NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS FOR 2008

It's that time of the year when many of us resolve to do things that we want for the new year. Me? I've already made my resolutions. First on my list is to register for the doctoral programme which I have long hankered for. I have set my mind on researching creative writing specifically non-fiction; a subject close to my heart. Then I also resolve to buy a new car. I am eyeing a Vios but am still not totally decided yet. Travel is also on the list and my targetted destinations are Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China and Japan. I won't go to all (not enough money-lah) but will just opt for one or two. Yeah, I also plan to watch Fahrenheit (see above picture) in concert. Don't ask me why, but I really like the four boys in this group. There is something about the four that makes me want to mother over them. Then I also resolve to eat a healthier diet, exercise more, get enough sleep and not to overwork.
What about you? Made your resolutions already for 2008?
Here's wishing a very good year ahead to you!!!

WHAT'S IN STORE FOR THE YEAR OF THE RAT

It is only two days away to 2008. Another new year and new challenges. For the Chinese, we celebrate the lunar new year in slightly more than a month. This time around it will be Mickey Mouse's year. What is in store?

As far as feng shui is concerned, the Wu-Zi year of the Rat starts on February 4, 2008 at 9.03 a.m. even though the date for the lunar new year falls on February 7, 2008. That means whoever is born after 9.03 a.m. is considered to belong to the Rat Zodiac.

In general, the east and west directions will be blessed by auspicious stars while the south direction is badly afflicted as it plays host to the 3 killings, Sui-Po and Wu Wang (5 Yellow).

Below is a breakdown of the Flying Star Feng Shui for 2008.

One White (Central Palace)

This is a noble position and is auspicious. It occupies the central palace for the year.

Two Black (Northwest)

This star occupies the northwest in 2008 and it brings with its sickness, gossips, disruptions, lawsuits and obstacles. Wealth luck in this sector is also unstable. Make sure that no earth breaking and renovation is done here for this year.

What to do here

Try placing a bronze Pi Xiu (on the altar if you are a Taoist) or place a pair of bronze or white elephants in the centre of the living room. This might help to reduce the ill effects of the illness star and at the same time brintg good health and fortune to the family. Or try buying an all metal wind chime. There are also the six rod windchimes sold in Feng Shui shops that are said to be more effective. Do not add fire energy to the front of your house. This means to not make your front area extra bright with light. Paint the door or wall in this sector white. White represents metal.

Three Green (West)

Gossips, Malefactor, Bloodshed and Tao Hua are brought forth in this sector. It also brings forth Tao Hua which can be either good or bad.

What to do here

Try placing 6 Rose Quartz balls in the rear portion of the living room. If your house faces west, don't place water at the front door and keep the front area of the house bright with lights. Also, if you could, try painting the wall or door here red. I know it is a bit drastic but if you are game for it go ahead.

Four Green (Northeast)

This is the Wen-chang or literary sector and bodes well for scholars. It is a suitable place to be for studies, examination, acquistion of fame and fortune. It brings with it stability. The Romance star is also in residence here.

What to do here

Place a picture of a the dragon gate here. The one with the carp jumping over the dragon gate to indicate success in studies.

Five Yellow (South)

The south is very inauspicious as it has Fu Bing, Sui-Po, Da-huo and the nasty five yellow (Wu-wang). The negative things that are brought forth by the five yellow are obstructions, loss of wealth, injuries, lawsuits and sickness. Don't have any earth breaking or renovation work done here.

What to do here

If you watch Lilian Too's programme on TV each year, you will know doubt know that she advocates using the five element pagoda to contain the five yellow. So this is also what I will suggest that you put the pagoda in the south sector. For the three killings, put the chi lin or pi xiu. Also try not to make this sector brightly lit so that the fire energy is not activated.

Six White (North)

This is quite an auspicious direction. This is where Tai Sui resides for the Year of the Rat. It also has the Six White Star which helps to neutralize the strong influence of the Grand Duke Jupiter and will bring a bit of good fortune. Wealth luck is stable here.

What to do here

Place lots of metallic things here.

Seven Red (Southwest)

This is not a good direction for 2008 as there are indications of fire, ailments, robbery, loss of wealth or non accumulation of wealth for people staying in houses facing Southwest. This direction also offends San Sha.

What to do here

If your house faces Southwest place a container of water at the front door of the house (it can be placed inside or outside the house). A water feature here will also be good.

Eight White (East)

This is the Wealth direction for the year of the Rat as it welcomes the Eight White Wealth Star to its sector. This is the most auspicious direction for 2008 and will bring with it an increase in wealth luck and promotions. However, it must be mentioned that there is a wee bit of inauspice for houses facing this direction as the arrival of the Eight White also brings with it ill health due to the suppression of the Earth element by the Wood element. This might bring forth injuries and bloodshed due to falls and ailments related to the digestion.

What to do here

For East facing houses, if the entrance to the house is located at the centre, then place a red mat outside the entrance. If the main entrance is either on the left or right side, then place an Amethyst Cave in the centre front of the house. Hanging a Red fan will be an alternative. You can also instal bright lights to maximise the good fortune of the Number Eight Wealth Star. Also try to use this sector as much as possible.

Nine Purple (Southeast)

This is the second lucky direction for the year of the Rat. Homes facing this direction will be blessed with wealth, newborns and benefit those in the literary field. It is also good for marriages.

What to do here

For houses facing Southeast, try placing a container of water at the front of the house to enhance wealth luck and eep the front brightly lit.

Please take note that it is not advisable to carry out activities in the inauspicious positions of Northwest, West, South and Southwest. Instead try to be in the auspicious positions of East and Southeast to benefit from the luck brought forth by the two wealth stars.

Yeah, I must also mention that no matter how good a sector is for a particular year, there will also be challenges. Remember that we are not only influenced by earth luck but also by luck brought forth by heaven and man. We might be living in a east facing house and sleeping in a southeast room but if we do not make an effort to work to actualize our dream then nothing is to be gained. Also heaven luck heavily influences our situation. If our own personal luck for that year is not good then we might not be able to reap the maximum benefit from feng shui.

As an example, I can do all that is humanly possible for myself but if my heavenly luck is not good or that if it is not in the stars for me to achieve so much fortune or fate, then I won't be able to achieve what I have targetted. Even if I live in a Tao Hua position and my zodiac sign has Tao Hua in it but if I am not destined to be married, then whatever I do will not be made possible. Okay?

p/s: I'll be doing a post on the fortune of the various zodiac signs next week. I need to go and do some research first before I put up the article. See ya and start making your resolutions for 2008. I've already made mine and will share them with you tomorrow.

FENG SHUI UPDATE

It is the time of the year when there is a change in the orientation of the stars according to the Flying Star Feng Shui which means it is time to do a feng shui update. The Chinese have a saying that the Feng Shui take turns to change. One year, one sector might be very lucky and then the next year, that same position will be very unlucky. This is best exemplified by the south sector. In the year of the Pig, south is very lucky but in the year of the Rat, it is badly afflicted. I will be figuring out how to update the feng shui for my mum's house as I want to make sure that she is well protected. Don't worry, I'll be sharing my experience with you here after I have done it and also share with you what I have found to counter the badly affected sectors and also how to enhance the good ones.

RITUALS FOR MOVING INTO A NEW HOUSE

One of my friend's daughter recently moved into her new apartment and she observed quite a number of the feng shui rituals to ensure that all is safe and sound in the new abode. Unfortunately, I was unable to pass on the following tips to her as I was busy with official duty at that time. Nevertheless, I am posting the tips here so that visitors to the blog can make use of them or share them with friends and relatives if they do move house.

Things to move into the house first
Before the auspicious date that has been chosen, one can move certain things into the house first. They should bring rice, cooking oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, charcoal and tea leaves and place them in the kitchen first. This is to signify that the house is already stocked with the basic preliminary items.
If there are children in the family, then books and stationery can also be brought to the house first. this would help boost their children's study luck.
The altar and the deities should also be invited to the new house before the moving in date. This is done so that the deities would protect the new residence and also any unwanted beings would leave the place once the deities are installed.
The stove should also be set up before the moving in date. An auspicious date must be chosen for setting up the stove in the kitchen.

On the date chosen for moving in
The occupants of the house should try to be in a jovial mood on the day that they are to move into their new residence. They should try to refrain from losing their tempers and refrain from uttering profanities and inauspicious words. It is not advisable to argue or quarrel as this might signify that the residents will be forever arguing or quarrelling thereafter.
The red banner must be put up before moving in. Some people hang a turnip on each side of the banner and a pineapple in the middle. Other people hang up other auspicious things.
Each family member must carry one auspicious item when moving into the new house. They should never go in empty handed as this implies that they have not brought in anything from outside. They can carry a rice container which is 3/4 filled with a red packet (ang pau) placed on top. This would mean that there is space for more to come. A packet of oranges or mandarins. Actually, it can be anything that has an auspicious meaning.
Also, either the house owner or his wife must get ready some coins to throw onto the floor while in the process of entering into the new house. This would signify bringing in wealth and good fortune. If possible utter some auspicious words like, gold and jade fills the house or something to that effect.
Remember to turn on the lights in the living room of the house for three consecutive nights after moving in. This is to boost the yang energy in the house. In this way, good fortune would be invited in and will stay put. This also helps rid the house of all the negative qi or unwanted beings.

ENHANCING ONES GOOD NAME

Chinese people are very particular about their names. It is believed that a good name will bring one far in life and a name that is not suitable can have negative bearings on us.

That is why, quite a number of Chinese people would consult experts to choose the name for their children based on their dates of birth. The number of strokes are taken into consideration as well as the 5 elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth. A person whose Ba Zi (八字) is lacking in fire could have the element included in his or her name.

In my case, I don't think my parents used any Feng Shui method to come up with my name. How I got named Li Na is actually very romantic. You see, my parents went on their honeymoon to Penang Island and they had to take a ride on the ferry to get there. Well, while they were crossing the straits my mum saw a Scandinavian oceanliner with the moniker, Selina. She liked the name very much and told my dad that if her first born was a girl, she'd like her to have that name. Sure enough, her first child was a girl and my dad remembered my mum's wish. However, he shortened the name to Lina and made it Chinese sounding by separating the name into Li Na (麗娜). Many years later, when I sent my name to be analysed it was found that I could not use the Li (麗) which carries the meaning beautiful as I might be cheated and have ill health. So I was advised to use the Li which means example.

As our names have bearing on our personal wellbeing and fortune, I was taught by my feng shui master and also my godmother to take good care of it. In no way, must we let people step on our names and so don't simply write your names on the floor where it can be easily stepped on. One good way of enhancing ones good name is to have the Chinese characters made into a gold pendant and wear it. Another way is to have the characters artistically written using Chinese calligraphy and adored with auspicious symbols. This can be framed and hung in n auspicious direction of the house. See in the above picture, I bought a bracelet made with letters of my name set in diamonds. By the way, the diamonds are not real. I'm not rich. I got it from the pasar malam for less than RM20.00. But the glitter and the stars would give my name a shine. So, hopefully my name will be given a boost.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Today is the 29th of December, 2007 and also the fifth day of Christmas. A few weeks ago, I blogged about the MCA ladies from Taman Okid planning to carry out one of their community service activities at the Vision Hope. Well, today is the day. Unfortunately, I could not be around as my school meeting was also held this morning.

A total of 13 ladies from the Taman Okid MCA branch turned up with a few of their family members. 4 other ladies from another Wanita MCA branch also came to help. My friend, Mrs Lai Yoong Wong, informed me that there were reporters from China Press, Nanyang Siang Pau, Sin Chew Jit Poh and NST. Wah, so much press coverage and I was not there. Aiyah! So sad. What to do! Duty must always come before other commitments.

The Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, the honourable Dato' Kong Cho Ha was the guest of honour at the event. He had just returned from an official visit to Japan last night. Dato' Kong was greeted on arrival by Mrs Sharon Yew, the Wanita Chief for the Taman Okid branch. The mistress of ceremony was Mrs Elizabeth Chin.

The children were presented with uniforms, shoes and socks by the deputy minister. Later they were also given deworming medicine. Dr Diong (the lady in black in the second last picture) was the physician in attendance. It must be mentioned that besides Mr Moses Maniam and Madam Saundari, the pastor for the Words of Life Church in Ipoh, Pastor Daniel Veloo, was also present. For your information, Pastor Daniel was the one who mooted the idea for the Vision Home. Initially, he was the pastor for the Christian Life Centre in Sitiawan. This is the church that Mr Moses and Puan Saundari attends. You can see him in the brown batik shirt standing behind Mrs Lai Yoong Wong and three of the children in the last picture.

DOESN'T MATTER YOUNG OR OLD ...

The boy in the picture is a popular Taiwanese singer-songwriter who goes by the moniker Tank. Tank (呂建中;:LuJiànzhōng in pinyin) was born on February 6, 1982). He is also known as Tank Lu. He is signed to HIM International Music, which also also manages Fahrenheit. Tank's debut album, Fighting 生存之道 (Fighting, The Law of Surviving) was released on February 23, 2006.
Well, he was warded because he suffered from a heart attack a few days ago. Mind you, he is only 25 years old. However, it is learnt that his elder sister died from a heart attack in 2006 after he released his debut album. His aunt also died from the same cause. Apparently, the young chap has been working too hard and now his management has cancelled a lot of his engagements and have asked him to take it easy for a while. And that I think is a very wise move. All the fame and fortune could never take the place of ones health and life.

What I am trying to say is it doesn't really matter if we are young or old. Death is not bias. It can take anyone at any time regardless of how young or how rich or even how powerful the person is.

So folks out there learn to relax and smell the roses. Tank has given us a lot of beautiful songs and hopefully he learns to treasure his health and be able to write and sing more such wonderful songs.

Here is the English translation of the song Personal Angel by Tank. The MV is posted below it.

TANK - Zhuan Shu Tian Shi (Personal Angel)

I won’t blame you for having a bad impression of me
When an angel comes to earth, she should really hide her wings
People are silly and obtuse but you are delicate and angelic
How can I let you be hurt because of me?
Your tiny hands give great warmth
You have the ability to calm an uneasy night
The dream that I dare not achieve is reflected in your eyes
I then see that it is right in front of me
No one can take you away from me
You are my personal angel, only I can own you
No one else can replace you in my heart
Your tiny hands have immense strength
I too can definitely soar high like you
The place you want to go is where I too am heading
With me protecting you, you can keep smiling brightly
You are my personal angel, only I can own you.
No one can replace you in my heart
I have no need for any wish
If not for your appearance, I’d still be sleeping
Despairingly thinking that life is full of darkness
No one can take you away from me
You are my personal angel, only I can own you
No one can replace you in my heart
I have my personal angel
I have no need for any other wish

FAIRY TALE (tóng huà 童话)

The song that greets you when you enter this blog is Fairy tale or Tong hua which is sung and composed by Michael Wong Guang Liang (王光良). I love this song and I am touched to tears each time I listen to it. However, it also makes me happy as the song carries a message of hope and love in it. After all it does echo the title of this blog, xing fu which means happiness. Goes to show that not only entertainers from Hong Kong and Taiwan are great. Malaysia has been able to produce a gem of a singer-songwriter. Besides the musical composition, the lyrics are truly touching. I have taken the trouble to translate it below.

GUANG LIANG - Tong Hua (tóng huà 童话)
(English Translation)
I've forgotten how long it has been
since I've heard you telling your beloved fairytale
I've thought for a long time
I start to feel confused
Have I again done something wrong?
You tearfully tell me
That all fairy tales are lies
And I can't possibly be your prince
But you still don’t understand
That since you told me you love me
All the stars in my sky are bright
I hope I’ll change this fairy tale
That angel that you love inside the fairytale
Will extend his hands turning them into wings to protect you
You have to believe that we can be just like in the fairytale
With happiness and joy in the end.
I'm willing to be that angel you love inside the fairytale
Hold out my hands to become the wings to protect you
You must believe believe
that we can be like that in the fairytale
With happiness and joy in the end
Let's write our ending together

IPOH MALI ...

If you are Malaysian, you will be familiar with the phrase Ipoh Mali. It means that the person hails from the Ipoh which is the capital of the state of Perak. I am proud to say that I am an Ipoh girl, born and bred. But I am just an ordinary person and not many people know me. But there are two famous Ipoh people who have made it big in the entertainment industry. One is the lovely, Michelle Yeoh Choo Kheng who has become an international celebrity. After all she became a Bond girl and has starred in many films. She was also in the award winning, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon by Academy Award winning director, Ang Lee.

There is also an Ipoh boy who made it big in the Chinese music industry. He is Michael Wong Guang Liang (王光良; Wáng Guāngliáng in pinyin), born August 30, 1970. Michael is a very talented singer and composer. He began his singing career in a duo with Victor Wong but the two split in 2000. Wong has released four solo albums, the third being his breakthrough album Fairy Tale. He was born in Ipoh, Malaysia to a family of six. He has two older brothers and one younger sister, the first step of Michael Wong's journey in the world of music began when his parents invested into a piano (a semitone lower) for him and his younger sister. Wong was ten years old at the time. He then began to accompany his six year-old sister to attend piano lessons together. Wong is devout Catholic and often sang in the church choir during his school days and was once a choir teacher at a church. He graduated from Sam Tet School in Ipoh. He often participated in musical performances in his school and has been writing songs since his school days. By the way my dad taught in that school for 35 years until 1995 which means he might have taught Guang Liang. Unfortunately, my dad is not around for me to ask as he passed away in 2003. But my cousin brother, Simon says that he was in the same Form with him but not the same class. I am told that his parents live in Canning Garden, same like me but I have never ever seen him.

I learnt that Guang Liang worked really hard in order to attain the success he has today. His was not an overnight thing. It took him many years in order to reach this measure of fame and success that he has attained at present. From the Feng Shui perspective, it could be that when he wrote the songs for his Fairy Tale album, his personal luck was at a high. No doubt he had the talent but somehow he had to wait until when the lucky star for fame was shining on him before his true worth and talent got recognised. Anyway, like me, I am sure many Ipoh folks are very proud of our local boy who has made it. Our hopes and wishes are for him to continue enjoying success in his career.

AFFINITY

I did a post on yuen fun or affinity in which I stated that if we are destined to meet then no matter where on earth we are, we will somehow get together. I am sure you know or have met people whom you feel a particular closeness to. You somehow like to be with that person and feel at ease with him or her. Well, this is the case with me and my little nephew, James. From the time, he was born until now, there is this closeness or bond between us. Even, if I have not seen him for a few months he would still cling to me when he comes back to Ipoh or when I go visit him in PJ. He is a very good example to cite as I know that there is totally no ulterior motive or nothing to be gained if he were to show great affection for me or me to him. If it is with an adult, then the case might not be so clear cut. Nevertheless, there are a handful of people that I can put into this category. Surprisingly, they are of different races and religions. Also, I have known them for "donkey years" to know that they are my friends because they genuinely like me. Also, three of these people are all born in the year of the horse. According to my Chinese horoscope, this sign is supposed to clash with my sign but I don't put too much belief in it. You see, my grandpa, father and Jeremy are all born in the year of the horse. And I love them dearly.

However, according to the specialised Ba Zi reading I had done, there is no clash at all with the horse. Instead I am to beware of people born in the year of the Rat. Also, my ideal life partner should be someone born in the year of the Tiger or the Rabbit. It is rather confusing, isn't it? How do I go about it? Well, as for me I think the best thing is to follow my own instincts and feelings. Do not let things like this spoil our relationship or friendship.

CURE FOR RASHES

My little niece broke out in rashes after having eaten something that has eggs in it. This had happened before and her mum was advised by the paediatrician to not include eggs in her diet.

Well, one cure that has been handed down in my family for rashes is to boil the leaves and branches of the starfruit plant in brine (salt water) for about half a hour and then either wash or bath with the water. Believe me, it works! The rashes disappeared a few hours after my niece was given this treatment.

My little niece, Jamie, is pictured above with her mother, Sophie. See no more rashes. Smooth, clear baby skin!

A VISIT BY THE CHOONGS ..

Today is Christmas day and I received a very interesting short message text from my godsister, Sophie, early in the morning. It is a highly auspicious and most welcome message for this season.
Here is the message I got:
Mr Choong and his family will visit me.. I'll ask them to visit you too.

The members of the Choong family are...

Choong Ma Pew;
Choong Tai Choy,
Choong To-To and
Choong 4-D.
They'll wish you good luck always.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Just in case, you are not too familiar with Malaysian Chinese culture, let me enlighten you. Choong which is a Chinese surname can also mean "to strike it rich". Choong Ma Pew means to strike the winning number for the Pan Malaysian races. Choong Tai Choy means to win at the big stakes for lottery. Similarly, Choong To-to and Choong 4 D means to strike the winning numbers drawn for Toto and Magnum 4D. I am sure after reading this, you too would be all too glad to welcome Mr Choong and his very lucky family members.

LET GO AND MOVE ON

I must share an article I read in the Sunday Star this morning. It is written by T. Selva, the Star's Sunday Metro Editor, and goes by the above title. He was writing about letting go of the negativity of our past year and having a fresh start for 2008. Selva says "Our unpleasant past retards our thinking power, makes us weary, drains our energy, suppresses our happiness and makes us dull and withdrawn. He advises us to:

• shut the doors of our past and free our minds from our indefinite future and concentrate on our current work efficiently.
• exercise gentleness and positiveness because having such attitudes would make our minds happy even under challenging circumstances.
• not hold on to pain or hurt but let go because hanging on to it makes the pain last longer thus causing greater damage to ourselves.

Here are the tips given by T.Selva:

Tips on inner cleansing

• Find a quiet spot or sacred space in your house.
• Sit comfortably on the floor or chair facing east.
• Close your eyes and drop your shoulders and take a deep breath.
• Hold on to your breath for a few seconds.
• During the process gather all the impurities inside you and exhale forcefully.
• During your exhalation, imagine that all your negativeness and past is flushed out.
• Do the breathing our exercise several times until you get a feeling of ease inside you.
• Next, inhale fresh air a few times and start a new life.

Exterior Cleansing

Take some salt and rub the soles of your feet with it. Dispose of the salt. Next, take another scoop of salt and dissolve it in a pail of warm water. Bathe with this water. Do this once or twice a week. This process will reduce your tension and enhance your aura.

WHEN PIGEONS COME A-VISITING

The Chinese refer to someone who looks down on others as having eyes like that of a pigeon. Why? It is said that the pigeons would only gather at places where there is food aplenty. They are supposed to know who are the haves and who are the have-nots. As a result, the Chinese find it extra auspicious if pigeons were to gather outside their house. So, if you find that there are pigeons outside your house, don't shoo them away. It might be a sign that good luck and fortune are coming your way.

VISION

I got a call from my friend, Lai Yoong, this morning to join her and another friend to meet with Mr Moses Maniam and Ms Saundari of the Rumah Wawasan to finalise the details of a community project for their association. Unfortunately, I was held up with work in school and when I arrrived at the Home, both my friends had already left. Anyway, I stayed a while and chatted with Ms Saundari and some of the children. I found out that the idea for the home was actually mooted by the pastor of the CLC church that both Mr Moses and Ms Saundari attend. It was actually the pastor's vision to set up a home to help destitute and abandoned children and hence the name of the place, Vision Home or Rumah Wawasan in the Malay language. Both of them volunteered to help start the home in 1997. I was told that the children will be moving to a new building in Taman Samudera by 2009. It was nice talking with Ms Saundari and the children. I noticed that the younger children like to be hugged and they also liked to me to hold their hands or pet them. Well, before I left I made sure I hugged as many of the children as I could.

My friends, Lai Yoong and Sharon who are active members of the Lumut Division of Wanita MCA Taman Okid Branch have been planning to carry out a health and education project for the children of the Rumah Wawasan or Vision Home in Sitiawan. Their programme has been planned for Saturday, 29th December 2007. The programme they have planned for this day is as follows:

8.45 a.m. Arrival of members and guests

9.00 a.m. Arrival of Guest of Honour, The Hon. Dato' Kong Cho Ha

9.15 a.m. Welcoming speech by Chairperson, Madam Lee Soot Lan

9.25 a.m. Speech by Guest of Honour

9.45 a.m. Presentation of school uniforms to the children

10.00 a.m. Start of Health Screening

WISHING TREE

I saw a wishing tree when I was driving out of TESCO Ipoh this morning. My mum and I had gone there to have lunch and do some shopping. Knowing me, I quickly stopped the car by the roadside to take photographs. Before that I interviewed the man whom I saw doing some digging near the tree. He told me that he was clearing the place to place a shrine for the Taoist deity Tai Pak Kong (大伯公). I was also told that this wishing tree or spirit tree as it is sometimes called grants the wishes of the people who successfully manage to throw an orange tied with a red string or a length of red cloth on to one of the branches of the tree. Before throwing, joss and other offerings must be made to the deity first.

There are two very famous wishing trees located at Lam Tsuen village in Hong Kong. The Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees (林村許願樹) are very popular shrines. They are located near the Tin Hau Temple in Lam Tsuen. The two are banyan trees. The Chinese New Year is the time when most tourists visit Lam Tsuen. The tourists would burn joss sticks, then write their wishes on joss paper tied to an orange ("bao die"), then throw them up to hang on the branches of these trees. It was believed that if the paper successfully hung onto one of the tree branches, their wishes will come true. Up close you will notice that the Wishing Tree is actually laden with wishes written on bright red paper. There are two Wishing Trees, but the one near the road, also called the Spirit Tree, is much more famous. In the old days, people say that the bigger Wishing Tree is for wishes about academic results, health and things which are related to our life, while the one beside the Tin Hou emple is for wishes concerning marriage and children. But over the years, such a rule is forgotten, and most people simply worship the bigger tree because it is easier to hang the “bao die” onto it.
From one of the websites that I visited I found out that the Spirit Tree used to be a camphor tree where a tablet for enshrining and worshipping Tai Pak Kung (大伯公) was placed. As time went on, the branches and leaves began to wither and eventually it became a hollow tree. Legend has it that once there was a worshipper who had a son who was very slow in learning. As a result of the wish he made after worshipping the hollow tree, his son completely changed and made incredible improvements in his academic performance. Word spread and people flocked to this Tree to make wishes. The Tree is said to be quite generous with its magic. Today, it not only attracts people from all around Hong Kong, but it is also popular with foreign visitors. Chinese people are superstitious. They believe that there are deities who could bless them. The deities would also help them to achieve their wishes. As one of the means to worship the deities, they write their wishes and throw them onto the Wishing Tree. How do people make their wishes in Lam Tsuen? First, you must buy a “bao die”; inside the package, you will find a large piece of yellow paper. On the right, there are several lines of space, where you can write your name or names on. Then you write down your wishes and wrap it up from the bottom to the top. Finally, tie the yellow paper to an orange and try your luck in getting your “bao die” to hand on one of the branches. Since the design of it makes it go only vertically upwards or downwards, so people should go right under the branch they want the “bao die” to hang on. Some people also say that it is better to throw the “bao die” not more than three times. Those who cannot hang the “bao die” on the tree, are said to have made their wishes too greedy.

LUCKY 8

In the Cantonese dialect, the number 8 is pronounced as 'paht' and the Cantonese consider it to sound almost like 'fatt' which means to prosper. That is why this number is deemed to be a very lucky number for the Chinese. Personally, I do not think that the number 8 alone is lucky for everybody. To me certain numbers are lucky for certain people. Even the number 4 could be lucky for some.

I went with some of my friends to have lunch around the First Garden area and spotted the 8-shaped potted plants outside one corner house in one of the housing estates there. I presume the residents of the house must be feng shui enthusiasts.

POISONOUS HERBS???

Here is a Chinese tale sent to me by a good friend of mine, Cikgu Mahzan. Please read it as it would be worth your while.

A Chinese Story - A lesson for all of Us
A long time ago in China, a girl named Li-Li got married and went to livewith her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all. Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of her mother-in-law's habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly. Days passed, and weeks passed. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting. But what made the situation even worse was that, according to ancient Chinesetradition, Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish.All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing Li-Li's poor husband great distress. Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law' s bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it!
Li-Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs. She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all. Mr. Huang thought for a while, and finally said, "Li-Li, I will help you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you." Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do."
Mr. Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with a package of herbs. He told Li-Li, "You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a little of these herbs in her serving. Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspects you, when she dies you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her. "Don't argue with her. Obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen." Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law.
Weeks went by, and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr. Huang had said about avoiding suspicion. So she controlled her temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother.After six months had passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li had practised controlling her temper so much that she found that she almost never got mad or upset. She hadn't had an argument with her mother-in-law in six months because she now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with. The mother-in-law' s attitude towards Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in- law one could ever find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a real mother and daughter. Li-Li's husband was very happy to see what was happening.
One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again She said," Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing my mother-in-law. She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her." Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head. "Li-Li, there's nothing to worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude towards her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to her.
"HAVE YOU REALIZED that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat you? There is a wise Chinese saying: "The person who loves others will also be loved in return." God might be trying to work in another person's life through you.

FOUR LEAF CLOVER PENDANT

Here's a picture of me with the four leaf clover pendant that I bought from my friend's shop, Golden Inn in Manjung. Each leaf of the clover that has been sealed in by the resin brings different goodies for the wearer. One is for love, the next for health, the the third for glory and the last one is for riches. The clover contained inside the resin is real and I am told that they imported it from Korea. By the way, my pendant glows in the dark.
Have I been lucky after wearing it? So far, not yet.

HEART WRENCHING

I again visited the Rumah Wawasan with two of my friends, Sharon and Lai Yoong, this morning. The two ladies wanted to know more about the children there as they are planning to carry out a community service programme for their association.

When we were there, the children were either studying, doing their chores or helping out at the recycling centre near the home. The children were well-behaved and carried on with what they were supposed to do.

What was really heart wrenching for the three of us was listening to the stories of the children. Quite a number of them are not orphans but instead abandoned children. There were three of the children whose mother had died in an accident and their father is bedridden as a result of the mishap. Two of the children were also involved in the accident and it seemed that they carry the scars of the accident until today. There are four brothers whose mum just left them at the home and she fled back to her home country. Their dad had remarried and did not want the children. One was abandoned by her parents because she is mentally retarded. There is a boy whose parents are both drug addicts and the stories go on and on and on. I had a good cry after I heard how unfortunate these little children are. Thank God there are people like Mr Moses and Madam Saundari to care enough to want to look after them.

TILL WE NEXT MEET

I bade farewell to my fifth formers today. The boys and girls had sat for their last paper and this would mean that their school days have officially ended. They now have to wait until around March to find out how they did and then decide what to do with the rest of their lives.

As I had mentioned about yuen fen or destiny in the last post, I would like to touch on the subject a bit more.

You see it is this destiny that brought all these boys and girls into my life. They were from all parts of Malaysia. We met, we got to know each other and today we had to say goodbye. I know that it would not be easy for us to see each other often as we would be in different places and our interests are not the same anymore. My boy, Fydo, was feeling really sad today as he came and met me at the school library. I know I would miss him very much as he came and helped me every afternoon in the library. No doubt, it is his duty as a librarian to do so, he not only came when he was on duty but also when he was not.

The pictures above were taken when the last few boys and girls were waiting for their parents to come fetch them from the hostel to go back to their respective hometowns. I don't really like to say goodbye. I think the Chinese greeting of chai chien or till we meet again is better. I would want to meet my boys and girls again and see how they are doing. See more pics of my students in the slide show below.

BEAUTY SECRET

I went to one of the floral shops in Sitiawan to meet my friend, Puan Khairah. She had wanted me to go and help her choose some flowers for the Quality Room of our school. She was already at the shop when I reached the place. The first thing she commented was that I looked prettier after the accident. In most cases people would look tired and haggard. Well, for that compliment I treated my friend and her little daughter to lunch.

Coming back to the topic of me looking better (ahem!!!). No I did not go and have any work done on my face. I just go for the normal facial like most ladies. It must be because I have had enough sleep since this is holiday time. So instead of sleeping 3 -4 hours a day, I get to sleep 6 - 8 hours. That does make a difference.

There is however another reason that might be the cause of me looking more attractive in my friend's eyes. To me, I think it could be the charity work that I was able to do during the holidays. Time and again, I have been told by my feng shui teacher and elders that if we do charity, our outer appearance would also look good. Well, judging by the photographs I took of myself with my cellphone camera, do you think that I have been a good girl?