A lovely birthday

I have been spoilt rotten for the past week.  Didn't want to make a big fuss of my birthday, so I did keep it quiet.  Not because I didn't want people to find out what my age was, but  because I don't like making people feel obliged they have to get me gifts and cakes.  But am so overwhelmed by the amount of well wishes, birthday gifts and cakes I have been receiving for the whole week.  Facebook is definitely the 'big' give away info.  Not that I mind, it has been nice and I'm so blessed to have this amazing pour of love from everyone else around me.  I'm truly touched.  So, today being my birthday officially, my cousin Elaine and my dad organised a birthday dinner for me at home.  My dad has been cooking since early afternoon and he made roast turkey, baby potatoes, roast mashed carrots with turkey gravy, puff pastry with chicken curry (this dish was very yummy!), and  'ang kua neng' (red coloured eggs).  So, each of us had one of the red eggs for abundance and prosperity.  Loved my birthday cake.  Rich butter cake made by Theresa from Palm Garden.  What a treat! 

It was definitely nice to have Rozi and Haslann joining us too! Rozi handmade my birthday card, her talent definitely says it all just looking at her work of art.  And Haslann got me a lovely pendant (pen drive in hiding), with a scorpion designed on it too! And the pressies just kept going on! My parents got me a beautiful handmade art work by Robyn Fields.  Something I can bring along with me and hang it in our new house. The pressies just kept going on! My dear friend Bing got me a lovely water fountain (miniature version) feature I could also use in our house.  Can't wait to move in and place all the arts and displays! And even though I had my pressie early from Pete, I've been truly pampered by him all week.  He's a love I want to grow with for the next 50 years on.

But I definitely have to write about this.....my dad is the sweetest man ever.  He really is.  He kept this birthday card he bought me when he made a trip to London last year.  You see, my dad is really not a man of many words.  When he does say things, he says it from his heart, in a good way.  He wasn't keen on the idea initially when I was making a transition from a nurse to becoming a yoga teacher.  Like all fathers, he was worried about the change it would have on me and my future.  I never really thought he was 'okay' about my 'change' ...until tonight.  He gave me a birthday card with a cartoon of students doing yoga poses (in Makarasana) flat on their belly...the yoga teacher facing them says," and now, ladies, I want you to relax every muscle in your body" ....well,in the cartoon pic. on the card, it showed the students releasing 'wind' through the other 'end'.  Ya, my dad and I laughed.  It was a 'Kodak' moment.  It has made me realised I really do have a special dad. He is my 'Shri'.

And last but not least of all, thank you Maki and Ikuyo, once again.  Your lovely pressies will be a new addition (and useful one too!) to the new house.

Yoga Makeover Workshop

Bringing Alignment  with Self And Universe 

HipOpener, Inner Spiral, Outer Spiral, Lead from the Heart

  

Keeping Focus, Breaths, Arm Strength with Shoulder Blades Drawn Down

 

 

Bringing Re-Alignment, Inner Spiral, Outer Spiral, Muscular Energy, Organic Energy

Plug Arm into Shoulders, Realign, Breaths 

Uddiyana Bandha Shown by June (Far Left)

 

Titibhasana using  Uddiyana Bandha and Arm Strength.

The Yoga Makeover workshop was hopefully inspirational to the students attending it.  My hope was to give students the knowledge and the understanding with deep appreciation of the muscles that we use to 'enhance our asanas.  Based on Anusara Theme, we worked into our 'inner spiral' 'outer spiral' ' shoulder loop' and 'heart softening'.  There were a lot of transformations made in the poses by students who felt they weren't able to do so in the 'past'.  Some students who had well rounded backs and other back issues to neck issues, we used the breaths and Anusara verse of adjustment to bring the students into their highest potential.  'Transformation' was the key word, and I was more than happy to see students doing yoga in the most of their ability.

Cynthia has back issues, so going into Paschimottasana is challenging for her.  Whenever she goes into any forward bend, her back rounds off.  But with inner spiral, and creating space to her lower back and hips, she's created 'space' to her lower spine while she maintains her length through the crown of her head. She's now able to guide herself half way into Paschimottasana. Transformation.

Om Namah Shivaya

N.B  Thanks To Candy C. For Taking The Pictures.

Funny Things in La Dolce Vita

5 Days ago- At 12 midnight, in bed already, half asleep.  Pete feeling parched, leaned over me and reached out for a bottle of water.  He downed about half a bottle.  When I turned to my side, I realized he drunk something he shouldn't have.  " Pete, did you drink the white capped bottle or the blue capped bottle?"  ..." The blue capped?!! Why?"...I  smacked him on his shoulder liked 'a wife would do'.  " That's the Holy Water my sister got me, was going to bring that over to our new house to have it blessed.  You just drank Holy Water!!!!!! "

Peter looking half stunned," What!!?? What was the holy water doing at your bedside table? How would I have known it was Holy Water?!!!!"

"Because it said in a big and bright orange sticker clearly marked 'Holy Water blessed by Rev. Johnny Chin'?!!! {Sigh!}

He then mumbled under his breath," Well, I do feel a little bit holy-er now.  It's going to clean and detox my soul while I fall asleep.............!"

Whacked him on the leg ," next time, read! don't do an "Alice in Wonderland" business!!"

4 days ago-Bought Grey's Anatomy PC game............How Shaddddd!

Last night-Late at 11pm, after a late night class.  Tuned into 90.7 F.M whilst driving back home from Jalan Tutong...There was DJ Dean and Boy Boy...it was my first time hearing these duos on radio.  Boy Boy sounded like the Bruneian version of Alvin the Chipmunk.  They were both reading messages sent to them for radio requests....One particular message brought my attention:-
Boy Boy -   " ...... (so and so)..requests for a .....milo music? ....(Boy Boy pauses after not being sure of the message)....m-i-l-o music?  ehhh...( he still after 20 seconds wasn't sure what he was reading on the screen)....

Dean (the other guy probably tried to help him out and read it too) - Oh!!!! No, Boy Boy, it's Mellow music.....not  M I L O music.....( at this point, I cracked up laughing so loud in the car ...it really made my day).....

Boy Boy just laughed as hard as I did in his cute chipmunk voice.  At least he didn't take it to heart...That's cool!

Today - 9am till 12.30pm .....30 turnouts for my second yoga workshop....good start with a yoga makeover of sun salutation followed by Anusara inspired led class with different standing poses.   Good fun with discovering ways into arm balances and backbends.... Will forever appreciate and remember all the amazing students that made a transformation into their breaths and asanas.  In awe of the ability to fully embrace the changes they made in their poses and their outlook on yoga.  And thank you to Sheila, Ikuyo and Maki for your help during the workshop.  Deeply appreciated.

Om Namah Shivaya 

Wishlist comes true

I'm having my birthday in a week and already it's been a great week. Been at Gadong mall lately and love Shabby Chic. So have been into Scrapbooking lately. Am playing around with the Slice gadget my dear hubby got me. Pretty cool stuff, it cuts out pretty much loads of lovely shapes.

But that wasn't the only thing keeping me away from blogging. Have been spending my free time teaching 'soon to be' yoga teachers who will be on their way to Patrick Creelman in Hong Kong this December. How exciting! Wish I was going along with them.

In any case, we had a kitchen demo this morning in my parents home. It's the Tmix Kitchen Chef gadget, it grates, mince, kneads, cooks, steams and blends!!! I invited Aunty Faridah and Diana P. since they both love cooking, and it was an instant love from first sight! But the best surprise was when my mum told me she got a Tmix for my coming birthday. I was so super excited, I gave her such a tight hug!! What a super mum.

See, I'm moving out to Telanai in probably a month or two...and my dear mum was thinking of who's going to cook..well, (and I admit, am spoilt having lived with my parents, my dad cooks all the time....he used to be achef before) mum didn't want me to 'doggy bag' all the time...so she got me the kitchen deluxe Tmix. I'm feeling a lot of Bhakti yoga love from everyone around me.....ahhhhh, what a feeling.

I'm looking forward to Christmas, December will be an exciting month! Get to see Desiree Rumbaugh in Taiwan, maybe and possibly moving to a new house, my sister arriving with my nephews end December....wow! Just looking forward to everything!

P.S Love 'This Is It' ...MJ is an artist in true light...

So Cute & Romantic!!!

I think the guy actually works in Disney for him to organise the whole proposal

Heather Graham in Eka Pada Koundiyasana

A Happy Dog

Glad to say the little Terrier I found at Pantai Meragang, is now with a new owner.  Super, super happy she's got a new home now..................Kudos to the new owner!

Rodasana

26th Oct, 7.30 pm ...driving home and saw a terrier dog running into a beach area.  Reversed crazily backwards to catch up with it.  Friend lured it in and we brought it home. Beautiful white blackish grey terrier, 7 to 8 years old with big dreamy eyes.  Wish I could keep it but landlady says 'no'. (Landlady= Mummy dearest).  Reasoning- we have 5 dogs, 3 terrapins, 1 chicken and uncounted fishes in a pond. 

Detective Brain says dog has been either lost or abandoned for at least a few days or more. Fur is ruffled and tangled.  Bad BO.  Poor dog starved, finished 3 bowls of rice and chicken. (Got scolded later by Vet not to feed too much to a starving dog or else will create ulcer....crap!)

27th Oct 11am...drove to Vet and asked him to assessed and health check it.  Vet says no problems with health....just loads of fleas....eww, eww, eww......(need to vacuum car)  ...Paid Vet to get her groomed, washed and de-flea-ed.  Text few or more friends to help find a home for poor terrier.  Temporary solution, leave at another friend's house.  Learned from friends Animal Shelter not fully functioning....Why oh why, would anyone abandon such a beautiful dog.  Still calling dog 'baby' only.  Baby very quiet and shy.  Also gets edgy and scared when someone walks past. 

28th Oct 6am...feeling restless and can't sleep.  Got up and changed into lousy track pants and baggy shirt, went into attic and marched my ass on the threadmill.  Speed at 5.9 (short of 0.1.......my feet was finding problems with the speed already) inclination 0 .....20 mins later.........enough sweat to cover a face towel was good enough for me....got off and had a nice warm shower...........

10 am ......have decided I have road rage today.  Yoga can't cure me today, not this morning anyways. Bizarre that I'm encountering drivers cutting closely enough to cause an accident! Hormones must be up.  Wish Patanjali had a pose for anti-road rage. We could call it Rodasana.  It could be a modified version of chair pose with arms bent, at 90 degrees....

12pm .....lunch with hubby, told him it's my turn to feel 'Bruce Almighty' .  His answer was ' Meet in Le Taj, eat and relax.......

1.30pm ....Chicken Kashmiri and Spinach Rice worked the irritation and annoyance away.

Life is good again..............

Photoshoot with Hani Sham

Always Amah To Me (1918-2007)

Yesterday was my grandma's second anniversary in remembrance since her passing on October 24th 2007.  She was always a special nan to me and still is, purely because she had this amazing love for all her grandchildren and we were all treated equally in her eyes.  I love the hugs she gave me (when I was little) whenever I went over to see her, she would just cuddle me up and give me kisses on my cheeks.  Something about her is so 'Shri' in my life.  She's all the goodness and love that never ceases even when she's not around with us.  Her essence of  love is still here like the soft wind that blows softly on your skin, just like embraces from a loved one.

 

I called her 'Amah' and believe it or not, I think, because Grandma was always happy and she had this abundance of love and energy in her, her home cooked food were amazing! I loved her stir fried chicken in sweet plum soya sauce and the lovely 'Ang Gu Kueh' or nickname 'Tortoise Soft Dumpling' Cake.  There was always so much food on the table whenever we visited Amah at her house.

But really, Grandma gave me the best present ever.  My dad.  And to think I have the best of both worlds, my mum's side of  Anglican Christianity and on my dad's side, of Buddhist taoist faith.  Even then, I embrace both religions even though I was brought up as a Christian.  Purely because looking at my dad's side of the family, they are just so kind, soft spoken and light hearted.  They hardly speak ill of anyone and believe that all faiths are good.  Anyhow, what's even better is I get to celebrate the Buddhist culture as well as the Christian traditions all year round.

So, last night at my Aunt Sa Chim's house, we gathered together as a family again to pay our respect and in remembrance of Amah.  It wasn't a sad occasion, we all know Grandma had a wonderful peaceful life when she was alive, instead it was more of joyous occasion that we could all still love each other as cousins, uncles and aunties. And with Aunt Sa Chim's cooking, it just reminded us very much of Amah being with us in spirit.