Good News! Free Admission to National Orchid Gardens at UNESCO Heritage Botanic Gardens

I wanted to pay for my friend admission ticket to National Orchid Garden located in the vast 82-hectare Botanic Gardens which is the first UNESCO heritage site in Singapore. To my surprise, there is now free admission to National Orchid Gardens during the school June holidays till 26 June this year. The usual price for local residents is $5.00 and standard price is $15.00.The National Orchid Garden is really big and we could not explore all 1000 species and 2000 hybrids orchids in 3 hours. I think you need at least 4 hours to really various attractions in the National Orchid Garden which include the air-conditioned Tan Hoon Siang Mist House and The Sembcorp Cool House which is like the Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay.

For more information, click here.

Nearest MRT station: Botanic Gardens MRT -Circle line

Orchids in the Sembcorp Cool House. It is like the Cloud forest dome at Gardens by the Bay. 

Free admission to Orchid Gardens till 26 June 2022.

Singapore National Flower

At the Secret Ravine to The Sembcorp House and Mist House

Aranda Lee Kuan Yew, one of the few leaders I respect. 

At this area, you get to see orchids named after Very Important People (VIP) like leaders from around the world. 

I like this unique looking orchids with twists named after Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of United Kingdom in 1985.

The latest orchids 

I love these pretty big monstera leaves!

Into the cool Tan Hoon Siang Mist House

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National Day Parade Ticket Application 2022

I plan to apply for this year National Day Parade (NDP) preview tickets. I managed to watch NDP rehearsal in 2019 thanks to my young cousins. 

It is really difficult to get the ballot ticket. I applied for the NDP tickets for so many years but didn't get it. I only managed to watch the preview or rehearsal thanks to my elder and young cousins. 

You can read my old post here. Hopefully I get to watch this year NDP at The Float@Marina Bay. 

NDP ticket application https://www.ndp.gov.sg/

Or click here

Adorable Dogs Outside Suntec City

Saw two adorable dogs outside Suntec city and Esplanade MRT station last Saturday. Many bystanders lovingly patted the dogs. I think the dogs belong to  a couple who just let strangers pat their dogs.

Hope those who patted the dogs had sanitised their hands before they pat the dogs. These dogs look exotic and rare in Singapore. They look like bears. What do you think?

Dumpling Festival 2022

The Dumpling Festival or Dragon Boat Festival is approaching soon on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which is on the 3rd of June western calendar this year.  You can see many stalls selling dumpling now. On my way to Bugis MRT station after lesson, I saw the gigantic statue of Qu Yuan, the patriotic poet and minister near Kuan Yin temple Waterloo street. 

Great Art Shop at OverJoyed

I knew about this wonderful art shop, Overjoyed from my art course. Overjoyed at The Cathay basement 1 offers a wide variety of art materials like paint markers, different papers and many craft materials. I was really overjoyed to find this great art shop! I brought lots of watercolour papers and also other materials for acrylic painting. I think it will be enough to keep me occupied during the June holidays. Just to draw and paint during the break. 

Popiki Dogs at The Cathay

I saw three bright gigantic Balloon Dog art sculptures at Singapore Cathay and they are POPek Red, POPek teal and Peepek yellow. They are designed by London-based artist Whatshisname. 

Bright Glowing Moon This Morning

Today moon is exceptionally bright with glowing halo around it. 

Jupiter is now above the bright Venus planet.

Green Day- Holiday

Just thought of listening to this rock song Holiday by Green Day band today. This song is voicing their anger over the unnecessary America and Iraq war. 

Vesak Day 2022- Remembering Gautama Buddha's Teaching

Today is Vesak day, the day that Buddhists commemorates the birth, enlightenment and parinirvana of Gautama Buddha who left a life of comfort in the palace, searching for the truth. I'll spend the day meditating and watching Venerable Master Sheng Yen and Venerable Guan Cheng dharma talks. 

After attaining enlightening, Buddha had compassionately taught sentient being the Four Noble Truths. He reminded us to think and investigate his or others' teaching before accepting it. 

On the night of enlightenment, Buddha attained the ability to recollect his past lives at dusk. In late night, Buddha attained the second knowledge which is the passing away and rebirth of beings according to their actions and closer to dawn, Buddha attained the knowledge of the destruction of mental defilements and came to be the fully self-awaked Buddha. Buddha had compassionately spent the next 49 years teaching sentients being the path to end suffering with the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold path. More than 2500 years later, with the advance of technology and past lives regression, it verified what Buddha had taught about rebirths and karma- cause and effect. If you want to read about rebirths, you can read Dr Brian Weiss's book like Many Lives, Many Masters which touched on individual and collective karma and rebirths. 

The Four Noble Truths are

1) The truth of suffering. Like it or not, both rich and poor go through suffering. The suffering of old age, not getting what you want, separation, sickness.

2) The truth of the  cause of suffering (craving, anger and delusion)

3) The truth of the end of suffering. (There is a way to end suffering) 

4) The truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering is the Noble Eightfold paths.

The Noble Eightfold paths which helps to develop Sila (ethical conduct), samadhi (mental discipline or meditation) and panna (wisdom) are as follows

1) Right thought

2) Right understanding

3) Right speech (Refrain from lying, gossip, idle, harsh speech. If one has nothing helpful to say, be silent)

4) Right action (moral, honorable and peaceful conduct)

5) Right livelihood (Honest living, Refrain from making a living that harm others like selling weapons, intoxicating drinks and toxins)

6) Right effort (prevent unwholesome state of mind)

7) Right mindfulness (be aware and mindful of one's thoughts and feelings

8) Right concentration (meditation)

Watch your cause. Watch your thought. Every thing comes because of causation. This I and ego is because of causation. Every cause is because of a thought. Every thought when you habituated all the time becomes your character, your personality. Your destiny is determined by your character.

Love is in the Air: Clouds

Lovely heart clouds yesterday at my workplace.

 

Remembering Beyond: Wong Ka Kui

Beyond band is just never the same without Wong Ka Kui. He was the lead composer and singer of the band. Sadly he left us in 1993, the year I took Primary School Leaving Examination. I cried when I heard of his demise 29 years ago in June. 

I don't really understand Cantonese dialect but I like Beyond songs. Music composed and wrote by Wong Ka Kui is just so full of soul and inspiring. The only consolation is he left behind great songs for future generation. 

Boundless ocean, vast sky 

Wong Ka Kui joined the band in the form of project 

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National Steps Challenge 2022

The new healthpoints reward system for the National Steps Challenge is great. Now you just need to complete at least 10000 steps per day to get 40 health points and at least 30 minutes of Moderate to Vigorous Physical activities (MVPA) for another 40 points. Now you can get maximum of 80 points per day from physical activities. You can also get Healthpoints if you scan receipts if you purchased healthy items. Previously you need to accumulate 750 healthpoints first before getting the points. 

When you have 750 Healthpoints, you can exchange for $5.00 vouchers from one of the participating stores like NTUC supermarket. I think it is fun to exercise and earn some vouchers to buy things too. 

You can visit this website to find out more https://www.healthhub.sg/programmes/37/nsc.

 

Passive Income: Time to Raise Interest Rate in Singapore

I realised the importance of passive income when earlier, the Singapore government stipulated that only those who are fully vaccinated could return to their workplace. I believe in natural immunity and I saw how my colleague recovered without taking any Covid vaccination as he is very health-conscious.I have sinus issue but I don't take flu vaccination and antibiotics. Whenever I sneeze the whole day, I'll just stay in my room and rest and most of the time, I'll recover the next day. 

I hope to increase my passive income. One way is to look for banks that offer higher saving interest rate. Looking at the recent stock market, I better not put my cash in there. US Federal Reserve might further raise interest rate. I rather prefer a peaceful night sleep then invest in high risk high return stocks. Even though US Federal Reserve has already raised interest rate to 0.5%, local banks interest rate is still dismally low. One example is the OCBC 360 account. The effective interest rate is only 0.7% for the first $75,000.00 if you credit your salary of at least $1800.00 to OCBC 360 account.

Few years back, the interest rate was higher. Now I'm wondering if I should shift my saving to established foreign banks that offer higher interest rates. I don't think it is right that savers are given such a low interest rate yet bank staff are given many months of bonus. It's high time that they raise interest rates for savers. I hope they revert to higher interest rate of 2% that they offered in 2019. Look at the images below for comparison of 2019 and 2022 interest rates for OCBC 360 account.

Image from OCBC 360 account. Interest in May 2022

Interest in 2019  (Image from OCBC website)

Reminiscing My Primary School Volleyball Team

During recess time in my primary school days,I would rush to the  volleyball court after eating to watch exciting volleyball games by my seniors. They were the Champion in Singapore National Volleyball under the Primary school category. I liked to watch their dynamic jumping serves and forceful spike attacks! It was really exciting to watch fantastic game by my awesome seniors. They were the best of the best in Singapore (primary school) and some of my seniors (from primary 7 to 8 were quite handsome too). Those were the happy days in my primary school days.  

Icurious

I wonder how my alma mater, Yumin Primary School is doing now in the National volleyball competition. Sadly, they are not even in the top 3 primary school teams from 2014 to 2019. Their current bright uniforms also don't look as nice as the earlier blue and white uniforms.

You can find out more about Singapore national schools volleyball results here.

Recently I found my old volleyball which is now soft. Maybe I should buy a new volleyball to exercise my flabby arms. 

Dow 

One of my favourite Singapore dramas in the 80s about the volleyball players.

Singapore National school volleyball competition.

Age is Just a Number

I don't often buy Her World (HW) magazine. Last year, I only brought 1 HW magazine. This Friday, I decided to buy this month HW magazine as I enjoy reading the interviews of 10 women from 20 plus to 86 years old. Haha, I don't feel so old after reading the articles. Actually I'm quite young at 41 years old. Now there is a saying that 40 is the new 30!

Sometimes I feel sad that age is catching up with me. At 41 years old, I have more white hair and wrinkle under the eyes. You can't reverse the aging process. Life is a cycle that we all have to go through. I think I will cut down on sugar and try to sleep early to delay aging. I read that sugar will make you older faster.  

Starting tomorrow, I will cut down on sugar and exercise more. Health is wealth. 

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers! It is really not easy being a mother especially working mum. I really don't know how working mums manage. I feel so tired after a day work and will go for afternoon nap but working mum needs to look after their child after work. 

Before childbirth, women need to carry the foetus for nine months and suffer from morning sickness. After delivery, they have to take care of babies for almost 24 hours a day. Really hat off to them. 

My mum used to be a seamstress. After delivering my elder brother, she chose to stay at home to take care of the family. I appreciate because I always look forward to going home to eat lunch cook by my mother who is an excellent cook. 

It is affinity to have children. I read somewhere that children choose their parents. Love and value your mother because they carried you for 9 months and especially if they took care of you when you were babies.  

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers! 祝母亲节快乐！

Image from Ah Guo

周杰倫 Jay Chou聽媽媽的話 Listen to Mom

Spice Girls - Mama

 

Shark in the Sky!

 Saw this cute shark this morning today!