Rainy Sunny Days

The weather is weird these days. It's either humidly hot or heavy showers. And it usually rains around the lunch hour ** grumbles **.
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It's been sometime since I last blogged. To be fair, work is not that demanding these days. Year end is often the quieter time of the year for the industry that I am in.
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The fact is that I sometimes do not know what to write. My company has sent a detailed document to all employees stating what are the don't of revealing about oneself in the virtual world of internet. In a nutshell, we are told that whatever we write on the internet (be it an article or our comments or updating our facebook status), it must be neutral. That is, whatever we write, it must be presentable to our direct superiors.
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I had setup this blog with the intention of documenting my reflections from my life experiences. Hence, when I read that document sent to each of our mailboxes, I even contemplated deleting this blog. I spend so much of my time awake at work, it's really inevitable not to mention anything about work in my blog, right? Oh well, I guess such is an example of discomfort in life that one has to take and live with.
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So what have I been up to? Bunlet!! No no ... don't be deceived by the picture above. My Bunlet is not a soft-toy. She listens to my rantings and frustrations and also shares my happiness dancing around the house with me. She even goes to my office on some Fridays and sit smartly on my work desk to remind all colleagues that a beautiful weekend is close! I am glad I have Bunlet. Things that I can't write here ... Bunlet knows, for sure!

Finding Your Child's Pose

The Child's Pose (shown in picture) is one of the most common pose in any school of yoga. It's actually a resting pose for the body to take a break and for the person practising to catch the breath. It's called the Child's Pose as it's believed to be the most relaxing positing similar to how a baby is position in the womb of the mother.

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Incorporating the Child's Pose into any routine is as important as the presense of any other poses, albeith how seemingly easy and unchallenging the pose appears to be.

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As much as it's important to constantly challenge the body and mind to achieve the more difficult poses, having the Child's Pose frequently in between poses ensures that the body has enough breaks in between to prevent injuries and also prepares the body for the next level of challenge.

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I believe that, in our everyday life as well, it is important to find our own Child's Pose. It should be an activities should you find relaxing and ideally be able to free your mind a little for quiet contemplation. I have quite a few Child's Pose Activities: Reading, Yoga, Drawing, Knitting and Running. These activites, like the Child's Pose in my Yoga Routines, serve to quiet my mind and bring my energies inward for quiet contemplation. Meditation is also an option which I am hoping to add to my selection. My father-in-law meditates everyday and I can witness it's benefits from his quietly happy demeanor and aura of joyful peace.

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What about you? Do you have your Child's Pose in your life?

Matchmakers' Gathering

I used to work in this (government) unit that actually organised and planned activities for singles in Singapore. The SDU (unit for graduate singles) and SDS (unit for non-graduate singles) recently merged as SDN that not longer differentiate the education level of participants.

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That was really my first job and quite a fun one indeed. We worked 5.5 days a week as organisers and started work at 10:30am. We had to plan and organise a variety of activities and programmes for singles to give them opportunities to meet other fellow singles. We planned all kinds of activities like camps, karaoke sessions, overseas trips, self-improvement talks etc. Looking back, I think that that was by far the most fun job I have ever had.

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Each activity began with a few ice-breaking games to give opportunities for the participants to mingle and exchange contact numbers as naturally as possible. Then the activity actual would proceed followed usually by short reception breaks which we would make efforts again to have activities for them to mingle more. This job was fun and I even became friends with some of the members. And some fellow organisers are good friends of mine to this day.

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I received an invitation two weeks back that some of the ex-matchmakers like myself are organising a Matchmakers Reunion at a hotel two weeks later. We would play the games that we used to "force" members to play and talk about old times.

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It's definitely going to be fun and I really look forward to it.

Thoughts from "No bed of roses for me, thank you" by Lee Wei Ling

I was inspired by the article by Lee Wei Ling in the local newspaper, Sunday Times. In her article, "No bed of roses for me, thank you", she narrated how easily one can take simple luxuries for granted. And how luxuries, when enjoyed for a period of time, can very often and uncousciously, become just bare necessity.

Both the hospital and the various hotels I stayed in had comfortable beds. My first night home after sleeping on proper beds for almost half a year was rather uncomfortable. I immediately noticed the minimal cushioning effect of my exercise mat on the hard wooden floor in my bedroom, and the next day I woke up with my right arm and right leg aching.

I was appalled and at the same time impressed that a person from such a family background and currrently the director of National Neuroscience Institute of Singapore would choose to deprive herself of such a basic necessity of this modern day .. the bed.

I have always chosen a spartan lifestyle both because it was in accordance with my philosophy in life and also because I felt that it would be difficult to do without luxuries once one had got used to them. Fine clothes and jewellery, gourmet food, luxurious furniture, expensive cars - these are things I could deny myself without feeling any sense of deprivation. But I had not expected to miss having a bed just because I had slept on one for six months. This experience further strengthened my conviction that once one got used to luxuries, it was difficult to do without them.

Such a philosophy is such a stark contrast in the common thinking of modern day whereby people are judged (or allow themselves to be judged) by what they wear, where they eat, what they carry or drive.

I know of people who carry bags that's equivalent to one month of their salary (gulp!!) or even more! It appears that the sense that they have of themselves would be elevated by the LV, Gucci or Prada bags that they carry. As I grow older, I begin to see less from the label and more from the practical aspect before I part with my money at shopping malls. Even my mother commented just yesterday, as I joined her and my sister for a lunch of toast and coffee and light shopping after my yoga lesson, that I am getting more stingy these days.

I do not think that I have some philosophy to speak of like what Lee Wei Ling had very aptly narrated in her article. I do, however, believe that happiness (after fulfillment of our basis needs) generally do not increase proportionately with money earned or spent. In fact, one is more able to appreciate the inner happiness of being if the external situation that one is in is somewhat not that extravagant. Somewhat simple and frugal.

This article served as a refreshing read amongst the many artiles in the papers today trying to convince us that the bad economy is really over and coaxing us to part with our monies be it that dream car, serviced apartment or "mickey mouse" apartment, or that dream holiday destination.

To end this post, I can't help lifting the following from her article again,

A SIMPLE LIFE
Frugality and a simple lifestyle are effective ways to cope,
morally and psychologically,
with the temptations of the modern consumerist world

Betta!

Hey peeps, I took my last tab of anti-biotics yesterday night before I slept and actually felt like hell as I struggled to slept (thinking that it's going to get worse).

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I had an appointment this morning with my doctor to collect a sample of my blood and urine to do a more complete test for dengue and malaria (Kota Kinabalu is prone to these, you see).

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The strange thing is, although the last anti-biotic gave my stomach a hard time last night, I actually woke up feeling better. In fact, when I visited the doctor, he was hesitant if I really needed to take the test. No fever at all!

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I suggested, however, to go ahead and take the blood test. So my mind could be at peace and sure that I have not gotten some worms in my tummy. The clinic will call me to inform the results of my blood test soon. But I think it should be fine.

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Update: So .. for the first time in more than a week, I have been through eight hours of time awake with no fever. Hurrah!! No feeling of weakness in the stomach. Hurrah! No burping or bloated feeling in the stomach. Hurrah!! I can get back to my gym tomorrow! Hurrah!!

Hot Experience

No. It's not about some spicy food, Hot Yoga or some hot date.

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It's Fever.

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It's been following me for more than a week since I came back from Kota Kinabalu.

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Initially, the doctor suspected Food Poisoning. Well, I am a vegetarian. Not that easy to get poisoned, right? We thought really hard and our conclusion was that I must have been "poisoned" by the very cheap but very good Avocado Drink at a eating place outside the resort. As shown in the picture, I was really hesitant about drinking this thick juice. Maybe I had premonition then (who knows!?). The place did not appear very clean to me. But then, we are really guessing, only.

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Anyway, back to the fever. For the past one week, I have been having fever on and off. Hovering between 37 to 38 deg. I have visited the doctor three times! I even stayed at home for the last two days to really fully rest in the hope to recover.

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This morning, I woke up feeling quite fine. Happily put on my working clothes and came to the office. But when I stepped into my room, the fever started again, although my body no longer aches when the fever starts.

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The last diagnosis by a second doctor had changed from Food Poisoning to Bacteria in my Stomach. I have been given a full course of anti-biotics. I just took one in the morning after bread and coffee at my work desk. One last one to take tonight to finish the course.

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Although the fever still comes and goes, it's very much less painful than in the beginning when my whole body would ache and stomach would cramp. Hopefully, with the last tablet to take tonight, this hot experience would be over. I have never had fever for so long in my life!!

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(The fact that the fever came the minute I stepped into my office made me wonder if I should be taking anti-biotics against work and not some bacteria?! :-) )

The Paradox of Our Time

Mistaken thought to be written by comedian George Carlin, this message was worded by Jeff Dickson in 1998.

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space.

We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less.

We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes.

These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
Remember to give a warm hug to the one next to you because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.
Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.
Give time to love, give time to speak and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

I was at a coffee shop having dinner just now when I saw this message pasted on the wall. It moved me to contemplation and motivated me to put up this post.

Hope it gives you as much lightness of being as it has given me.