Sinking of SEWOL

Yet again another disaster and that is the sinking of a ferry in South Korea. My heart goes out to the victims and their families. It was reported that 216 students and teachers are still unaccounted for and pray that they are not all on board the ferry.

It is unlikely the authority will get the correct numbers of headcount from the tickets sold and even if they do they will not have the names of people on board.

Unfortunate accidents happened and no one can predict. However the professionalism and responsibilities of staff of the ferry is really something to be ashamed off. The Captain told the students to remain in their cabins and most students did so. In time of such it is right to listen to  instructions so as to minimize confusions and to save everyone systematically. However the Captain is not thinking fast enough and I wonder whether he expected the ferry to topple over. Those that listen to instructions and stayed in the cabins probably have perished. The first group to leave the ferry as reported is the Captain and staff . Being staff and  having so many lives in their hand, how can they be the first to abandoned ship? But to think again, isn't it common for people to think of their own safety first?

I have never felt that the helplessness of human beings is so fragile. We are at the hands and mercy of others and I wonder how many realized. In the sky we are at the mercy of the pilots and the  company that operate the plane to ensure the safety and functionality of  the equipment. We are also at the mercy of the government to ensure that security is in place. Actually we do not know who we are sitting with nor flying with. At sea, it is very low for accidents  to happen. We have the Tatanic which was a sad incident and people romance the whole episode to a love story. So many have died and all we watch is romance of 2 persons. I never watch this movie. Now this South Korean ferry incident whereby lives are lost and most are students and teachers of the same school. How are other students going to go back to school without being psychologically affected? Now that the report mentioned that adults are the one who gave instructions and students just follow and lost their lives so how are children going to trust what adults said in future?

The parents of the missing students must be heartbroken. We really am living second to second as we do not know not what will happen next. I never realized the sufferings of human beings so close to heart although we have been practicing compassion.

I make my deepest respect to those who gave up their lives to save others,, i.e  like those who scarified during the Szechuan Earthquake, the Japanese Tsunami, now the students on SEWOL who tried to save others first by giving up their life jackets. There are many more unsung heroes.

But there are others who keep trying to take the lives of others to satisfied their own selfish needs, be it at personal or countries level and  those who keep  developing chemical weapons and weapons and claiming as many lands as possible to  gain the World. No  matter what extreme ambition a person have, they will never own the World - simple reason "you are not going to live forever".

I pray for the safety of all human beings and may there be no more such sad disasters. There are also so much sufferings in Middle East and may the people there too be safe.

OHM MANI PADME HUM.....

Love and kill......

Recently the case of  Paralympian Oscar Pistorius caught my eyes. It was an unfortunate and sad case that he is suspect of shooting his girl friend and is now pending charges of murder. No one knows what transpired but she was badly shot and died on the spot. One bullet hit her head and smashed it like a water melon. Ironically it happened on Valentine Day. Neighbors said they heard scream followed with shots and concluded the couple probably have arguments which aggravated to such extend . If he was found guilty, there goes his career and life.

In Singapore we also have cases where couples shot or knifed or chopped each others to death. There was a case which I remember how a woman was chopped up by her lover. The body was disposed over different parts of Singapore. How can someone be so cold blooded to a woman whom you hold in your arms, someone you make love to, someone who loves you and trusted you with her life? There are plenty of such cases.

What happened to LOVE? Is it LOVE? or is it LUST that people got together? Is it LOVE or is it just for convenient to satisfied one's beast instinct?

For a woman, we always think that it is a must to get married. Some suffered silently, some fight and got beaten up but have no way of getting away, some paid with their lives. Some decided they want to get away from parents control and the best way is to get out of the house and chooses any willing parties to marry. Is this a wise choice?

There were so many cases in the papers about women falling gullible preys to love scams. They are lucky they lost only monies and not lives. Is one so desperate for LOVE that one can trust someone that one do not really know but only what was projected over internet? There are social websites for such links because people are lonely and there is a market for love scamming. Even if one knows the person and moves around like a couple, one is still unable to pin down a person character let alone over cyber?

I saw a program on China's television of people coming forward to declare their love for a man or a woman. They have not met but only on the set and they declared that "I love you", "you are the one", "you are the one I wanted"...etc. Of course these young men and women have looks...so love is love of look at first sight? I really do not know how many are real or it is a show to fan the desires and loneliness. Some of the men are very picky and from their reactions you can tell they are aggressive. However women are such funny creatures, they like "bad" boys. As I look at the man's careers, most of the young men said they own an online shop so it makes them a businessman. I have a single girl friend that worked in China and I asked why she is still single. There are plenty of good looking young men in China and she said "most of them do not have work or career, they live off their girl friends". So much for LOVE.

My advise for women is that LOVE yourself, know your self worth and be street smart. We are no longer living in our mothers' eras that we cannot be left on the shelf. Do we want to risk our lives for LOVE? Do not let yourself be USED! Wake Up Girls!!!

The Saga goes on....

MH370 has decided not to reappear so easily for tracking. All the efforts are effortless due to the Malaysian government clueless or is it so? There are too many agendas, too eager to close the case that it backfired and thinking it is easy to cover ones mistakes. In this case it is too big an issue to pull spider webs over the global crowd and the passengers surviving loved ones.

Look at this piece of summary, it will show all the information released are so pathetic. It shoots all over the place and reach one destination....which is clueless.

·     ......... MH 370. Q: Apa lagi M..... Mau? A: Apa pun tak tahu -1 MalaySia (useless Malays). Q: Flight destination, Beijing (North). A: Ended in South Indian Ocean (South). Q: Last contact, 1.30am, 2.40am.....? A: 1.07am, 2.14am, finally 8.11am.......... Q: Last signal, South China Sea (East)? A: Straits of Malacca (West). Q: False passports? A: No, false passengers. Q: Who are they? A: African, Asian, finally Iranian. Q: Passengers not boarding? A: Luggages check-in without passengers. Q: Pas...sengers replacement? A: Never heard of replacement. (Only 227 seats ?). Q: Top security measure? A: YES, but too lazy to checks (0.02 sec) intelligent system. Q: Advance radar system? A: Yes, but can't identified plane after 5days. Q: All angles & possibilities? A: Only possibilities is everyone sleeping on the jobs. Q: Having got 26 countries, xx planes, xx ships? A: But MalaySia can't do nothing. Q: Unprecedented incident? A: Unprecedented leader and government. Q: Transparent & consistent ? A: But blind on corruption, cronyism, biases, mismanaged, racism, etc..........

I am not interested in the Malaysian politics. The suppressed speak for themselves. Singapore government also shut up on this matter only recently a minister spoke up for the Malaysian government being harshly criticized. We are gracious and we also understand the plight of the surviving families putting ourselves in their shoes.

In my heart, I believe Captain Zaharie is a professional. There are so many lives in his hand and I do not think he loves Anwar so much that 239 lives have to be used as a paid back for his arrest. The second pilot, young man so what's wrong being friendly with some girls. He is about to marry a nice girl so he has no reason to topple the plane as well. So when these two men are not there to fend for themselves, in the name of Truth, do not scapegoat them.

I really don't know when the Malaysian ministers will get their act together and say the right thing...

1)  The final word from the cockpit before disappearance were "all right, good night" as reported in a press meeting. However now it was said the actual words where "Goodnight, Malaysian Three Seven Zero".

2)  Malaysian authorities do not want to release the cargo list and insisted there is nothing "hazardous", now they said it carried Lithium-ion batteries and now how many of them? 

3)  Australia search as we all see it, even when it started was an excuse to divert attention. We know they will not find anything and we are right.

4)  There were sms picked up by families of missing passengers, why are all these information "hushed". So it gives the families leads that their loved ones are being held hostages by someone, by whom? For what reason? I only pray that they are alive and well.

5)  Malaysia allowed 2 persons holding fake passports to pass through and yet they blame Interpol for having a huge achieve which will take a long time to search. Maybe they should spend some monies to update their systems for security purposes. In a plane we are not travelling with one or two people but hundred to 2 hundreds lives on board, how can "play play" with people's lives.

However Minister Hishammuddindoes holds himself well. He is impressive in giving and updating press conferences but I can see he is also getting tired. I can see it showed on his face and he is trying to hold his patience. So if he blurted "what more do you want?", don't blame him. The pressure is great. Such issue of missing plane cannot be shut up quietly or shaft down the throat with power.

TO me, all search have been diverted away from South China Sea. My feeling that if the plane went down, it is at South China Sea. I pray I am wrong. The search is going further and further and to a dangerous and cold place, South Indian Ocean. This is a place where search is hard and finally...MH370 mysteriously evaporated into thin air.

Update as of 10.6.2014 - MH370 is still missing!

Report missing....

Being a neighbor, I am concern over the missing Malaysian Airlines MH370 which have 200 over passengers  and staff on board.

It is unfortunate that to date nothing is found of the missing plane, no trace and evident of where it is or was. There is the black box, where is it? If it burst in midair, the huge fire would have caught the eyes of some people around. Malaysia said the plane may have turned back...the Captain would have called Control Tower for landing, did he? They said it could be mechanical fault, didn't they check the plane before letting it fly? So all is speculation.

Finding where the missing plane is the top of the list but it has diverted to missing passports and fake travelers. The Minister said all security protocol is in place and how did these two persons made it to the plane? I am amused when he mentioned that the two person is not Asian looking but looked like some footballer...great fan of football. Who is the one who said they look like Asian? It is their own people, so don't they check properly before saying anything? Whatever security issues can wait. It is not a hijack nor a sabotage.

We all puzzled why the experienced Captain did not SOS? Was he taken by surprised or he himself was not aware such distress was happening. The Vietnamese was more diligent, they at least call other airport in search of MH370 when it did not report on time.

Cannot blame the Malaysian Government. Even if you pressed them, they are so clueless. All the press interviews are neither here nor there. I listen to all the news, updates, reports from Malaysia and all these are just like not saying anything at all. I admire that Minster who update the press...there is no urgency in his voice and look, he is pretty cool! He is like saying...."hey! we all also don't know what happened. We don't want to assume but we have to give some news to the public so here I am."

As days passed, we know that the chances of survival is deemed. If the broken plane dropped into the sea, it would have been buried deeper now.

To me, I pray that they find something of the missing plane soon so that the bereaved families can move on.

Water....

Water...water...water... soo.o.o.....precious.

Call it H2O, sky juice, sea, stream, lake, peee..e etc. it is still water. People will die without it because our body is made up 3/4 of water/ fluid. Animals die without it. Plants die without it. Can imagine a World without any water?.

Therefore, Water is a resource that is shared across boarders and of course nothing is free. Like Singapore, what do we have, so tiny and the amount of water we gathered at all our reservoirs cannot serve a tiny dot on the map. So we are at the mercy of countries that want or don't want to sell us water or overcharge for it.  Talking about humanity.

I have been reading of bush fire in the Riau Island, Indonesia. 3rd world country, what can they use to clear the forest or plantation? Fire is the cheapest. However we all ran into dry spell and underestimating the weather is suicide. Fire raged, and sprays of water...cannot quench it thirst to claim more land.

In Singapore, we are pretty innovative and creative. We dare to venture and kudos to the government with foresight. We started to look at "transforming" sea water. Anyway how to claim sea water as one's property. We are an island so all around is sea water. Do we have to pay anyone for it? The investment for a desalination plant is worth it.

Singapore uses lots of water everyday. We are fortunate so how many of us caution when using water? Taking a basin and fill it with water to wash is just too little, so let the pipe runs. Splashes of water is so cooling and be able to feel it running over our body is sheer joy. You feel washed and cleaned. Some of us shower twice a day and I am sure some do even more. Because it is so convenient, just turn on the tap and there it is, can we imagine rationing?

So again our Government came up with New Water, it is recycle water. YUCKs....you say! However we have been drinking it. We reacted initially and raise an eye brow. We have no resources except with people. No, this water is well taken care of through layers and layers of filtering and purifying before it flows out the tap. For other country I dare not say you try....but this is Singapore. I trust our Government to do it good before releasing it. Don't forget that after using it, it will go through the processes and arrive at your table, bottle, soup, desserts....ha.a.a.a.....again. So you never have to fear no water lah!!

H2O...these sparkling droplets, we must not take you for granted. My brother has turned the water control lock to lower the usage of water. Initially I think wa..lau it takes ages to fill up a water kettle, sigh!.....so use to turning on the shower with avalanche of water when showering ... now the spray is smaller and it took ages to clean myself.

It is a matter of getting use to the small sprays, after all we turn on the tap and let water runs like nobody business, do we need that much to wash? Is it cleaner?

So now, because the sprays are slower and lesser, I washed my vegetables, fruits and food slower and with this I am aware of the leaves and skin and take time to rub while looking at it. During shower, because the spray is lesser, I take time to rub my arms, legs, body and enjoy the water running on my skin. Previously it is like running water and shower is done.

Perception is only turning the Mind. Nothing is impossible!!!

Please care about the World, it resources and your part in it. No matter how small...you play a big part.

Twisted Truth...

I met a long time friend at an event. I have not seen her and had tried to contact her but to no results. It takes affinity to meet again and we still have the link.

In actual fact I know why she disappeared from the scene, I heard it here and there from the ground but her own mouth. So I took the opportunity to ask, not so much as probe but wanted to let her talk. I did not tell her I believe her story.

(I said I believe because this particular man, in an event was standing very close to my back with his stomach pushing against my butt! I turned around and looked at him and he pretended to look at his handphone. He need not stand so close to me, the place is not packed and behind him still have space. That moment I knew what he was. I walked away from him abruptly to make sure he knew I know what he is up to.)

This girl is still affected by the whole situation although she claimed that it happened in 2013 and now she had let it go. From her facial expression and the tears rolling in her eyes, I knew the trauma is not over. She is graceful to say she didn't want to talk about it, suppressing is not healing! So I said...''is it a sexual abuse or a verbal abuse?" She looked and me and I saw pain, so I asked " one or two "? She painfully said "one".

I will not mention here how she was sexually abused. It happened at a crowded place, so convenient to find an excuse. There was a person with her and that person did not speak up for her because the man was her friend. She confronted the man and tell him to acknowledge his action, apologised and she will forgive him. However he denied. Sexual harassment in Singapore carries a fine, heavier ones need to go to jail and get the cane plus fine. I supposed there is also ''face'' value here.

However what sadden me is not all these. The people who organized the event just want to pacify things, ignoring the trauma that this girl is going through. They did not give her the emotional support that she needed. Probably being Buddhist, we think we are peace-loving people and not aggravate matters. There are also other agendas, I am sure.

Now the twisted fact amused me. People around her told her not to speak about this matter to anyone. They said that this man is a Varjayana practitioner and he practiced Tsog very well and can purify all his negative Karma so he will not reaped the Effect. They went further to blackmail her by saying that if she continues to talk about this, she will go to Hell when she dies. GOSH!

How can people who practice the Dharma twists the facts of Cause and Effect to their benefit at the expanse of another Being? People keep mouthing about the Four Immeasurable and yet they commit hurting Beings. They thought that they are being good and by helping the faulty one they are pushing him further into Hell.

The problem with people is they practice Varjayana with a wrong view. They do not have the foundation of Buddha's teaching. They think that by practicing Varjayana they can fly, they are unbreakable, all the rituals and purification can cleansed them of all the wrong, and they continue to do wrong. They have no fear. How can a person practice Dharma without understanding Cause and Effect, without compassion for suffering Beings. What one cares about is physic power or I am close to so and so high lamas and I am able to do Tsog so well. I can do Tsog ritual well too if I am on it for years and that doesn't mean I will get Enlightenment.

Karma and its Results is the law of the Universe. It doesn't belongs to the Buddhist. It is how the Universe system guard the good and make sure the bad learn their lessons. What one sows, one reaps. Simple logic. Even Buddha himself, who is already enlightened was hurt by a splint of a stone that hit his feet and it bleeds. WHO in this world can say they can escape Karma? and they are not even enlightened like the Buddha?

It further sadden me to see that this is really degeneration of all the holy teachings from various masters. We are Varja brothers and sisters but we use the holy teachings as a facade, as an excuse to our crime.

I can only comfort her by using Buddha's teaching and inwardly I radiate loving-kindness to her. Don't bullshit me about emptiness, emptiness is not like this. We are still in Samsara and until we realized, we will not understand the true meaning of emptiness. We may have a glimpse at it, but only superficially.

Sincerely from my heart I pray for all Beings

May all Beings be happy and have the cause to be happy

May all Beings be free from sufferings and the cause of sufferings

May all Beings have bliss and will not separated from it

and May all Beings have equanimity and be at peace.

Movies....and its message

I was invited to a movie by a friend. She said it was a movie by Michelle Chong. So I asked what's the title of the movie...and it is "3 Peas in a Pod".

We arrived at the cinema to realize that it was opening night and needless to say the casts were there and companies who booked various Halls to entertain their customers/ friends. I was curious and without much expectation I sat through the show.

The three young casts were truly armatures and there is nothing wrong with it. When you are young, you get away with anything. It dawned on me that GOSH! what sort of Mandarin is a Singaporean girl speaking. A new style of Singapore Chinese slang? A bit weird to me. The storyline is no different - boy like girl and girl like another boy.

Actually if you asked me whether I like the show... I will say NO! NO! NO! I do not know what message is Michelle driving at? I am surprised that Australia Tourism Board support this show...giving Michelle face? or desperately trying to show off this Kangaroo Island. Beautiful scenery with a distorted story...a suicide at sunrise???!!!

I am picking flaws. I think the whole movie is really a distorted one. Three beautiful young students just completed Uni, beginning of life with a beautiful friendship ends up one suicides, two break off as friends.

The worst, the suicide have to take place on Kangaroo Island at a place called Prospect Hill. What a place to die and at sunrise. What prospect does this movie have? The breaking of dawn is the start of a new day and a new beginning and it started with death!

What message is given to young adults who watched the movie...that life is cheap? Being a young adult, there are many possibilities that this movie can end. The movie can celebrates another phrase of life i.e passing out from Uni to a new world of opportunities. It can also celebrates a life long friendship which ended with the three friends meeting together again in their retired age.

Anyway the person directing the show gives me an insight on her, she had distorted views. She is full of negative energy and some parts of her are not happy. All laughter do not mean that person is happy or most important peaceful. If a person cannot be peaceful with herself and her surroundings, how can she produces something that is positive.

I wasted my time on this movie, even though it is free. I could have invested my time in better movies. I ended up negative tooooo...... with so many negative remarks! Remember.....Message....is.....contagious! I caught it from “3 Peas In A Pod”.

For information, I have actually written this post long ago and should have posted it immediately but I do not want to explode at that point of time...give face to the 3 young actors, not the director!