Meeting the Tiger...

Actually I do not want to talk about this case because it is under fire and still hot on the daily news. However I remember I read somewhere, "the more you dig, the smell will get from bad to worst". It is true, just because of one case and all those that have suffered silently stepped up to air their woes.

This case of cheating retailers (not that it is new) happened everywhere in the world. I felt that if I am being cheated, it just shows that I am ignorant. I buy something without checking on the prices and comparing them. Again, buying something and needing a warranty is to protect against faulty item. To sign on papers has nothing to do with you being educated or uneducated, it is whether you understand the implications and at the same time the COST of signing papers. Do we read? Foreigners became scapegoats to this unlawful practices because they are here for a short stay. I supposed many went home suffering. Most of the time these people worked so hard, save a bit of money and hoping to get a toy (handphone in this case) to make himself happy and got stuck with such unhappy memories. It really damaged the reputation of the Country.

The scam at Sim Lim Square is a shame. It is like human borne in perfect human form but do not act like one, what a waste. I first read that the errant retailer throw refund monies on the floor for the poor customer to pick up - mind you in different denominations coins! Is it fun to see people stoop so low to pick up their monies? What type of gratification is this? It is a mockery of others dignity. Again within the same week another customer was cheated. He had to knee down to beg for refund! I could not bring myself to see the video which went viral. My heart ached.

This person who ran the shop, what sort of upbringing he has? I wondered the school he went to. I wondered what is his value as a human, as a son, as a responsible citizen, as a husband, as a father and as a friends? Looking at the way he behaves, it is understandable that his motivation is to make money, more money and more more money irregardless how he does it. This person have no sympathy, I don't want to say compassion (compassion is too big a word for him).

In here I saw the swift reaction of KARMA - what goes around comes around. Now the whole Singapore is after him - he angered Singaporean by his behaviours. All the "smelly" transactions are out in the open. I am amazed at netizens and the power of internet. They found all his personal particulars, where he lives, whom is his wife and what is her job. They even found where his mother is selling cooked food. Just because of his behaviors, he  subjected his family members to shame, harassment and caustic comments.

He did not apologized and obviously did not regret. He went into hiding. He sold his shop and continue to live a life and hoping the case will blow over. He will start his business all over again, in another name or use others name and continue to make his fortune.

Thanks to him, more and more retailers are now being targeted of error retailing, how about that? Singaporean should thank him for exposing not only himself and other retailers too. This will make it easy to do a one time cleaning of all retailers! I Kudos Jover Chew. He is an overnight celebrity.

A Chinese proverb..."going up the mountain too often will surely meet a Tiger". 

My Four Boyfriends...

I have four boyfriends with me all the time and I love all four of them. However as in human weaknesses, of course there is a degree of affection.

I love my 4th boyfriend the most. I showered him with the most expensive and branded clothes and accessories and feed him with the best and finest food ever. I splurged on him.

As for my 3rd boyfriend, I showed him off to everyone I met. I make sure that everyone knows of his good look and I keep making sure he has the best treatment to keep him looking young with good complexion and health. However, I always fear that he will leave me.

My 2nd boyfriend is my best friend. I tell him everything and confide in him when I am in problem or when I am sad. He is always so patient with me and stays with me and sees me through all my tough times.

#1 is always the dependable one. He is a loyal partner. He always keeps to virtuous actions and maintains my wealth. I love him least. I seldom took notice of him being around only until I am not well or when I am fearful and need spiritual comfort..

One day I realized that I am going to die. With much attachment I asked my 4th boyfriend whether he will follow me. He said “No way” and walked away.

I turned to my 3rd boyfriend and asked the same questions. “NO! Life is so good here. Why should I die with you? I will marry someone else and continue my good life.”

When my 2nd boyfriend came to see me, I told him I am dying and he has always been supportive and my confidante and will he dies with me? He said “No, but at most I can walk you to your grave”.

This time #1 heard all the conversations and he quietly said “Don’t be afraid, I will follow you and be with you and never leave you wherever you are”. Someone I have neglected and never take notice of, someone whom I have not given any attention is willing to die with me. I regretted I have not given much attention to him but he has been silently accumulating my virtues and wealth. I know that I am not alone and he will always be with me, ever.

In actual fact we truly have 4 boyfriends…

The 4th boyfriend is actually our Body. We always lavished on our Body and give it its best. The sad thing is Body will leave when we die.

My 3rd boyfriend is all my Possessions i.e Status and Wealth. I am so afraid I lose them but I am not able to take him with me, he will go to others’ arms.

My 2nd boyfriend is my Family and Friends. No matter how close we are, they will never want to die with me, at most send me to my grave.

My 1st boyfriend is my Spiritual endeavors. He is the least I pay attention to. When I spent so much time on Body, accumulating Possessions and running around Family and Friends, I have no time for Spiritual.

However Spiritual never leaves me. It stays and accumulates every little merit I did. With these, Spiritual follows me until I attained Realization for the benefits of all Beings. It is my final manifestation of Realty and Non-Duality.

So you have to take good care of all 4 of them. They need to sync to Spiritual. Know your priority and never lost track. Keep your focus on the final goal and good luck.

Collections of Wise Sayings by Buddha...

This post is consist selective Buddha's Wisdom for your contemplation. Amid all the calamities happening around the World, may these wise sayings bring you Inner Peace.

• Do not dwell in the past; do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

• It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell

• It is better to travel well than to arrive

• Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without

• The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.

• The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.

• Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. 

• Happiness never decreases by being shared

• We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world

• What we think, we become

• Hatred does not cease through hatred at any time. Hatred ceases through love. This is an unalterable law.

• Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.

• In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.

• Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.

• To understand everything is to forgive everything

• You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger

• No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path

• Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others

Countries in the World...

 

A little bit about geography here as I was curious about visitors from various countries to my blog. Actual fact my Blog is not open or make popular by my postings. I write just about anything I fancied or I want to express my feelings or opinion. However by checking I realized 145 countries have actually dropped by here, some repeatedly. Thank you all for your support!

Do you know how many countries are there in the World? Well my poster said it = 196 countries. Put aside those recognized by United Nation or by United States of America which is 193 countries and 195 countries respectively...geographically I take it as 196 countries.

However you may want to find out actually there are countries that are micro size. Some are just the size of a shopping mall. So interesting right?  

You may want to know that the largest country on Earth is Russia and the tiny one is Vatican City whose size is about that of a golf course. Of course other smaller countries are Monaco, Nauru, Tuvalu and San Marino, just to name a few.

91 Birthdays of our Founding Father - Mr Lee Kuan Yew

On 16th September 2014, Singapore celebrated the 91st Birthday of Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

We are grateful for this great Bodhisattva, Mr LKY (most address him such).  I never forget the words of my late Mum that we owe it to Mr LKY to be where we are today. There is another thing she said..."always hang the National Flag on National Day" which we have been doing yearly, as long as we have a place to hang it, until we expire. I knew what Mum meant where most people don't...there is no Home with a broken Country and corrupted people who govern it.

This little island, you can hardly find it on the Map of the World. Today, people who want to find Singapore will zoom in on this place called Singapore which they heard about, and find us. Countries know us and all these are possible because of Mr LKY. Making the Country known is bringing us our bread and butter too.

Many people did not see Mr LKY as a man that have done so much for us. Many people saw him as PAP. This great man just happened to be the member of PAP. Call a Rose by any other name and it is still smelling sweet.

There are people who said it, many more thought about it and many many more who expressed it in writings, in arts in songs...Happy Birthday, Sir. Happy Birthday and thank you for giving us a safe Home. Please stay healthy for all who love you.

All said but could not find words to truly express our gratitude. See you around, Sir !!!!

Sweet Potatoes…

Sweet potatoes is definitely not a rich man’s food. It is consider desserts and there are many yummy desserts make of this. Many find it too sweet and it fills up your hunger very fast so for those wanting to slim effectively try this tuber. 

There are yellow sweet potatoes and purple sweet potatoes which are both fantastic. In Singapore we can find those from Vietnam and Indonesia, the more expensive ones from Japan. Initially I do not really enjoy this tuber. I supposed it is acquired and I prefer yam to sweet potatoes.

One day I instinctively bought sweet potatoes and throw it into a toaster. The sweet aroma filled my nostril and the yellow meat was so inviting, I started to consume it. At the same time I was suffering from this nagging pain on my knees and knee joints from over exercises and age of course. I never expected anything from this tuber except its fiber but over night, the pain on my knees are gone. Viola! So it is good for attacking inflammatory as well.

I have been sharing some of these vegetables and fruits and what they did to me, not from internet but by experiencing it myself. I am not a nutrient expert nor a food critics but I like to share the goodness from my own eating. So try this tuber if you have not started loving it. It is something that even Diabetic can eat and recommended by Doctors. (Trust Diabetics know that although fruits are good and healthy but there is sugar in some fruits that they must avoid but not this super sweet tuber.)

There are many ways to eat it. The most straight forward way is

1) To steam it or 
 2) You skin it and cut it into small pieces and boil it with coconut milk (you need not add sugar) 
3) Mashed it and roll it over grind coconut bits. 
4) Mashed it and bake a pie with it. 
5) Mashed and roll it into bit size balls and deep-fry but since we are looking at healthy eating, I am not for this although it is yummy. 
6) If you are camping, or doing a BBQ, you can wrapped them in aluminum foils and throw them into the fire and let it cook. This tuber does not need fussy cooking and is easy and handy to eat. Just unwrapped the foil and peel off the skin. 

It is ignorant just eating a sweet potato as a sweet potato and not knowing the goodness it brings. So here is to list some…. (quotes from the experts)

1) Carotenoids: plant compounds that squelch cell damage caused by everyday living
2) Vitamin E: an antioxidant that may protect against heart disease. 
3) Potassium: a mineral necessary for muscle contraction, nerve transmission, bone health, water balance, and normal blood pressure. (It got more than bananas, believe it or not.)
4) Copper: it assists in the production of collagen, which is responsible for keeping muscles healthy and skin taut. 
5) Quercetin: research shows this potent phyto nutrient may help you breathe easier by warding off allergies, hay fever, and asthma.
6) High fiber content – well it definitely has more than any other types of potatoes 
7) Vitamin B6 – which is crucial to  keep our blood vessels/ arteries from hardening 
8) Super rich in Vitamin A, an antioxidant which keeps away many types of Cancers. It keeps skin healthy and it is nutrients to the Eyes (this is important because it helps vision loss as well as protect muscle degeneration). 
9) It contains Manganese which helps to balance blood sugar 
10) It also contain Vitamin C and Vitamin E. We know that these two are also powerful antioxidants which helps to prevent diseases and aging. 

So much for Sweet Potatoes…wonderful tuber…staple food to some…good for Diabetic…and powerful antioxidant…keeping us healthy and long life. 

Start eating…
 

Meatless Cause...

I joined Jangchub Shing (TV Show in UK) in their Cause of promoting Meatless Monday. I hope all who stumbled on my blog support this Cause. It is only once a week on Monday and you can increase the days if you wish to do so. There is also a group called "Meatless Monday" which you may choose. You can choose either and support them on Facebook.

Recently my instinct is to go off meat for a month. The reasons for doing so (putting compassion aside) is the smell of these poultry and seafood. I was wondering why all these years I never smell these stench and they stink, why now? It is the smell of death. The stench of dead poultry and seafood frozen for our consumption puts me off. Many like eating fresh fishes, lobsters, crabs, octopus and because they are not human so its is OK to kill them? Others goes for exotic food like life monkey brain, life snake bile, life crocs' heads, life deers antlers and the blood and leave the deer bleeding to death. They think it is aphrodisiac, how can it be when it is so cruelly taken.

A report said that there was this Chef who is getting ready snake soup for clients. He chopped off the head of a cobra but unfortuantely the snake head, I don't know how, bit him. The Chef died of poison. He killed the snake and immediately the snake killed him. I called this Karma.

All animals, plants, trees, rocks, minerals, river, sea, stream, marine lives, the air and all in this World system is a blessing from Mother Earth. It is a gift but we have been taking selfishly, shamelessly and harming the environment. We contaminate everything we touch, even the air.

All these are because we craved for comfort, we craved for our mouth, we craved for our feel, we craved for our eyes and we craved for our body etc. Even if we do not need it, we still want to take. We forget that there is one thing we cannot own...AGE!

So Mother Earth is reacting to this. There are sickness and now ELBOLA, let alone Cancer, Aids and many funny sicknesses. The animals are reacting, from mad cow to mad chicken, to pigeon and more to come. We all have a part in these.

There are groups of people trying their best to protect the Environment however their effort is not enough. You can play your part to be a little more aware of your surroundings. Learn to appreciate what Mother Earth is giving us and after all we live here. Don't take everything, only the needed. I am not asking you to be totally off meat, or off the things that you like but take only what you need. Chinese has a proverb that say "All sicknesses starts from the Mouth".

We worked so hard to accumulate our Wealth but we lost it all by paying for all the medical fees, or to war or to Nature. The Law of Karma of what goes around comes around is never wrong. I invite you to join Us/ Me on this worthy Cause.

May you be blessed with all your Undertakings by spreading a little kindness and compassion along the Way. _(())_

Wisdom...

I have been contemplating on this for a while now. It is about compassion and killing

Putting aside Buddha's stories which have similar happenings but this is what I experienced myself.

One night I was having dinner with a group of friends in a private room. There is this full glass wall to ground window which we can look into a garden. As the sun sets, it got darker outside and the warm light in our room attracted some insects and reptiles. 

As we were waiting for our food and everyone were excited exchanging greetings, someone suddenly said "oh dear! look at that lizard, it is going to eat the moth!". All of us ran over to the glass window and with all the knockings tried to shoo the lizard off. Our compassion at work so the reaction is natural. When all the shooing were going on, I was watching and it suddenly occurred to me... 

".... the lizard was trying to take a meal, the moth was there and so became the bait. We were all trying to save the moth....what about the hungry lizard? Isn't the lizard also worthy of our compassion? What is the lizard going to eat? If the lizard did not eat the moth, the lizard will eat some other insects, so where is our compassion for the other insects?" 

 Do you have an answer?

This World is a cycle. Things happened for a reason. It is the natural eco system that World depends upon. We are part of this cycle because we are in the same realm as all other animals, insects and others. The only different is we are in different forms. Everything depend on each other to recycle. One is gone another will appear and it goes on. 

There is another story that goes like this... 

A boatman pushed the boat out to the river. In the course of the pushing, the boat slides over mud. On the boat there was a Monk and many other lay people. One man walked up to the Monk and asked "Shifu (meaning venerable master), did this boatman committed sin while pushing the boat out from shore to the river. In this pushing the boat slides over mud killing many creatures living in the mud?" Shifu looked at the person who asked the question and said "you are the one that have committed the sin, not the boatman". The person was shocked! The Monk further explained "The boatman is doing his work and he has no intention to kill. If you did not get on the boat, the boatman need not move the boat and therefore no lives were killed. Killing is completed with intention and you think about these creatures being killed. No one on this boat thought about it". 

Therefore many happenings are Cause and Effect of our actions. Did you get it???? 

A Day at the Garden....

I was at The Garden By The Bay on 16.8.2014 with my brother. I have taken some photographs with my handphone and put them up here. It is always a joy to see multicolored flora and fauna at display. Enjoy!

Public Spirits.....

Bravo! to the Australian for their public spirit. The picture is a very touching scene and so many hands. Kudos to the train staff for reacting fast enough so that the train did not moved off and cost a life. 

As I read this article, I also read some of the comments and I felt ashamed of the remarks. I do not know whether the people who posted are Singaporean or not but sure took the opportunity to run down the Singapore system. Some said that people are afraid of Fine. I totally agreed with one comment that some Singapore people will stand around and not help and later take opportunities to blame the train operator and the Government. This is typical Singaporean! No matter how the Government or the public authorities/ operators do their best, they are not able to meet everyone’s needs and it mean they are NO GOOD. People will only want more and more but not willing to be a little selfless; a little less critical. 

Some said such happened in Japan before. Are they saying that Japan have this happening all the time? Meaning it is no great deal and why are the Australian being applauded for good spirit? It is a news report, not vying for anyone to say good things so if one is a sour grape, get something to sweeten the mouth.

Public Spirit is in our heart. Whether you have or don’t it is in born. It is not the Fine of $5,000, weighing it against a person’s life. What if the person is your loved ones? Do you want people to help them of not? 

I am sure the authorities or the Government is not brainless. How will they Fine public spirit like this? This is an accident. Even if there is Fine, probably the Operator and they will need to improve the gap between the train and the platform. The Government and relevant authorities will do their part to lessen future accidents as much as possible. We, as the people just have to act like Human if there is a need. These bad mouth people are SAINT and they never make any mistake in their life. 

Some of the comments were impossible. We are educated but our thinking capacities are just limited to that ZERO mark. Some can be very vulgar and cynical with their choice of words. I am glad they are Small People (小人) just shooting their mouth off with nothing better to do. What will happen to our Country if they are Leaders? What’s wrong with all of US? 

If everyone do their part and does their due diligent, no Fine needs to be imposed. However with Fine, the people still go against it. I saw people riding bicycle over overhead bridge when there is an indication of Fine. They defied the Law and ignore pedestrian safety. There are Fine for NO U TURN but people still do because they believe they will not be caught. There are Fine for using handphones when driving but there are so many people doing it, some even text sms or watch videos oblivious of their own safety and that of Others. Of course there are Fine for speeding but the smart alex knows where to avoid the "Eye".

FINE is a handy excuse. If you are fined means you are against the Law and what’s wrong being Fine? You ask for it!!! 

Anyway GRACIOUSNESS is something the people must learn. GOT STYLE BUT GOT NO VALUE is wasting away one’s life. We are found of finding others’ faults but never see one’s wrong doing. Super Selfish.. double confirmed!!! 

Don’t need to scold me or throw bad eggs at me, I am also learning from all these people - the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Hopefully I pick up good habits! 

Star Gazing ...Perseid Meteors vs the Supermoon

I have always been interested in star gazing. In Singapore it is too bright. When I was working in Bintan, Indonesia I love looking at the night sky. The stars are so bright and I feel that I can just reach for the stars. It made me very happy. At time I search for the North Star and sometime I can find the various horoscopes. As I came back to Singapore, this interest falls into the back of my mind. Today I saw this news and and  am thrilled. I do not know whether we can see it in Singapore, but go out of the bright lights and see if you can see some meteors. Don't forget to make a wish. (Below are shared by Courtesy of NASA).

QUOTE The annual Perseid meteor shower finds itself in an unusual situation -- competing for attention in August with the supermoon. August's full moon will pose a problem for the Perseids as the bright light will black out dimmer meteors. 

The Perseid meteor shower peaks around Tuesday or Wednesday although there will be plenty of activity over the weekend and Monday. The Perseids gets its name as the meteors look like they originate from the constellation Perseus. Comet Swift-Tuttle is responsible for the Perseids as Earth crosses into the debris trail the comet leaves behind as it makes its way around the sun. 

Comet Swift-Tuttle has a large nucleus which means it leaves behind plenty of debris and in a good year, stargazers could see as many as 100 meteors per hour at the Perseids' peak. Comet Swift-Tuttle last passed Earth in 1992 and travels in a 133 year orbit around the sun. 

While many stargazers looking forward to the Perseids' peak are worried about the full moon Sunday and bright moon throughout the week, there are plenty of reasons to step outside and look at the night sky for a few meteors. 

Swift-Tuttle's debris stream is quite wide, which means you could still see meteors toward the end of month, and the Perseids is known as the "fireball champion," NASA said. Compared to other annual meteor showers, the Perseids have produced 568 fireballs, an extremely bright, streaking meteor, since 2008 compared to 426 for the Geminids and 319 for the Orionids. "The Perseids are rich in fireballs as bright as Jupiter or Venus. These will be visible in spite of the glare," said Bill Cooke, from NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office, in a statement. 

With the high rate of meteors and fireballs, chances are you'll see plenty of the Perseids despite the supermoon. Pre-dawn viewing yields the best results. In the northern hemisphere, stargazers should look towards the northeast to find the constellation Perseus. UNQOTE

 ScienceCasts: Perseid Meteors vs the Supermoon

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SINGAPORE......CHEERS!!!

9TH AUGUST 2014

MAJULAH SINGAPURA

 
UPDATED 13-8-2014

Happy National Day...48 going to 49!

Once again we will be celebrating our National Day 2014 on 9th August. This year the slogan is "Our People, Our Home".

This is a simple and yet powerful message. To a Country, the success is the People who make up the "Country". Without People, it will not be a country but just a piece of land on the map, probably unnoticed. To the People, the Country is their Home. It is a land that provides them livelihood, safety, peace and harmony and a continuity to the next generation and generations to come.

I live in Singapore I call my Home. I know the important of Harmony and the Unity of the People. You take a bundle of sticks and try to break them and it is not that easy. Once the bundle of sticks are loosen, others with bad intentions can infiltrate and break all the sticks one by one. Simple logic and all these "Others" may come from external source and internally too if we do not see the big picture.

A Home may have many restrictions and we have expectations as well but what matter most is Peace and Safety. May people practice Restraints and be less Selfish and a little more Selfless.

Therefore, this National Day, I pray for Singapore's Peace and Harmony, I pray for the safety of the People, I pray for a good Government, I pray that families are intact, I pray for those working overseas to be safe and protected and I pray for the happiness of the People. May we all always have food on our tables and in our stomach. May we all never be short of opportunities for gainful employment. Most of all, may we maintain Compassion and Wisdom in our daily life. Always have a smile for the person next to you.......

HAPPY NATIONAL DAY, SINGAPORE!

Tribute to the MH17 victims...

I am speechless on ignorant people who took ignorant lives. All the fingers pointing is an act which will not bring back the lives of 298 people and the hope of the surviving families. It is human cruelty to another and one have to answer for one's action.

I pray for the perished victims to have a better rebirth....and my

DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO ALL THE SURVIVING FAMILIES!

Cherry..the fruit

It is the season again and I saw Cherries in the supermarkets. I love this fruit because of its sweet sour taste and it is great for binging. The fruits are bite size so it is so easy to finish a box of it without even knowing it has gone down the stomach.

I started to look at the things I eat after I went through the recent surgery. I am not paranoid but find it very interesting to note the facts about what I put into my mouth. There are things which I love to eat and they are rubbish. Of course I acknowledge that at times I need to have rubbish to make my Mind happy, not that my Body needs it.

So now I went searching what cherries will do for me and found interesting facts.

…Quote

Cherries are one of the very low calorie fruits; however, are rich source of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Both sweet as well as tart cherries are packed with numerous health benefiting compounds that are essential for wellness.

Cherries are pigment rich fruits. These pigments, in fact, are polyphenolic flavonoid compounds known as anthocyanin glycosides. Anthocyanins are red, purple or blue pigments found in many fruits and vegetables, especially concentrated in their skin, known to have powerful anti-oxidant properties.

Scientific studies have shown that anthocyanins in the cherries are found to act like anti-inflammatory agents by blocking the actions of cyclooxygenase-1, and 2 enzymes. Thus, consumption of cherries has potential health effects against chronic painful episodes such as gout arthritis, painful muscle condition and sports injuries.

Research studies also suggest that anti-oxidant compounds in tart cherries help the human body to fight against cancers, aging and neurological diseases, and pre-diabetes condition.

Cherry fruits are very rich in stable anti-oxidant melatonin. Melatonin can cross the blood-brain barrier easily and produces soothing effects on the brain neurons, calming down nervous system irritability, which helps relieve neurosis, insomnia and headache conditions.

Further, they are also mild source of zinc, moderate sources of iron, potassium, and manganese and good source of copper. Potassium is a heart-healthy mineral; an important component of cell and body fluids that regulate heart rate and blood pressure.

The fruits, especially tart cherries are exceptionally rich in health promoting flavonoid poly phenolic anti-oxidants such as lutein, zea-xanthin and beta carotene. These compounds act as protective scavengers against harmful free radicals and reactive
oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging, cancers
                    and various disease processes.

Anti-inflammatory property of cherries has been found effective in reducing heart-disease risk factors by scavenging action against free radicals.


Acerola or West Indian cherry has exceptionally very high levels of vitamin-C (1677.6 mg per 100 g or 2796 % of RDA) and vitamin-A (767 IU per 100 g).


That is why doctors advise to eat fruits with different skin colors. Many of us like to eat only fruit and peeled off the skin but the best nutrients are in the skins.

Pee.....

Yes, as in urinating. Here is something that you need to know about your 'pee'. I do not know how many of you look at your 'pee' and 'poo' but I do. I do not know much but I do know that 'pee' or 'poo' tell us something about our body so do not be ignorant. I received the below and hope to share it here with you.

One more thing, if you did not eat anything that will stain your "poo" black that the black poo could be an indication that you have internal bleeding, see a doctor. Normally it is only in test that we know there are blood in "pee" but if your pee is light red, please see a doctor too. It is better to confirm that it is not something serious and get it cleared. Do not wait until you are sorry...it may be too late! Take care of yourself.

Nyung Nay Retreat June 2014....

This is my second Nyung Nay Retreat. Deepest appreciation to the great kindness of  Khentrul Rinpoche which I did both my retreat with him leading. This is the first time the Sakya College nuns come to Singapore and it is their efforts that touched my heart.

Practicing Buddhists know that Nyung Nay is a fasting retreat and the main deity is Avalokiteshvara. We are doing the Thousand arms from Bhikshuni Palmo. The purpose of me doing this retreat is for purification. Let alone the benefits that this retreat will bring, I hope to enhance my compassion. It is beneficial to do 8 sets or more and I hope I have the opportunities to do so with my health. Life is short and I want to make the most out of it now when I am able. 

The retreat ended well although bodily I am tired from the 7 sessions of prayers and prostrations. Waking up at 3.30am and sleeping on hard floor is something this fat and pampered me need to get accustom to. Sharing the same wash area and waiting for my turn, sleeping in a big hall with people whom I do not know and with different sleeping habits is to check my tolerance. I thought the fasting of no food and not even swallowing one's saliva is the hardest however due to faith, all these are overcome easily.

This is Saka Dawa month and our retreat day ran into a few auspicious days making it even more meaningful. In this we practiced all the offerings which some of us did not get to do on our own. I have broken my vows along the way and this is the opportunity to confess and accumulate wisdom at the same time understand the suffering of beings from various realms is something I must do. We are achieving not just for our own sake, but for the sake of many beings.

Beautiful pictures taken by Norsang. If you ask me "how do you know your retreat is well"? What I can say is the happy faces you see in the pictures and the determination to come back for more said it all.

CHEERS TO ALL THE PARTICIPANTS....GREAT JOB DHARMA BROTHERS AND SISTERS!

"African Leaves"...非洲叶

I do not know the botanic name of this plant that produces these wonder leaves. If you walk around housing estates, you will probably find them growing but you have to know them to identify the correct tree. (See picture)

“African leaves” or the Chinese named it “Fei Zhou Ye” is a medicinal plant. The attributes and wonder of leaves from this plant is circulated by words of mouths from people who have tried it and benefited from it. Once again because of health, I chanced upon this plant and think I should share it here.

So what so good about these leaves? You can try consuming this leave. I took it because of blood sugar and of course cholesterol and it did showed results when I went for my check-up. It lowers…

- Blood sugar and good for diabetic patients 

- Cholesterol 

- Blood pressure

- Detoxification

- prevents cancer, etc 

How to go about eating these leaves? 

1) These leaves can be eaten raw after you plucked it from the tree. One leave a day, keep chewing and I have to warn you that it is super bitter. It is bitter than bitter gourd and the bitterness lingers in your mouth for a long long time. However there are people who reported that their blood sugar went down to normal…. OR 

2) Plucked the leaves and wash it clean. You lay newspapers on the floor and wind dry the leaves (you cannot sun it). You know when it dries because it curled up. Store them in a box neatly and every night before you go to bed, take 5 leaves, pour boiling water and soak it over night. Next morning when you wake up, drink a cup empty stomach. You can still taste the bitterness but not so much as you chew it fresh. 

Other than those mentioned, looks like it will also help to wash down fats and help in weight loosing. People who have joints pain due to urea acids said it helps to reduce the pain too. These leaves are good for prevention of stroke or people who have recovered from stroke. There are many more effective results for various illnesses i.e headache etc. So much for these magic leaves. 

I have not seen people selling these leaves in Singapore. In actual fact you need not buy because you can take a stalk and plant it. It grows readily and anyone who grows it will be willing to let you have some leaves. I have a picture of the plant above. The tree itself won’t die after you plucked the leaves. I plucked about 200 – 300 leaves and until I went back for more, the leaves are all grown (there are other people plucking from this tree too so you can see the leaves grow very fast). 

Add this to your medicinal plant knowledge. If so many people eat it and did not die from it, me too so it is consumable. Do the portion as mentioned and don’t overdo it. If you are already sick, it will gradually heal. If you are well, take it for prevention purposes. Nothing is magical overnight, it needs time…so let African leaves get you back to health. 

Saga Dawa Düchen ....

Today marked the Tibetan calendar of Saga Dawa - 13 June 2014. It celebrates Buddha Sakyamuni's birth, enlightenment and also his passing away. This is an auspicious day to the Tibetan and also those who are practising Vajrayana Buddhism.

Actually the whole month of June 2014 is consider a holy month. All meritorious activities are 100 millions times multiplying and therefore try to do good and avoid doing anything with negative karmas.

Today is also Amitaba's day which makes it even more holy. Therefore I pray for the safety of all Beings. I pray for World peace. I pray for the happiness of all Beings. I pray for the long life of my Guru, Tempai Ningyma Rinpoche and all Gurus whom I have affinity, whichever way we are connected. I pray for Gurus who passed on that they may return swiftly for the benefits of Beings. I pray and thank all Protectors, both seen and unseen and may they attain enlightenment. I pray for those suffering in this World or World Systems and may they be liberated from sufferings. I pray for those sufferings in the three (3) lower realms, may all of them be free from sufferings on this auspicious day and may they gain insight to the kindness of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and have thoughts of regrets so to free themselves from suffering engagements and be born in a better realms. I pray for all Beings in the Bardo stage and may they take better rebirth. I pray that the Triple Gems remain in Samsara and not disappear for the benefits of all Beings happiness and liberation.

I pray for Sharmapa Rinpoche who passed on to nibbana yesterday morning. May he remains in clear light and all those that connect with him directly or just saw or listen to the news of his passing receive blessings so that their Dharma practice remains unshakable. May Rinpoche quickly return and continue to benefit Beings _()_ _()_ _()_

Here is a beautiful recitation of OHM AMIDEWA HRI dedicated to Rinpoche and the well being of all Sentient Beings!

Rice Dumpling....

It is here again, once a year Rice Dumpling Festival or we locally call it Bak Chang Festival. It is today, as in the lunar Chinese month and day : 5th month 5th day

The yummy delicious rice dumpling comes in a varieties of flavor - for those who love savory and for those who love it sweet. There are others which are bland and you eat it with sugar or syrup.

Different ethnic Chinese make their rice dumpling with different fillings. The Cantonese love to fill it with beans (mung beans or soya beans) and pork belly meat. When you break open the rice dumpling, the fragrance of the beans and fat meat fill your nostrils and fire you taste buds. You do not need any dressings to go with it, it is simply delicious on its own. The Teochew's will have chestnuts, mushrooms and lean port meat. They are marinated with black sauce and therefore the dumpling is dark in color. The Nonya's rice dumpling is one of the favorite because of the spices. Mum used to make Pillow Rice Dumplings, some also called it Cantonese rice dumplings. I do not know the origin but some say it is HongKong style and this rice dumpling is huge (it is like a small pyramid) . In it you will find roast duck, roast port, roast meat, mushrooms, chestnuts and salted egg yoke. You can try eating it yourself or you can share it with another person.

Preparations to make this takes weeks. My mum used to buy glutinous rice, sort out the husks and soak them in water. Mum will also buy all the ingredients and have them marinated and ready for the wrapping. This rice dumpling will not take shape without the rice dumpling leaves and grass strands. Nowadays people use nylon strings which is cheaper but I still think the grass strands are more natural and give out a natural scent. You need one leaf to make one bak chang or if the leaves are smaller you will need two. This again will depend how big you want your bak chang to be.

How do you go about making a bak chang? You take a dumpling leave, twist it into a cone, fill it with some rice, add in all the ingredients like meat, mushrooms, chestnuts and top up with rice again. When you feel it is enough, wrap the balance leave over the rice and tie it with grass strands. You need to secure it tightly or else the rice will spill out once you put it into boiling water. People normally tie 5 BakChang in one bundle, it is easier to count the quantity.

The other type of rice dumpling are the ones we locally called it KeeChang. KeeChang is made from a different type of glutinous rice. Not many young people love KeeChang because of its blandness however it taste good with sweeten read bean paste. Some of my friends eat it with durain puree. These KeeChang are half the size of the BakChang or they are only bite size.

This festival is to celebrate DuanWu. In places like China and HongKong you will still see Dragon Boats competitions but Singapore no longer celebrate it with such activities. DuanWu is a Chinese culture type of festival tie to a folklore. You can read it online.

Today also reminds me of Mum, if Mum is around it is her birthday.

Exotic Fruit....Red Bayberry (Myrica rubra)

This time around I was fruits shopping at the wholesale market and chance upon this wonderful berry. I have been eating this fruit in the dried form and we called it Yang Mei (扬梅） but the name Red Bayberry is not known to me. The sour sweet taste of the dried version is appetizing and thirst quenching.

I have not seen this fruit in its fresh form in any of the supermarkets I went to. This is probably because of its cost and seasonal. The size of the fruit is round and size of a 20 cents coin. It is red to maroon/ purple color and the texture is knotty with a small seed in the center.

Red Bayberry is a native of Asia and you can find them growing in China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea etc. It was recorded that this berry has been around for more than 2000 years. The tree itself is used in garden horticulture landscaping so it goes to show that this is a beautiful tree. 

Red Bayberry medicinal properties...

Quote...is unusually rich in oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs), the most powerful class of free-radical-scavenging antioxidants. OPCs are believed to support every metabolic system in the body by protecting it against internal and environmental stresses.

Twenty times more powerful than Vitamin C and 50 times more potent than Vitamin E, OPCs are said to defend against cardiovascular diseases, degenerative diseases, and premature aging.

OPCs have also been shown to boost the immune system, lower blood pressure and help lower LDL cholesterol levels. OPCs also increase the strength and elasticity of blood vessels while slowing down the collapse of collagen, keeping skin firm, and inhibit the growth of cancer cells (3)....

Due to my persisting cough which my doctor told me that medicine is just to numb the throat so it is better to let it cough and clear the lungs. Too much coughing started me looking for fruits that will nourish my internal organs which we Chinese believes play an important part in balancing our energy.

Enjoy reading and if you are able to buy this fruit in its fresh form, I am sure you will enjoy it. One more thing, I soak these berries in salt solution to clear insects that may be hidden in the knotty texture and the fruits are even more yummy!!! 

Vandalism...

When looking at these graffiti scribbled across HDB amazed me. These youths risking their lives to do something dangerous and what is their motives. Are they asking to be seen, to be heard or they  are having some grievances with the authorities?

At 17 years of age, and since they are considered minor, shouldn't they be doing something minor should be doing. If this is the case, than the law do not need to deal with them. Did they know that vandalism is against the law? They obviously know but probably felt that they won't be caught, unfortunately they did.

They scribbled something about the ruling party, at 17 what do they know about the ruling party? Are these the imprints that adults left on the youths? I wonder what sort of parents they have, the school and education they attended....and....what are we breeding?

So the locked-up and exposures are seen by some public as not protecting the minors. I wonder what is the agenda behind these adults? What they mean by protecting? To me protecting is protecting them to do the right thing at the right age. They can have their say about the Government, ruling party, authorities when their age is right. If they want to grow up before their time, than they have to take whatever punishments that comes with it.

To me it is really the hardest hit will make a person grow in terms of wisdom and character. As adults we want to protect the minor but not in interfering when they need to learn. These are not your children and it makes it so easy to point fingers but wait till it is yours. Tell us what is reputation, future and the breed your child is becoming! Unhappy, sent them to another country, let them do what they like...let them take charge of their lives. They either go up or they go down like a dump..it is their lives, is that right? Isn't protecting them our duty to show them the correct way of growing up?

Do not mistake me for going against the minors, neither am I going against the authorities. Youths are so precious and should grow up healthily in both body and mind.

I am sure the authorities have a reason for doing what they did and don't be so ready to criticize.

graffiti

graffiti