Awesome Chinese Music 关大洲《象王行》

Today my friend from China shared with me this awesome Chinese music 象王行 Elephant King Walk composed by 关大洲 Guan Da Zhou. I really like the inspiring melody by 关大洲. In this music video, you get to see Chinese musical instruments like erhu, pipa, dizi, drums and guzheng. Awesome performance! 

I Light Singapore Festival 2025

The annual light festival, i Light Singapore at the Central Business District  Marina Bay is available from now till 21 June 2025. This year theme is To Gather. There are some interesting and fun light arts sculptures spread around Singapore Marina Bay area.  

For more information on i Light Singapore 2025, visit the website here.

Piano Walk

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Teochew Traditional Fish Steamboat at Tian Tian Lai Famous Teochew Fish Head Steamboat

Last Sunday, my elder brother treated us to Teochew food, fish head steamboat at Tian Tian Lai Famous Teochew Fish Head Steamboat, an eatery with more than 30 years history in Singapore on Father's Day. 

When I was young, my father used to bring us around Singapore to have delicious fish head steamboat at hawker centre or inside some industrial building. Wow, I really enjoyed the tasty food and the fish soup. 

I enjoyed the egg tofu and shrimp spicy dish and the vegetables. They are also famous for their fried crispy shrimp chicken.

Blooming Flowers and Art Blog Click here 

Just Travel and Enjoy Life Click here 

Where: 3018 Bedok North Street 5, #06-10, Singapore 486132

好听的歌—辞九门回忆

I heard this song from WeChat and love this song be it the melody and lyrics. It just make you reflect on life.人生如戏，戏如人生。

If you are interested, you can visit this site to read the lyricist on the meaning of the lyrics. 

作词：蟲二顛     作曲：妖狐公子

编 曲：唯 子

一曲定重楼
一眼半生筹
看的全都是那诡谲云涌
入得此门不回首
无需宣之于口
我对案再拜那风雨瓢泼的残陋
再聚首
戏子多秋
可怜一处情深旧
满座衣冠皆老朽
黄泉故事无止休
戏无骨难左右
换过一折又重头
只道最是人间不能留
误闯天家
劝余放下手中砂
张口欲唱声却哑
粉面披衣叫个假
怜余来安座下
不敢沾染佛前茶
只作凡人赴雪月风花
绕过胭脂楼
打散结发扣
唱的全都是那情深不寿
入得此门不回首
无需宣之于口
我对镜遮掩那风雨瓢泼的残陋
碑已旧
戏子多秋
可怜一处情深旧
满座衣冠皆老朽
黄泉故事无止休
戏无骨难左右
换过一折又重头
只道最是人间不能留
误闯天家
劝余放下手中砂
送那人御街打马
才子佳人断佳话
怜余来苦咽下
求不得佛前茶
只留三寸土种二月花

Home-cooked Dumpling 端午安康

Home-cooked dumpling is the best. My mum cooked delicious dumpling few weeks ago and again few days ago. I prefer dumpling cooked by my mum as there are more ingredients and little glutinous rice. This year she added red bean paste in addition to mushroom, chestnut and braised meat.

Today is Duanwu day to commemorate Qu Yuan. Let’s enjoy the dumplings.

Artwork by Ah Guo

Consumer Electronics Exhibition 2025

I just visited Consumer Electronics Exhibition at Suntec City today. There are more home furnishings like clothes hanger, doors, smart home system besides electronics products like phones and laptops. 

Time for me to shop for some home furniture for my new home which will be ready in about 2 or 3 years time. I plan to get solid wood table. I hope the price will not increase too much else I try to look for solid wood elsewhere. 

Consumer Electronics Exhibition at Suntec City is from 22 May 2025 to 25 May 2025, this Sunday. 

Nearest MRT: Esplanade station

Definitely need a fan or cooler in hot Singapore. 

Clothes rack with adjustable height function. 

Happy Vesak Day 2025!

Happy Vesak Day! Last week, I visited the Buddha Tooth Relic temple at Chinatown to thank the Buddha and Bodhisattvas for safe trip and also to pray before Vesak Day.  I was surprised to see many tourists visiting the Buddha Tooth Relic temple last weekday. It is a popular attraction. Do take note to dress appropriately. If you wear shorts or short skirt, you be offered a wrap cloth to cover. 

On Vesak day,  Buddhists commemorate  the birth, enlightenment and parinirvana of Siddhartha Gautama Shakyamuni Buddha. The compassionate and kind Buddha spent 49 years teaching the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold path to end samsara. Buddhism or Buddha's teaching is not about pessimism. There is a way to end suffering and that is to follow the Noble Eightfold path which helps to end rebirth. 

Buddha is compassionate to all sentient beings. I try to practise too. Sometimes when I see ants on my cup (when I didn’t wash throughly),  I just move it and the ants will scramble away, trying to live. Looking at the small ants, I  told them to go away quickly, going back to where they came from and they really scurried off, reminding me that they value their lives too. All sentient beings want to live, so please don't hurt living beings when possible. What goes around, comes around. 

因果真实不虚。有果必有因。

The following is repost from my Heart Sutra and Buddhism blog  here https://heartsutrabuddhism.blogspot.com/

At Level 3, you can explore the museum where you can find out more about the Buddha and his relics in the relic chamber. No photography is allowed in the Relic Chamber.

At Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, there is relic museum. Beautiful relics also known as Sarira that looks like pearl or crystal-like beads are commonly found in the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters. 

From Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum website here

"Sariras, the Sanskrit name for relics, refers to the remains of a body part usually after cremation. In Buddhist context, sariras refers to the crystallization of solid remains of especially Buddha Sakyamuni after His cremation. Henceforth, relics are also broadly defined to include solid remains of other Buddhist practitioners, regardless of Sangha and secular disciples.

The emergence of relics signifies that the spiritual energy of Buddha or the spiritual practitioner during their lifetime is constant and serene, untainted by nature’s forces yet elevated due to persevering religious practices. Hence, this energy is converted to physical forms to what we known as relics. Relics are the essence of wisdom, the fruit of spiritual labour, which are free of lust, greed and wrath."

My colleague shared with me his Buddhist friend who practised meditation was found to have relics when his relatives collected his cremated ashes. 

Venerable Chao Khun Keng explained that the mind is like a laser beam. Due to the purity of the mind, for some of the monks, their hair can turn to relics. Pure mind that doesn't have greed, hatred and delusion. Pure energy that channel go to the body. 

Before enlightenment, Buddha spent 6 long years practicing asceticism and long fasting, causing his body to be weakened and he almost lost his life. While meditating one day, he heard someone playing a string instrument and came to the realisation that the Middle Path is the way for achieving the liberation of body and mind. 

"Cultivation is like playing a musical string instrument. The string will snap if it is too tight, or not make any sound if it is too loose. Indulgence in sensual pleasure or extreme penance are attachments. The Middle Path is the way for achieving the liberation of body and mind." 

After attaining enlightenment after 7 days of deep meditation, Buddha had compassionately taught sentients being the Four Noble Truths. Buddha reminded us to think and investigate his and others' teaching before accepting it.

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) 戒定慧 are as follows

1) Right Thought (be aware of your thinking with good intention. Eliminate greed, anger and delusion)

2) Right View (understanding of cause and effect, 12 links of dependent origination)

3) Right Speech (Refrain from lying, gossip, idle, harsh speech. If one has nothing helpful to say, be silent) Hmm, this is something I might need to work on it but hey I'm just stating the truth and my intention is to warn people. 

4) Right action (moral, honorable and peaceful conduct). Hmm sometimes I'm quite mischievous. 

5) Right livelihood (Honest living, Refrain from making a living that harm others like selling weapons, intoxicating drinks, and toxins) This is why I don't support people making use of Buddhism  to make money especially in places like night clubs that sell alcohol. Buddha warned his disciples not to drink alcohol as it might cause them to be careless in their action and thus create bad karma. If that dj wants to perform, don't wear monk robe as real monks and strict Buddhists don't drink alcohol. Not drinking alcohol is one of the five precepts for lay Buddhists.

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)

On Vesak Day, this is the day for me to remember Buddha's teaching and to remind me to be mindful. There were some days when I was not mindful and I reacted.

I like this story about how Buddha interacted with an angry man and was not affected by his insulting words. 

In this story, as Buddha was walking in a village, a very angry man insulted the Buddha and said that he had no right to teach others. Buddha was calm and serene as usual and he asked the man,  “Tell me, if you buy a gift for someone, and that person does not take it, to whom does the gift belong?”

The young man was surprised to be asked such a strange question and answered, “It would belong to me, because I bought the gift.”

The Buddha smiled and said, “That is correct. And it is exactly the same with your anger. If you become angry with me and I do not get insulted, then the anger falls back on you. You are then the only one who becomes unhappy.  All you have done is hurt yourself.” 

 

 Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is located in Chinatown. It is just next to Maxwell MRT station.

 Monks and lay Buddhist practitioners chanting at the main hall in the morning.

You can read more about Dendrobium Buddha Tooth orchid here.

At the roof garden. 

Sariras, relics (image from Google)

Chao Khun Keng explaining about relics 1:29:00.  The monk when they meditate, they focus on the body.  The mind is like a laser beam They use the mindfulness to scan the body. Due to the purity of the mind, the body can turn to relics. Due to the pure mind, the mind that does not have greed, hatred and delusion. It has the pure energy to channel into the body and clean up the body, it can also use pure energy to cure the sickness. In a way, meditation can enhance your health.

Favourite Desserts

Finally found another double-boiled milk dessert in Singapore Chinatown this year. I don't drink milk but I love double-boiled milk dessert. I miss the double-boiled milk with crunchy walnut and almond from Honeymoon dessert after they left Singapore in around 2022. 

I do hope this dessert shop in Chinatown will continue to operate as good double-boiled milk dessert is rare in Singapore. Now I don't blog much about food as many eateries don't stay for long in Singapore due to high rental costs. 

                                           Fried milk dessert is great too.

The Highest Bookstore in Shanghai

If you enjoy exploring bookstore when you are overseas, you can read about the highest bookstore in Shanghai with panoramic view of Shanghai city. 

Click the link here https://travelandenjoylife8.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-tallest-bookstore-in-shanghai.html

Joyful Travel in China Wudangshan

I'm back to Singapore yesterday after spending a month in China as a female solo traveller, to be specific, 25 days at Wudangshan and 5 days in Shanghai. This is my first solo travel to China and I'm glad I made many wonderful friends there while enjoying the beautiful view of vast mountains while learning Taichi. I like the peaceful, quietness and energy at Wudangshan. 

There is no direct flight to Wudangshan from Singapore, so I chose to fly to Shanghai and spend a few days exploring the financial city in China. Shanghai is a safe cosmopolitan city which is very similar to Singapore but things are much more affordable there and people are generally really friendly, soft-spoken and helpful. They are different from the rude and loud personality depicted by the media.

During my stay in Wudangshan, my friends appreciated my help in translating for them.  During this trip, I appreciate the bilingual policy in Singapore. We can use our knowledge to make the world a better place. With both Mandarin and English proficiency, I felt happy to help to explain and ensure clear communication to help prevent conflict and misunderstanding. Let's use our knowledge and language proficiency to make the world a better and harmonious place.  

Click my travel blog here to read more https://travelandenjoylife8.blogspot.com/2025/04/amazing-china-trip-at-wudangshan.html. I’ll be updating my travel there.

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Still in Mountain Area

I’m still in the quiet mountain area with vast space. I do like this peaceful place. It would be great to retire somewhere similar to here. While resting in my room, I listen to this great classic by Jacky Chung.

Even though I like this mountain area, I find that there are more tourists visiting. 

Update on Two Blogs

Finally I spent some time to update both travel and blooming flowers blogs. Last week I started to travel solo to both city and mountainous places for a month. This is the longest period of time I'm away from Singapore since New York two-week solo travel in 2011. After working hard for 20 years, I decided to do what I always wanted to do which is to see flowers during the Spring time and to explore beautiful mountain. In my former job, I could only have 1 week rest in March and even during that period, I also need to prepare for next week work. 

It's the best time to travel when you are in mid-40s when you are quite fit and financially comfortable. I noticed some seniors having difficulty walking up the mountainous area during the travel. After the trip, I'm open to suitable job opportunities. If I can’t find anything suitable then I depend on current passive income and continue to blog which earn some money.

I was wondering if I should create another Youtube channel on travel. After thinking, I decided to just add Travel playlist to current channel on Blooming Flowers and Arts and changing the channel name to Blooming Flowers, Arts and Travel for easy management. So if you like to see flowers, just select and click the Gardens playlist. Also I think it's troublesome for my friends and relatives to toggle between channels and for me to switch between channels to update.

Just Travel and Enjoy Life blog here: https://travelandenjoylife8.blogspot.com

Blooming Flowers and Arts here: https://bloomingflowersnarts.blogspot.com

Heart Sutra and Buddhism: https://heartsutrabuddhism.blogspot.com

Buddha Relic Tooth Temple

I finally visited Buddha Tooth Relic Temple at Chinatown Singapore this Monday. I decided to pray and also to see Buddha's relic. Also I wanted to try the vegetarian food at the temple basement 1. To my shock, there were many people eating during lunch time on weekday.

At level 3 there is a Buddha museum where you can read the history of Buddha and see Buddha's relics and the tooth relic at level 4. Some tourists tried to take photo of the relic despite the sign indicating No photography. Some tried to take photo of people meditating at level 4 and they had to be stopped by the security guard.

I revere the compassionate Buddha and his selfless teaching for 45 years to both humans and heavenly beings on how to end suffering. He also taught us not to accept anything at face value but to question and investigate and relate it to our own experience. May all sentient beings be enlightened and end samsara.  

Namo Buddhaya Amitofo🙏

If you like to read more about Buddha's teaching, you can read another of my blog on Buddhism https://heartsutrabuddhism.blogspot.com/. 

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple 

https://www.buddhatoothrelictemple.org.sg/

Nearest MRT station: Maxwell MRT station

Did you know that there is Orchid garden at level 5? I will blog about it on my Blooming Flowers and Arts blog here https://bloomingflowersnarts.blogspot.com/  .

You can read previous post on the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple first published in 2019 June here. 

                       I like the crispy fried spring roll. Quite palatable.

We like this blueberry bun.