The Villa Belonging to the King of Tiger Balm - Episode 3

[...continuing]

Moving on, we also learn about the Buddhist festival, which is Vesak Day, at Haw Par Villa. We discover that the believers are celebrating Vesak Day to commemorate the birth of a prince of Sakyamuni named Siddhatta, also known as Buddha. He was born in Nepal. Many controversies arise over the real religious view of Buddha because there are few similarities between the Hindus and Buddhism. Till now the conflict goes on.

The journey also has helped us gain some meaningful life skills through myths and legends. For example, the story of Kang Xi and Su Qin which tells the a tale of sibling ties and how blood is thicker than water. It too teaches us perseverance and endurance in life despite the bitterness and hardship that happen.

Overall, this trip has brought us greater understanding of different religions and cultures despite the miscommunication that goes on around the world.

The Villa Belonging to the King of Tiger Balm - Episode 2

[...continuing]

The Buddhists believes that there are three special procedures that men had to undergo before they were able to enter heaven. They had to first enter through the Gates of Hell and face the two guardians known as the Ox-head and the Horse-face. Their duty was to usher new dead souls to the respective courts for their punishment or reward.

Men who were virtuous during their past life, would be led over to the Golden Bridge bound to the Heaven while those whose past good deeds outweighed the crimes committed would be sent to the Silver Bridge to a different Heaven. The evil doers would be sent to the Ten Courts of Hell to repent.

Some examples of the punishments in Hell include tongued being pulled out, being thrown into a wok of boiling oil, the body being dismembered, being thrown into a hill of knives, the body being sawed into two, etc. These punishments would be used on offences such as wasting food, cheating, raping, abducting, cursing and so on and so forth.

After going through the Ten Courts of Hell, men would either go straight to heaven if they had some virtous characters while the non-virtuos would stand in front of the mirror of retribution to witness alll their past misdeeds. The final judgment was passed upon them as to who or what they would be reincarnated to.

Then, they would be lead to Pavilion of Forgetfulness, whereby Meng Po would serve a magic tea to help them forget their past lives. They would be separated into six paths of the wheel reincarnation know as the Samsara.

Overall, these graphic representations act as a deterrent for men to commit crimes.

[To be continued…]

The Villa Belonging to the King of Tiger Balm - Episode 1

 

Our Journaling Club went through a cultural experience by visiting the Haw Par Villa, which was launched in 1973. It was founded by Mr Aw Boon Haw's family, whom first start his business by selling the Tiger Balm in the villa itself with a trishaw and speaker to promote the product and gain customers.

Mr Aw then passed on during the Second World War 2 when he was in Thailand.

Mr Aw's intention in setting up the villa was to allow the visitors to experience a day visiting hell, which based on both the Chinese and Europe mythology. These visual representation would act as a deterrent for people from doing evil. He would also like to create awareness to the men in general to appreciate animals by not treating them cruelly. Also, it was also to learn more about the Chinese culture and spiritual beliefs, which enable others to understand why the believers practice or do things differently other faiths that exist.

[To be continued…]

Let's Pay Our Homage to Dear Old SAM

No, Sam is not our dear friend who had graduated from ITE. It's SAM to be exact...yep, Singapore Arts Museum.

Our eyes are like the windows to our soul and this is best described on what I observed during my visit to the SAM on the 15 October 2010. A group of journaling club members led by Ms Pamela Koh went for an outing to SAM located at Bras Basah. Though, it was a short trip, the experience certainly broadened my perspective towards the art paintings.

It’s my first trip to SAM. I was looking at those beautiful masterpieces done by the famous artist from both local and foreign country. There, we were not allowed to take any photos with flashes as the masterpiece had been highly protected by the security.

Then, we went on to the Learning Gallery where there were loads of interesting exhibitions put up by the creative artists who visualize and brainstorm their great ideas about the everyday objects and were then translated into artworks in the gallery. This is where the artists have portrayed the things we know and sometimes take for granted in a different light, making us think twice about their function and their relation to other objects.

To all the readers out there, I would strongly recommend to visit the arts museum as seeing is believing a picture tells a thousands words.  

Do You Know...Your Country?

Do you know that at over 6,400 people per square kilometer, Singapore is the second most densely populated country in the world after Monaco?  

Editor's note: We have casinos that can rival Monaco's too.

Do you know that 31st January 1934 was the coldest day in Singapore? The temperature that day was a record low of 19.4°C.

Editor's note: When was the last time (in our lifetime) did our temperature ever dipped to below 27°C?

Do you know that Singapore has the world’s highest man-made water fall? The 30 meter high water fall is located in Jurong Bird Park.  

Editor's note: That's about 8-story high!

Do you know that the first botanical gardens were at Fort Canning Hill? They were opened in 1822, closed in 1829, reopened in 1836 and finally abandoned in 1846.  

Editor's note: Have you visited Fort Canning Park?

Do you know that the local favorite television character Phua Chu Kang once appeared on the popular US reality television series The Amazing Race? He gave out clues to the participants in Season 3 of the hit television series.  

Editor's note: A debate on the local media followed his appearance on the show as to whether he was the right 'icon' to represent Singapore.

Literary Ceativity - A Race Car? No, Thank You.

Those race cars are incredibly sleek, they are low to the ground and extremely aerodynamic. They got these huge engines, they can go 200 miles an hour on a straightaway, they can take a curve at 100 miles an hour, and they are quick, fast and precise.

An SUV sits up high and has plenty of room and trunk area but if you try to take a turn in it at 100 miles an hour, you will be hearing the angels say 'welcome to heaven'!

Why is that? Each car is designed for a specific purpose. The SUV is not going to have a chance on the racing tracks and the race car will not do a lot of good on the city streets. They both have incredible strengths. The key is to make sure you keep them in the right race.

Are you the race car, with the talents and the looks? Then, be the best that you can be. Run your race. If you are not, don’t feel bad about it. There is nothing wrong with saying those are not your strengths, I am never going to be that fast, I am never going to be a size 5, my personality is never going to be outgoing and dynamic, but I am ok with that.

It’s easy to go thru life competing with everyone around us. The very freeing thing is when we realize we are not competing with anyone.

You are made different on purpose. Stay focused on your own race.

Literary Creativity - I Am Iron Man!

School, assignments, exams… part-time work, hanging out with my friends, updating my profile on Facebook. Ah, but that is all you see. It is all you understand about me. The truth is: I am Iron Man, a crime-busting superhero!

Over the weekend, I watched Iron Man on TV. Tony Stark, CEO, Stark Industries, is a brilliant engineer uses his talents to create a powerful suit of armor that enables him to fly around clobbering sinister, and really powerful, baddies, to ensure… well, world peace, of course. His Iron Man suit protects him from harm and gives superhuman strength. Without it, Tony Stark is just an ordinary man. A boring old engineer.

Ah, but he has imagination. And with imagination, Iron Man is born.

OK, ok, so I am not Iron Man. But I have imagination. And imagination lifts me out of the tedium that is the life of a teenager, grappling with the complexities of adulthood. I am no larger-than-life superhuman. But with imagination, I can conquer the evils of routine and boredom. With imagination, I soar. I can take on the world!

Gone To The Dark Side We Have...

On the 31st November 2011, my journaling team and I experienced a day of total darkness to show empathy to those whom are visually impaired individual’s out there. This programme was first introduced by the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped which enables an individual with normal vision to have a feel of what it is like to live and work in life of total darkness. Most of the visually impaired people were either born with an abnormal vision or accidents occurred during their past time that enable them to use their eye sight anymore.

We were lead by several Sports Management students to the entrance of the Audio Lab near the basement carpark to be brought into the room to have our lunch. We were very anxious and nervous and at the same time trying to picture in our mind how things are going to be like inside the lab. While waiting patiently outside, our imagination started to run wild and we started to share what we felt that would take place inside which made us more reluctant and anxious to enter the lab.

Though we had so much in mind, it did not deter us from participating in the event and entering the lab. After 15 mins of waiting, the journey begins as the door was opened widely for us. When we first entered the room, it was pitch black as the door was shut immediately after we entered the lab. The sound impact of the lab door that was slammed gave us spooky feelings and our mind went totally blank as we were waiting anxiously to be seated to have our lunch.

We settled down and slowly use d our tactile senses to get instructions and eat our food as we were not even able to see who was sitting right beside us or any faces but just a dark room occupied by many students. I was frustrated because I’m unable to listen to the speaker giving out instructions to us as the room was too polluted with unnecessary cheering, jeering and calling out of names. I tried my very best to focus on what the speaker is speaking and tried to block out all the other noises. The only thing that I could hear out of the speaker would be we were given instructions to have our lunch which was already served right in front of us.

I started out by using my sense of touch to feel for my utensils and plate. I realised that as I ate, It felt as if I was chewing a strand of hair, I then slowly spit out what I ate onto the plate and stopped eating. I continued my meal by just eating the muffins provided and drank the whole cup of orange juice.

After an hour of dining in the dark, I was glad that everything went smoothly like what I expected but the bad experience I had faced when I was dining would be an unhygienic handling of food which allows a strand of hair to be on my food which dampens my mood and appetite to eat throughout the event.

The lesson that I have learnt from this activity would be how to show empathy to the visually handicapped. Having strands of hair on my food made me wonder how these handicapped inspect their food. I have also learnt that when we lose our vision, it affects our activity of daily living and also our instrumental activities of daily living. From that day onwards, I tend to appreciate myself for having normal eyesight and other functions.

Not Quite Food Network Cake Challenge But Close Enough

Cake decorating is one of the sugar arts in the world of baking. Many aspects of baking, icing and creativity are involved with decorating and its competitive business. In addition to being a yummy work of art, decorating a cake is a very simple task. It starts with wanting to just have fun!
 

We did a cake decorating session during our Journal Club meeting this week. We worked in pairs. I worked with Yi Lin and we were both very excited about how our cake will turn out.

We used a cake mixer to make soft and fluffy butter cream. While doing this, we had to battle with butter fluff flying out from the bowl onto our hair, hands and clothes. It was funny seeing buttery faces. Nevertheless we enjoyed the creaming process. It was a delight to see hard work pay off as we added in blue colouring into our butter cream and it looked really cool. Thereafter, we divided the cream into four plastic bags of green, blue, pink and orange, cut an opening to make a piping bag and gave one of each colour to every pair. 

Mine was a cupcake sprinkled with colourful sugar balls and M&M chocolates. It looked like a castle with a colourful rainbow tower. Needless to say, I was the winner of the cake decorating competition. Above all that, I had fun working together with Yi Lin and it was an enjoyable experience.

Literary Creativity - A Friend to Remember

 

As I was flipping through my photo album, my eyes fell on a photograph of my best friend, Rachel. My eyes remained glued to the photograph as a sad story flashed across my mind. All this is now only a memory.

I met her at the secondary school we attended. It was the first day of our school term. She was the shy type while I was just the opposite.

One day, I went to approach her and ask for her name. She introduced herself as Rachel. We went through the fun and boring times, ups and downs and soon found ourselves inseparable. When it was time to say our goodbyes after completing secondary school, I thought that I would never see her again.

Then our paths crossed when we bumped into each other during the Polytechnic admission. I was so excited to see her and also was Rachel. We hope that we would continue our friendship for many more years to come.

I remembered very vividly that fateful year. It was when we were in our final year. The incident that happened that fateful day became most unforgettable. One Sunday night, while I was packing my school bag, my mother entered the room with a worried look on her face.

I knew something was wrong. In a shaky voice, she muttered,”I’m sorry, Rachel is dead.” The words echoed in my ears and it seemed to go on and on and on. I screamed, “No, it can’t be! How, how did it happen?”

My mother sat me down on my bed and related the incident. It happened when Rachel was coming home from a game of basketball at a nearby court. A lorry hit her. She was flung several meters into the air before landing on the pavement.

My mother explained that the impact left her with severe head injuries. Rachel died on the way to the hospital. Tears streamed down my cheeks as my mother was relating the incident. I had not only lost a good friend but I felt that a part of me had also died at that very moment.

Not one day had gone by without me thinking of her and remembering that ever so sweet smile on her cheerful face. I can only pray and hope that she is now in an even more beautiful place from where she will always guide me.

Literary Creativity - Beauty is Only Skin Deep

Zeb emerged the winner. Dara was killed. The news reached Ranadil. 

On his return to Agra, Zeb detained Emperor Shah at the Agra Fort and seized power. He was the victor! He could claim Ranadil as his own. He sent a message to her through a courtier. “Go, tell her I cant live without her. She has bewitching charms. What bright eyes! What rosy skin! Her face is indeed her fortune. Zeb sang in praise of Ranadil.

Ranadil smiled wanly at the courtier. “Is it really so? Let me check.” She signaled to the courtier to wait and ran to the full length mirror in her bedroom.

She picked up a dagger and ran it several times across her cheeks. Bleeding from every pore, she walked back to the presence of the courtier. She wiped the blood with her dupatta (towel ) and handed it to the courtier. “Give this to your master. Tell him that my face is no longer my fortune. That fortune was only for my Lord, my dear Dara. I have destroyed it. Now, I have a face bleeding from cuts. Soon they will turn into scars.

The courtier turned his face away, unable to stand the gory sight.