xmas pic taken by moobe !

23th dec

lets see, i have to get a packet of eggs later and to start on the tealeaf eggs and let them simmered to a yummy taste before 24th eve for the gathering , cindy is not making them as shes at work and doesnt have the time to do so heheheh ... so the only thing she'll do is to come over my place on 24th and to pack them eggs into a box and to bring it over hahahhaha

i have to send out 2 parcels as well and to get some sweets for the gathering . i'm still wishing for snow to fall hahahha ...

have to go to the centre and see wht else did i missed out for xmas ....

heheheh may tree elves and faeries, angels and guides have a jolly cool time !

冬至

Yesterday after getting back home , we took out the packet of dough ( regina got it for us ! thks :) ) and started to make our very own tang yuan for this festival . Its our first time making it but we had fun and even took some pics hahahah .. and its very yummy as we used dried longan and yellow crystal rock sugars to make the soup .... after which we decided to play something fun, to put makeups on each other and to take pics hahahah , thts to make us laugh of course .... so heres some pics for u guys to laugh as well HoHOOOhooo !!

19thdec a gingerbread for tea

HooHOOhOOOO ...

i still think that its in everyone's heart that when a gingerbread appears in front of them, there comes the Ooooooooo Ahhhh Soooooo Cutee phrase ? hahahha ... or perhaps its just me ^__~ but i do enjoy the makings /appearances of these gingerbreads in festive seasons ... as they reminds one of the cute little xmas magick ... little gingerbread men walking around dark in the night ... santa claus ...snow scenes and magickal world . well, i just had one for tea and its yummy ... just like how i like it without too much of the cinnamon taste and its chewy instead of hard ... heehhehehe xmas xmas here i come !!

dec18th

"We each must become like fishermen, and go out onto the dark ocean of
mind, and let your nets down into that sea.

"And what you're after is not some behemoth that will tear through your
nets, foul them, and drag you and your little boat into the abyss. Nor are
what we looking for a bunch of sardines, that can slip through your net
and disappear, ideas like 'have you ever noticed that your little finger
exactly fits your nostril' and stuff like that.

"What we are looking for are middle-sized ideas that are not so small that
they are trivial, and not so large that they are incomprehensible, but
middle-sized ideas that we can wrestle into our boat and take back to the
folks on shore, and have fish dinner.

"And everyone of us, this is what we should be looking for. It's not for
your elucidation, it's not part of your self-directed psychotherapy; you are
an explorer, and you represent our species.

"And the greatest good you can do is to bring back a new idea, because
our world is endangered by the absence of good ideas. Our world is in
crisis because of the absence of consciousness.

"And so, to whatever degree, any one of us can bring back a small piece
of the picture, and contribute it to the building of the new paradigm.
Then we participate in the redemption of the human spirit."

- Terence McKenna

raining 11th dec

its raining heavily now and i've just finished vanishing 4 new paintings ...

the whole space smelled of vanish now hahahah
been munching on jackfruit crackers and wondering whts next to eat ~__~ dark grey skies reminds me of winter blues in NY and yummy hotpot soups to enjoy under the fireplace ... ooooo seasons of joys and laughters too

HoHOOOhoooo xmas time !

3th dec

Cant believed that i've been eating so much today ! cabbages with mushrooms, green vegs and potatoes and fatty meats for lunch , got myself 6 pieces of Shun Kuey(笋粿) with lots of sweet sauce and 2 cans of ice lemon teas ...

have been munching on chocolates cookies as well heheheh ... and right now at 4.17pm , i am trying to find something else to munch as well HoooHOOOhOOOO @__@

i've heard that the shun kuey over at First Delight 一品佳美食Dunman Food Centre 271 Onan Rd #01-0811am - 9pm is yummy as well but i've yet to try it ...

dec time to put on weight hahahahah

!st dec

I'm wishing and wishing ....

first day of dec , countdown starts today Yippy !!!

all the yummy cookies and chocolates, hot christmas turkey and pies, juicy hams and lovely fruits ..oh HoHOOhoooo merry xmas ^__~

Happy Thanksgiving !

It's time for the Gratitude Fest. Why not write thank-you notes to the
creatures, both human and otherwise, that have played seminal roles in
inspiring you to become yourself?

Who have been your guides along the way, both the purposeful teachers
and the inadvertent helpers? Who has seen you for who you really are?
Who has nudged you in the direction of your fuller destiny and awakened
you to your signature truths? Who has loved you very, very well?

drinking water every morn

.. DRINK WATER ON EMPTY STOMACH

It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven a its value. We publish below a description of use of water for our readers.

For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese med ical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases: Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, ga str itis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and men str ual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT

1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water .....interesting

2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minutes

3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.

4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours

5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking lit tle water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.

6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.

The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/ reduce main diseases:

1. High Blood Pressure - 30 days
2. Ga str ic - 10 days
3. Diabetes - 30 days
4. Constipation - 10 days
5. Cancer - 180 days
6. TB - 90 days

7. Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd week onwards - daily. This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.

It is better if we continue this and make this procedure as a routine work in our life.Drink Water and Stay healthy and Active.

This makes sense .. The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals ..not cold water.

Maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating!!! Nothing to lose, everything to gain... For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you.

It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed . It will slow down the digestion.

Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine.

Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

vain me on saturday

nothing to do so i started playing makeups on myself @ home.

Heres the photo of me with my makeup on .... heheheh *__*

Reminiscing

hehehe just managed to upload a batch of photos and i was totally caught by this ! its was a relaxing afternoon where we feel like having soup and steamboat came up our minds. we decided to head down to a supermarket to get all ingredients and had a cookout session at home . Boy, it was totally yummy and the sweetest soup i've ever tasted for quite sometime . Hehehhe .... lets do it again ! Hooo HOOOOhooooo ^__~

its a hot hot day

20.nov.2008

woke up at 8am . cindy came over at 8.30am . after finishing her tea leaves eggs for breakfast, we departed to the zoo. we went over to the bus stop, waiting for bus926 but who knows, after 30mins, there isnt any 926 coming so we took a cab instead.

the weather got hotter and hotter as we waited for the rainforest fights back show at 1.30pm and we rested at the pizza place for lunch and had an icecream too to beat the hot weather but ..... we lost to the weather !

its way too hot after cindy took her photos with the crew and the lovely snake so we decided to take a cab down to town to search for my canvas. when we managed to get the prices we decided to head over to taka to get some food and head home .

now time is 6.39pm and i'm too tired after today's activities .... its a hot hOT day !!!

茶葉蛋

.Combine eggs and salt together in a small pan and fill with cold water. Once the water begins to boil , lower heat , and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Once the eggs have cooled down crack the shells.

Mix 3 cups water, soy sauce, black soy sauce, salt, tea leaves, star anise, cinnamon stick, and tangerine zest in a large pot. After the water is boil , remove it from the heat and add the cracked eggs. Let the eggs sit for eight hours.

Ingredients
8 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon black soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons black tea leaves
2 pods star anise
1 (2 inch) piece cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon tangerine zest

PS: Ho hoooHOOOO xmas receipt eggs for wishes !

little wishes

Xmas came early this year for a few of us . I started getting a small xmas tree for myself and decor it with a big bell , stars lights on it and have been wrapping up presents everynow and then HohOHOO !! heheheh ... right now the freshly baked ones are for m & j & y and b & e are still with me as well ....

i'm hoping for smiles and happiness , bliss and lucks and plentiful of miracles to happen for this christmas . may all of our angels shine upon the whole lot of us with blessings and goodies to share around ^__~ may friends be happy and lucky , those that are looking for love .. may the cupid angels work harder for them , those in need of lucks may the angels of abundance showered more twinkles on them and those in need of a break may the angels of coolz spread their wings high up and refresh them with bliss and harmony in their life ..

as for myself, i wish to deepen my knowledge and wisdom so that i can heal and help more people around mother earth and to spread my healing arts globally ... as i earn more abundance into my life, the sooner can my dreams come true !

Amen !!

2012

2012 (MMXII) will be a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

Metaphysical speculations
2012 is claimed by some with New age beliefs to be a great year of spiritual transformation (or alternatively an apocalypse). There is disagreement among believers as to whether 2012 will see an end of civilization, or humanity will be elevated to a higher level.[14]

Many esoteric sources interpret the completion of the thirteenth B'ak'tun cycle in the Long Count of the Maya calendar (which occurs on December 21 by the most widely held correlation) to mean there will be a major change in world order.

Astrologer John Jenkins has determined that on this date, there will be "an extremely close conjunction of the northern hemisphere winter solstice sun with the crossing point of the Galactic equator and the ecliptic", an event that will not be repeated for thousands of years. [14] [15]

Several authors have published works which claim that a major, world-changing event will take place in 2012:

The 1997 book The Bible Code by Michael Drosnin claims that, according to certain algorithms of the Bible code, an asteroid or comet will collide with the Earth.

The 2006 book 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl by Daniel Pinchbeck discusses theories of a possible global awakening to psychic connection by the year 2012, creating a noosphere.

Riley Martin claims that Biaviian aliens will allow passage aboard their 'Great Mother Ship' when the Earth is 'transformed' in 2012.

Terence McKenna's numerological novelty theory suggests a point of singularity in which humankind will go through a great shift in consciousness.

From Wikipedia

parcel from hamburg arrived !

today the parcel from hamburg finally arrived to our doorsteps !
it is a very big parcel cos it contains of all my buys from europe , last heard from elisabeth this afternoon , she had divided them into 2 parcels .

so one arrived today ! theres my big faery from a very unique shop in hamburg. the shop sells all sorts of herbs, ointments and all natural handmade receipts for spells and healings and they sell all sorts of dragons statues as well .... it just reminds one of those hobbit store in LOTR movie !

the hotdogs and sour krauts arrived too , my hellokitty pjs from H&M , the very yummy chocolate power drink from barcelona ( this amazing drink taste just like thick sinful chocolate pudding) and its only available in spain as its a famous chocolate drink locally .

sweat shirt from elisabeth to tom . a red hamburg tee as well .

H&M buys hehehehe .... my seal medicine bags and stones collected from the baltic seas ....

now i wondered whts in the 2nd parcel ? * i thought its all here already * Hahahahh Ho hOO HO ~__^

Winter Solstice Festival : DONG ZHI

冬至
DONG ZHI
Winter Solstice Festival
Eleventh Moon (December)
Literally meaning the "arrival (至) of winter (冬)”, Dong Zhi is the second most
important festival of the Chinese calendar, and is considered the thanksgiving
of the Chinese calendar. Dong Zhi is the last festival of the year. Coinciding
with the winter solstice, it is a time for the entire family to get together to
celebrate the past good year. Glutinous rice balls known as Tang Yuan (汤圆)
are cooked and eaten to signify unity and harmony within the family.


ORIGINS OF DONG ZHI
Celebrated on the longest night of the year, Dong Zhi is the day when
sunshine is weakest and daylight shortest. The sun is at the Tropic of
Capricorn & this results in the longest night of the year for those living in the
northern hemisphere.
Dong Zhi has its origins in the farmer's celebrations of the year-end harvest.
The ancient Chinese farmers divided the year into 24 "joints" of two weeks,
and as a result, each Dong Zhi occurs six weeks before the Chinese New
Year. Dongzhi usually falls between December 21 and 23.
Dong Zhi was in fact the antecedent of Chinese New Year, as some of the
earlier emperors celebrated the new year at Dong Zhi. This lasted till Emperor
Han Wu Di decided to fix the Lunar New Year at the beginning of each year.
Even today, some Chinese “traditionalists” insist that everyone turns a year
older after Dong Zhi.
The celebration of Dong Zhi is also deeply rooted in the Chinese belief of yin
and yang, which represent balance and harmony in life. The Chinese believe
that although the yin qualities of darkness and cold are at their most powerful
at the time of Dong Zhi, it is also a turning point, heralding the dawning of the
light and warmth of yang. Because of this, Dong Zhi is considered a time of
optimism.

Tang Yuan

Ah Balling (汤圆 in Chinese), also known as Tang Yuan, is a Teochew Chinese Dessert. Basically, it comprises glutinous rice balls served in a hot sweet soup, such as peanut soup or even ginger soup). Each rice ball contains a sweet paste made from lotus seed, red bean, black sesame, ground peanuts or yam. They are made separately then cooked in hot water for a few minutes.

The soup is made from rock sugar and pandan leaves. This is ladled onto the rice balls just before serving. Ah Balling is a sweet dessert, perfect for anyone who has a sweet tooth.
A good paste from black sesame and peanut, is one where they are roasted to a point where there is a nice aroma coming from them, then crushed and made into paste.

When you bite into a good ah balling, the aroma and fine texture of the paste should tantalize your taste buds.

There are three type of soup that is served with Ah Balling. And they are plain, ginger and peanut soup. All of them are cooked with pandan leaves and rock sugar. For ginger soup, large amount of ginger is added to prepare the ginger soup so when drinking it, you will experience a bit of spicinese that is unique to ginger. But ginger being a herb in nature, allows you to have your dessert and still keep healthy at the same time.

In recent years, many places have started a new trend by adding peanuts to the serving soup. The peanuts have been boiled to a point that they are still solid in the soup, but will disintegrate once you put them into your mouth.

Regardless of which soup you choose, the rice balls should be soft and tender with a little bit of a bite when you break it open with your teeth. The glutinous rice shell and filling should then melt in your mouth and slide down your throat.

PS: wanna eat some ? head down to zhenjie stall at amoy food centre #02-109

thursay night gathering

yesterday thurs i was quite busy , went down to town to meet up with mark for lunch and chats as its been a really long time since we last met up and its always good to see how hes doing and all so i really enjoyed the time there...

later cindy and i went back to the north and started to do some cleaning of the house as the rest are coming over in the later afternoon to prepare to surprise elaine for an early celebration of her bday for this year .

who knows .... in the end, elaine wasnt going to come early and we ended up waiting for her for few hrs :P hahahahah . poor regina and family even took a cab straight down for fears that elaine might arrived earlier than them and we had to hide the cake up first .... rayson had to come earlier too as hes the one who have done up a birthday card and all of us are waiting to sign the card ... hehehhe ....

but it was fun playing with yohei after dinner and we had laughs and drinks ... all of them took their early xmas presents along too ... and some of us have to decide wht to cook/prepare for xmas eve gathering now ... this time round it will be at regina's place :)

so lets all look forward to that Ho hO hOO !!!

happy wedding

today is the happy day of shanshan & michael

she really looks so so beautiful and happy ...

all the best to them *hugzs hugzs*

Tagua

WHAT IS TAGUA?

Tagua - pronounced (TAW-QWAH) - is hand carved and polished into miniature animals and figurines with the look and feel of ivory.

The average Tagua nut measures between 1 and 2 inches, and in a single year one palm can produce up to 20 pounds of nuts.Tagua is from a palm like tree which grows to a height of 20 to 30 feet in several tropical regions of South America.

Chemically they are pure cellulose and before the nut matures has a milky liquid in the center. When ripe the nuts fall to the ground and are gathered and dried from eight to twelve weeks, after which then become extremely hard.

The nut is non toxic and the color varies from white to amber.The taqua nut is close grain and very hard. The cellular structure and grain is similar to that of elephant ivory, but is more dense and resilient.

It resembles the finest ivory in texture and color and is slightly softer than mammal ivory. There are several names for this vegetable ivory nut, but most common is the "Tagua Nut".

Its' similarity to elephant ivory has been known by craftsman for years and is frequently passed as elephant ivory on objects fashioned from it and can be very deceptive.

It being so much like mammal ivory that pieces carved from it are sold at the same price as elephant ivory and in some carvings much more.

For over two hundred years vegetable ivory has been used by ivory carvers in the making of netsuke's, dice, dominoes, and chess pieces. Other uses found were cane and umbrella handles, pipes, mah-jongg tiles, sewing needle cases and the fine art of scrimshaw.

Religious figurines were carved as were many toys. In the late eighteen hundreds up through World War II this ivory nut was used to make some of the finest buttons in the clothing industry.

Ivory carving has flourished for hundreds of years sacrificing elephants, walrus, rhinos and other ivory bearing animals. This is a terrible waste, and has threatened a number of endangered species.

Tagua offers a welcome, moral alternative to ivory trading.

Vegetable Ivory is readily available, a harvestable renewable resource, and looks very similar to actual ivory. It offers third world countries a simple alternative to exploiting their natural resources.

christmas started early for me

This year's christmas started early for me as i walked through the supermarkets and stores in europe. Why? cos all the supermarkets are selling xmas munchies and cookies and tons of christmas related food stuffs and its so cool when u strolled down from one lane to the other looking at those wonderful yummy packages ..... heheheh

how i wish the supermarkets in spore would do that as well ....bring in all the yummy beautifully packages boxes of choclates, tins of amazing cuteee cookies, packs and packs of sweet yummy frosted sweets and sweet apples .... ahhhh * yummmmm*

2008 xmas would mark this year's ending as well .. as if time really flies past so quickly in a flash . not long ago it was just start of a year ... i remembered writing new year cards for maad market so that i can passed around to all the stall owners ...

now i am starting on xmas wrappings ..... so rich and happy the year has been and i am blessed indeed . not forgetting the lows of tides in the year but its the lows that makes me realized how rich i was in spite of all changes ... i somehow survived . heheheh so i am grateful my angels !

now i wish for a snowy xmas with wonderful reindeers ringing bells for this seasons ! Ho HO hO !

cutting it away

In every relationship, people are constantly exchanging energy that can become a chord connecting two people. This energetic cord forms just below the breastbone and can remain long after a relationship has ended.

This unbroken cord may leave an open channel between you and another person, through which emotions and energy can continue to flow. If you are unaware that the chord exists, it is easy to feel the other person’s emotions and mistakenly think that they are yours.

Besides the fact that this can limit the amount of closure you can experience in a relationship, letting this cord remain intact can leave you with a continued sense of sadness while creating feelings of lethargy as your own energy is sapped from you.

Cutting the cord can help you separate yourself from old baggage, unnecessary attachments, and release you from connections that are no longer serving you.Finding and cutting unwanted cords is a simple, gentle process that is best done alone and when you are relaxed.

It is important that you are strong in your intention to release the chord between you and someone else.

To begin, breathe deeply and perform a simple centering meditation. When you are ready, visualize or sense the chords that are connecting you to other people.

Run your fingers through the cords to separate them until you find the cord you wish to sever. There is no need to worry, because the chord you need to sever will feel just right.

When you have found it, determine where the cut should be made and then visualize the cord being cleanly cut.

If you need assistance, Archangel Michael can be called upon to help you with his sword.

Afterwards, if you feel that cutting the chord has left spaces in your energy field, then visualize those spaces being filled with healing sunlight.There may be times where cutting a cord can help free a relative or loved one to reach new stages of growth.

You’re not severing a relationship, but you are severing the chords that are no longer serving you both. At other times, a cord may simply refuse to be cut because it is still serving a higher purpose.

It is also important to remember that cutting a cord with someone is not a replacement for doing your emotional work with people. It can, however, be an enactment of that work upon its completion.

In any case, cutting a relationship cord should always be viewed as a positive and nurturing act. By cutting the cords that no longer need to be there, you are setting yourself and others free from the ties that bind.

sometimes a loss can be a gain

When we lose anything that we cherish, the sense of emptiness we are left behind with can be overwhelming. A space that was filled, whether in our lives or our hearts, is now a void, and the feelings of pain, loss, and separation can sometimes be difficult to bear.

While it is always important to honor what we’ve lost, sometimes a loss can also represent a chance for a new beginning.

When we are ready, the void left by a relationship, a job, or a dream can then be viewed as open space that can be filled with something new: new experiences, new knowledge, new job opportunities, new dreams, new people, and new ways to grow.

There are many ways to weave the threads of loss into a blessing. If you’ve lost a job or ended a relationship, your first thoughts may revolve around filling the void with a similar job or the same kind of relationship.

Try not to rush into anything just to fill up the emptiness. The loss of a job can free you up to explore new opportunities, especially if you’ve outgrown the old one.

Likewise, the loss of a relationship can give you a chance to rediscover your own interests, explore new passions, and meet different people.

If seeking the good in what seems like a bad situation makes you feel uncomfortable, then try to remember that you are not devaluing what you’ve lost or replacing it cold-heartedly.

You are surrendering to the fact that, in life, we sometimes have to let go and allow for what is new to enter into the open spaces created by our losses.

In doing so, you are honoring what has left you and welcoming the new into your life with open space, an open mind, and an open heart.

ever wonder?

ever wondered where do we really come from?

since i was a child, i always wondered where do i come from ?

and its when i looked into the night skies full of stars that i felt really belonged .

strange as it seems, but i always thought of the stars as home .

home where i've travelled far away from ... of many journeys . i was always out of the "group" ... i was always alone , or rather i always stand out from many others .

perhaps more stubborn and rebellious , i like to challenge the adults with many difficult questions where they find it difficult to reply .

i dont play with girls . i play with boys. i like to go to the fields and look for grasshoppers, to the drains for frogs and tadpoles and i love playing in the rains .

when grandpa was not in town, i would always stay inside my own room . and i would only go out to the living room when meal time is near . . i just dont like the adults that i live with .

so to them, i am one strange kid .

i talk to trees and stones, plants and animals when i am with them and adults find it ^(*&(**()(_ that i insist that they talked back to me . so one day, grandma suggested bringing me to the temple of Mother Goddess , and to let me be "adopted" by the Mother Goddess. so that i can learn to be obedient again . one of the other reasons " i always fall sick/see "dirty" stuffs. In those days, "dirty" stuffs are spirits and dead entities .

I suppose all the adults dont really understand me at all . Except grandpa . he knew . and he can see what i see so he understands .

but i wondered, why didnt he try to explain it to the other adults . perhaps its not meant to be .

after grandpa's death , theres a lag of time where i cant remembered what has happened in-between the years ..... as if theres a vaccum of air , when i tried to recall what had happened then ..... i just cant seemed to remembered .....

i also stopped talking to trees and stones and often ignored my guides/angels and totem animals too ....

it was only when i was back to Singapore again and in the year the harmonic concordance night when i attended the drumming meditation in Whatever cafe that suddenly everything came back to me again . i started talking to the trees and stones , spirits and guides, whatever that came my way , i started to say "Hi" to them ..... and i guess thats how i stumbled upon my way back ..

and as the years goes by and by ..... i learned more from different "teachers" that came into my life , though i was always alone and always moving on , life was never the same again .

And if you were to ask me if i were to have the chance to change everything again , would i do it ?

My answer is "N0" .

Without the years of what i've been going through, the journeys undertaken, the experiences learnt and the hardships earned, i wouldnt be who i am or where i am now .

So i am ever thankful and grateful to all my guides, angels, elves and faeries, totem animals and angels whos always on my way, by my side , taking care of me in ways that they can, even when i ignored them , they are always there ... so i thank you with all my heart ^__^

thank you for letting me remember .

who i am and what my gifts are .

i thank you .

and i will continue the journey of learning , to heal, to help, to give, to love ....

*hugzs*

with all of our love

Finally today betsy and i managed to find time to drop by regina's studio to have lunch with them and to pass them the ikea vouchers from all of us !!!

Wishing them happiness and lucks in their new home !!! ^__^

Euro vs Sing

Gosh, didnt know that the currency exchange now is that high for euro dollars.

$1euro = $0.40 SGD .... ^~^

thats going to make a huge dent on my pockets when i've over for 2mths long ...

*hmmmmm* its all due to the lows of usdollars i guess.

cant imagine eating a meal outside that wld cost $30euros or more ... i better hoped that my artworks sell successfully there then ..

still thinking of euro rail travels ..... to netherlands and france ...... that wld at least set me off by euro $500 ......

*crossing my fingers* i'll earn as much as these ... hahahaha

*My angels and faeries, guides and elves, totem animals and gnomes please do help me to pave a way of success when i am over, that my arts and handmade stuffs sells and clients really love them and that i can learn more from different exposures/cultures/people in Europe and that we can all be happily blessed with goodlucks and happiness, bliss and health along this trip !!

HUgzs Ayako ^__^

070808 evening

it was raining heavily when i was on the bus towards chinatown while i got the sms from hanz saying that the rain over his area are way too heavy and hes also down with a little bug so the guys cancelled out the evening gathering :(

that leaves just me and cindy . we went over to sun with moon for our dinner and due to the fact that we had a 15% discount voucher, we ordered more freely with our choices . it was a yummy cool dinner actually as we ended with the sweet box .

later we went round clarke quay for drinks and french fries too as we still feel like munching .... so we chitchat round the munchies and it was an evening well spent i think ? cos its nice to be out there with just a friend , with no aims at all , go with the flow and see where we ended up in .....

all in all it was a good evening ! hahahaha ^__^

sunday

let the old be old .

let the past be past.

do not pass as if its nothing.

do not smile as if u're friendly.

nothing comes from nothing.

for i stay where i am .

so leave me alone and leave me free.

Special at Maad this weekends ~

Dear All,

Do drop by maad market this weekends (2-3aug) 11am to 7pm so that you can get a look at the variety of medicine bags that I’ve handmade and harvested by 3 full moons .
Theres small ones that you can carry a stone in it or big ones where you can store all of your crystals or stones or bracelets in it as each medicine bag contains the magickal blessings of great grandmother moon ( 3 times the magick of 3 full moons ) and I wont be making anymore of those till theres opportunities . So its a good time to get one ! ^__^

All medicine bags have been blessed by the Great Spirits and will be a magickal bag for u to store your treasured crystals. Or when you feel that your stones are getting heavy and needed a boost or cleansing, u can pop the crystals or stones into the bag to refresh your stones/crystals too .

Small medicine bags at $10-$30

Big medicine bags at $80.

And this is a chance to get your personal intuitive drawing done on the spot for a special rate of $40 too ! And small artworks from $88-480. Only at maad market . Nearest mrt station is tanjong pager . Near to Maxwell market . Its the red color building (former traffic police) . More infos on maad market : http://maadsunday.blogspot.com/

So see ya there !

Ayako ^__^

unhappy ?

"The unhappy person resents it when you try to cheer him up, because
that means he has to stop dwelling on himself and start paying attention
to the universe. Unhappiness is the ultimate form of self-indulgence.
When you're unhappy, you get to pay a lot of attention to yourself. You
get to take yourself oh so very seriously."
- Tom Robbins, *Jitterbug Perfume*

^__^

What Ayako Means

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care. You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life. You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip. People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them. You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life. You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you. At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself.

What's" Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

10 promises to my dog .

12-year old Akari fell in love with a puppy that had wandered into her house and adopted it. She names it "Socks" as its' paws looked like they had white socks on. The girl and dog are inseparable, and the pet was a great comfort to Akari while grieving her mother's death. However, as Akari grows up, her feelings and interest moves away from Socks. Year by year, their distance grows, which also leads to her physical distance as she moves to a far off city, and must leave Socks behind to a childhood friend. One day Akari remembers the 10 promises that she had made to Socks and her mother...

PS: went to watch the movie yest night and it was a touching cool movie especially if you are a dog lover ! ^__^ so do catch it if u are free !!!!

shinto

Shinto is one of the two major religions of Japan (the other is Buddhism). Shinto is often considered to be the native religion of Japan, and is as old as Japan itself. The name Shinto means “the way of the gods.”

Shinto is a pantheistic religion, in which many thousands of major and minor gods are thought to exist. The Japanese have built thousands of shrines (jinja) throughout the country to honor and worship these gods.

Some shrines are huge and are devoted to important deities while other shrines are small and may be easily missed when strolling along roads in the countryside.

Shinto gods are called kami. Kami are thought to have influence on human affairs, and for this reason many Japanese make regular pilgrimage to community shrines in order to offer prayers to local kami.

The act of prayer involves approaching the shrine structure, passing through the gate-like torii, cleansing the hands and mouth with water and possibly ascending stairs to the main entrance of the shrine.

Usually without entering the shrine the worshipper will throw some coins into a stone or wooden collection box and then rattle the suzu bell which is at the top of a long hemp rope. The worshiper grabs hold of the rope and shakes it back and forth causing the copper bell at the top to rattle.

This is thought to get the attention of the shrine god. The worshipper then bows twice, claps his or her hands twice and then bows again.

In addition, the worshipper may clasp their hands together in silent prayer.

Shintoism and Buddhism have managed to find a comfortable coexistence in Japan.

Evidence of this harmonious relationship is found in the fact that that most Japanese are married in a Shinto shrine, but buried by a Buddhist priest.

Omamori

Japanese religious good luck charm for health and wellness. Items such as this are called omamori or ofuda in Japan where they are used to invoke the protection and aid of spiritual forces associated with the Shinto and Buddhist religions.

Shinto is the native religion of Japan and an animist system supporting a pantheon of innumerable major and minor gods.

Omamori (lit "honorable protector") are simple bits of wood, paper or cloth holding a written prayer and/or the name of a patron deity, and made holy through consecration by a priest.

Omamori are normally kept safe within special pouches called omamori bukuro which are then carried or worn by the believer.

Ofuda are similar to omamori though the former are typically made of wood and are designed for domestic use, being displayed at the entrance to a home or held within special family shrines called kamidana (god shelf).

Omamori and ofuda are commonly replaced at the start of each year as the power of these charms is thought to be only temporary and subject to diminish over time. Below is a list of the most popular types of Japanese omamori :

Shiawasemamori - Designed to bring happiness into the life of the owner.
Kanai Anzen - Ensure general good health and help those with illness.
Koutsu Anzen - Protection for drivers and travelers of all sorts.
Enmusubi - Available for singles and couples to ensure love and marriage.
Anzan - Protection for pregnant women during term and to ensure a safe and easy delivery.
Gakugyojoju - Aid for students and scholars.
Shobaihanjo - Success in business and matters of money.
Yakuyoke - Protection during bad luck years.

PS: hehehe i am a collector of omamori !!!! so if u are heading to japan or hawaii or america ...plzs do get me a omamori !! ^__^

omikuji

Most shrines in Japan sell fortunes (Omikuji). If one draws a good fortune they take it home with them. But if it comes out bad, then you leave it at the shrine. The concept is that if you tie your bad fortune to the site the spirits will come and take it away.

this particular Location is in Osaka, Japan ^__^

tanabata song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3U_CiUz8JQ&feature=related

PS: where u can hear the song !

7th July the star festival !!!!

Tanabata, the Star Festival, is an event based on a Chinese legend. Two lovers (the stars Altair and Vega), who were separated by the Milky Way, meet just once a year on the night of July 7th.

Its one of my favourite days in a year ^__^

Here is the song that is sung on Tanabata.

Sasa no ha sara sara

笹の葉　さらさら

Nokiba ni yureru

軒端に　ゆれる

Ohoshi-sama kira kira

お星さま　きらきら

Kin gin sunago

金　銀　砂子

Meaning:
Bamboo leaves are rustling
And swaying at the eaves
Stars are twinkling
Like gold and silver sands

On colorful papers
I wrote my wishes
Stars are twinkling
And gazing at me from the sky

The Tanabata Story

Translated by Minobu

from this Japanese website:http://www.sci-museum.kita.osaka.jp/news/text/a980630.html

July 7th is TANABATA.

There are a lot of stories about the origin of TANABATA. The most well-known story is as follows.

A long time ago, TEN-KOU, the god of the sky, had a daughter called ORIHIME. Everyday she wove cloth for the Gods with a special machine called TANAHATA.

It is believed that the word TANABATA comes from the name of this weaving machine, TANAHATA.

TEN-KOU was worried because his daughter worked every day and did nothing but weave. So he introduced her to a guy on the other side of the river named AMANOGAWA (to us it's the Milky Way).

His name was HIKOBOSHI or KENGYU. KENGYU took care of cows and was a workaholic. (I am not sure why he has 2 names. But I think KENGYU means cow care-taker, and HIKOBOSHI is his actual name.)

When they met each other, they fell in love immediately, and spent all their time together. As a result, all the cows became sick and the gods' clothes became worn out, but there was no new cloth to make more.

This made TEN-KOU very angry and he stopped ORIHIME from meeting KENGYU anymore by taking her to the other side of AMANOGAWA. This made the two lovers so sad that they couldn't work. TEN-KOU also felt sorry, so he decided to let them meet each other once a year on July 7th if they worked hard.

Now, they work as hard as before and look forward to seeing each other only once a year.

Traditionally, people wished the sky would be clear on that day so the two could meet over the Milky Way. If it rained that day, the water level of the river AMANOGAWA got too high and could not be crossed.

People wished this by writing the wish on a piece of paper and hanging the paper on a bamboo tree.

Nowadays, people write their own wish on the paper.

This is the most well-known story of TANABATA, even though there are many others.. It seems this story originally came from China.

In the Chinese Calender, there is almost always a half moon on July 7th and they believe ORIHIME and KENGYU use that half moon as a boat to meet each other over the great river in the sky, AMANOGAWA.

the hot and humid arts street @ clarke quay

this photo was taken at the arts street @ clarke quay where cindy & i shared a table for this festival . Gosh the weekend was so hot and humid and we were sweating under the scorching sun for whole day long ...... whts our return ? hmmmm we munched alot and went in and out of liang court for the air-con and bentos !!! hahahaha .... gave some of our namecards away ..

learnt our lessons too ! not to be at a fair where its so quiet in the daytime .... no flow of human traffics of any kinds except for vendor's own family/friends crowd ......

Oh well, its a well taken photo by betsy nevertheless ! hahahaha ....

Brave Love

just earlier on , an sms from an old friend ...

telling me that 2 of our friends are going to get hitched !

hehehe to me, thts very wonderful news as they have been going out for a long long time ...

they will be doing handfasting in Singapore and later to Vegas for marriage ....

so so happy for them !

a quote i love ...

quote by John Lennon

"I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?"

e starfish story

The Starfish Story
adapted from The Star Throwerby Loren Eiseley (1907 - 1977)

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all.

The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean.""I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."Upon hearing this, the wise man commented,

"But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile?

You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean.

As it met the water, he said, "It matters to that one."

updates

coming sat i'll have another job scope as in-house consultant to cosmic phoenix, a new holistic centre at the east side of Singapore. Its address can be found on : http://www.cosmicphoenix.com/

over at the centre, i'll be providing services such as personal intuitive drawings, healing arts , comissioned healing art pieces and drum healings ...

do check out the website for more infos or pay a visit and see the place yaself ! ^__^

PS: i wont be earning much as they charge 50% commission , to me , i see it as helping a friend to set up their centre and hopefully to draw in more attentions to new crowds as well ... so lets all hoped for the best !! Ganbatte ne !!

a long and tiring day

today we met up with the owner agent to get the keys from them .
its so called hand over day . But nothing's been done yet . Contractors came in the afternoon to fix up the curtain railings and it took them half a day to do that , and they are still not done yet and have to continue tomorrow ....... water heater in toilet not up , fixing of wires on the walls not up , everything's dangling here and there ..... urghhh what a sight ......

they said that the unit has been cleaned up ..... but its so dusty and dirty ..... and worst thing is that .....after the contractors had done up curtain railings , after drilling in the holes and hook things up , they just leave the mess behind for me to clean it up ....... imagine how dusty and how dirty the floor is after that ...... urghhhhhhh ....

one lucky thing for me is that Mark came to offer me help by painting my walls up and both of us were sweating in the place as theres no aircon in living room, theres only one aircon is master and the cooler is not in yet ...... owner only reluctantly provide us with just one cooler for the living room and its not delivered yet ...... it was suppose to come in today ....

so there we were with a small fan , painting the walls under this hot and humid weather........ its like in oven baking ourselves up ..... urghhhhhhhh ........

now the kitchen is in a mess cos the floors are so dirty with the contractors shoes on walking there n here ...... they can even say dont mind hor ..later u just clean it up ....... i am so pissed that i just kept quiet through the day ....... i didnt even have the appetite to eat lunch nor dinner......

tomorrow wld be another long day as the movers are shifting in the stuffs ..... and with me alone , i have to be at the old place and the new place at the same time, overlooking the process, whether if they are handling it ok ........ *stress*

at times like these, it really test my patience and endurance .....

*tsk*tsk*

i cant believe this !! Urghh ..

i've been packing so dilligently these few weeks just to make ourselves ready for shifting to the new place .....

date to shift was : 12may(get the keys)
movers: early morning 9am to gear up all our stuffs !

who knows.......just yesterday the agent called up and said to us that the currently tenant of the place cant find a suitable place to move to and the owner wants us to give them another month time ......

but in the mist of all these, where are we going to go to ? we havnt got another place to go to for just this one month due to your excuses and mistakes .....

we have already paid our one month deposit and the comission to the agent and now the agent is not fighting for our rights at all .....

leaving us hanging up in the airs just like this !!!!!!! its so surreal ... to face such situations right at our face !!! i cant even imagine this happening to us ........

urghhhh ..... now is sat 10may 10.30am and theres people coming over to our place to view our unit now .... if its all settled, then where wld we go ....... *headaches * headaches .....

hmmmmmmm hmmmmmm wheres my angels gone to ? vacations? help help !!!!!!

miracle plzs !!!!!!!

a talk with a galfriend

we were talking about love and loss & most of all commitment

about how love was more than an emotion. sometimes love was a choice.

Like the tide, it could ebb and flow, and there were slack-tide ties when a woman had nothing to believe in except a memory, nothing to cling to except the choice she'd made a long time ago....

Do u believe in second chances?

before today, it would have seemed impossible to expose her heart so openly,so boldly.to admit she wanted to love and be loved.But today, life seemed different.

As if anything were possible.

What ifs ?

zoommmmmm.....

so fast the week went ....
been packing and packing ....
somehow i didnt want to acknowledge the fact that we are shifting ...
cos its so serene and cool , peaceful and beautiful when i stare out the windows each morning greeting mother earth and the butterflies ....

even the elves and faeries were sad to be leaving this space ...

but we do have to face the reality, and to learn to go with the flow ...

so i'll do my best and hope for the best !

thks to cindy for helping me pack last sunday too !

or this target !

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Co-Axial Chrono Code: 2918.50.83

Band : Orange Rubber Strap with foldover claspCase : Stainless SteelDial : BlackMovement : AutomaticSize : Gents 45.5 mmWater Resistant : 600m

Price: USD 5,104.00

Caliber: Omega 3313
Self-winding chronograph movement with column wheel mechanism and Co-Axial Escapement for greater precision stability and durability of the movement. Free sprung balance, with date, hour, minute and continuous small seconds hands, central chronograph hand

Power Reserve: 55 hours

Crystal: Domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal

Functions: Date, Chronograph, Chronometer, Small seconds

PS: and if i can ..... perhaps this option wld be cooler !!! hehehhe :P

my target for a watch !

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Big Size Code: 2908.50.38

Band : Orange Croco Leather StrapCase : Stainless SteelDial : BlackMovement : AutomaticSize : Gents 45.5 mm

Water Resistant : 600m

Price: USD 3,192.00
Caliber: Omega 2500
Self-winding chronometer, Co-Axial Escapement movement with rhodium-plated finish
Power Reserve: 44 hours
Crystal: Domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal
Functions: Date, Chronometer

PS: i've been eyeing on this watch for 2 yrs already ! hopefully when i reach 35 yrs old birthday i can happily add it into my collection !

Sky of Love

sky of love "koizora" ....

i recalled watching this movie month back with cindy and both of us was crying in the cinema. it is a very touching and simple love that was so intense that it actually made almost whole of the crowd in the cinema sobs .... and seriously i wouldnt mind watching it all over again !

movie plot: Based on a cell-phone novel that moved 11 million people to tears, "Sky of Love" is a story about a regular girl's three stormy years in high school. While her friends are absorbed about their boyfriends, Mika is clueless about falling in love. She begins receiving phone calls from a boy she doesn't know and is gradually drawn to him. She finally meets him but their happy days soon pass as trouble is brewing on the horizon.

analyze your handwriting

Discover what your handwriting says about you.

Every character you write out on paper is guided by two things: your brain and the motor reflex muscles in your hand. Just as everyone has a unique mind, everyone has a unique handwriting style.

The way you create letters can be analyzed and interpreted to reveal details about your personality.

To analyze your handwriting, you'll need to write down a few phrases that incorporate every letter of the alphabet. So get a piece of plain white, unlined copy paper and a pen and write down the following phrases to use as your go-by for this analysis:


"The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

"I couldn't believe it when the mad boxer shot a quick, gloved jab to the jaw of his dizzy opponent."

"While making deep excavations, we found some quaint bronze jewelry."

Now let's take a look at what your handwriting says about you.

The Pressure
This is a representation of your emotional energy. Feel the back side of the paper you used. Can you feel the lines from your writing? Is the text particularly dark from the pressure applied?

Typically, heavy pressure writers are highly successful with high energy levels.

Average pressure represents those with moderate success and energy levels. Light pressure can be a sign of insecurity and frailty.

The Slant
When you hold the paper straight and look at your writing, does it slant to the right, left or stay relatively vertical?

If it slants to the right, the writer is usually caring, generous, well-balanced and has no qualms about letting their heart lead their mind.

Left slanted writers are generally quiet and reserved. Sometimes seen as cold or uncaring, these folks have a hard time revealing their emotional state.

Writers with no slant tend to keep their emotions in check and lead with their minds. These individuals are usually very independent thinkers.


Space Between Words
Take a look at the average width of the letters you've written. If the space between full words is larger than this average width, your handwriting is saying that you crave more personal space and like to keep an emotional distance from others.

If the space is smaller than your average letter width, you either desire much closer contact with others or you have a tendency to overcrowd others.

The Letter I
Analyzing your letter "I" is pretty simple.
This represents your vision of yourself.

Take a look at the size of your capital I in the second sentence you wrote down.

If it's much bigger than your other capital letters, this means you have a high opinion of yourself or want others to think highly of you.

The smaller it is in comparison to other capital letters, the lower the opinion you have of yourself.

If the capital "I" is roughly the same size as your other caps, you have a well-balanced view of your self and interact well with others.


The Letter T
Take a look at the lower case T's throughout your handwriting sample and see how you typically cross them.

If the cross is to the left of the stem, you take your time with your decisions, weighing every outcome and making sure you approach situations cautiously.

If the cross generally resides in the middle of the stem, you are a responsible person who follows most of the rules and is good at managing and delegating to others.

A cross that balances more to the right represents a reliable, dependable worker with a high potential for leadership.


Handwriting analysis, also known as Graphology, is a fun and easy way to take a look at how you represent yourself in your mind's eye.

If you'd like to know more, there are plenty of resources available online or at your library with even more in-depth analyses of writing styles and what they mean about you.

And remember, if you're unhappy with what you learn about yourself through your results, you always have the inner strength to change the way you see yourself.