Sight to Insight

I am tardy in writing about living this good life on earth. I have so many ideas, but not enough perseverance to put them down in words. My family and I had returned from Japan during the June school holidays, and I am using the Picasa web albums to narrate the experience. A picture speaks a thousand words, and that's the reason why I have invested into a better camera to bring out the lesson behind the image. Today is Sunday, and my wife and I had our usual qigong at Lower Pierce Reservoir. It drizzled, and the master had to stop the exercise midway. We then went to Upper Pierce Reservoir after breakfast to enjoy the fresh air and calm atmosphere of this watery venue. In the pictures, I want to bring out the many free and enjoyable things we can do, while avoiding consuming more of the earth's natural resources. In my mind, these activities calm the mind and strengthen our spiritual relationship with nature. Take a walk with friends or family. It is a great way of bonding. Ho...

Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia has been my home for a good part of my life. Coming back every now and then from Singapore either for meeting or visiting my family, I see familiar yet unfamiliar sights. Some of the buildings are still the same to me; but the vibrancy of people moving around Jalan Bukit Bintang and the Petronas Tower gives me this insight that Malaysia is indeed exciting and continues to carry its warm hospitality to everyone who comes here. It is seeing to believe that no matter how long I am away, I am still a part of this country in which I started my journey of life. I took the opportunity to take some photographs of Petronas Tower, the highest building in the world, until dethroned by Taiwan 101. This grand and "steely" structure exudes a strange feeling of pride as a citizen of the country, even though it may have been branded as those mega projects that do not benefit the people. I am not so sure after experiencing the pictures that keep comi...

As usual, decision making is a rational process to select the choices but it becomes an emotional process to make the choice. From my good old Canon G2 to my Lumix FX9 and not forgetting my even older analogue Canon AE-1 (had it in 1977 in France); I decided to go one step up on the DSLR (digital single lens reflex). I was toying the idea of an entry level such as Nikon D40x, Canon 400D.... and then came the announcement of the Casio Exilim Pro EX-1, which does incredible movie; which only a camera devoted to scientific research could. It was to be launched in March 2008. I was in Tokyo for my CoreNet (Real Estate program) in end February and decided to go to Akihabara to inquire whether it was out. For those who do not know; Akihabara is THE place for technology. Japan has a lot of products that are not exported out. So it is a sight to behold. However, even in Japan this camera was still not launched. By chance, I came across this newly launched Fuji Finepix s100fs, which was launche...

Many ask about the secret to success. I want to rephrase it as the secret to living a good life. I thought about this, and in my many readings, Stephen Covey's book about the "Seven Habits" still come to mind as being easy to associate these basic but deep principles of life. So, I revisit them so that we can recall them from time to time to make them real to us Habit 1 : Be Proactive Habit 2 : Begin with the End in Mind Habit 3 : Put First Things First Habit 4 : Think Win-Win Habit 5 : Seek First to Understand Then to be Understood Habit 6 : Synergize Habit 7 : Sharpen the Saw Covey has since come up with the eight habit, which in my mind should be Habit Zero - as it is fundamental in living a good life - being passionate about it; whatever that "it" may be. For without Habit Zero, the "Seven Habits" are just rational processes. In here, lies the simple, but lost habit, as we grow up in a world of materialism and skin-deep "success". It is a...

Every year, my family would try to come back to Malaysia, staying in Subang Jaya. The reason is simple - an opportunity to visit the old folks (my mother in Bentong and my mother-in-law in Subang Jaya) and to stay in contact with relatives and friends. This is a time where my daughter, Claudine would stay with her aunty and her cousin, Kian, and play with Michelle. Each year the family will have a reunion dinner, and it is a reminder of our blessings and fortune to be able to eat, drink and be merry. Every year, either on the 1st or 2nd of the Lunar New Year, we would go back to visit my mother who is now 88, and thank god, that she is strong, and get about from 5:00 am to prepare lunch for her visiting sons and grand children. It is yet another good fortune to see her in such a healthy condition. I will always buy back some nuitritional products for her good health. This is never forgetting that she needs money to keep up this wonderful retirement of hers. Living a good life is a simp...

One word kept ringing out from Ajahn Brahm's talk at the Singapore Buddhist Fellowship is gratitude. Indeed being grateful for every small things is the best medicine for peace and happiness. His talk was so well attended that the dharma hall was full and it has to be broadcasted to the other floors. Perhaps it demonstrates the spiritual hunger for answer to live within a globalized country where competition is so keenly felt by people. The Christians have a hymn with the lyric, "count your blessing one by one" which amplifies this simple but oft forgotten lesson of being grateful for all that we have. Ajahn Brahm's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajahn_Brahm ) reminder is apt and timely - be grateful. His latest book, "Simply this Moment" is a collection of his talks where the basic principles of life are once again expounded. For those who are well read in Buddhism, they are easy to understand and that is the essense of any talk - to be understood. This book...

Boxing day or rather night was the reunion of five of us from Bentong Gospel Centre (BGC). I have not met them for over a decade. Imperial Palace, at Subang Jaya was the chosen location. The food quality was not great, but the conversations were. The bonding as friends is as remarkable as the religion that made us "brothers and sisters". It is an evening that I will remember for a very long time. Memories and names of people have to be dragged out from cells which haven't been working for a very long time. It is an exercise that could delay Alzheimer disease, I am sure. But it was all worth it, to link back names and events that have happened so very long ago. They bring back sweet memories. I started with BGC when I was 15 years old, and that was almost 4 decades ago! I remember Roger Dalhberg, the missionary from Wanganui, New Zealand, who started it up with his family. He is now in the Philippines, continuing with his missionary work. What a remarkable man, who brough...