Snapshots

I turned 26 today

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 23:43:13 +0800

The day would’ve passed by rather unremarkably (did the world stop? No) had I not had a task that was specifically designed to send me down memory lane.

It just so happens that this weekend, my mother, my sister and I will be giving a talk at the Kechara Sunday Service about our journey in the Dharma. My mother asked me to look for old photos of myself and my siblings with Rinpoche to accompany our talk.

After scouring thousands of photos since the 1990s, I’ve come to a conclusion - I have led a pretty privileged 26 years.

I know that hindsight can have blinders, and you forget the bad memories because they’re never captured in photographs. But for all that I complain about in my life, I really shouldn’t. Yes things get difficult but those times in my life are interrupted by long spells of general contentment and everything’s-gonna-be-okay.

And it’s these moments that are captured in photographs. Looking at them, I want to go back to the moment captured in that photograph, to experience the sounds, the sights, the smells and the feeling of it once again.

But the trouble is, once I’m dead, all of these memories are meaningless. They’re precious to no one but me and the people in the pictures, and once THEY are all gone, the pictures become…irrelevant. Nothing but bits of ink printed onto scraps of paper.

So what’s a girl to do?

When I was in my late teens, I read a quote by Bruce Lee that has stuck with me forever - “The key to immortality is to live a life worth remembering”.

I think that’s what I’m going to do :)

Numerology

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 21:35:00 +0800

I was with a friend last night, and we got on to talking about numerology. He found the results of his number rather interesting, so we started working on mine (I’m a 7).

I did a quick search online and found this report about 7s. Whilst I’m interested in these types of…mystical endeavours (I <3 Rinpoche’s horoscope widget), I always approach these kinds of reports with some trepidation because I find them to be generalised, playing on our wish to find something that will explain the way we are. I also find that people tend to read them with a biasness which makes me distrust the ‘accuracy’ they find in these reports.

What do I mean by bias? When we read them, we identify ourselves with the positive aspects of the report, and disregard the irrelevant / negative. We read these reports to valid who we are and what we do; we read these reports and invariably think, “OMG, that is SO true about me!”

But this report? This report was uncannily accurate in both the positive and negative, so I just thought I’d immortalise it (ha.) by posting it here, with bolded sentences to reflect what is true (did I just contradict myself? Hehe)

THE NUMBER 7

Positive Characteristics:
People born with 7 as their Destiny or Life Path Number are sensitive and compassionate (weird, that’s what my Chinese name means. Did my parents know?). They have a natural wisdom and ability to see to the truth of matters.

Once people get to know a Number 7, they will find an exceptional person who is able to offer warmth, sympathy and understanding. Number 7s take their time to consider problems and weigh up the pros and cons of any given situation before coming to their conclusion.

Number 7 people are adaptable and adjust easily to change. This tends to be because they are generally happy with themselves.

The Destiny of 7 is to use the mind on the mystical side of life, and to develop the wisdom of the spiritual side of life. 7 are never satisfied until they can link the known with the unknown. This leads to a great deal of investigation, research and analysis.

The Number 7 transcends the barriers of time and space and brings you in touch with the world of the mystic and clairvoyant. On a lower plane of manifestation it gives a confused sense of timing and a dislike of restrictions.

Your challenge is to overcome your obstacles, particularly bad relationship experiences.

Your purpose is to experience spiritual growth.

Negative Characteristics:

Number 7s often lack confidence in their abilities. They do not like to draw attention to themselves, and as a result their talents often go unnoticed. As a result of their lack of confidence, many Number 7s find it difficult to communicate effectively with other people and can come across as being vague.

There is a tendency for Number 7s to be dreamers as they spend so much of their time immersed in their own thoughts. They should be wary of becoming cut off from the outside world and should make the effort to socialize with their friends.

A sign that a number 7 has strayed completely off of his or her life path is a complete withdrawal from society.

RELATIONSHIPS:
Number 7s people are extremely romantic and fall head over heels in love easily. They have a tendency to declare their undying love in the very early stages of a relationship, and this can be off-putting for the object of their affections, who may feel that things are moving too fast. Number 7s should try to keep their emotions in check more and to let relationships grow at a more sedate pace. This approach is more likely to allow Number 7s to discover if what they are experiencing is love or is in fact a brief infatuation.

Number 7s are demonstrative in their affection and frequently express their love and devotion to their partners. The people who are most likely to be attracted to Number 7s are those who find if difficult to express their emotions and feel that their inability can be compensated for by the more than plentiful abilities of Number 7s. This generally is a good balance, but can lead to problems.

Number 7s will need to be reassured and have their declarations reciprocated from time to time or they will become insecure and begin to doubt their partner’s love. In this situation, Number 7s should be honest about how they are feeling and let their partners know that they need to be appreciated.

Number 7s often choose partners who are less dreamy than themselves, and are more gifted in practical matters, and again, this is a good balance.

7s find personal relationships hard to maintain as intimacy is difficult.

PARENTHOOD:
Number 7s approach the duties of parenthood very seriously. They are committed parents, and the necessity for commitment can make them take a more realistic approach to life. As parents, Number 7s will do whatever is necessary to provide their children with what they need, but do this without overindulging or spoiling their children. Number 7 parents have very strong affection for their children, and they will be likely to have a close relationship with them throughout their lives.

The children of Number 7 parents will appreciate the love and devotion that they receive and will usually choose to spend a great deal of time at the family home.

HOME AND LEISURE:
Number 7s enjoy outdoor pursuits such as mountain climbing. The love to see dramatic landscapes and enjoy the freedom from the harsh realities of their everyday lives. Sports in general have an attraction for Number 7s and they enjoy escaping into the tactics and strategies required by many sports.

Number 7s are also frequently enthusiastic readers, enjoying all types of literature. Number 7s find books that give an insight into human nature to be particularly appealing, and they will often be found reading non-fiction, history and autobiographies (I only read these types of books…creepy).

The homes of 7s will reflect their desire for harmony and peace. The furnishings and décor will tend to be soothing and calming but not luxurious or extravagant. Number 7s will spend a lot of time relaxing in their homes, and it is an important place for them.

Socializing is not a regular pastime of Number 7s. They can find the effort to communicate quite stressful and may not find it easy to relax in large groups. Smaller social occasions with close friends are more likely to appeal, but even these will not be regular events.

CAREER:
Intuitive, quick-witted and persuasive, you make a brilliant lawyer, comedian or debater. 7s intellectual and studious personalities often pursue advanced academic careers. As they love to absorb information, they usually require a great deal of private time to cultivate their knowledge. These reserved and analytical deep-thinkers make great mathematicians, engineers, inventors, scientists and doctors.

Number 7s are not driven by ambition and have no desire for excessive material wealth. They are hard-working and committed individuals, but they must feel that their hard work benefits the world at large, and not just themselves. For this reason, Number 7s are often found working in voluntary organizations and the caring professions. For some Number 7s, their desire for escapism could be met by a career in the travel industry, as the opportunity to visit far-off places, combined with ensuring that others enjoy their holiday can be a very rewarding combination.

Honesty and independence are admirable qualities found in Number 7s, but these can cause difficulties in some working environments. Number 7s will never let a dishonest act or an act that offends their sense of integrity go unchallenged. This can lead to Number 7s challenging their employers and creating an unwanted scene. It is important for Number 7s to accept that there are some professions that require a certain of flexibility and that they may not be suited to careers in such areas of work. If they do choose a career in one of these professions, Number 7 will need to refrain from challenging their employers if they wish to succeed.

COLOUR:
Grey is a colour that Number 7s will feel comfortable with. It is a calm and soothing colour that reflects the desire of Number 7s to blend in. Bold colours should be avoided by Number 7s.

Chelsea shirt -_- #football (Taken with Instagram)

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 14:31:03 +0800

Chelsea shirt -_- #football (Taken with Instagram)

Happy birthday Sharon! (Taken with Instagram)

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 00:08:08 +0800

Happy birthday Sharon! (Taken with Instagram)

Sohealthycandie #vegan #vegetarian #omnomnom (Taken with...

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 21:49:00 +0800

Sohealthycandie #vegan #vegetarian #omnomnom

(Taken with Instagram)

We may be in our mid-20s but our dad still packs dinner for us...

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 14:52:27 +0800

We may be in our mid-20s but our dad still packs dinner for us by hand…

Daddy-o is a cool cat. He lets me call him daddy-o, pops, poppaloppaloff, pa, papadeedoo and his response is always the same: “hehehehe”.

He takes the family teasing about his weird music taste, random gifts (Persian lemon, anyone?), Cina ah pek food choices, and “I must take you there, it’s a secret place” moments. He puts up with our dumb comments and jokes, and disinterest in what he does. He sponsors my mum, my sister and me, AND doesn’t complain we are doing Dharma work.

He doesn’t make us go on family trips with him. He doesn’t complain that we don’t spend time together. He doesn’t insist on family dinners. He doesn’t dictate that we should all stay at home with him. He doesn’t force us to get married, study things we don’t want to, or groom us to take over his company.

We do our own thing, and he does his. He gives us advice and if we don’t want to take it, he will gripe a little, more out of frustration that we’re usually about to make a mistake, then let us make the mistake anyway to learn for ourselves. And if it does go right, he congratulates us without feeling bad that he was wrong.

But I know he misses us. When I SMS, he calls back just to chat. Sometimes, he will call me then as soon as we finish talking, he will call my sister who is just next to me. Whenever I ask if he’s free for dinner or just to chill out, he’s always free. So on the rare occasions he does ask me for something, I try my best to accommodate him.

We couldn’t do what we do with such freedom without your quiet support so thank you for being as awesome as you are. Daddy, we love you!

At Kechara Sunday Service attending the Forest Retreat briefing...

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 10:45:00 +0800

At Kechara Sunday Service attending the Forest Retreat briefing #Buddhism #Spiritual

(Taken with Instagram)

Mahasiddha Ghantapa and the Great Flood, Anonymous (Tibetan),...

Sun, 10 Jun 2012 20:57:00 +0800

Mahasiddha Ghantapa and the Great Flood, Anonymous (Tibetan), 18th century, pigments on cotton (Walters)

From http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/vajradhara-and-84-mahasiddhas.html

Gandrapa was a prince of Nalanda but renounced the throne to be a monk, and later, a yogin. In his travels he met the guru Darikapa and was initiated into the Samvara mandala. He then travelled to Pataliputra, where King Devapala, a pious man welcomed monks and yogins into his kingdom. The king however, had a troubled mind, he still felt he had not accumulated enough merit for his next rebirths despite being a devout man. When he heard of Ghantapa from his wife, the royal pair decided to invite the holy man as their priest, however, the envoy they sent returned bearing news that the yogin refused. The next day, the king went in person to the master, prostrating himself before Ghantapa, the king begged him to come to the palace, but Ghantapa refused again. Everyday, for 40 days the king returned to Ghantapa to repeat his invitation, and was refused everyday. Finally, the king’s pride was wounded and instead of pursuing their attempt to invite the yogin, he developed hatred for the holy man to the point they offered half of their kingdom to whoever was able to prove the yogin’s virtue and chastity as merely a sham.

Darima, out of greed, accepted the king’s challenge and set off to send her beautiful daughter to ensnare the monk. Much like the king, Darima visited the yogin everyday, prostrating to him for 9 days offering him nothing but devotion. On the 10^th day, she begged him to allow her to be his patron during his summer monsoon retreat. Ghantapa refused, but Darima was persistent, returning again and again for a month. Finally, seeing no harm, Ghantapa agreed. When the rain came, the yogin retreated to a little hut Darima had constructed for him at the far edge of her property. Warily, the monk insisted only male servants bring him food, which Darima agreed. However, on the 15^th day, she sent her daughter to the hut. Surprized, Ghantapa insisted the girl leave immediately, but it began to rain heavily, so the monk agreed to share his hut with the girl until the rain stopped. Unfortunately the rain continued until sunset, with the excuse of being afraid she would be mugged by thieves, the monk allowed her to sleep outside the hut. But during the night, she became frightened and began to beg for his protection. With a sigh of resignation, Ghantapa allowed her to come inside the hut.

The hut was very tiny. Inevitably, their bodies touched. Then their limbs intertwined. Before long, they had passed through the 4 levels of joy and traversed the path of liberation to its ultimate fulfillment. In 6 previous lives, this very girl was the cause of the monk’s downfall, but in this life, such defilement had long since dissolved, and he had gained the true path. In the morning, he asked the girl to remain with him and she agreed. They became yogin and consort, and because of her service to him for 6 lives, the defilements of Ghantapa’s consort’s mind were also purified. One year later, their child was born.

Darima never told any of this to the king, and finally at the 3^rd year, when she thought the time was right, she informed the king. The king was overjoyed for the monk’s downfall and said he will visit the monk and the girl in 3 days time.

When they heard the news, the girl was very fearful. When Ghantapa asked if she wanted to stay and face them down, or leave Pataliputra, she begged him to flee with her, and he agreed. However, as they were leaving, they came face to face with the king and his followers. The king, looking down at the fleeing pair demanded answers for what he saw before him. The monk simply replied, “I’m carrying a jug of liquor, I have my son under my robe, and this is my consort.

When the king kept on repeating the accusations of what appeared to be Ghantapa’s fault, Ghantapa hurled both his son and the jug of liquor onto the ground. This so frightened the earth goddess that she trembled with fear. The ground gaped open and a geyser of water began to flood the entire space. The child was instantly transformed into a thunderbolt and the jug into a bell. Whereupon the yogin, bearing thunderbolt and bell, levitated with his consort into the sky, where they become the deities Samvara and Vajra Varahi joined in father-mother union.

The drowning people screamed, declaring they would take refuge in the master, but Ghantapa remained adamant in his Samadhi of immutable wrath. Suddenly, the Bodhisattva of Compassion appeared. Avalokitesvara placed his holy foot over the source of the flood and the water immediately flowed backward into the ground, and as if by magic, a stone image of the Bodhisattva appeared where his foot had trod. It remains there to this very day.

Everyone was saved. Prostrating themselves, they begged for forgiveness. Still hovering above the assemblage, Ghantapa said “Moral concepts practiced without understanding can be the greatest of obstacles to fulfilling the Bodhisattva’s vow of uncompromising compassion. Do not cultivate virtue and renounce vice. Rather, learn to accept all things as they arise. Penetrate the essence of each experience until you have achieved the one taste.”

At this, everyone was illuminated and their self-righteousness and petty prejudice vanished. Faith was born in the lotus of each heart. Ghantapa’s fame rang out to all the corners of the earth. Possessing the power and virtue of a Buddha, the yogin ascended into the Paradise of the Dakinis with his consort.

“If I look serious, then my music will be taken...

Tue, 22 May 2012 12:43:00 +0800

“If I look serious, then my music will be taken seriously,” say the indie hipsters of We Are Hunted.

But I still love you lot anyway <3 thumbs up for the best music aggregator EVER.

1950s lyrics: splishin and a-splashin, one time i was splishin and a-splashin. ooh, i was movin and a-groovin. yeah, i was splishin and a-splashin.

Tue, 22 May 2012 12:42:47 +0800

1950s lyrics: splishin and a-splashin, one time i was splishin and a-splashin. ooh, i was movin and a-groovin. yeah, i was splishin and a-splashin.

1960s lyrics: he hit me and it felt like a kiss. he hit me and i knew he loved me. if he didn't care for me, i could have never made him mad. but he hit me and i was glad.

1970s lyrics: my ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, i want to play with my ding-a-ling. my ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, i want to play with my ding-a-ling.

2012 lyrics: i'm pimpin where i'm winnin, thats just how i’m chillin. i'm smokin grits and sellin chickens, corvette painted lemons.

EVERY DECADE HAS BAD LYRICS NOW GET OVER YOURSELVES YOU INSUFFERABLE DOUCHEBAGS

I don't care what politics lie behind this...

Tue, 22 May 2012 12:23:33 +0800

I don't care what politics lie behind this...:

…but there can never be an excuse for this kind of suffering which I believe happens on both sides of the conflict.

Malaysian idiots

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:57:00 +0800

So my wrestle with Malaysian customer services continues. The lack of intelligence in the customer service industry baffles me. In any other country, no one would put up with the shit we put up with here but of course, we’re Malaysians and we hate confrontation because that would mean losing face.

But is face really worth suffering horrendous customer service for the rest of your life? Is that the image we want to present to the world? Are we ready to be labelled a developed country when basic common sense appears to be missing on ground level?

Some instances of sheer idiocy:

Maxis charges me RM6000 for my phone bill even though I bought a data package, followed all the settings they told me to do AND they sent me an SMS after that telling me to ignore data limit warnings if I’ve already purchased a package
Telekom Malaysia cutting off my mother’s landline, claiming my brother requested cancellation on 12 January…when, funnily enough, he’d left for Australia on 10 January. So suddenly Telekom is allowed to cut off people’s lines without authorisation from the primary lineholder?
I go to deposit cash into my RHB account but the machine says ‘Transaction timed out’ and doesn’t return my cash. I call them up and they say, “Oh sorry miss, there was a problem with our machine yesterday. It will take 5-14 working days to return the money to you.” So I’m stuck without cash for 5-14 days because YOUR machine had a problem? If YOUR machine had a problem, how is that MY problem? And I’m not even going to get into the millions of times I’ve gone to an ATM in this country, and it’s temporarily out of service…why is it ALWAYS out of service?
I want a card with an embossed name, so I can make online purchases. But in order to do that, I have to give my current debit card back to the bank and wait THREE MONTHS for a new card. You know, because SO many people want an embossed card from RHB that it takes THREE MONTHS to make. And how do I get cash out in the meantime? Go to the bank and write cheques in my own name. Archaic.

Now let me tell you how the above scenarios would’ve resolved had they happened in the UK:

It wouldn’t have happened. The O2 data package would’ve worked with no ludicrous phone bills
It wouldn’t have happened. And if I did, I could’ve taken BT to court and sued them for compensation
It wouldn’t have happened. HSBC’s machines would’ve worked. In my four years in the UK, I NEVER saw a cash machine that was out of service
My first card from them was already embossed, and came within three weeks

Let me tell you how it was resolved here:

I screamed at them, and caught them out on the SMS. In the end, they ‘only’ charged me RM3500 as a gesture of goodwill. My response? Fck off with the goodwill. The second there’s a better telco here (because let’s face it, they’re all as bad as each other), I’m changing service
I screamed at them, and caught them out on the fact Clifford had left Malaysia by 12 January so there’s no way he could’ve called to cut the line. They told me they’ll reconnect in 5 working days. I insisted if they don’t come today, I will make a VERY big deal about the fact they did something illegal. They came in half an hour.
I screamed at them, and now they’ve shortened it to three working days. Still too long, I’ve told them, maybe I should’ve just kept the cash and not bothered banking in. They’re going to get another call from me soon…
I didn’t bother. If they don’t want to expand their services to become a WORLD CLASS bank, what’s the point?

Let’s face it - the only way to get anything done in Malaysia is by screaming at people because common sense has all but abandoned Malaysian companies. Stick to the rules, stick to the script, stick to whatever has been set by the people who’ve lost touched with the masses.

And it’s true, the only reason why I’m in Malaysia is because of Rinpoche and Kechara.

Om nom nom #succulentgram #instagood #friends #girls #food...

Sun, 20 May 2012 18:54:47 +0800

Om nom nom #succulentgram #instagood #friends #girls #food #family (Taken with instagram)

Happy birthday to her hahaha (Taken with instagram)

Fri, 18 May 2012 23:29:19 +0800

Happy birthday to her hahaha (Taken with instagram)

Pride and joy… (Taken with instagram)

Thu, 17 May 2012 04:26:34 +0800

Pride and joy… (Taken with instagram)

Some people are just plain greedy…or they own a...

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:46:26 +0800

Some people are just plain greedy…or they own a restaurant! (Taken with instagram)

It’s all about the lighting…! (Taken with instagram)

Tue, 15 May 2012 01:47:20 +0800

It’s all about the lighting…! (Taken with instagram)

Omg this is making me so hungry

Sat, 05 May 2012 13:08:29 +0800

Omg this is making me so hungry

"In the end, only kindness matters."

Thu, 03 May 2012 14:46:50 +0800

“In the end, only kindness matters.”

- Anonymous

OM NOM NOM

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:25:35 +0800

OM NOM NOM:

Organic vegetables, FTW!