LIGHT AND DARK SIDES

The light and dark sides are soooo cool. As a Star Wars fan, I am contemplating on doing for for my light switch at home.
Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/372813675379685260/

VASTHU FOR BUSINESS PREMISES

By T. SELVA

Ancient knowledge like the Vasthu Sastra should be observed as a way of life to experience the desired results of peace, prosperity and happiness.

It should not be viewed as an application that is only used when an individual runs into trouble.

I received an e-mail from a factory owner in Penang who lamented that his five-year-old manufacturing business is facing losses and he suspects something is not right with the energy flow at his premises. He asked for tips to rescue the situation. His factory faces South.

He can no longer cope with the low orders, reduced earnings, pilfering and disgruntled workers.
Exterior

The first step he should take is to do an audit of his factory exterior to determine its location. It must not face a T-junction which is inauspicious in Vasthu. A road that “spears” a building brings negative consequences to its occupants.

Next, the building should be built on a square or rectangular piece of land. Avoid irregular land shapes as they distort the flow of energy.

The building should be located towards the western and southern sides of the property, that is, less space in the two quadrants and more space in the northern and eastern quadrants.

The ideal entrance should be in the South-East with the guardhouse positioned here.

The power transformer should be positioned in the South-East, which is the fire corner for such a facility.

Parking bays should be sited in the South and toilets for workers should be in the West, followed by the canteen in the North-West.

The generator should be in the “air corner” in the North-West, and the factory can have a water feature in the North-East.

Interior

The entrance to the factory should be located in the East, and the recommended place for the quality control room is the South-East.

Heat-related machines could be positioned in the South-East, followed by other heavy machines in the South and South-West sections.

Avoid placing heavy machines in the North-East as that would retard progress and cause disunity among employees.

The best use of the West quadrant is for the storage of raw materials and the North-West should be reserved for all finished products.

It is vital to leave the end product in the air corner so that the goods would clear fast and the company will attract new orders.

Packing and assembly of goods should be handled in the northern region.
Office

The office plays an important role in the success of a factory and for a South-East entry, the ideal place for the facility is in the North-East. Here an enclosure can be created and the main door to the office should open towards the right upon entering the premises.

The managing director should occupy a room in the South-West and his back should face the wall. An image of a mountain like Mt Everest should be hung on the wall behind him, and he should sit on a maroon chair. His table should be rectangular in shape and bigger than other tables in the office.

Other management staff like the general manager or manager should occupy the North-West and they should face East when working.

In the extreme corner of the South-West where the managing director sits, a safe box should be placed to keep cash and important business documents. This location is the wealth corner and such placement would enhance earnings and bring unexpected abundance.

Accounts staff should sit in the North-East sector and face East, and the administration staff should use the South-East section of the office.

The office floor colour should be maroon, brown or orange so that the employees will be alert and remain focused on their work. Avoid black, grey and blue on the floor.

White light should be used in the office to improve concentration and remove any lethargic feelings. Warm lights or mood lighting are discouraged in an office.

Manufacturers who orientate their premises according to the flow of energy can expect a harmonious working environment, accident-free production and enjoy steady growth.

T. Selva is the author of the Vasthu Sastra Guide and the first disciple of 7th generation Vasthu Sastra master Yuvaraj Sowma from Chennai, India. You can follow him on twitter at @tselvas and write to him at tselvas@thestar.com.my. This column appears in print on the last Sunday of every month.

LINK

WEDDING DRESS FROM ANTIQUE BEDSPREAD

Before shooting a wedding scene for Episode II in an Italian village, costume designer Trisha Biggar was hunting through a thrift store when she came across an antique lace bedspread, thought to date back to the Edwardian period. She decided to transform it into the wedding gown of Padme Amidala for her secret marriage to Anakin Skywalker. Biggar stayed up all night hand-beading the bedspread with her small crew, turning it into the off-white, low-cut gown Padme wears while exchanging vows with the future Darth Vader. "When you look at dress, you’d never think ‘bedspread,’" French says.

Source: http://www.fastcodesign.com/3042202/weird-facts-behind-6-famous-star-wars-costumes?partner=rss

VASTHU SASTRA: WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD FROM HARM

By T. SELVA

Children are an important component in any family and anything affecting them hurts the whole family. From young, extra care and protection are given to them to ensure their safety and well-being because they can be vulnerable to negative and unseen entities owing to their innocence.

In all societies, there are various methods, tools and amulets to shield children from harm. Look out for the following warning signs: sleep disturbances, poor academic performance, invisible playmates, unusual behaviours, and mishaps.

One of the first indications that your child is being affected by dark forces is when he or she is experiences sleep disturbances. The problem should be addressed swiftly to minimise damage to body, mind and emotion.

In Vasthu Sastra, individuals must not sleep in the magnetic grid direction of the earth. Never place your head towards the north, with your legs towards the south. This position will drain your energy, affect sleep and ruin health. Sleeping facing all other compass directions is fine.

Place a dream catcher which is made of feathers, bones and other sacred items and hang it at the doorway, window panel or child’s crib or bed. This traditional Native American tool wards off nightmares and allows positive dreams to filter through. Nightmares are caught up in the web and neutralised when the first rays of the sun strike them.

Hang a dream catcher at the bedroom doorway to neutralise bad dreams.

Where possible, avoid taking children to a funeral or graveyard because such places are deemed to have undetected high negative energies that can disturb them. If this cannot be avoided, get them to wear a black onyx or tiger eye stone which has the power to combat and release unpleasant emotions, grief and sorrow when visiting such places.

To guard children when visiting unfamiliar places, sew some salt in a mini cloth bag and ask the child to carry it with him. Salt can remove impurities. They can also carry iron items like nails which are considered protective tools against malevolent forces.

To ward off ill will energies from people who enter your home or space, hang a horseshoe at the main entrance. A crescent moon also has the power to keep away unseen energies.

Keep your child away from people who can cast an evil eye on your child because such individuals are capable of sending ill intent and thoughts which can penetrate your kids’ aura and ruin his happiness. Wear a Turkish or Egyptian evil eye protector to eliminate such harm.

Safeguard newborns

Collect flowers like fragrant jasmine or roses, tie them up and place them in a cloth bag. Keep the bag of flowers by the side of the child’s bed and take some petals and place them under the bed on a new moon day.

You can also take seven slices of bread and place them under the child’s pillow. Leave them overnight. The following day, remove the bread and feed it to the birds.

Protection spell

Children are exposed to risks when they are out of the house. To protect them, take their favourite toy or item and tie a white ribbon on one end and a clear quartz crystal on the other end. Do this activity during the full moon phase. The crystal will ground protective energy and transmit harmonious energy to the child.

Another effective method is to collect some sea water in a bottle and place it under the bed or behind the headboard with the lid open.

Evil eye remover

Cut off a piece of the child’s clothing and burn it together with salt, coriander seeds and black pepper. Use the smoke to sterilise the space occupied by the child and sprinkle the cooled ashes on the child.

Next, take a lime and run it over the child’s body, take it outside your house, cut it and throw it away.

Get an elder to burn some camphor and wave it around the child to destroy any negative aura.

Protective shield

Warm some essential oil like vetiver oil in an aroma burner and inhale the scent deeply. Close your eyes and allow the fragrance to envelop your whole body. You can also mix the oil with fresh water and take a bath. Vetiver is known to have powerful properties to ward off ill intentions. This practice should be observed when you are travelling, visiting a new place or meeting new friends.

Salt protection

Add sea salt and vinegar to the bath and let it dissolve. Take seven bay leaves and mix them with the water. Allow the ingredients to soak for an hour and later take a bath using the water. Tuesday, which is ruled by planet Mars, is the best day to perform the ritual.

Chilli and coconut ritual

Tie seven red chillies at the main doorway of the house. Replace with new ones once the chillies rot because they would have served their purpose. Normally, the chillies will last for several days or even weeks and turn bad easily when you have an unwelcomed visitor. Take a coconut, stand at the main door and visualise all the dark forces passing through your body and hands. Take the coconut outside your house, smash it at the road junction, and return home and bathe immediately.

T. Selva is the author of the Vasthu Sastra Guide and the first disciple of 7th generation Vasthu Sastra master Yuvaraj Sowma from Chennai, India. You can follow him on twitter at @tselvas. This column appears on the last Sunday of every month.

LINK

MAKING WEDDING PHOTO BOOTH PROPS AND FRAMES

I promised my friend Khairah that I'd help her to make the photo booth for her daughter's wedding next month and so I have been busy making the photo frames and the props.  That is also the reason why I haven't done any blog posts for a few days.  I have done a lot already and will spend more time on more posts next.

THE MONKEY DID IT

My orchid plant had a lovely spray of flowers and I was going to snap photos to show my friends.  But horror of horrors, the neighbourhood monkey got to it before I  could do so.  Sob! Sob!

WAITING TO WATCH EPISODE 7

I am a huge Star Wars fan and am anxiously awaiting the premiere of the the 7th episode, "The Force Awakens".  It premieres in Malaysia on 17th December. So I need to wait another 3 more weeks.

BUYING PLATES, MUGS AND CUTLERY FOR NEEDY CHILDREN

Yesterday I went to buy Melamine plates, mugs and cutlery for the Rumah Wawasan children in the afternoon. One of my friends sponsored these items for them. He also gave me money to buy KFC for them.

UNDER THE WEATHER

My Precious is not feeling too well. She has vomited twice already. Once on Tuesday morning and then again this morning. If he is not well, then Precious will have to visit Dr Murrugaya tomorrow morning. I suspect that it could be the ikan keropok that he had eaten from my dinner table.

ROTI ARAB

This is the Malaysian version of Roti Arab or Arabian Bread.  It seems that the real Roti Arab sold in Saudi Arabia is harder and much bigger in size.  My Malaysian friends prefer the local version which is made according to Malaysian tastebuds.

MY OLD ABODE

When I was much younger I lived in a town house in Ipoh. My family moved to our own house in a housing estate only in 1999.  Last weekend when I went for breakfast at Keng Nam Kopitiam I went to check out my old abode.  It is just across the road from that shop.
The place is now a boutique called Adore.

LUNCH

After working for hours in the morning, Haziq finally managed to complete his Employability Skills File at around noon. Then he had to wait for me to mark the tasks and assessment sheets then sign them before he could hand up the file to Cikgu Shahidan who was also in college today.
After that I gave him and Megat a lunch treat at Ritz Secret Cafe. Yeah. Finished with Haziq's ES file. Next are the photoshoot props and frames. Then Megat will help me to paint the three library racks next week.

FINISHING HIS WORK

My student Amirul Haziq came to finish his ES file this morning. He could not do so before this as he was busy training and taking part in the MySkills competition. Thank goodness he became the champion for all his sacrifices. I promised him to have a session with him during the holidays to finish the file.So I am keeping my word.

DI ZHANG WANG PUSA

Here is a picture of Di Zhang Wang Pusa which was taken at the Tua Pek Kong Temple in Pasir Panjang.  I am not exactly sure how high the statue is but it should be at least two storeys in height.

More info about Di Zhang Wang Pusa

Ksitigarbha (Sanskrit Kṣitigarbha, Chinese: 地藏; pinyin: Dìzàng; Japanese: 地蔵) is a bodhisattva primarily revered in East Asian Buddhism and usually depicted as aBuddhist monk. His name may be translated as "Earth Treasury", "Earth Store", "Earth Matrix", or "Earth Womb". Ksitigarbha is known for his vow to take responsibility for the instruction of all beings in the six worlds between the death of Gautama Buddha and the rise of Maitreya, as well as his vow not to achieve Buddhahood until allhells are emptied. He is therefore often regarded as the bodhisattva of hell-beings, as well as the guardian of children and patron deity of deceased children and aborted fetuses in Japanese culture, where he is known as Jizō or Ojizō-sama.

Usually depicted as a monk with a halo around his shaved head, he carries a staff to force open the gates of hell and a wish-fulfilling jewel to light up the darkness.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kshitigarbha

MEETING BLOG FRIEND

I finally got to meet Ten. We got to know each other through this blog, Xing Fu. Incredibly, she used to live in Sitiawan and is a long time friend of Lai Yoong. She is in Sitiawan now for a visit. Yesterday night, Lai Yoong and I brought her to the Tua Pek Kong temple for a visit.

REFRIGERATOR ON KEROSENE

Here is one very old antique refrigerator which ran on kerosene.  Wah.  This was way back before electricity was used in households.

GRAMOPHONE IN ONES DREAM

To dream you hear or buy a Gramophone, suggests an expected long, turbulent and romantic affair.

LINK

MY AUNT AND MY KITTEN

Don't you agree that both my aunt and kitten are just as adorable?

EXTRA TIME FOR HAZIQ

My student Amirul Haziq took part in the national level MySkills Competition in Sepang from 17 until 19th November and emerged champion for his category.  He trained for weeks, day and night for the competition and because of that he missed some my Employability Skills classes.  So next Tuesday I will be meeting with him in college for him to finish his file for this course.  His is a special case because he represented the college for a competition and was given extra time to finish his file.

END OF CAMP

Here are two group pictures of the course participants and their lecturers after the closing ceremony for their 4-day camp.  After that they will have a 6 week break before the new semester begins on 3rd January 2016.

COLLEGE CAFETERIA CHAPPATI

The college cafeteria only started offering chappati on its menu towards the last three weeks of the semester.  And their chappatis were delicious. Hmm ... I will miss having those for breakfast during the holidays.

BIDDING FAREWELL TO COLLEAGUE ON LAST DAY OF SEMESTER

 Yesterday was a very busy day for me.  Besides handing in the files and other documents for the close of the semester, I had to be on photography duty for the closing ceremony of the Pre Diploma Camp.  At the same time, my friends and I bid farewell to our colleague Sit Fah who will be transferring back to her home state Sarawak next year.

ELEPHANTS AND FENG SHUI