A friend emailed me to request an explanation of that phrase I used in my entry Travelogue VIII: Suffering. I realize it wasn’t self-evident. I figured my response to her may be useful here too. Do bear with me… it is not an easy task to answer that question in a few words :P ***** ***** ***** Dear (Friend), “Being blind to my own suffering.” I think that no human being is a stranger to suffering. By ‘suffering’ I do not mean […]
Just as I was about to go to sleep last night, I had a thought, “Today was a good day.” There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary yesterday. It was the little moments that were interspersed throughout (particularly in the afternoon and earlier evening) that added flavour. It was a day peppered with ‘moments’. Facial expressions (Drinking 100% pure unsweetened cranberry juice). “Duh” moments (Breaking a spoon. Spilling chicken fat on the kitchen floor. Comparing the texture of frozen grapes with frozen […]
Just read Zibin’s latest blog entry. And I feel inexplicably moved by the wisdom of that entry. It serves as a powerful reminder to myself. I, too, get too easily troubled and disturbed by external stimuli, be it people, the weather, situations or things. On the journey to becoming more and more deeply anchored and so less affected by external stimuli, I think the increasing sensitivity to my own reactions is a significant step. That too, requires inner silence. Silence in order […]
A barn along Highway 96, enroute from Ithaca to Toronto Sorry I took so long to put these pics up. The delay was due to various reasons. I was lazy. I wasn’t too happy with the pics I took on this trip because almost all the photos were taken from the car. Neither my skills nor my camera were of the calibre of taking good pics while in motion, sometimes at speeds as high as 110kmh. I felt like I did not […]
Been in a ‘balletic’ mood ever since I found out that The National Ballet of Canada is staging Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty (choreography by Rudolf Nureyev) in November. That fairy-tale was my childhood favourite for two reasons. 1. The ballet. 2. The Disney cartoon. Both for which I loved the music. Of course the cartoon did use Tchaikovsky’s music, and my favourite song was “Once Upon A Dream” which is to the tune of the ballet’s waltz. :) I started listening to […]
Found: One silver (outside) and purple (inside) foldable umbrella. It has the words “EverGreen” printed in green on the velcro strap. Where: In my suitcase I have a sneaking suspicion that I borrowed this umbrella from someone on a rainy day. Back in Singapore. *sheepish grin* I’m pretty sure it’s someone that reads my blog… I have a guess as to who it is but the memory is too foggy. Could the dear, kind, good samaritan who is missing an umbrella please […]
Ok, every now and then I wish I wasn’t SO ignorant about certain things. It started on Saturday when I went to the TCM store. Melissa wanted to know what was good to eat for beautifying the skin. During the conversation, the boss-lady mentioned é›ªè›¤è† (she pronounced it xue3 ha1 gao1). We didn’t quite get what it was except that it was from the inside of some kind of frog (snow frog?). I thought it was pretty ironic since Melissa had asked […]
In a conversation last Friday with a friend about growing older, I said something that surprised myself. “I believe that the ideal age is the age one is at right now (i.e. in the present).” As the words came out, a warmth spread through my body as I realized the significance of this realization for myself. When I was very young, I didn’t like being a child. I looked forward to growing up, becoming an adult so that I could do all […]
The first week in Cornell is almost over for Zibin. He’s met his academic advisor, selected his courses, attended his first classes (even golf), and, most interestingly, he’s made quite a few new friends. He’s the new kid on the block, so to speak. And it’s entertaining to hear him describe the people he has met so far, the interpersonal dynamics, and how he’s getting on. It seems, so far, his new friends think of him as “Mr Nice” (which is true), […]
I had dinner with Melissa today. Was hoping to get to know my new housemate a little better… but I think I revealed a side I didn’t quite expect to reveal tonight, much to her amusement. It started off ordinarily enough. Dinner at Ka Chi in Chinatown. Then, we decided to adjourn to the Moonbean Café a few steps away in Kensington Market for a cuppa and some talk. We stepped in (it was my first time there), and while Melissa was […]
