Feng Shui Talk by Master Xie Yuan Jin at Popular BookFest 2018 謝沅瑾老師

BookFest at Suntec Singapore is one event I look forward to every year. Held in December at Suntec city annually, you get to enjoy stationery, gadgets and IT, books, music and titbits at good discount. Besides shopping for the above items, you also get to enjoy other events like sharing by authors. 

In 2013, I attended a talk by Taiwan famous director and author, Giddens Ko 九把刀 。 This year, I attended a talk by famous Fengshui master from Taiwan, Master Xie Yuan Jin 謝沅瑾老師. After the one hour talk, he signed autographs for his fans. I learned some basic fengshui. If you want to learn more about Fengshui, you can watch Fengshui show he is involved in as shown below. There is a Chinese saying, 福人居福地 福地福人居. Blessed people live in blessed area and vice versa. To be a blessed person, just do more good deeds. 

Today is the last day for BookFest (end at 10pm) by the way. Next year, I hope Giddens Ko can give a talk again in Singapore BookFest. 

Nearest MRTs: Cityhall and Esplanade MRT stations

 Autograph session

Singapore's late former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew Conferred a Reform Friendship Medal by China

This week, Singapore's late former Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew was conferred a Reformed Friendship Medal by China for his role in China reform. Without Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his team like Dr Goh Keng Swee, Mr Lim Kim San and many others like hardworking Singaporeans, Singapore would not be able to transform from third world to first world country within a short period of time.

In recent Taiwan elections, I was shocked to see politicians especially those Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) accusing and smearing their opponents of corruptions without evidence, and got away with it. I realised that it is important to sue if someone purposely slander and accuse you. Mr Lee Kuan Yew was right to sue those who slander and accuse him and spread fake news about him. So the way to stop fake news is to sue those who spread fake news. 

Its not right that many of those scheming DPP candidates get away with their accusation on Mr Han Kuo-yu. Many DPP candidates flocked to accuse him of corruption, selling Taiwan, inappropriate relationship and so on.  After one year of checking the account in his former role as a general manager of Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation, they found no evidence of corruption. DPP should apologise.

In this video, Mr Lee Kuan Yew clever reply to Chris Patten. ( from 20 secs). Democracy is not for all countries. Many middle-east countries are now in mess now with western interference. Some countries do need strong leader to manage the country. 

My Home at Tampines in Singapore

I've been staying in Tampines since I was a few months old. Thus, I hope to buy a BTO flat in Tampines. However as Tampines is a mature estate in Singapore, singles are not allowed to purchase BTO flat. Singles can only buy resale flat in mature estates. 

Lately I applied for a Punggol BTO flat with a sea view but I could not get it due to overwhelming response. Frankly speaking, I don't want to buy resale flat. But if I want to stay in Tampines, I might have to apply for a resale flat. 

I hope there is a change in policy. To allow singles to purchase HDB BTO flats in mature estates or give priority to the singles who have been staying in the mature estates for more than 30 years. 

In Tampines, I like the Tampines Central Park. I used to go to the Watermelon playground when I was young. Tampines is like a mini Orchard road with 3 shopping malls in Tampines central. If I were to change residence to other non-mature estate, I will miss Tampines. 

 Tampines Central Park is well-managed.

 I don't like current new playground. It emits funny smell when weather is hot. In the past, the ground was filled with sand. 

 Provision shop at void deck.

 Now there is a place for dogs to have fun.

 There is art sculpture Mother and Child by Dr Ng Eng Teng. Is he related to Dr Ng Eng Heng?

 Tampines Hub where you have almost everything! 24-hour supermarket, swimming pool, library, sports complex, outdoor movie theatre and shopping mall.

 There used to be a small swing but now it is replaced with metal frame and two seats. Maybe some swung too high and hit the other side of the Watermelon.

Night View of Singapore

Recently I went for a walk with my cousin and we went to Marina Bay Sand to explore Christmas decoration. It is more comfortable for leisurely walk at night. 

Marina Bay Sands.

 Gardens by the Bay

Han Kuo-yu, A Caring and Humorous Leader in Taiwan

I know this post is not about Singapore, but I'm too lazy to set up another blog and to me Taiwan is like my second home. 

Recently I watched the interview of the newly elected Mayor of Kaohsiung, Mr Han Kuo-yu 韓國瑜. I have to admit, I'm now his fan after watching his interview. He is witty, humorous and caring leader who genuinely care for his staff and people. He rewarded his staff with generous bonus during his tenure as a general manager of Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation. Most bosses will reward themselves with huge bonus instead. I hope Kuomintang (KMT) or Nationalist party value this talent even though he is very vocal and blunt and not part of their 'elite clique'.

Even though I already went to Taiwan several times since 2008 for holiday, next year I will go to Taipei and Kaohsiung again. During the trip, I will visit Buddhist temples in both Taipei and Kaohsiung and explore the buzzing night markets. Most probably I'll travel solo so I have to do more research on Kaohsiung since it be my first solo trip there. I just hope it be safe to travel for solo female travellers. When Democratic Progress Party won the election, I stop visiting Taiwan. Next year, 2019 I will definitely go to Taiwan.   

DPP has really mismanaged Kaohsiung. I believer there be lesser potholes by next year.

台北高雄明年见！

Its quite fun to attend the rally in Taiwan.

Night before election in Taiwan is very exciting. There are performances and speeches in this 4 hours 50 mins event.

Inspiring and Humorous Dhamma Talk by Venerable Chao Khun Keng

Yesterday I met my ex-colleague for lunch and he shared with me a very interesting and inspiring video on a Dharma talk by Venerable Chao Khun Keng. I enjoyed the talk with him as we had a good discussion on Buddhism. Normally I share what I learned on Buddhism on my Buddhism blog. But since Venerable Chao Khun Keng is a Singaporean, I decided to share in this blog. 

Known as Phra Ajaan Keng, Chao Khun Keng is the first Singaporean ordained in the Thai Buddhist tradition and was conferred the ecclesiastical title of Chao Khun by the King of Thailand. I enjoyed and learned a lot from his interesting talk. 

He is a humorous and engaging speaker and like typical Singapore, he uses mostly English with a mixture of Mandarin, Singlish and Hokkien (common Chinese dialect from the China Fujian province). He shared what he saw during his meditation and he  why he has no doubt on the transference of merit.

I highly recommend that you listen to his talk as shared in the video below. I agree with him on the importance of meditation and not just read the sutras. I experienced the bliss of rapture joy during meditation and it made me realised one does not need much in life to be happy. Now I am happy sharing what I learned from the dharma talks by Venerable monks who shared on  Buddha's teaching. Buddha had selflessly spent more than 45 years on teaching the Dharma more than 2500 years ago. 

I hope Venerable Chao Khun Keng is in Singapore and will conduct some more talks. I have some questions to ask him. 

Some quotes from this video by Chao Khun Keng.

When you meditate, then you can direct your mind from a very chaotic state and enter concentration. That is real. Enjoy the bliss of concentration.

With this support of concentration, are you able to see the truth of this five Skandhas your body, your feeling, your perception, your analytical mind and this consciousness? To say that this is not self, this is suffering if you are attached to it. And this is no self. Its not going to live forever.

Buddha always say We are our owner of our own action, heir of our actions, born of our action, related to action. Whatever we do for good or for bad, we must bear. 

Its from your practise of meditation that you see through the eyes of the mind, the wisdom that arises from meditation.

From another video: The highest happiness is the calm state of mind.

Minimalism Exhibition at National Gallery of Singapore

This is Minimalism at National Gallery of Singapore. I keep this post minimalist too.

 Ad Reinhardt's black paintings. Abstract Painting Oil on canvas. The black paintings are considered an important precursor to Minimalism.

 Acrylic on wood  by Rasheed Araeen Structures wall-mounted latticed forms.

 Mother Earth

A lamp going on and off by Martin Creed