FLOWERS TO CHEER UP A ROOM

I accompanied a friend of mine to the Flower Shop this afternoon as she wanted to buy a floral decoration for her room. Typical of most females, she and I like to use flowers to decorate our homes and workplace as it helps to cheer the place up. Some Feng Shui practioners also advise using flowers to help lift the Qi of a place.

CHANGES

Beginning tomorrow the school that I teach in will be known as a fully vocational school. Previously it was a school offering both technical and vocational subjects and was known as Sekolah Menengah Teknik Seri Manjung. Anyway, when I first reported for duty at the school it was called Sekolah Menengah Vokational Seri Manjung and so that would mean that I have come full cycle. The year hasn't yet begun and already there is change. 2010 is going to be an exciting year.

WEALTH IS ON ITS WAY

Yeh! Yeh! The Corn plants in my garden are flowering. In Cantonese, the corn plant is referred to as Tit Shu.

Why am I so happy? This is because the Chinese have a saying 鐵樹. 鐵樹開花，富貴榮華 which translates to mean "when the corn plant begins to flower, it is a sign of wealth luck coming ones way". Therefore, the corn plant 鐵樹 or Dracaena Massangeana is considered an auspicious plant.

Now where it the guy who goes round selling lottery tickets? Heh! Heh!

STRONG YIN QI

This picture was taken from my car when I stopped at the red light. Actually the bus above was involved in an accident at 1.00 a.m. on 26 December, 2009 near the toll area in Ipoh. 10 people died and 3 others were injured because the bus driver had dozed off while on the wheel.
My friends and I saw the bus when we drove past the parking lot of the Ipoh Police Station since the day the accident happened. However, I did not take any pictures until today. Even then, the picture was taken from inside the car with the windows closed.
Usually I would be the first to jump at the chance to snap photographs of an event but why did I wait 3 days to take a not so clear picture? Call me superstitious but like many Chinese, I believe that there is a lot of Yin Qi present in the bus. There is also this belief that the souls of the dead may still be trapped there. If our personal luck is not good, then we might just be unlucky enough to have the spirits follow us home or might become ill because of the very strong Yin Qi.

FORMER SCHOOL MATES

Vimala and I were schoolmates at secondary school. Though we were not in the same class, we knew each other. I met her again about 5 years ago when I attended a meeting at a secondary school in Ipoh. The Chinese have a saying that if we have affinity then our paths will cross again and again but if there is no affinity then we might not notice each other even if we were to live in the same vicinity.

KOREAN FOOD IN IPOH

Yesterday morning, I had Indian food for breakfast. Then I became more adventurous and had Korean food for lunch. I went with my friends, Pek Soong and Seetho, to a Korean Restaurant which is located at Medan Ipoh. Actually there are two such restaurants but since the other one was not open today, we went to the one called Dae Jang Jin (in Mandarin). I think the English name for the shop is Jun Unix. I'll confirm with my two friends tomorrow.
This Korean restaurant is operated by real Koreans. I am pictured with the son and daughter of the owners. They told me that they have been here for 7 years and both speak very good English and a bit of Mandarin and Malay.

No need to go to Korea to see a pretty Korean girl. You can see one here in Ipoh.

Me tucking into my seafood hotpot. It's nice.

I had initially wanted to have lunch sitting on the floor but my friends were against it but I still wanted to have my picture taken here.

I think sitting here for a few minutes would be okay but my friends say that if we sit too long, we might have trouble getting up. Hmmm ... I have a Pondok (Hut) in the school Herb Garden and sometimes my friends and I have our meals there in the afternoon after school. We sit for hours but still have no problems getting up.

The 6 side dishes are complimentary. All taste good. So if I visit South Korea, I think I will be okay.

Pek Soong getting ready to tuck into the meal that she had ordered. This too taste good. She had to mix all the things inside the bowl.

HOW ROMANTIC!!!

I was attending a meeting with a few of the teachers in SMK Seri Puteri this morning when one of my colleagues, Thiru, got a call from the office telling her that there was a delivery from the florist for her. When she came back to the meeting room with her bouquet of rose from her husband, I was ENVIOUS.
See the happiness emanating from my friend's face. Believe me, most ladies love getting flowers from their loved ones.

My friend, Thiru, and her husband were born in the year of the Ox and Rat respectively. And as far as Chinese astrology is concerned the pairing of these two Zodiacs is highly compatible.

My happy friend posing happily with her flowers from "Her Destiny".

The envious onlooker posing happily with my friend's bouquet. Well! At least I got to hold the flowers for a while.

ESTHER'S PLACE

Esther's place

I tried the Apam Special at Esther's Place in Buntong a few weeks' back and loved it and so I went again today with some of my Indian friends to try it again.

I got to take a picture of Esther when she came over to our table to give us the bill for the food we ate. I was told that she was the one who usually prepares the Apam special for the customers. By the way I also tried the Vadea (I think that's how it is spelt) and it was delicious.

WHAT'S IN STORE FOR THE HORSE IN THE TIGER YEAR

Nelson Mandela is one of the most famous people in the world who was born in the year of the Horse. Let's see how the forecast for those born in the horse for the coming Tiger Year.

OVERALL LUCK

Ooh! Ooh! It seems that the Horse would not fare too well next year as there is the presence of a few inauspicious stars in their sector. They might find that things might get a bit tense and unpleasant. There is also the presence of troublemakers in their work life. They need to be extra careful in their dealings with others to avoid being involved in lawsuits. However, their wealth luck is good with a big possibility of a windfall.

CAREER LUCK

Those who are in business might meet with setbacks and so they need to be extra vigilant and cautious when when starting new ventures or making new deals. Be extra careful when signing contracts.

WEALTH LUCK

As mentioned earier their wealth luck is good as the Jin-gui star arrives in their sector. They may have gains from investments. However, the presence of inauspicious stars may bring about loss of wealth as well and so the Horse should be on guard against people who are out to cause trouble. They have to be careful when signing contracts or agreements.

HEALTH LUCK

Their health is okay. They are advised to have a positive outlook to foster better health luck. They have also to be extra careful when driving and when using sharp objects.

ROMANCE LUCK

Relationship luck is good. Married Horses should remain faithful to their other halves and not stray. Practise tolerance with loved ones. Attached couples would find that there may be complications in their love life which may result in quarrels and separation. Singles may have opportunities to meet with prospective partners.

TIPS FOR THE HORSE

• Do not be exorbitant in spending. Save for a rainy day.
• Mind what you say to prevent lawsuits.
• Adopt an defensive instead of an approach in your dealings.

MODERN TAKE ON THE BIRDS AND THE BEES

In the television series before the advent of the Internet, there will sometimes be an episode when the children ask their parents how they were born? That was when the parents used the birds and bees theory to give an explanation. Here is how ICT savvy parents would explain the creation of life to their offsprings ...

Daddy, how was I born?

A little boy goes to his father and asks 'Daddy, how was I born?' The father answers, 'Well, son, I guess one day you will need to find out anyway! Your Mom and I first got together in a chat room on Yahoo.. Then I set up a date via e-mail with your Mom and we met at a cyber-cafe. We sneaked into a secluded room, and Google each other. There your mother agreed to a download from my hard drive. As soon as I was ready to upload, we discovered that neither one of us had used a firewall, and since it was too late to hit the delete button, nine months later a little Pop-Up appeared that said:

Scroll down...You'll love this ....

'SENDING AWAY' OLD PRAYER TABLET

Towards the end of each year, some of the Taoist holdholds would change the prayer tablet for the house deity if they find that it is old. It will be replaced with a new one. However, they do not throw the old tablet into the dustbins instead they would give it a sending away. Usually, the people would place it by some bushes. Don't I ask me why? I don't know. What I know is that is the common practice.

Sometimes, people who move houses would also send the old tablet away since they would have bought a new one for their new home. Then there are cases of those who have converted to another religion who would also leave their old prayer tablet by the roadside.

VEDIC HEALING

One of the columns that I enjoy reading in the Sunday Star newspaper is written by T. Selva on the subject of Vasthu Sastra. Here is his latest article in on healing using Neem leaves.

Neem leaves hung at the gate of a house tell visitors that it is out of bounds.

Sunday December 27, 2009

Help with healing
VASTHU SASTRA

By T.SELVA
When a person has an ailment, Vedic practices can speed up the cure.
UNDER the Hindu belief system, visiting a doctor and taking medication are not enough to cure an illness. The patient has to follow some ancient Vedic ways.
I would like to devote this week’s column to chicken pox because my 11-year-old son had it and he had to observe some taboos and traditional beliefs.
For Hindus, disease is considered a retribution for sins and slights again the Goddess of Home, Mariamman, better known as Amman. She was the smallpox goddess before the disease was eradicated. Now this deity cures all so-called heat-based diseases like pox and rashes.
During the summer months (March to June) in South India, people walk miles carrying pots of water mixed with turmeric and neem leaves to ward off illnesses like measles and chicken pox.

My son found some of the old practices he had to observe more painful than the illness itself. Although chicken pox is not a deadly infection, it is no laughing matter to elders, who imposed several do’s and don’ts the moment the spots surfaced on his body.
The first step was to hang neem leaves at the main gate of the house to inform visitors that it is out of bounds because someone is down with a contagious disease.
My son was quarantined in his room for the first three days and told not to pinch or scratch the spots as that would aggravate them. He was also asked not to look in the mirror – which had to be covered with a cloth – or more spots would surface.
Neem leaves were spread on his bed and under his pillow and he was given a bunch of them to brush his skin to ease the itching. The Hindus believe neem leaves have medicinal properties and the tree is commonly found in front of Hindu temples and homes.
Following the belief is that the infection is a visitation from Mariamman, no one is allowed to raise his or her voice at the patient – as a mark of respect to the deity.
For a week, my son was fed a soft diet – cow’s milk, jelly, yoghurt, bread and lots of fluid. He received get- well greetings and gifts from family members to keep his spirits up.
From the sixth day onwards, after his fever had subsided, he had plain rice with some vegetables. By then he had lost 5kg.
The belief is that the traditional Indian treatment requires a full five to nine days for an affected person to become cleansed. So my son had his first bath on the fifth day.
A pail of water mixed with neem leaves and turmeric was left in the sunlight in the morning. In the afternoon, he was bathed with the water outside the house – to signify that the rashes should subside with the setting sun and the sins of the patient would be washed away.
The baths were repeated for three consecutive days. Neem leaves and fresh turmeric were also pounded to form a paste and applied on the spots. Parents of the patient are obligated to collect rice donations from house to house in the neighbourhood. This is still done in the rural areas, but often dispensed with in the towns. The rice is cooked into porridge and served to devotees after special prayers offered by the patient at a temple dedicated to Mariamman on the ninth day.
The prayers signal the end of the illness and the patient, now recovered, is allowed to resume his normal routine.
My son followed almost all the beliefs and was glad he had the chicken pox during the school holidays, otherwise he would have had to miss school.

SOURCE: http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/12/27/lifeliving/5346126&sec=lifeliving

SHORING UP ENERGY OF THE HOUSE

Planting a row of trees behind the house acts to shore up the energy and symbolically keeps it from flowing away. This translates into keeping the health and wealth where it belongs. It is also believed to be difficult to conceive sons in a home that has sloping land behind the house. So if it’s boys that you want, plant the row of trees.
Source: http://www.saintdeck.com/Articles/FengShuiofTrees.htm

WHAT'S IN STORE FOR THE SNAKE IN THE TIGER YEAR

The current Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato' Seri Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak was born in the year of the Snake. According to Feng Shui beliefs, the fate of a nation like that of a household would very much depend on the fate of the person at the helm. So let us see how snakes fare in the year of the Tiger.

OVERALL LUCK

There is an even combination of good and bad stars in the Snake zodiac. So the Snake-born can expect a mix of good and bad luck in the year of the Tiger. There is indication of legal tangles and also troublemakers. They should try not to stand as guarantor for others in order to prevent from lawsuits, loss of wealth and also the souring of friendships. There are also obstacles at work. However, proper income is good and wealth luck is strong. By the way, the luck for the Female snakes is better than that of the males.

CAREER LUCK

Good year for the Snake to either start or expand their business or career. Think things thoroughly before proceeding. Nevertheless, they must act with caution as there is danger of being scammed. This is a year where the creativity and the productivity of the Snake receives recognition.

WEALTH LUCK

Those born under this sign enjoy excellent wealth luck. There is also indication of windfall luck. Don't be surprise to find themselves winning some money in a game of chance. However, they

advised overspend. It is better to save some for a rainy day.

HEALTH LUCK

Snakes should be extra careful with their health this year as they offend Tai Sui. Their immune system is under seige this year. And so if they do not feel well, then the are advised to quickly go and get treatment. Have a regular checkup, eat a moderate diet, exercise and have enough sleep.

ROMANCE LUCK

Those born under this zodiac may find themselves having a very colourful love life this year. This is good. Married coupels will be more loving and those of childbearing age may find themselves blessed with offspring luck. Single Snakes may find their life partners. It would also be a good time for attached Snakes to tie the knot. However, the married ones must guard against getting themselves into a mess like Tiger Wood.

ADVICE FOR THE SNAKE

• They are advised to control their temper.
• Eat food that is less salty and less oily.
• They should be pay extra attention to guard against robbery and theft.

GIRLS' DAY OUT

Whenever I get together with my friends, Seetho, Pek Soong and Thiruselvi, we would sure go and try out some of the food in Ipoh. Today we went to a restaurant called Kim Bali for lunch. The place offers cuisine from a few Asian countries. However, I felt that the food was just okay. To be fair, I only ordered seafood fried rice since my appetite was not that good. My three friends who ordered other types of food didn't really rave about the food they ordered either. This coming Monday, we plan to try out the food at the Korean Restaurant in Ipoh. That would be something different!

BEING PROACTIVE

I have already posted the annual forecast for the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit and Snake. I noticed that most of those signs might have bad health luck next year. Since I am one of the signs involved, I better start being proactive and start to exercise beginning from now. Besides, making myself have the willpower to either walk or jog in the evenings is better than sticking a photograph of Wu Chun on my fridge door. Hopefully, I can keep it up. Then, it will be bye bye flab. Heh! Heh!

TALL BUILDING IN HOUSING AREA

When I was walking and jogging around my neighbourhood yesterday evening (yeah, I brought my camera along as well), I noticed that there was a three storey house rising above the rest. Well, the presence of this building will have good and bad effects on some of the houses near it.

Let me explain. In the Form School of Feng Shui, the principle is that it is better to have a tall building behind ones home to get mountainous support from behind. And so the residents of the house in the picture with the building behind it will get better Feng Shui. However, the one storey house directly facing the three storey house will be at a disadvantage. This is symbolic of huge obstacles, which one has to confront every day and they worse if you the occupants of the house is going through a difficult phase in life. The house to the left of the three storey-house (when one is standing inside the house looking out) is also considered auspicious. However, the house with the high-rise building to the right will find that it becomes an obstruction the future progress of the occupants.

FAVOURITE PASTIMES OF AJOOMAS

In Korea, the housewives are referred to as Ajoomas, while in Hong Kong they are known as Si Lai. Here in Malaysia, housewives are called Aunties or Ah Sohs.
In the above picture, you see two typical aunties shopping at the Thursday market. Things here are cheaper. Also, don't be surprised to get the same thing you get from the departmental stores for more than 25% less.

WHEN THE ROAD IS HIGHER THAN THE HOUSE

One basic Feng Shui rule is that the land that the house sits on should be higher than or at the same level as the road. Those buying houses are advised to avoid a house that sits on land that is lower than the access road. This is because of the low momentum and it will be difficult to further develop for those who live in such houses.

Look at the pictures that I took from my car yesterday morning. The road in front of the houses is on the same level with them but if you look again, you will see that the main road is on a higher level than the houses and the subsidiary road. So, is this good or bad?

The answer is Bad. Why? This is because elevated roads can be very harmful when they seem to “cut” into a building or house. Some Feng Shui masters recommend using element cures to counter the slicing effect of such roads, but generally they are difficult to remedy. This is because roads especially main roads usually carry very strong Qi energy.

PHOTOGRAPHED MEMORIES

Yesterday morning, Lai Yoong and I went to the Rumah Wawasan to send two Christmas cakes, a photo album containing photos taken during the early Christmas celebration we had with the children and also a framed group photograph. As someone who likes being on both sides of the camera, I like to take photographs to remember an occasion especially a happy and joyous one.

Hopefully, both Lai Yoong and I will be blessed with good health to carry on visiting and caring for the children at the Home. We feel that besides donations of food and other stuff, the children also need love as well.