Wonderful article!

I like this part, "ICARUS couldn't find anyone to give the award to.All the Buddhists they called kept saying they didn't want the award.
When asked why the Burmese Buddhist community refused the award, Buddhist monk Bhante Ghurata Hanta said from Burma,We are grateful for the acknowledgement, but we give this award to al...l humanity,for Buddha nature lies within each of us."


Buddhism won “The Best Religion In The World” award
The Geneva-based International Coalition for the Advancement of Religious and Spirituality (ICARUS) has bestowed The Best Religion In the World award this year on the Buddhist Community.
This special award was voted on by an international round table of more than 200 religious leaders from every part of the spiritual spectrum. It was fascinating to note that many religious leaders voted for Buddhism rather than their own religion although Buddhists actually make up a tiny minority of ICARUS membership. Here are the comments by four voting members:
Jonna Hult, Director of Research for ICARUS said It wasn't a surprise to me that Buddhism won Best Religion in the World, because we could find literally not one single instance of a war fought in the name of Buddhism, in contrast to every other religion that seems to keep a gun in the closet just in case God makes a mistake. We were hard pressed to even find a Buddhist that had ever been in an army. These people practice what they preach to an extent we simply could not document with any other spiritual tradition.
A Catholic Priest, Father Ted O'Shaughnessy said from Belfast , As much as I love the Catholic Church, it has always bothered me to no end that we preach love in our scripture yet then claim to know God's will when it comes to killing other humans. For that reason, I did have to cast my vote for the Buddhists.
A Muslim Cleric Tal Bin Wassad agreed from Pakistan via his translator. While I am a devout Muslim, I can see how much anger and bloodshed is channeled into religious expression rather than dealt with on a personal level. The Buddhists have that figured out. Bin Wassad, the ICARUS voting member for Pakistan 's Muslim community continued, In fact, some of my best friends are Buddhist.
And Rabbi Shmuel Wasserstein said from Jerusalem, Of course, I love Judaism, and I think it's the greatest religion in the world. But to be honest, I've been practicing Vipassana meditation every day before minyan (daily Jewish prayer) since 1993. So I get it.
However, there was one snag - ICARUS couldn't find anyone to give the award to. All the Buddhists they called kept saying they didn't want the award.
When asked why the Burmese Buddhist community refused the award, Buddhist monk Bhante Ghurata Hanta said from Burma , We are grateful for the acknowledgement, but we give this award to all humanity, for Buddha nature lies within each of us. Groehlichen went on to say We're going to keep calling around until we find a Buddhist who will accept it. We'll let you know when we do.

http://mingkok.buddhistdoor.com/en/news/d/943

Before i forget.....

I must blog about this thought that I having these few days before it faded away.
JV's teacher used to tell me that JV's classmates were fond of her and liked to mix with her for session like sleeping together, queueing up, etc. But the funny thing is JV has never really grow fond of most of them, especially those cheeky ones.... She felt more comfortable and enjoyed the company of elder kids like JE's friends, Fiona, Jia Yu, etc.
If there are same age friends that she is fond of, they will be Jia Xuan and Erica....reasons being that they are rather 'well-behaved' and dont poke each other...which i know she is rather 'pantang' with it... Just like me, i really hate those who tickled me. Not that i like serious stuff, i do make fun of people, but i enjoyed those who are more mature in thinking.

In the process of homeschooling, I came to realize that long long time away, when i was in the primary and secondary, I didnt have many friends who were 'clicked' enough.
During primary days, LY, LL and some were at-one-time close friends, but then deep inside me i knew they were not for me. It became more obvious that when video tape and HK series came into place. Household income was not enough to cover for this part of entertainment and black-white TV was already a luxury thing in the dining hall. I still remembered i was among the last one in the class who has house phone. Friends were exchanging numbers but i dont even know how to dial it. haha! But we have never asked for that coz mom and dad have never let us believe that 'lacking' of material things means lacking in confidence.
我想那个时候开始我已经懂得什么是“我是与别人不一样的”， 而且还是很高尚的那种。不是高傲的那种，而是因为我的圈子的朋友，都是崇拜娱乐圈的，而我就是连看了也没有一点喜欢的感觉。但后来才明白原来，我的圈子的朋友都不是最谈得来的，而谈得来的都是比我大两岁以上的姐姐们。
As i was reading The Element(by Sir Ken Robinson), he mentioned that friends can be of all ages, I began to realize that aren't this is what interaction and learning suppose to be? JV has many friends, from Aunty Lai Choo, Yasir, Fiona， Amanda, Micheal Jackson， the poslaju delivery man and many more. They are not confined to only a particular age group which i think is the most wonderful part. Coz this is what the true side of the world. Being interactive and learned require different experience！
In those days, I learned a lot from those friends who has more experience and they are those who are more mature in age and thinking. They are not the ones who fancied about their outlooks, though they took good care of themselves. But inertly they are well balanced, and more importantly truly happy people. I cant stop denying the fact that those who really care for their appearance where dressing up to is to please others and to gain confidence, and inertly they lack of the self-grown confident, and let alone about being happy in lives. Sorry if this poke someone... but no i am not sorry for saying this, coz this is the true fact! :)

Lorong Kulit Pineapple

Saw an old makcik selling Bali Pineapple at Lorong Kulit at the price of RM 2/kg. Instantenously i bought 2. They were priced at RM 5 only! Cheap! Then i grabbed another 2 pomelo which makcik said 'manis', '2 biji RM5'. So all for RM 10 + my beaming joy on getting cheap and good for our favorite fruits.
On the way while we were in the car, i told hubby about this Cheap Encounter with the makcik. YJ said i should tell the makcik to jack up the price a bit since she was selling way to cheap...especially on the Bali Ong. YJ was suggesting maybe i should tell makcik to sell at RM3/kg since there were many selling at RM5/kg.
Jo Von interrupted and said, "But she wants to sell cheaper so that she can sell them fast ma...."
Daddy was amazed by a 5 yr old thought.... coz this is a concept of "薄利多销"（Profit with volume)!
Then jie jie quickly added in, "I also know about this ma...but i didnt say it out."
^-^

剪头发

奶奶问柔帆：“为什么你的头发像给狗咬到？” （这几天每个看到她的大人的“正常”反应。）柔帆：“我的头发，又不是你的头发。”
其实她是对大人对有点不耐烦了。那天是他要求要自己减一点的刘海，我说试试一点就好。后来，减稍多了，但我觉得还好吧，有稍短，但第一次其实都不错了。

Of knowing owns body and eating

Jo Von was all the while the more "spiritual" one.
When i was pregnant with her, i started to crave for pineapple which i have never like to take a single bite all through my life.
During that time too, i get nausea with cheese and dairy products which i has been craving for the past 30 years. From then on, i cut it out.
She was like always sure of what she can eat and how much to eat. She disliked mushroom but i always cut them in smaller bites and stuff in her meal. Sometimes she realized, sometimes no.
Few weeks ago i fried mee hoon with some mushroom. She took it for lunch but she got feverish during evening time and vomited. Sprout and vege and mee hoon seemed to have digested well and didnt came out, but not mushroom. Every single piece of the mushroom was out....in the complete cut pieces.

Told myself: i wont force her to take the food that her body cant take anymore. Perhaps i do not know well enough about her body as well as she is.

Observing and contemplating living creatures - Crawling down with compassion

We saw a big snail crawling down the wall.
Jo Ee, "will it fall?"
Jo Von, "i wont la, it has legs to suck on the wall."
Jo Ee, "What happen if we touch it?"
Jo Von, "I want to touch it, but i wont touch it, coz if i touch it, it will fall. And the shell will crack."
--- I guess when a kid have more time to be spent with the nature, naturally compassion will grow and they dont have to be taught on being kind to other beings. Compassion, loving kindness are grown inertly through nature and nurture.
Still, having more time, more leisure time to contemplate moments like these is the KEY.

Observing and contemplating living creatures - Looking beyond the compound eye

Not remembering which day was it, we moved out Jo Von table to the balcony so that she could draw at her own pace and space under the big blue sky.
I was cooking and heard her calling out loud: Mummy, mummy, come quickly and see! There is a big fly!
It took me sometime to finish cutting the veges before going out to see what was really going on.
Well, well, it was certainly a jumbo fly came visiting! A size of Jo Von thumb!
On one note: i was saying "We seldom see that kind of living creature flying around."
On another note: i heard my heart murmuring, "Would we be able to observe this little living creature looking at us with its compound eyes IF she is still in the kindy NOW?"
Well, maybe yes, but surely we know if there is any such chance, she may be able to see the fly came flying in but before it flew out, we will be calling her to get going "FASTER", "faster" and "faster". --- get going to school faster, get going to bath faster, etc....otherwise we will be late.
"LATE"? Did i mention about LATE?
"BEING LATE" --- a connotation that build the society to "KIASUism".

Improvising and making transformation at 5

I remembered i did my first scale transformation when i was doing Grade 5 theory at the age of approximately 14 yrs old. And little did i realize that i could actually improvise and make transformation on songs so that they are a few keys lower or higher. I read notes well and i could sight read, but that lacking of musical appreciation doesn't qualify myself as a music learner.
But being a homeschooler herself, Jo Von, has all the time that she could have with the piano.
She can't read any notes yet coz we have not exposed her to proper piano lesson. We did try once to send her to Miss Ho class when she was about 4 year old but she wasnt that ready and she asked to stop. We agreed and told her she could learn later when she is ready to attend the piano lesson again.
But this morning, amazingly she told us there were many ways of playing Mary Had A Little Lamb. She was actually playing the song with C major, then D major(with the F# key!!) and G major!
It surprised me on how well she had learned herself!
Homeschool works, doesnt it?

Sending a mail to my mama friends

Dear Choo Wei/Mei Yin/Siaw Ling/Juan2/Hwa Siew/Yen/Choon Er/Ying/Seow Ling,
As i stumbled upon this blog of my friend cum customer, i thought of u all. :)
Adelyn;s blog: http://lovengratitude.blogspot.com/

As an ex-working mother, i must say i 'regretted' not having 'enough' time for my elder one.
Now thinking back the time spent with her when she was 3-6 yrs old, i must say it was quite blank.... except for some 'rushing', 'rushing' and 'rushing' and endless 'rushing' time for everything and anything.

It touched my heart to see my friend's words on:
"I am deeply grateful to be given this time to slow down, smell the roses and peer at the earthworms in the grass."

This morning as i was 'cangkul'ing the soil to move my corn to bigger patch, we saw a big slimy earthworm moving around. My 5 yr old told me, if we cut it into 2 will it become 2 cacing? I said i dont know. And then i moved the tomato tree to bigger patch...hoping i can turn my little garden into Cameron.... Just praying that red tomato, no matter how small it will be, will start blooming, coz it was my 5 yr old who planted the tomato in the pot earlier. I was ever so glad to have that no-rushing moment of peace. But looking back at my elder 8 yr old, she was just looking down at us as she is still preparing for her school exam tomorrow.
No high expectation on her, but if there was more time spent when she was younger, how i wished i could give her more moment like this.

We got some tadpoles back from Bodhi Heart today, going to plant some lotus to keep them tomorrow. :)

Nothing much here, just thought, as mothers, perhaps you may be curios over other people lives as much i do. :)

Have a blessed day!

--- Living in the present moment is the happiest moment. :)


with joy & metta, Sin Dee

“为什么一定一定要有蚊子呢？“ -- 小柔

睡前一面刷牙就一面听小柔望着冲凉房里飞来飞去的蚊子问，
“为什么一定一定要有蚊子呢？”
语气中就是觉得为什么那么麻烦要有蚊子，然后又让我们困惑与要打又不是，不打又不是的决定。

（其实自从我们装了蚊帐和捕蚊器，蚊子的问题是明显少了，但绝不是因为有了这两者，而是就算有蚊子在房里飞来飞去，它也似乎不对我们的血液有兴趣了。总是就在原地。但是毕竟是孩子，所以还是会因为常听大人谈“有蚊子，离开这里。”所以就偶有谈蚊色变的后遗症。）

是呀，我也想知道为什么一定要有蚊子。。。。心想，不过还没来得及回应她，就听到她跟姐姐说，“如果有一本叫【为什么一定】就好了。”

“有啊，有一本书叫十万个为什么。”
妹妹：“哇，是啊，我要看，我要看。”
姐姐：“我知道是google。"
我：“书在阿kong家。改天我们去拿。”

----
孩子睡了，我也找上了我的百科全书Google，原来蚊子是整个环境生态的一个重要环节，是它给了虫子鸟儿食物。曾经有一个地区将所有的蚊子给灭了，结果不出一阵子，当地的其他生物也跟着完蛋了。