Nice Condo

I happened to passby this nice condo, this sale of this condo was launched back in 2004 or 2003. My friends and I even visited the show-flat during the launch. At that point of time, my friends had the intention to get one unit there.

Anyway, the whole plot of land consists of 6 tall blocks. This side of condo, in the photo below, faces the City. I guess it must be a great view.

A temple that was re-built.

This temple is located along the PIE, I didn't visit this temple for ages. As far as I can remember the last time I visited this temple was more than 20 years ago! During the last 20 years, the temple was re-built again.

Finally I have the chance to re-visit the temple again after so many years. This temple really looks nice, the exterior of the temple gave me a serene feeling.

Located in front of the temple, there is a pool. Right in the middle of the pool is a wishing well.

To make your wish comes true, throw a coin into well and make your wish. Good luck!

Pray to Tai Sui 太岁

Today, 4th day of Lunar month, marks the official day to commence the offering to Tai Sui 太岁at Temple.

For those who are born in the year of Ox, Dragon, Goat and Dog are deemed to have fan Tai Sui　犯太岁. As such, it is believed that one has to offer praying to Tai Sui太岁 during 1st lunar month, this is to ensure that one will have smooth sailing events throughout the whole year. However, if your 12 symbolic animal ( Shi Er Sheng Xiao十二生肖) do not belong to any of the above-mentioned animals, you still can offer your praying to Tai Sui太岁 for better luck.

The ritual of praying to Tai Sui太岁 is originated from China, and the first temple in Singapore that offer such praying service started in year 1993. The history of praying to Tai Sui 太岁here in Singapore may not be long but judging from the large crowd of people turned up at the temple every year, you will be surprised! And to think that praying of Tai Sui 太岁only started getting popular not long ago.

So if you have not offer your praying to Tai Sui太岁, you can do so anytime from now till end of 1st lunar month or before 24th Feb 2009. Some temples do offer blessing service in conjunction with praying to Tai Sui太岁.

Do take note that towards the end of this year, one has to go back to the temple to thank Tai Sui 太岁for the blessing throughout the whole year. The period to thank Tai Sui太岁 is any day between 5 days before and after Dong Zhi 冬至。 This year Dong Zhi falls on 22 Dec 2009. Good luck!

A visit to Kong Meng San Temple

Today weather is good, is hot and sunny! Unlike the first day of lunar new year, it was cloudy and it rained in the early morning.... Anyway, this morning, I took this opportunity to do something that I have been wanted to do, to visit Kong Meng San Temple.

Kong Meng San Temple is a Buddhist temple, the temple has been there for many years. And for those who do not know, Kong Meng San Temple was fengshui-ed by the famous fengshui master, Hong Chun Fa Shi.

Hong Chun Fa Shi was well-known for his magic touch, there was one report on one of the hotels here that the business of that hotel improved after he fengshui-ed it. Here are some of the photos which I took this morning. Enjoy!

Guan yin.

Buddha....Not one...

Photo of Hong Chun Fa Shi.

Photo of Hong Chun Fa Shi taking measurement using luo pan.

Hong Chun Fa Shi's luo pans.

Does anyone know what type of luo pan is this? San He or San Yuan luo pan?

Hong Chun Fa Shi portrait.

祝大家，心想事成，万事如意。恭喜！恭喜！

Would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone A Happy Lunar New Year. May this new year brings you prosperity and happiness.

祝大家，心想事成，万事如意。恭喜！恭喜！

Found this Chinese New Year song videoclip from youtube. Very nice song! The videoclip is from Malaysia, and the song is sang by 988 radio DJs. Click on the videoclip, I believe you will enjoy the song like I do.

For more detail on this song, you can click on this http://www.988.com.my/988_headline/988_album08_cny.asp



Or for those who prefer oldies, here are few oldies which I also like

Cai Shen Ye 财神爷 - God of Wealth

Yesterday evening, I decided to have something different for dinner, so decided to go to KFC. I went to the outlet that near to my place.

While I was in the queue, waiting to be served. A couple in front of me made some commotion. Initially I could not figure what was the commotion all about. What I saw was the KFC counter staff spoke to her manager. Then suddenly, it seemed like there was alot of excitment behind the counter, the whole KFC staff were so excited that they clapped their hands in unison to congrate the couple. Then I realised that the couple had won themselves a $108 Hongbao. Wow, Cai Shen Ye came early! Lucky couple!

Well for those want to pray for good fortune, wealth in particular. Cai Shen Ye will arrive from East direction. If you want to have better luck, try facing east and say some good words. And who knows? You will be the lucky person ....... Good luck!

Plants and trees

The picture below may look familiar to some of you.


Yes, you are right! There are fengshui books which mentioned if a house faces a "negative energy". One of the solutions, is to use tree or plant to divert the "negative energy".

In front of this block of houses is a row of plants. So what is the function of this row of plants?

The function of the plants is to divert the noise from the expressway. In other countries, is common to see wooden or concrete blocks are used to divert noise from roads.

Nian Hua - Lunar New Year Flowers

For the last 2 nights, I was at the nursery buying plants to decorate for this Lunar New Year. Think I must have enjoyed myself in the nursery looking at those beautiful plants.

Anyway, just to share with you. It seems like this year, there are more varieties as compared to last year. On top of that, most of the nurseries are selling their plants at much lower price than last year!

Take 3ft lime plant for example, last year it was selling at $38 per pot but this year, you can easily get it at $25 per pot. And if you were to look at newspaper advertisement, 3ft lime plant was selling at $18 only! Last year, I got myself a pot of lilies at $28, this year is selling at $18 only!

So if you are still wondering how to brighten your house for this CNY, maybe I suggest you should head down to any of the nurseries to look around. Who knows, you will find plants that you like?

Lo Hei

Just came back from a pre-Chinese New Year (CNY) dinner celebration, as usual such pre-CNY dinner celebration will have Lo Hei.

The word "Lo Hei" is Cantonese, it means 捞起. Actually, it a dish that consists of shedded carrot, ginger, grinded peanuts, white radish, shrimp crackers, salmon and sweet dressing. And such dish is usually eaten during Chinese New Year period to symbolise good fortunes for the coming year.

Before we tuck in this delicious dish, we have to mix the shredded ingredients together by using chopstick, usually the practise here is to toss the ingredients in the air. In addition to the process, auspicious wordings are said during the tossing. It is believed that when tossing, your fortunes are represented by the height that you tossed. Therefore, the higher you toss, the more fortune you will have. So let's hope that Lo Hei can bring us more good luck for this coming new year. Huat Ar!

Friendship

First, I have to apologise to all my readers for not updating for the last few days, I was busy attending to a friend, O, who came to visit me.

I know O when we were in university and that was 2001. We were from different faculty but our friendship started when both of us went to attend one module, back then we would exhange ideas and tips on that module.

And I have to say that our friendship is rather a special one, To think that both of us are from different countries but we could get along very well. Sometimes I do feel that my friendship with O is really amazing, to think that two of us are from different parts of the world yet we met in Australia and started our special friendship from there! To be frank, it didn't hit me that we would still keep in touch after graduation.

Anyway, we managed to contact each other 4 years after we graduated. O went back to her country after graduation but then decided to go back to Australia again to work. To cut the story short, we managed to meet up in the following year but it was in O's country. After that meet up, we managed to see each other again last year when I was in Sydney. Didn't expect myself to see my friend so soon again.

O if you are reading this blog, please pardon me for being a poor host. Gomen Nasai nai.



Decided to do something different for a tourist. A walk at Southern Ridge. That's why I said I was a poor host, making my guest to go under the hot sun and long walk. Not to forget, some "climbing" too!

Seeing waves in a different manner.

Who has the longest leg? Or who has the biggest foot?

Say "cheese"?
What is that 2 things on top of my head supposed to be? A pair of horns? Or am I a rabbit now? Or Ox is better, after all is Ox year mah?

We are going to garden.

Where are we now?

We have visited Botanic Garden!

What is HAPPY surname....?

Recently I heard over the radio, the DJ asked the other DJ, what was HAPPY surname? Make a guess?
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. --------> BE Happy! ^.^

Choosing an auspicious date for surgery

Choosing an auspicious date for surgery, is this necessary? Well, this will depend very much on the patient's health condition, whether any delay in the surgery will cause any imminent danger to the patient? If any further delay in the surgery can endanger a patient's life, I strongly advise the patient to heed doctor's advice to get the surgery done as soon as possible.

However, if the surgery is non critical such as Lasik or cosmetic surgery or surgery that patient can wait. Well, in my own opinion, there is no harm to choose an auspicious date for surgery.

In date selection, it is believed that getting an auspicious date for surgery, it can permanently removed the "illness" for good. But there again, I have to remind readers, choosing an auspicious date is an additional bonus if only a patient can wait. If not, my advise is to heed the doctor's advise, and get the surgery done.

Red Packets

Finally, received my new red packets. Going to distribute them out real soon.

An unique landmark

For those who have been to Chinatown, this unique landmark, which shaped like a fan, will not be a stranger to you.

So is there any reason for the building to be shaped in this manner? Or the Architect designed the building in such a unique way to catch attention?

Whatever it is, I still like the unique shape of this building, it really stand out from the crowd!

P/S : I may not be able to update my blog for at least a week or so, as I have overseas visitor to attend. Nevertheless, if I can find the time to update, I will do so. If not, I will be back again on 18 Jan 2009, do stay tuned. Wish you have a great weekend ahead! Cheers !

Colour of a building

Today, I am going to do something different, instead of me writing things that I have done. I am going to ask you a few questions which will crack your head.

Q1. Have you been to Chinatown point before?
If your answer is NO, please skip today entry. Just kidding, please continue to stay and discover some interesting findings.

If your answer is yes, please go to question Q2.

Q2. When was the last time that you were there?

Q3. Did you know that Chinatown point building exterior used to be light blue before it was changed to present colour :- yellow?

As far as I can remember, the first time I saw Chinatown point building, it was light blue in colour. And that was back in 1991, the light blue was with the building for at least ten years or so. Please correct me if I am wrong and that is the reason why I asked so many question in the opening of this entry.

Okay, let me continue, when the building exterior undergo "facelift" a couple of years back, I was quite surprised to see the new change of colour. And it did not stop me from wondering what were the reasons for a building to change its colour?

So was it due to top management's decision to change to attractive colour to draw more crowds? Or the present colour was chosen to match the key personnel's bazi; favourable colour? Or has it got to do with fengshui?

I have one explanation for the change. Look at the photo below, maybe you can find the clue in this photo. Okay, happy finding! Cheers

Nice Song by local singer

The more I listen to her songs, the more I like it, she has a sweet voice. The singer that I am talking about is Olivia Ong, who sang the Little Nyonya theme Song "Ru Yan". Very talented young lady. Okay, below are 2 songs taken from youtube, hope that you will enjoy her lovely voice.

Wishing Well

Found a wishing well outside Chinatown point. Make a wish, may your wish comes true.



At the other end of Chinatown, at a quite corner, I found another well. This time, this is a REAL well. This well was used in the early days, and our ancestors could have used it.


Wondering what is the reason for keeping this well? To educate our younger generation? Or to enlighten people like me, who had never seen a well before?

Now, make a guess whether is this a deep well?

A closer look to the well.

Not really deep. Maybe the well was filled up with cement, that's why it did not look deep to me.

Chinatown - Light up

Tonight, Chinatown will be light up. Took some photos of Chinese New Year decorations during daytime.

This year, Chinese New Year falls on 26 Jan 2008, it arrives much earlier than Li Chun which falls on 4 Feb 2009. Technically, the year of Ox will only starts on 4 Feb 2009 not 26 Jan 2009.

Anyway, let's hope that year of Ox will bring us good luck.

Mr Ox and Miss Cow, sitting on a platform.

Mr Ox with open arms, welcome year of Ox?

Another 2 cheerful Ox.

A happy Ox family.

Usher to year of Ox.

Where are the people? Usually, Chinatown is flooded with shoppers buying Chinese New Year stuffs during this period of time, and most likely you would have to squeeze your way through the pathway, unlike this photo there are so much clearance space to walk about. Guess what time did I take this photo?

Two lions dancing happily.

Tonight, the whole stretch of street is going to be light up.

Wondering will there be firecracker tonight?

The famous Indian temple in Chinatown. Is a tourist location, everyday bounds to have tourists visiting the temple.

How would you translate the above Chinese characters, Niu Chuan Qian Kun into English?

The translation I got from http://sg.babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_txt is "The cow passes on the universe." To verify the whole translation is correct. Let's break up the whole phrase of Chinese characters;

Niu 牛 is Cow

Chuan 传 is passes on

Qian Kun 乾坤 is Heaven and Earth or Yang and Yin or universe.

So the translation is correct? Maybe someone can advise me?

I like the above Chinese Character, Xin Fu Wan Sui, it means Happiness long live!