Taiwan....

Finally...my another dream destination...!!
Pictures can be found in http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=69644&l=a7736&id=583071605

Yoga, Massage or Being in the Present?

I went to my 'godmother's' house today.
As usual, she is always very concern about my neck pain.
So she on her newly bought yoga DVD to show me
Actually I am not interested at all...why , I also dunno...I already have my set of yoga & aerobics.
but since she on it, I just see what's in it
Its actually like chi kung, stretching, and one thing that I have been doing
tapping the whole body to dissicipate the excess energy
This reminded me to do this every night before I sleep.

Then she also showed me a book on massage that she wanted to give me as a Bday gift.
I used to be very interested in massage as I have an in born feeling of ppl's pain as I massage the problematic area...i can feel the pain in my body too as i touch the painful part of another person...this I dunno why...
But, now that she presents me with this book, I have no interest at all
I told her that I have no interest to read de, I dunno why...
Is it too busy and stressed and now who cares about these things?

But not really...
When she told me about a set of CD with the topic " The Art of Presence", (by Eckhart Tolle),
Its a series of talk recorded from a meditation retreat, my mind was infused with interest
And soon, I borrowed a set from her, so that i can listen every day at home during this hol.
Ever since I started working, I find it hard to balance my life between work, exc and spritual devp.
Its even so these 3 years. First two because I was studying masters. So apart from teaching, my hol and weekends are used for doing assignment. Last yr, also busy...dunno for what. But the good thing is I went back to my shi fu's place to meditate (it's more like a holiday for me to quiet down my mind after 2 yrs' torchuring to my mind with excessive stress).
This year, even so , the reason, explained clearly in the previous blog. I felt like I have lost touch of my spiritual journey, it has become stagnant... or even reversed...
But now I know, that it is already deep in my heart...cannot be lost, deep in subconcious mind, after many many retreats, especially the 4.5 mths's retreat, which open up a new paradigm for me to look into life.
Life appeared to me in two angles:
1. The conceptual world, every thing is a mind made believe
Good or bad, pretty or ugly, like and dislike
2. The nature of all events, mind and body, its just a condition when an object strikes the mind, the conciousness is aware of it, and so it arises and then in its natural course, subsides....one after another, non-stop...And at this angle, the mind is so free, not trapped by the concept...just looking at the happenings of the nature as they are...and not participating in it, but just know...
Not only that, the dharma just unfold very clearly, moment after moment...and the mind is not easily trapped, by delusion of self, greed, anger....so its free...

To be able to see in the second perspective, the mind needs its nourishment just like the body. And this I have not done for so so long...and I felt sad about it....it is really wonderful to be able to see things as they are, not in the conceptual/ limiting way....

I want to live a spiritual life...to see all life processes clearly as they are...and be free in mind....

Birthday Celebration

Going into LT8 for tutorial yesterday, there sat my three classes, 2 of my own, and 1 (PM4) that I was baby sitting for Soo San for 2 weeks.
They started to sing 'Happy Birthday'. I stood and received their wish (energy) as they sang, and looked at every one of them, as they looked back.
This wish was very powerful. It was a simple act of singing but, I could see & feel the sincerity of their heart as they sang. That made me feel appreciated and I felt the same for them. Joy arouse in the heart that stayed for the whole night. I could not remember when was the last time this year that I felt this kind of very gentle, but deep and lasting joy.

True indeed, when I recalled back what Dr. K Sri Dhammananda said in one of his talk in UKM last time, that the most powerful wish is the sincere wish from the heart. No fancy word, no expensive gift, but just a sincere act of a word, a song, a gesture or a smile. That is what touches the heart.

Indeed, this year has been so hectic. Every day, I need to prepare teaching PowerPoint for the next day until today morning, which is the last teaching day of the year. When the students were away for the AS examination, I was busy doing research, and leading a team to draw up a plan to implement Student Portfolio for CAL next year, and to give a seminar regarding this to the lecturers. I was also busy mentoring my new lecturer this semester whom also created some misunderstanding within my dept. Even during the Chinese New Year, I was busy preparing PowerPoint for the A2 Practical (Paper 5) Workshop together with Le-Na, with lots of anger as the management decided to remove the OHP from all classrooms when the semeter commenced, and hence we were left to prepare Powerpoint the last minute. I do not mind doing it but it takes up most of my after office hour and eats into my sleeping hour every day for the whole year which really makes me look old...and too tired to exc regularly. I also noticed a lot of back biting in the staffroom this year due to the appraisal system that made the career path very competitive among us. Indeed this year is a stressful year from many angles. However, towards the end, I have got all my Powerpoint completed!! The backbiting is slowly fading away as the truth reveals, and friendship emerges.

The most memorable event of the year is my dream trip to NZ. Other memorable/ meaningful events include:
(1) my mum showing more care & respect in her action and more gentle in her words , thanks to Di Zhi Gui.
(2) Getting to know Di Zhi Gui, which instill wisdom and compassion.
(3) Learning compassionate communication

My wish for this holiday:
1) Sleep more & sleep early
2) Exc regularly
3) Detox, liver cleasing & deworm
4) Meditate to go deeper to the 'heart' of the being & pick up mindfulness again
5) Practice compassionate communication
6) Catch up with friends
6) Facial & massage!! Pamper myself to the max :-)

The next thing I am looking forward is my Taiwan trip next week!!

New Zealand - Day 4 (Franz Josef Glacier Walk)

The attraction of the day was glacier walk at Franz Josef. What you can see in the picture is the boot and the metal grib at the base that we needed to wear before we could climb the glacier. This was the main office where we got our boots, metal, coat, gloves and a hat before we depart.
We were driven a shot distance to the entrance by a bus full of tourist like us. (Note: this pict was taken after the walk while waiting for the bus)
Yeah!! I was going to climb!! We went as a group and at this point, we were divided into the more adventurous and fit group and the normal/ slow group. I don't have to tell you which group I was in. haha!!

We need to cross a stream on the way. Didn't like the idea of wearing wet boots to climb the glacier!!

Here I come!! But you can see that we need to walk across a big stretch of rocky land before we can reach the glacier due to the glacier retrieving backwards, an effect of global warming!!

Passing through a little ice tunnel

That was our guide for glacier walk. He made the way for us so that it was safe to walk. Can you see what he was wearing compared to most of us? OMG....

Yeah!! I made it!! We are not up the glacier overlooking the valley and the lush rain forest so near to it.
Wow ...better be careful not to slip and fall into it!!
We were actually walking on ice in the air!! A crivice formed when the glacier melt.
Taking in this angle could show the gradient of the slope!! But I was not in it...as I was taking this pict. Our guide, posing for us after completing the climb and resting at the "peak".


This pict was taken by our young and handsome guide!!
Yea!! A sense of satisfaction concurring the glacier!!

Hmm this was the tunnel that I have passed? On my way down now.
I was so amazed by the beautiful rocks that I couldn't stop myself from embracing the rock!! These rocks are carved by errosion from glacier. The beauty of the nature/ mother earth/ the gift of 'God'!!

The same rock. Me replaced by Megan. (I still prefer this pict that I have taken for her than that one that she has taken for me...sigh!!)
Small water fall along the way back

This looks like Gasing Hill...haha
Wild berries

After bidding farewell to the Franz Josef glacier, we went back to Glowworm cottage to shower, had our tuna sandwich as we gazed at the glacier from the dining hall (sorry, no picts). Then we continued with our journey up north towards Punakaiki, our next stop for the night.
Only cows are that brave to pose for us to take pict!! The sheeps would run away before we can take a good pose of them!!

Sunset de...we were almost reaching Greymouth, the biggest township in the west coast.

All bridges are unique. Narrow as well. This one has a railway line on it!!
Another bridge.
Bank of New Zealand building at Greymouth.

The quay at Greymouth
We celebrated the day with a good dinner in a well decorated restaurant just beside the quay.
The food looked good but I would give it a 5 out of 10. Can see, cannot eat. I missed the pork rib cooked by Peter at Medley Hall, the smallest hostel of Melbourne Uni but with the best food by the Singaporean Chinese chef!!
This is our room for that night at Te Nikau. It was a little house built within the forest, with two twin bedrooms and a Japanese style dorm upstairs. This is the room that I had a strange experience at night. Firstly when we entered the room, it has wet fungus smell. Then in the middle of the night, the bed kept rocking, but when i turned to see Megan, she was fast asleep. My goodness, so who was moving? This is an unsolved mistery!!

New Zealand - Day 3 (Gibbston Valley)

Today will be our first day that we start to drive.

After shopping in First World and picked up our car from the airport, we set off to Gibbston Valley, a winery.
Lovely rows of grape plants. No no...they have all been harvested and you cannot see anything except for the main stem.

This is a very small vineyard but due to the good weather, the owner was able plant pinot noir and produced award winning wine in France for their red wine Pinot Noir 2006.
Outside the winery. The car behind the scene was the one that we rented to drive around the west coast. It was Nissan and I was very satisfied with it!! Powerful and fuel-saving as well. Grapes were not in season as it was late winter. All we could see is the main bark and the wires on top.
Welcome to the wine cave, the place where the wine is kept in the oak barrel for developing the taste.
This is the stainless steel fermenter to ferment the grapes.

Our three precious bottles of wine from Gibbston Valley...after being satisfied with our wine tasting. The bottle in the middle was the red wine that we had every night. It was fruity. The white wine (Riesling 2006) on both sides are reserved for our family.
Outside Gibbston Valley shop.
Good bye Gibbston Valley. Now as we continued our journey, we saw more vineyard along the road.
Beautiful scenic drive all along the way!!
My next stop at Lake Wanaka. Oh my ducklings, come nearer...nearer...

Do these flowers look familiar?
I just love the sakura...
Picnic lunch at Lake Wanaka with my grapejuice and potato chips!!
Lake Wanaka, beautiful indeed with the snow cap mountain as the background. If you have more days and you want to enjoy this beautiful and peaceful scenary, taking a stroll, biking, you can stay overnight in Wanaka.

I could not believe my eyes as we continued our journey along Highway 8 to the west coast.

We passed by the whole stretch of Lake Hawea along the way. We were so lucky to set out our day in such a beautiful sunny weather that the lake was so calm that it reflected the surrounding like a mirror ...hence the mirror lake.... We actually stopped, took a walk to gaze at the lake. This is snap shot 1.
Lake Hawea - snap shot 2
Lake Hawea - snap shot 3
Lake Hawea - snap shot 4

A video of Lake Hawea!! Hooray!!

One more of the lake please....
One last one....can;t take my eyes off such beautiful scenary...but we gotta move on to reach Franz Josef before dusk (hopefully!!)
The drive after Lake Hawea was hilly & windy. We have passed numerous bridges. Most of the bridges are very narrow and only one lane. So car from one side has to give way to the other side.

It was my turn to drive when we reached Haast. So I was the evening driver. As dusk set in, I gotta get on the road fast so that we could reach Franz Josef asap.

This scenary was taken by my friend as I was driving. Finally we reached the sea in the west coast and we headed up north from there.

Another bridge.
We finally arrived savely in Franz Josef, and checked into GlowwormCottage. Another BBH hostel. I really loved the warmth colour that they have used to paint the whole area. Clean and comfortable.

After a long day's drive, I did not really feel tired. I was really happy and looking forward to tomorrow's glacier walk!!