VISITING THE PAEDIATRIC WARD

The committee members of my School Cooperative went on a visit to the Children's Ward at the Manjung District Hospital yesterday afternoon. The visit was to bring cheer to the children who are ill and also to give support to their parents and caregivers. The committee presented goodie bags to the children who were warded there.

It is a wonderful idea by the committee members to carry out such an activity. And also I had a chance to hug and cuddle a few of the little ones. I wish I could have hugged all of them but a few had on bandages or were asleep.

HOMEBOUND FENG SHUI

by Toh Kong Eu
Mastery Academy

This week, let’s look at the immediate and short-term when it comes to Feng Shui. The majority (if not all) of you reading this live in an existing home and are probably not in the midst of searching for another place or looking to build another home in the very near future. So this week, let’s take a closer look at the abode that we’re ALREADY living in and the present effects of our home on our current well-being and endeavours.

Where do we start? In our day-to-day living, the best reference point for the NOW is of course the annual flying stars. If you haven’t already, check what the annual flying star at your main door is and you’ll have a picture of what’s generally in store (well, since Feb 2009 already) for all the occupants in your house this year. For example, if your main door is located in the West this year then you’ll be experiencing bouts of sickness, excessive worrying and over-thinking since Star 2 this year. However, since Star 2 is *also* a wealth star, we can also surmise that there are also increased opportunities for wealth and it’s likely that these opportunities are partly to blame for the less-than-rosy health outlook of your home’s occupants for the year.As Feng Shui concepts work like layers of an onion, check also what star is visiting your bedroom this year. This will give you additional information that relate only to occupants to that room. Not everyone who lives in the same house will experience the same exact luck, right? Let’s assume your bedroom is happily located in the Southeast sector this year.

Hence, the star that has flown into your room is Star 8 which brings increased income that comes from a regular salary. Putting 2 and 8 together (pardon the pun) now gives us 10... and voila, we get the scenario of a good year for generally routine hard-work that results in a slow and steady increase in wealth (and one probably involving new partners/acquaintances). Of course the health issues from having a West main door are still there but we do know that life isn’t perfect, right?

If you work from home either by default or at least partially, then you can add on the effects of the visiting annual star where you do your work as well. Your home business or work will be affected by not just only the annual star at your main door but also but the annual star(s) affecting your home office or area that you work in.

And if all this isn’t enough to quench your Xuan Kong Flying Star thirst, you can also read the effect of the annual stars on the natal flying stars of your home. As usual, don’t fret interpreting ALL the sectors of your home; just focus on the interaction of the annual flying stars with the natal stars of your main door, bedroom, home office/study and perhaps, the kitchen. The annual flying stars are, after all, the triggers to the potential of your home as determined by the fixed, natal flying stars. Lastly, don’t forget that all of these effects (including the effects of the annual stars solely) are of course dependent upon the external forms surrounding your home so do a check on these as well.

What if you don’t like the outlook that you see (especially since it’s midway 2009 already and your experiences this year so far confirm your analysis)? Well, use your “Man (Human) Luck” then! Change main doors if you can - closing up your actual main door and entering through the garden sliding door is an example. Or else, move bedrooms, sleep on the living room sofa, or even swap bedrooms with your maid for the year! Remember, where there’s a will, there’s a way. And in dire circumstances where really nothing can be done within the house, there’s always the option of putting up elsewhere to tide over the year.

LUO HON KUO 羅漢果

Luo Hon Kuo Dessert

One of the activities for my school resource centre is the sale of herbal drinks at RM1.00 a glass each Wednesday during recess time. The objectives of the activity are to promote the benefits of herbs and also to add to the resource centre funds. I try to introduce a different type of herb as often as possible so that people would get to learn more about them. Tomorrow my colleagues and I will be preparing Chrysanthemum tea, Keremak Merah tea and a herbal drink with luo hon kuo, dried longan, winter melon and dates.

Here is more information about the Luo Hon Kuo.

The Luo Han Guo (Siraitia grosvenori) or Longevity is a fruit from China that helps to reduce coughing and supposedly aids longevity.This fruit is usually dark brown and very light. Its size range from as small as a golf ball to as big as a tennis ball. It is also known as arhat fruit.

Medical uses:

1. Luo Hon Kuo has both cooling and hydrating properties. Proper hydration benefits virtually all of the body.s systems as well as the skin. It has been used for generations to balance heat build-up due to internal conditions, lifeforces, or external heat.
   
2. They are used for respiratory ailments, sore throats and reputed to aid longevity.
   
3. Heat stroke and thirst .
   
4. Acute or chronic infection of the larynx (aphonia).
   
5. Chronic cough.
   
6. Constipation due to old age

References:

http://www.itmonline.org/arts/luohanguo.htm
http://www.acornplanet.com/natural_health_supplement.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siraitia_grosvenorii

CHILDREN OF THE KING OF POP

Prince I, Paris and Prince II

Recent photo of Paris and Prince Michael I
Michael with his three children when they were much younger

Last week the Web was abuzz with the news of King Michael's death. The latest news is that of the his family wish to take control of his estate and also have custody of his children. They all look so lovely and from the last picture, I can see that Michael looked every inch the loving dad to his children. There had been questions of whether he was the real biological father but to me it doesn't really matter whether the children are from his loins. What matters is the courage he had to raise them and to give them his love and protection. So Prince I & II and Paris are the children of the King of Pop.

Picture sources:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-511702/Unveiled-Michael-Jackson-finally-shows-children-world.html

http://celebglitz.com/36950/Celebrity-Gossip/michael-jackson-children-photos-staying-with-grandmother.aspx

SELLING LIKE HOT CAKES

I sometimes drop by at Eric's shop to chat with him after I leave school in the evening. I hadn't gone to see him for some time as I have been working non-stop to do as much work as possible in time for the judging of the resource centre competition. However, I just decided to take a rest today as I had been feeling sick and tired. It is not worth it for me to overwork myself and end up getting a stroke or heart attack. I do not want to end up like Michael Jackson who died from cardiac arrest.

I like to chat with Eric as he will talk to me about other topics other than school since he is not a teacher. He usually talks about songs, movies and drama series which are all relaxing stuff to me. Even if he is not around his assistant, Liyana, is there and she too would chat with me. However, the girl has gone to further her studies and he is left to man the shop himself.
He told me that there were only two copies of Michael Jackson's CDs left in his shop. It seemed that people had been going into his shop to request for any CDs of Michael's. Just yesterday, a lady came in and picked up a few different CDs of MJ which cost her around RM180. When I was at his shop, another customer came in and bought the second last copy of his CD. Now there is only one left. I am sure it would have been sold by now.

So you see in death, Michael has become a legend. His music will forever live on in people's hearts. He has left a rich musical legacy to the world.

A FEELING OF BEING PROTECTED

I saw these lovely statues of Chinese Deities when I went to the Kampung Koh market last Sunday. They were apparently for sale. Maybe people had already commissioned the idols from somewhere else and they were waiting to be transported to a temple.

Anyway I think that the sculptures are lovely. Being a Taoist I find that I got a wonderful sense of being protected and looked after just by looking at the statues.

IMMORTALISED

News about Michael Jackson is everywhere. Log on to the Web and you will be greeted with the headline of at least one article about MJ. Each and every newspaper I glanced at would have at least a story or two about him. In death, everyone is rediscovering just how supremely talented he was. He reached a height in performance that would be rather difficult to emulate.
In life he was already proclaimed as a living legend and now in death he has joined the ranks of Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and James Dean - he has become immortal and will live on forever in the celluloid world.

CHOOSE A GOOD DATE FOR A HAPPY MARRIAGE

Like the Chinese, the Hindus would consult the astrologer to select an auspicious date to get married. They believe that a good date that is in agreement with the couple would mean that marriage life would be rosy for them. Choose a wrong date and the union would not turn out well. Read the article about the importance of an auspicious date for a happy and lasting union.
Choosing an auspicious wedding date is important as it sets the tone for the couple’s first night together. – File photo

TIMED FOR BLISS

Vasthu Sastra: By T.SELVA

Getting married on an auspicious day ensures a happy, healthy union.
FINDING the right life partner, getting married on an auspicious day and spending the wedding night together at the right time, are vital for an everlasting union. In ancient Indian scriptures, matrimony is regarded as a sacred union.
Marriage is both a religious duty and a social obligation towards the family and community. The ceremony should be carried out in accordance with divine blessings for the couple to stay happy, healthUnder the Hindu system, importance is given to the moon’s position in relation to the groom’s horoscope and the sun’s position for the bride’s horoscope. The configuration of the two connotes the happiness of married life.
Readers have written in about the growing number of marriages that break up and married couples going separate ways due to conflicts, disagreements and quarrels.
It is vital for couples to prepare themselves following ancient teachings when they decide to make a commitment to be together, to ensure that they stay together.
To achieve a blissful relationship, the man and woman should first follow the Vedic astrology matchmaking exercise to determine if they are compatible with each other, before take taking the next step. The matchmaking point system will look at how like-minded they are; their mutual attraction to each other, and aspects like affection, health, love and sexual joy, intelligence, behaviour, and longevity.
Even after they are found to be well-matched, there are many dos’ and don’ts to observe before they can tie the knot. Some people may view these ancient guidelines as unacceptable and illogical, but it is important to follow them because the science of astrology influences one’s daily life.
By adhering to the favourable and unfavourable periods of the astrological calendar, the couple will be able to carry out their duties without facing obstacles and setbacks.
One of the most important aspects of a Hindu marriage is choosing an auspicious date and time for the wedding. Again, this is based on the couple’s horoscopes, following their moon sign.
The couple should avoid choosing their birth date for the wedding because on such days they are likely to experience tension because the level of their body pressure fluctuates more than other days.
We are all influenced by the nine planets and we should be sensitive to the planetary placements because their movements have direct impact on every individual.

Choosing an auspicious wedding date is vital because it leads to the first night, called shanti muhurtham, when the couple will have intimate relations.
The auspicious date for the first night is calculated using the couple’s date and time of birth following the Indian almanac.
In ancient times, fire sacrifice and mantra rituals were performed to enable the couple to pray to God in true devotion so that they would be blessed with a healthy child. Usually, the husband would pray fervently that a child may be conceived. He repeats the sacred mantras during the nuptial ceremony and it is believed that the new child is conceived amidst the recitation of the mantras. And good impressions are impressed in the brain-cells of the embryo.
For a Hindu endowed with intellect and understanding, the sexual union is not solely for enjoyment. The husband uses the divine creativity and vital energy for the formation of a human body.
Although such ceremonies are rare now, favourable dates are still observed by elders to ensure that their children do not violate the rules of health and state of mind.
Shanthi muhurtham is the consummation of the marriage fixed for an auspicious time at night, for a happy, ever-lasting married life blessed with understanding and care.
Two souls unite in a sacred act to bring forth progeny. After the child is conceived, an astrologer is usually consulted to determine the date and time that is auspicious for it to be born. This date is usually around the date of natural delivery. In the case of a caesarean delivery, the mother has to be operated upon on the date suggested by the astrologer.

source: http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/6/28/lifeliving/4207492&sec=lifeliving

RAIN'S BIRTHDAY, MJ'S DEATH DAY

Korean superstar, Rain, celebrated his birthday on 25th June last week. Little did he know that it was on this very day that Michael Jackson bade farewell to the world. I read that Rain was deeply saddened by the demise of his idol who inspired him to dance. He is not alone in his grief as millions around the world are also grieving at the loss of a legend who had so much more to give to this world.

WU LOU DURIAN

Last week I bought a durian from a vendor who told me that he sourced his durians from Balik Pulau in Penang Island. I thought that since he went around the orchards to get his durians, he might know where they plant Wu Lou or Calabash as I wish to buy some.
Well he very happily said that the Wu Lou were not ready for harvest yet but he might have some in a couple of weeks. Happily I told him that I would order some from him. Then he mentioned that the Wu Lou could be picked by next week and I could get them. Picked??? I asked him why picked, shouldn't they be plucked since they might break. It was only then did I realise that there is a species of durian called Wu Lou.

Here is some information about the Water Gourd Durian to share with you here:

The flesh of the Hor Loh or Wu Lou is very soft, dry and quite bitter. It has a sharp smell to it. Hor Loh was first cultivated at the Brown orchard of Sungai Ara. It got its name from its appearance resembling a "Hor Lor" pumpkin. If the durian hits the ground hard when it falls, the flesh tends to be bitter thereafter.
http://www.asiaexplorers.com/malaysia/penang_durian.htm

WORDS

A FACE FULL OF STARS

I remember reading a news article about a girl in Europe who said that she fell asleep when the tattoo artist was working on her. She said that she wanted three stars but when she woke up, she found about 50 stars on her face. Yikes!!! That is really scary, isn't it? It seems that she is sueing the guy so that she can get the stars removed from her face.
However, the tattoo artist said that the girl was wide awake when he worked on her and she specifically said she wanted 52 stars. According to him, the girl was looking into the mirror when he was doing the tattoos. Anyway, it is rather strange that the girl can sleep through the whole process of having 52 tattoos on her face. Believe me, one little tattoo is enough to make you wide awake.
Whose fault is it? And who has to pay? The court will decide in due time but I guess the girl herself would have to pay in the end as it seems that even if the tattoos are removed by laser surgery, there will be a certain amount of scarring on her face.

REST IN PEACE MICHAEL

Early in the morning I received a short messaged text saying that Michael Jackson had died because of cardiac arrest.
I remember doing a post about the possibility of him changing his own life destiny because of all the alterations he did to his face. Well! Michael is dead at 50. So only he and God know whether what he did to his appearance has affected his fate.
Anyway, Rest in Peace Michael Jackson. All the outer appearance business would not matter much now as all he is left with is his soul.

FRUIT OF HAPPINESS

Apple and YaYa are most definitely the apples of their mothers' eyes. Both children are so adorable and cute. I couldn't help but want to hug and cuddle the two little girls. Both of them were born in 2007. Apple or Qistina is older by a few months but is much bigger and taller. Wonder what her mum feeds her? But she tells me that it might be genetics as both parents are tall and big sized.

SO SOFT AND CUDDLY

After a long day at work, it sure feels good to hold YaYa who is so soft and cuddly. It helps to take away the stress and tension of work. To me children have such calming and soothing effect. What about you?

SEEING COWS

When I reached home this evening, I saw three cows (only two appear in the photographs) walking past my house. I think that I heard somewhere that we happen to see cows unexpectedly, then we are in for good luck but I am not too sure.

Similarly if we dream of cows then there are certain meanings such as the ones below:

• to see a cow: happiness;
• to milk a cow: you will earn money or you will be engaged soon;
• to be attacked by a cow: it is a warning of some enemy whose foolishness might be very dangerous for you;
• to see a dead cow: to recover from an illness;
• to be free from all pains and sufferings
• to see a cowshed: a hidden desire or wish;
• to see grazing cows: to have comfortable life
• to see fat and big cow: good harvest.

Though I did not see the cows in my dream but in real life, I guess it would also amount to me having happiness. After all, I have the Xing Fu blog which means happiness. Hee! Hee!

Water is Wealth - Feng Shui Guidelines for Using Water to Attract Prosperity

by Kathryn Weber

The promise of feng shui is greater wealth, health and happiness. But blessings of abundance rely on the presence of certain circumstances and elements. The key element for wealth is water. Take a trip to visit beautiful homes and you'll find fountains, pools and water gardens. Wherever there is water, there is wealth.

From the most ancient times, an abundance of water has been equal with an abundance of wealth. Water enabled farmers to grow and nourish their fields and reap great crops - and profits.

One of the best contemporary examples of water creating wealth is the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. The hotel has taken a fountain and put it to work creating wonderful returns for the hotel in the number of guests staying, gambling and eating there. The hotel is best known for its dancing fountains in front of the hotel. The water shoots up with a booming sound and does a choreographed dance to Frank Sinatra and other singers. It's an amazing spectacle, but it also taps some of the feng shui fundamentals of water. The first is place water at the front. This is a rule that puts wealth in front of you. It makes sense, too, when you think of childhood memories visiting the ocean where we were warned not to turn our back on the ocean. Water is powerful.The water at the Bellagio is also "yang" water. In other words, it's active. It bursts and dances and sprays. This makes its wealth-giving properties even more potent. So how do you apply the principles at a grand fountain like the one at the Bellagio to your home? Easy. Follow the guidelines below to help you activate your wealth-producing potential by introducing water to your home and landscape.

How much water should you use? Well, how much money do you want? Put as much water as the money you want.

Water activation guidelines -- OUTSIDE

• Use yang water. This is water that moves. If water is still, such as in a pool, it represents accumulated water, but not stimulated water, which activates income streams.
• Make water flow toward the house. Water should appear to flow toward the house.
• Light the water. If possible, adding lighting to your water to give it increased wealth potential and activate the water.
• Create a waterfall, install a pool, place a fountain outdoors, or create a pond. Water features can almost instantly change your financial circumstances!
• Keep your water clean. As long as the water is kept clean, it imparts auspicious wealth energy. When it is dirty, it becomes yin and drains wealth energy.

Water activation guidelines - INSIDE

• Place your water close to lighting. This will help to energize the water.
• Keep your water clean. As long as the water is kept clean, it imparts auspicious wealth energy. When it is dirty, it becomes yin and drains wealth energy.
• Keep the fountain size relative to the room. If you have a small room, then a small fountain is a good wealth activator.

As much as water can help, it can also hurt. Make sure you follow these water taboos:

• No water to the right of the door as you look out.
• No water in the bedroom.
• No water under stairways.
• Avoid water placed directly at the rear of the house.

© K Weber Communications LLC 2002-2009