would find it easy to make a living. I guess that many adult ladies would also find this quality really appealing in a man.
Here is an article about Wu Chun and his dad that should serve as an example to all the sons out there.

Wu Chun gets emergency treatment for his father's legs, a sympathetic mature woman reassures him

Source Liberty Times

Translated by Elvenstar@ http://asianfanatics./

Chun is very filial to his parents, even more important than dating girls Last night he took his ,Mr Wu Jing Tian, to the doctors and during the whole treatment process Wu Chun diligently stayed by his father's side, taking out his laptop to help his father pass the time. He was so thoughtful and filial that the mature female assistant at the clinic felt touched and held Wu Chun's arm. When hot ointment applied to Wu father's leg, he showed expression of pain.

Because his mum passed away early, Wu Chun is very attentive to his father's health. Yesterday at 5pm in the evening, Wu Chun took his father to a clinic in Guang Fu South road to receive a full spine Tui Na treatment (a form of Chinese therapy). After a diagnosis from the doctor, Wu's father had a hot ointment applied to his knees and appeared to be in pain. Wu Chun seeing this quickly took out his laptop from his bag, hoping it would divert his attention and lessen the pain.

While the doctor explained the condition and what needed to be taken special care of, Wu Chun listened attentively. He also followed instructions from the doctors on how to massage his spine. Seeing the handsome celebrity being so filial, all the workers at the clinic felt so moved. Before leaving a mature woman at the door grabbed onto his arms and told him not to worry. In Jin-Men dialect "It's ah Chun", making people spit out their rice Wu Chun said because his father used to lift heavy objects, the nerve in the spine suffered oppression, resulting in both his legs being weak so he cannot walk long distances. Originally western doctors advised him to have an operation but after Chun made a lot on inquiries and also did more research on the internet he decided to take his father to see the Chinese medicine doctors.The relationship between Wu Chun and his father is very subtle, when he was younger he was closer to his mother, so the father and son find it embarrassing to show their affection for one another, Wu Chun said "I can't bring myself to hug my father." But every time when his father phones him, Wu Chun will drop what he's doing and answer his phone and in a serious Jin-Men accent say "Ba (dad), it's Ah Chun" almost like the dialog in the advert of a "honorable soldier", forcing all the staff to spit out their rice, but hearing him tell his father to "look after his health" they all felt moved.

WOBBLY FEET

I don't know about you but I could just imagine getting weak knees if I were to stand on the glass balcony at the Sears Tower. It is 103 floors up and one can look down to see what is directly at the bottom since the walls, floor and ceiling are made of glass.

A mother bird build a nest on one of my hanging flower pots and I did not know about it until yesterday. My elderly neighbour told me about it when she came and helped to water my plants in the morning. From the above pictures you ca see the newly hatched baby birds. See they don't have feathers yet.

The Chinese believe that birds coming to lay building a nest and laying their eggs in ones home is very auspicious. The birds are a symbol of wealth, strong Qi, harmony and joy. They only go where there is food, life, and where there is enough to share.

Since the bird decided to nest in my garden that would augur well for me. Heh! Heh! There are two baby birds. Could that mean that I am getting a double dose of good wealth luck?

The school library committee of my school went to the Golden Hope Pink Guava Plantation in Sitiawan for a study trip. The Public Relations officer told us that pink guavas are good for health.
Here is the information that I got from her:

1. Guavas are a very rich source of vitamin C . One guava contains more vitamin C than a typical citrus fruit – the rind contains over five times more vitamin C than an orange.


2. They also contain high amounts of calcium – which is unusual in a fruit.


3. A fresh guava fruit is also a valuable source of vitamin A and B, nicotinic acid, phosphorous, potassium, iron, folate and is high in fibre.


4. Guavas are also low in fat and calories, with only about 25 calories per fruit.
   The guava fruit is said to help lower cholesterol, protect your heart and is good for your immune system.

COUNTING SHEEP

If someone cannot sleep, one common advice in the western world is to start counting sheep and then one would be lulled to sleep. But I don't think it really works that way. I read an article today saying that Michael Jackson suffered from insomnia and it was so bad that he had resorted to taking an injection of a powerful drug to get some sleep. When my mum was ill a couple of months ago, she too could not sleep and went around the house like a zombie. My Aunt Linda said that she once could not sleep for three months when she was in her thirties and she too become dull and listless because of sleep depravation. So I sort of have an idea of how much suffering he went through.

Read the related extract below:

AP Exclusive: Insomniac Jackson begged for drug

AP, Jul 1, 2009 5:01 am PDT
Michael Jackson was so distraught over persistent insomnia in recent months that he pleaded for a powerful sedative despite warnings it could be harmful, says a nutritionist who was working with the singer as he prepared his comeback bid.

I feel sad that he did not heed his nutritionist's advice not to take the injection of a sleep inducing drug. It must have weakened his heart andd gradually brought to his exit from Planet Earth.

I wonder why he did not consider using Feng Shui locations to help him sleep better. That was what I did for my mum. I changed the sleelping area of my mum when she was sick and she ahd a quick recovery.

DELICIOUS WAFFLES

Believe me when I tell you that the Manjung District Hospital Shop sells very delicious waffles. My friends agree with me and all of us would stop to buy the waffles whenever we happen to go to the hospital. I would always request the shop assistant for blueberry and margarine to be applied to the waffle. Yummy, yummy ...