CANNOT ADD TO MY COLLECTION

When I went to buy a present for a colleague who has gotten a transfer to another school, I saw these bears. I like very much BUT had to refrain from buying.

GOING TO BE 200,000 VISITORS SOON

The site meter for this blog is recording a readership of around 198,000 visitors already.  Wow!  In no time, the number of visitors will reach 200,000.  Yeah!

I am feeling very generous and would like to reward the 199,999, 200,000 and 200,001 visitors.  If you happen to be one of the three, do leave a message in my chatbox or email me with details of your address and name.  I would like to send a present  to you.

TASKED AT JUDGING A COMPETITION

I was invited to be a judge for the district NILAM Reading Programme Competition.  I along with the other judges were to select 4 students to represent the district in the state level competition.
I along with Cikgu Hamdan (in the pictures above) were tasked with the Reading Comprehension component of the competition.  It was a change from my usual routine in school.  Once in a while, one needs a change of environment as a Chi booster.

SIGNATURES AND FENG SHUI

I read this story about Korean entertainer Rain having to consider coming up with another signature after a lady fan of his asked him why he scribbled something for her instead of signing his name.  Actually, he did give her an autograph but his name, Rain in Korean which is Bi looks very simply when it is written (See above image).  So I guess Rain will sign his name in English in future.


Actually there is a belief that ones signature does affect our life.  Read the following article to find out.

How does your signature affect your life?

Your signature and the way you use your name have a direct impact in your life. The way you write your name can bring you prosperity and wealth when done properly as well as attract bad luck to you when you make a bad use of it. Therefore, you should always pay attention to the way and places where your signature may appear.

You should always be careful on what you do with your signature and how you use it. Loosing the control of where your name is written might make you loose control of your life as well. Therefore, you should avoid having your signature written on any place which doesn't have a positive purpose.

According to feng shui, your name represents you, and wherever your name appears it is directly symbolizing yourself. Your signature should always be used having this in mind and never in a way such that allows other people step on it or have control of it over you. You must always be in control of your name and signature and what it is used for.

The materials in which your name is written or represented can be a great way to attract prosperity. If, for example, you have your name written in gold, it would attract wealth to you. On the other hand, if you write your name on calling cards in a clear and elegant way, it would attract prosperity to you as well as help people trusting you.

If you will have your name written by a door, it should be placed at the eye level or above it but never lower than that. Ideally, you should try to write it by using golden elements and a clear letter style. The use of colors representing your influential elements according to your feng shui kua number is beneficial as well.

Your name should always appear as clear and visible as possible. Placing your signature at a high place on a paper would be much more beneficial for you than writing it at the lower side of it. And writing it clearly and in a dark colour would help you attracting fame and good reputation.

Source: http://www.fengshuicrazy.com/misc-feng-shui-topics/how-does-your-signature-affect-your-life.php

THOUGHTS ABOUT CHOCOLATES ...

I got these chocolates as a gift from the grandma of my student.  Her daughter, who is living in England came back for a visit and brought back these goodies for her.  Well, I am indeed lucky to get them.  Unfortunately, chocolates trigger off headaches in me and so my nephew Jeremy will get to enjoy eating them instead.
However, many of my Muslim friends are wary of chocolates brought back from western countries as there is no halal certification which means the  animal fats contained in the chocolates might contain something that they are not supposed to eat.  In other words, the chocolates might not be halal.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF ROCK SALT

 Here are different types of Rock Salt.  Two of them are fine and the other is in the form of granules.

 According to the information given by the trader, the fine white salt is suitable for patients suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure.  I guess cooking with this type of salt would help to alleviate the effects of these two dreaded ailments.

 The pinkish fine Himalayan salt is used for cleaning wounds.  It is also said that gargling with this salt would help reduce toothache and is useful as a mouthwash.

 The granule type of Himalayan salt is for soaking ones feet.  By doing so, the curative properties of the salt is touted to be able to reduce toxins in the body and tiredness.
Below you see the rock salt that has been fashioned into fancy shapes which are used as salt lamps.  It is supposed to balance out the Chi in a place and is good for ones health.  My mum bought one but after a few hours she had trouble breathing and felt even worse.  So now the salt lamp is just a decorative item in my house.  Sooner or later, she'd ask me to bring it back to my house in Sitiawan.

LIGHTING LOTUS CANDLE FOR MY MUM

My mum hasn't been feeling well lately and it has gotten my family members and me very worried.  She hasn't been eating well and is feeling very weak.  Her doctor suspects that she is becoming a bit senile and is acting up to seek attention.  
That is why I too haven't been too happy lately as I keep worrying about my mum.  That was why I decided to go to the Kuan Yin Temple in Lumut to obtain blessings from the Goddess for my mum.  Besides the offering of joss-sticks and prayer papers, I also lit a lotus candle on my mum's behalf.  Before I lit the candle I said a prayer to the Goddess to make my mum well and quickly be her normal self again.  
In the spiritual sense, the act of lighting candles symbolises illumination, optimism and also blessings from the Divine Beings.  The light of the candle is believed to give ones life-force a lift.    
I will be buying more candles and lighting them in other temples to help illuminate my mum's spirit.  I am certain that by doing so, the Divine Beings would grant my wish.

BATU GILING (GRINDSTONE)

 I saw this Batu Giling or Grindstone being exhibited at the Teacher Activity Centre in Sitiawan when I was there giving my talk yesterday.  As can be seen in the pictures above, a Batu Giling is a granite slab and rolling pin used for grinding chillies, shallots, garlic and other spices.  My elders say that spices that are ground using this Flintstone-like of device taste better.  Hmm ... is that so?

GIFT OF A CLOCK

One of my colleagues will be transferring to another school on July first which means Thursday will be his last day in school.  A few of my friends and I decided to pool our money to give him a farewell lunch.  I went and got him a clock as a parting gift from us.
For the Chinese giving a gift of a clock is strictly taboo as it symbolises wishing ill on someone.  However, my friend is a Muslim and the gift of a clock has no negative connotation.  Besides, I too have received clocks from my Muslim colleagues and students and so far I am still here.

SPEAKING IN PUBLIC

I was invited to give a talk on "Public Speaking" this morning.  This is part of a Reading Camp to prepare student representatives from the district who would be taking part in the state level NILAM Reading Programme Competition.
Someone once mentioned that Public Speaking is the thing people fear most.  Even more than snakes and death.  Some of the reasons given are fear of being embarrassed, fear of failure while giving a speech in front of people, fear of being judged, fear of ones physical appearance not being appealing to others and fear of being compared with others.
Luckily for me, I do not have a phobia about speaking in public.  I do get a bit nervous before I start but after that I can go on and on, especially if I am giving a talk about one of my pet subjects.
What about you? Are you afraid of giving a speech in public?

A SHY CAT

I spotted this white cat with crystal like blue eyes yesterday afternoon. When I first saw her, the cat was walking along the five foot way outside the library.  The more I called out Meow, Meow, Meow to her, the more she hurried away.  I had wanted to pet her after taking her photos.  Alas!  The cat thought otherwise.

LUCKY SOONSHIM

The pooch wearing the orange raincoat in the picture belongs to a South Korean female celebrity, Lee Hyori. She adopted Soonshim from an animal shelter.  What a lucky pooch!  I hope looking at this picture of Soonsim the pooch in the raincoat and those below with her beautiful mistress will put a smile in your face as it did mine.

HOISTING JOSS-STICKS UP A HILL

Yesterday afternoon, I got to witness how the volunteers at the Tung Wah Cave Temple hoist giant joss-sticks up the hill.  They use an electronic pulley to do the job.  It was quite a tedious task hoisting about 100 joss-sticks up the hill.  I was told that the volunteers would usually do the work on Sunday as they do not have to work on this day.  It was indeed interesting watching the man labouring to lift about 7 giant joss-sticks each time.