50 SEN FOR A PACKET OF NASI LEMAK

Nowadays a packet of regular nasi lemak (rice, with sambal ikan bilis (anchovies)  plus cucumber and 1/4 slice of egg) would cost about RM1.00 - RM1.20 here in Manjung.  My nephews tell me that it costs RM2.50 and above in Kuala Lumpur.  Wow!  I thought that gone were the days when the Nasi Lemak was 50 sen for a packet until one of my friends, Noraini. bought some for my colleagues and I who were attending a meeting at the Teacher Activity Centre in Pantai Remis.  In the above pictures, you get to see the 50 sen nasi lemak.  It was smaller than the usual packets of nasi lemak and had only rice and sambal ikan bilis but it tasted delicious.

BLACK, WHITE AND GINGER CATS

I spotted these three cats having their siesta at the Kampung Simee market last Sunday.  What caught my interest was that they were of three different colours - black, white and ginger.

SLEEPING ON A BED WITHOUT MUCH SUPPORT

SOURCE: http://www.oddee.com/item_97977.aspx

Source: http://freshome.com/2008/10/07/inspirational-design-of-the-day-floating-bed/

The two beds above look like something from a futuristic sc-fi movie.  Of course, it looks modern and chic but then feng shui enthusiasts would say that sleeping on such a bed is bad feng shui.  Why?  Simply because there is not much support.  Married couples who sleep on such a bed might find that their marriage has no signs of stability as there is no support or solid foundation beneath the bed, resulting in a shaky relationship.

THE TREE IPOH IS NAMED AFTER

My hometown Ipoh is named after a tree, the Epu tree (Antiaris Toxicarial) to be precise.  Information that I gleaned from the Internet said that there were plenty of Ipoh trees a long time ago but then their numbers dwindled because they were cut down due to its poisonous sap.  The tree sap is used by the Orang Asli (aborigines) on their blow darts as weapons.  The Chinese refer to this tree as 'Arrow Poison Wood '箭毒木'.  I know of two locations where the Ipoh tree can be found; one at the Ipoh Railway Station and the other at Taman D.R. Seenivasagam.
In the above pictures you can see the famous Ipoh tree planted in front of the Ipoh Railway Station.  It was planted in 1980 by the then Chief Minister of Perak, which means this particular tree is 31 years old already.  Aiyoh!  I do hope they have more Ipoh trees in Taman Seenivasagam.  If anything happens to the tree at the Railway Station, then there will be replacements.

ADDING THAT CHRISTMASY FEEL TO PICTURES

Christmas is just around the corner and I am thinking of making my own cards to send to my friends and relatives.  To give my pictures the festive feel, I visited the Befunky site to get some Christmas frames to add to my photographs.  Don't my pics look Christmasy.  To get the Christmas frames, visit this site: http://www.befunky.com/create/#/home

Besides the Christmas frames, you can also have flower frames like the one I did above.

WATER CHI

The water chi that is form from any form of water in your home will improve the chi of the water in your body if it is clean, fresh and pure.
If the water close to you is stagnant, polluted or dirty, it could interact with the water chi of your body in a way that makes it less healthy. Wherever there is water, it will help if the room has windows.
Harmonizing Chi
Ideally water should be situated in the east or south-east part of your home, where the water chi will support the wood chi of the east and south-east.
If this cannot be achieved, you can harmonize the chi by bringing in the missing element. For water in the:
South, try plants
South-west, put plants in metal containers
West, put plants in clay and metal containers
North, put any plants that will grow here.
 How to improve the water chi
Avoid leaving any dirty water in the kitchen sink. Always drain it as soon as you have finished, otherwise the dirty water chi will have a negative influence on the people nearby and on the chi of the food stored close by.
Check to see if you have any leaks. This can occur unnoticed under baths and sinks, as well as behind dishwashers and washing machines The risk is that long¬term damp set in where the water is stagnant, radiating out stagnant-water chi.
Check to see if any taps drip. Here again, the water can stagnate, creating cold, damp conditions.
Clean up and dry out any areas where mildew has set in. This is common in showers, baths, on shower curtains and at the base of windows where condensation runs down. Mildew is extremely stagnant in terms of chi, and this chi could be harmful if you are in poor health.
Air kitchens and bathrooms regularly to help keep these rooms dry.
Keep the kitchen as uncluttered as possible, because steam from cooking will condense on objects, making it harder to keep the space dry.
SOURCE: http://www.feng-shui-tips-for-wealth.com/water-chi.html

FENG SHUI: ROAD RUNNING UP TO THE BACK OF A HOUSE

Road Running to the Back

A road running directly towards the back of a house is just like a back-stabbing.
How will it affect you?
Petty talk will go on behind the back of the occupants. Even though they may be diligent and work hard, their promotion prospects are likely to be weak.
What can you do?
Place a mirror on a wall gate or hedge at the back of the house where it will reflect the image of the road running up to it and thereby turn back the negative energies.
SOURCE:http://www.feng-shui-tips-for-wealth.com/road-running-to-the-back.html

CHECKING HOW MY FRIENDS ARE DOING

Here in Malaysia, it is the school holidays and so I need not go to school.  However, I make sure that I go back and visit my Green Friends in the Herb Garden to see that they are okay.  Thankfully, it is the rainy season now and the plants are thriving.  See how happy and beautiful my friends have become after having their fill of Sky Juice.

WANT TO CARTOONIZE YOURSELF?

I found this neat site called Cartoonize Net this evening.  For the past hour I have busied converting pictures of myself and my friends, Kama and Khairah, into cartoons.  See for yourself my masterpieces.  Want to give it a try, then click this LINK.

Photo of me

Cartoon of me

Photo of Kamariah

Cartoon of Kamariah

Photo of Khairah

Khariah's cartoon

VASTHU SASTRA ARTICLE ABOUT QI FOR A PIECE OF PROPERTY

Let the qi work for you
ANCIENT SECRETS
By T.SELVA

When picking a piece of property, it’s best to follow the flow of positive energy around it.
THOSE who design and build their properties following Vasthu Sastra principles can be assured of harmonious living because the Indian science of construction is result-oriented.
It’s vital to choose the right property based on compass direction and not on gut feelings, so that home owners can benefit from the flow of positive qi or energy.
Research has shown that challenges concerning finance, health, and relationships can be traced to the poor orientation of a person’s house. Several people who have reorganised the placement of things in their homes because they are experiencing problems, have reported improved benefits.
To help potential buyers choose an auspicious piece of property at The Star Property Fair 2011 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today, I will focus on the dos and don’ts following Vasthu Sastra recommendations.

The surroundings
When choosing a house, go for a property that is built on flat land because land that is elevated or depressed can distort the flow of energy, depending on the direction the elevation or depression faces.
Go for a house that is built on a square or rectangular piece of land. Dismiss corner lots that have cut-outs or bulges in the plot because these make the land shape irregular.
Ensure there are roads on all four sides of the house or row of houses. Avoid purchasing a unit that is located at a T- or a Y-junction because they are inauspicious for living in.
Check the surroundings and avoid properties located close to a place of worship, graveyard or sewage water treatment plant. But having a lake, pond or river in the north-east of the housing site is auspicious.
Ask the developer for the compass direction of the house that you are interested in. Avoid purchasing a unit in which the main door or driveway is located in the south-west because that direction is unfavourable. Having an entrance there will bring financial burdens and health issues to the dwellers.
If you are looking for an apartment or condominium, choose one that is on the fifth floor or below so that you can still be connected to earth energy.
When buying a unit in a high-rise dwelling, ensure that the main door is not located in the south-west, and the toilet and bathroom are not in the south-west and north-east quadrants because it would not be possible to relocate them.

The interior
Don’t be overwhelmed by the facade or buildup of the house; instead, look at the placement of the facilities at the appropriate locations inside it.

When you look at the floor plan, check whether the kitchen is located in the auspicious south-east (fire corner) or north-west (air corner) of the house.

Look for a house which has the master bedroom in the south-west; that is the master’s corner and should be occupied by the couple that owns the house. Avoid a house that has a toilet or bathroom in the south-west and north-east quadrants because these are considered serious defects in Vasthu and will affect your growth and prosperity.
Also avoid houses that have a staircase in the south-west and north-east quadrants, the two most important sections in the house related to health and wealth.
If you are looking for a semi-detached house, ensure the property has more land in the eastern and northern sides and not in the southern and western sides.

Auspicious date
When you have chosen the property you like following Vasthu, pick an auspicious day to make your booking payment. Do not go on a Tuesday because it is governed by Mars, an aggressive planet, as you will not be able to conduct your transaction smoothly. You can make your payment on a Thursday, which is ruled by Jupiter, Friday (Venus), Wednesday (Mercury) or Monday (Moon).
Happy house hunting!

SOURCE: http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?file=/2011/11/27/columnists/vasthusastra/9963258&sec=vasthusastra

WORKING DURING THE HOLIDAYS

Though it is the school holidays, my colleagues, Diana, Norma, Azalilah and I still have work to do.  This morning the four of us were at the Teacher Activity Centre in Pantai Remis for a meeting.  It was the third day of meeting for my three friends.  Their meeting ended today.  As for me, the three day meeting began today and will end on Wednesday.  Next year, when our school turns into a college we will not be having holidays like the schools. We will have to go back to college to work in November and December as well.

POWER OF THE FOX SPIRIT 狐仙/狐妖

The Toaists believe that there is a Fox Fairy or Fox Spirit. This entity is also sometimes known as the Fox Deity. The fox spirits that people encounter in tales and legends tend to be females and appear as young, beautiful women. Now this Fox Spirit is said to have the power to help worshippers to become more attractive to the opposite sex.  It seems that there is a temple dedicated to the Fox Fairy in Kaoshuing, Taiwan.  This is a place where many first wives go to get blessings to keep their men and to fend  off any mistresses.  It is not only the first wives who go, those who are deemed the third party would also pray to this fox fairy to improve their charms and to pray for marriage luck.
Recently there was an article about a young Hong Kong model who managed to charm her way into the hearts of a number of Hong Kong celebrities, including the notorious Edison Chen.

Here is the article

Cammi Tse's charms traced to 'foxy spirit'

Cammi Tse gained her fame after her intimate photographs with Edison Chen were exposed.
At only 16, she was rumoured to have "unusual relationships" with several other male celebrities.
But what was it that caused the men – all doing well in their respective fields - falling for Cammi? was it her pretty face or her body?

Hong Kong's 3-Weekly has revealed the 'inside story' in its latest edition.
According to the magazine, the Form Four student had beein praying to a "Fox Deity" in order to seduce men.
This was confirmed by two students, both juniors to Cammi.
They said the teen model had paid HK$5,000 (RM2,050) to a medium to enable her to access the powers of the "Fox Deity".
The girls even brought reporters to a medium, who supposedly has the powers to summon the spirit.
However, the medium refused to reveal if Cammi had sought help from him.
According to legend, the "Fox Deity" is believed to have the power of making female believers attractive to men.
In Hong Kong and Taiwan, this deity is commonly sought by housewives, who want to prevent their husbands from seeing other women, and by GROs to seduce the customers.

Source: Agencies
Published Nov 27 2011
Source: http://www.dailychilli.com/buzz/15351-cammi-tse-prays-to-the-fox-deity

BASIL DRINK WITH LEMON AND HONEY

Let me share with you the recipe for a drink using basil, lemon and honey.

BASIL WITH LEMONADE (3 - 4 SERVINGS)

What you need to make the drink

5 Teaspoon of honey
1 cup hot water
1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves (remove the stems)
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4-5 lemons)

3 teaspoons of brown sugar.

What do do

1. Add the honey and brown sugar to the hot water in a bowl and stir until it is dissolved.  Then let it cool.
2. Blender the basil leaves.  After that sieve to remove the blended leaves.  
3. Fill a jug with water, add the lemon juice and the honey mixture.  Stir.
4. Cover the jug and place inside the fridge for a few hours to let it steep.  

THE FENG SHUI OF BATHROOMS

Feng Shui Bathroom Tips for the Bedroom

Many master bedrooms have a bathroom in it. While this is convenient for us, it can also create Feng Shui problems.
A bathroom door near your bed may drain the energy on your relationship and other life areas. Therefore, you should try to keep your bed as far away from a bathroom door as possible.
The foot of the bed should not point directly at a bathroom door - this can lead to health problems.
If the bathroom is located inside your bedroom, try to keep the bathroom doors closed. This will prevent relationship and health Chi energy from draining out through the bathroom.
Install a small ventilation fan for the bathroom. Bathing and sanitation activities create airborne pollutants that should be exhausted to the exterior of your home.
SOURCE: http://www.feng-shui-tips-for-wealth.com/feng-shui-bathroom.html

ANIMATED AMIR AND LI NA

Check out the animated images of Amir and Me. Really cool, yeah?  Want to try making your own?  Then click this link.

THAI BASIL

One of the herbs that I like to buy from the market is Thai Basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora). I love the unique aroma of this basil. It is also known as Asian basil. My late Aunt May used it as garnishing for steamed fish and prawns.  She said that it adds to the flavour of the dish.  What do I do with it?  Well, I use it as one of the ingredients for a herbal bath.  I also add it to the herbal concoction that I make to keep stress at bay.  Thai Basil is said to be useful as an anti-depressant.