Goodbye 2008 - Welcome 2009

Christmas is just as good as over for us here and new year is rolling on its way. If there was not much of a christmas, I cant expect much of a new year too. But looks like there will be a welcoming of the new year tonight at the library. Parties and more parties!

Over the weekend, lessons took a backseat as we joined in the celebration of the Ladakhi New Year and we had 2 days off. On Sunday there was a puja at Jangchubling at 6.30am followed by a tea party at 10.30am. There was much gaity with singing and dances of sorts. On Monday there was another tea party at the Shedra. As with their custom, which is quite similar to that of chinese new year, we visited Khenpo Rangdrol's residence. Ladakhi cookies, tibetan fares and tea were served.

As I spend my christmas and the new year in this foreign land (which is also home to me), I think of my family and friends back home and wish them a new beginning with everything to their highest good.

Christmas Isn't Christmas Here

While everyone is preparing for christmas there isn't going to be much christmas over here. Being in a buddhist community some westerners even look at it as inappropriate to celebrate christmas. To me Christmas is a joyous occcasion of giving and loving and should be seamless, so to speak.

To all my friends out there, a Merry Christmas and a Very Fruitful New Year.
Cheers

Home Away From Home

Going online here is a real test of patience. I was at the Library for a good half hour and nothing happened. To write a blog entry with photographs is out of the question. I have taken some pictures of the place where I am staying now and most likely my friends will think that I am in some parts of Europe because the Library here is more like a 5-star resort. The pictures will have to wait.

Winter is really setting in now with less sunshine, shorter days, strong winds and occasional rain. I love it all the same. To me here, it is a home away from home as I have already set up home with the purchase of a hot plate, pots and pans, plates and bowls and most importantly we have found a store that sells Lee Kum Kee oysters sauce (RM15), St Dalfour jam (RM16), Kikoman light soy sauce (RM15) .... yes, prices are hefty but I am not complaining.

Little Heart Wrencher

Mummy, what is the country code for India ............... I cant get through

There is no tone ....... did you give me the correct number???????

Ah .... now I got it. Hello hello hello ................

It's warm to know (on a cold winter's day) that someone is trying real hard out there to get in touch with you just to say "hoh hoh" (hello hello) with his little toy phone. Seeing this brings me closer to home.

Tomorrow is a tibetan holiday (not an Indian holiday) and it will be another day of lazing around. Had thoughts about making a run to Rishikesh but with some security alerts, it's wiser to stay put. In any case it is just a one day holiday and it will be kind of rush to make any plans out of Dehra Dun

A Walk Thru The Wilderness

Taking a break to reconnect with nature - a shortcut thru the forest to Jangchub Ling Monastery.

Weather is getting cold and by 5.00pm it suddenly turns totally dark. Have been going to bed as early as 7.45pm at times and waking up around 5.00am to hear the sound of gongs from a nearby Tibetan college (Chetsang Holiness' Drikung Kagyu College).

Imagination

Imagination plays a far more important role in our lives than most of us realise.

Creative imagination is not something reserved for the poets, philosophers or inventors. It enters into our every act. Imagination sets the goal "picture" which our automatic mechanism works on. We act, or fail to act, not because of "will" as is so commonly believed, but because of imagination.

A human being always acts and feels and performs in accordance with what he imagines to be true about himself and his environment. This is the fundamental law of the mind. It is the way we are built.

Realising that our actions, feelings and behaviour are the result of our own images and beliefs gives us the lever that psychology has always needed for changing personality. Mental pictures offer us an opportunity to practise new traits and attitudes which otherwise we could not do. This is possible because again - your nervous system cannot tell the difference between an actual experience and one that is vividly imagined.

If we picture ourselves performing in a certain manner, it is nearly the same as the actual performance. Mental practice helps to make perfect

India Update

Its more than a week since I arrived India. It's 'noisily' quiet here with the cool crisp air brushing against your face. It is so serene and with the slow pace of life, one will easily forget the time of day. Each morning I will awake at around 4.00am and will happily fall asleep again knowing I still have 3 more hours of sleep before I get up.

Food is a great challenge here. It may be due to the fact that I have been to India so many times over the years that I have kind of gotten jelak over their food. Various types of vegetables but the end result is the same - the same masala taste (or whatever spice they use). Decided to do some shopping of my own but Bless Me - for about RM200 I could not fill a basket with goodies. In Malaysia for RM200, you can possibly load a trolley of stuff. A small toilet roll here costs around RM5 when we can get 10-12 rolls for RM9 back home. What more - I bought a packet of crackers made in Johore (YES made in Johore, Malaysia) and it costs me RM8.

Apart from food there is absolutely no complaints. The weather is fine, getting colder and colder by the day. The air is clean and fresh. Apart from studying tibetan, we are also picking up Hindi words. Egg is called enda and onions is piaj ....

Have taken a fair bit of pictures but due to the slow internet connection there is no way I can upload them. You'd be lucky if you can stay thru getting a blog out without any interruptions

Tashi Delek & Namaste

For the next three months, Inner Journey will be writing from India. Apart from the slow internet connection, I have to contend with sitting at the Library entrance waiting for it to open at 2.00pm and as it only has 2 computers that is running, we have to take turns to use the computers.

More to come ....

Let The Positive Energies Flow In - Wipe Out The Negative

A lesson learnt over a weekend (1 & 2 November) at the Bukit Jalil Stadium where we were trying to raise funds for a cause. How do you know if a person is serious in your cause or is just doing some lip service? People who are keen to do their part seldom have questions and they will donate to your cause without checking much into the details. Those who are suspicious of what you are doing seldom do anything even after you think you have satisfied to their queries. Sad to think that people are so untrusting these days. Is it because they are too may con people around town or is it because of their distrusting nature that they have invited such energies into their lives and in so doing have been betrayed by certain people.

Live and let live cos live is too short and uncertain.

How To Make Vodka Tonic For Oily Skin

No, this is not a vodka tonic drink; it's an astringent for oily skin. Made from distilled potatoes or grains, vodka makes a wonderfully clear, clean oil remover. Pineapple is a refreshing exfoliator as well as a skin softener. Together the two help to eliminate unwanted oils while leaving the skin soft, smooth and revitalised.

Ingredients :
1. 1/4 cup vodka
2. 1/4 cup water
3. 2 teaspoon pineapple juice

Mix vodka, water and pineapple juice in a small sport-type squirt bottle (the kind bicyclists use). Pour small amount onto palm and splash over face, being careful not to get in your eyes (vodka can sting). Also can be applied with fresh cotton ball. Use every morning or whenever you feel the need for a quick face cleansing. Shake before using.

Tips :
Store in the refrigerator. Will last for six to eight weeks

Heal Ourselves

Healing means different things to different people, from surviving an illness to transforming a difficult relationship. Healing is literally defined as wholeness or "making sound or whole". Healing is harmonising all the aspects of ourselves - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, creating a synergy of mind, body and spirit.

The field of alternative/complementary therapy is rapidly growing. Alternative/complementary therapies such as reiki, pranic, crystal, tuina, acupressure, acupuncture, dreamwork, sound and light therapy, angel work, etc etc all aim at creating wellness of oneself, restoring wholeness.

One great place to visit is Lightworks. I call it an Energy Works Supermarket. Don't believe me, just drop by to see and feel for yourself. And dont forget to give me your comments. Have Fun at Lightworks where the Light works on you.

What Is Reiki

Throughout the history of mankind healing methods have always existed which were based on the transfer of universal, all-pervading life energy, the same energy which brings forth all life in the universe and nourishes it.

The word Reiki itself means universal life energy. The syllable rei describes universal, while ki is the vital life force energy which flows through all living beings. While the roots of Reiki reach far back into the ancient origins of natural healing, this method of healing has been rediscovered in modern times and is now well on the way to becoming a widely practised form of alternative medicine. More and more practitioners/therapists are making Reiki part of their therapeutic program, or are practising this method exclusively; but above all, Reiki is being used by more and more non-professionals as well as a small group of professionals, as a most effective means of promoting health and well being.

Carvings Again

Let's STOP Spamming

I have been receiving scores of such emails and at most times I will validate it with snopes.com before forwarding them but there had been times I do send such emails out. Not that I concur with spamming but we have to admit that sometimes some of these emails are so meaningful that you just wish to share the goodess around. But for those that says that so and so will receive $$ from AOL ...... the Delete button is hit immediately. So let's forward our emails considerately.

By now, I suspect everyone is familiar with www.snopes.com and/or www.truthorfiction.com for determining whether information recieved via email is just that: true/false or fact/fiction. Both are excellent sites. I received the advice below from one of my correspondents today.

MEMORIZE THIS!

1) Any time you see an E-Mail that says forward this on to '10' of your friends, sign this petition, or you'll get bad luck, good luck, or whatever, it almost always has an E-Mail tracker program attached that tracks the cookies and E-Mails of those folks you forward to. The host sender is getting a copy each time it gets forwarded and then is able to get lists of 'active' E-Mails addresses to use in SPAM E-Mails, or sell to other spammers.

2) Almost all E-Mails that ask you to add your name and forward on to others are similar to that mass letter years ago that asked people to send business cards to the little kid in Florida who wanted to break the Guinness Book of Records for the most cards. All it was, and all any of this type of E-Mail is, is a way to get names and 'cookie' tracking information for telemarketers and spammers - - to validate active E-Mail accounts for their own profitable purposes.

You can do your friends and family members a GREAT favor by sending this information to them; you will be providing a service to your friends, and will be rewarded by not getting thousands of spam E-Mails in the future!

If you have been sending out (FORWARDING) the above kinds of E-Mail, now you know why you get so much SPAM! Do yourself a favor and STOP adding your name(s) to those types of listings regardless how inviting they might sound! You may think you are supporting a GREAT cause, but you are NOT in the long run. Instead, you will be getting tons of junk mail later! Plus, we are helping the spammers get rich! Let's don't make it easy for them! Also: E-Mail petitions are NOT acceptable to Congress or any other organization. To be acceptable, petitions must have a signed signature and full address of the person signing the petition.

Read the full story here: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/internet.asp>

More Carvings - MUST SEE

Ingenious Watermelon Carvings

You Will Be Blown Away By The Eggs - Incredible

These egg shells were cut with a high intensity precision Laser Beam. This gives a very good idea of what can be achieved with a Laser Beam. From this can be surmised what laser surgery performed on one's eye is all about. Is it any wonder how one's vision can be improved in just a few moments? Science is sometimes wonderful, and it's still on the frontier of gaining new knowledge. Incredible what can be done with an eggshell and a laser beam.