An ideal Sunday.

Last Sunday was rather blissful, I must say.

I started the day at 10am doing yoga with 63 other people at Verita Advanced Wellness centre in Phoenix Park... amongst other some serious yogis. :)
It was a practice in dedication to the women in Uganda.

We watched a short docu, before the practice started, on women in Uganda,
their hard labor and how difficult it was for them to make a living.
The video then went on to tell us about the "Beads for Life" program.
This program helps women in Uganda earn their own wage from making paper beads.
These organic adornments, rolled from paper are then covered in lacquer
and strung together to make bracelets, necklaces and earrings.
Buying their hand made jewelery would directly help them build their lives and feed their families as 100% of the purchase goes directly back to them.

After an intense hour of tree poses, back bends and attempted 'crows'...
We headed down to the cafe where the beads were displayed.
After ordering a mushroom aglio olio organic spiral pasta dish, accompanied with a Hibiscus and Cranberry soda from the Verita cafe ....I got to shopping.
Picking up beads for myself, close friends and loved ones.
Knowing that every contribution I made would directly help a woman,
maybe even a family across the globe.
It felt empowering and precious.
The beads sold out but if you are keen to know more about where to get them,
or are keen to throw your own Bead for Life party...
visit www.beadforlife.org for all the information.

That same day, for sunset...I went to Labrador Park to sit by the star gazebo and listen to the sound of the waves.
It was magical.
I got lost in my own thoughts and achieved some walking meditation.

And just to close my day, as healthily and lovely as I started it.
I made a broccoli pasta for dinner, with fresh home made pesto sauce and Parmesan cheese, with a chili padi garnish. (for that kick, you know.) :)
With a warm and comfy tummy,
I climb into bed to read my book before falling into blissful sleep.

How ideal.
An accomplished Sunday.

Sleeping in Singapore? Dreaming of Bali......

What is this thing with me and sleep.
I want it.
I chase it and I love my bed but somehow I'm running on a separate clock seemingly.
I just returned from an amazing 9 day trip in Bali and I had NO problems sleeping there
so I cannot help but wonder if it's just in Singapore that I have such a hard time sleeping soundly.

I have always been a night bird, a self proclaimed 'more creative' at night kind of chick.
Although I love mornings, and the smell of dew and the crispness in the air
and eggs done sunny side up,
my imagination unwinds more at night.

Bali was fantastic.
We got to enjoy the luxuries of the Ayana Resort and Spa for 3 nights
where we had drinks at the Rock bar (quite an incredible piece of architecture),
did yoga under a bale,
visited my good friend Fa's treehouse in Kabar Kabar and chill in Brawar.
We also got to hang out with Luke Stedman who is just an amazing guy with no chips on either of his sun-kissed shoulders.
I think we always expect famous or successful people to be difficult or snobbish
but I think it's important to understand how many and what kind of people they have to deal with and face and meet everyday.
And how difficult it must be for them to relate to people especially if they travel a lot and spend time with people only for limited periods of time.
It gets hard to invest time and energy in people you may only see a few times in your lifetime.
And I find when you are open, honest and receptive to people ...
there needs to be certain guards up within oneself to protect your heart and personal space.
I know Luke has done a lot of interviews for surf magazines and press in Hawaii where he surfs professionally and people read about him and watch him all the time.
That probably makes them feel like they know him.
And I can see that Luke has taken that responsibility well and tries to use it as best he can to inspire others and motivate them.
Anyway it was beautiful to spend time with souls like that.
The end of our trip we spent up east. Near Klung Klung.
The Bali Safari and Marine park has a lodge called Mara River which put us up for about
1million rupiah (us$120) in a cozy cottage room which has a balcony
overlooking part of the safari park.
So you wake up to antelopes running through your 'backyard' or
rhinos drinking from the moat outside your room.
The restaurant sits next to the lions den and most meals are accompanied with roars and frolicking or just plain lazing.
Quite amazing dinner entertainment, if I must say so.

The most lovely thing about Bali, I find, is the feeling of oneness you feel with the
Universe when you are there.
When you witness the morning rituals and the evening blessings.
Whether it rains or shines or the sunsets are gorgeous or cloudy,
the energy on the island
reminds you of how easy it is to be happy, simply.

Waking up every morning in Bali was a joy, knowing that the people you were bound to encounter would bring a smile to your face, or inspire you somewhat,
with a kind gesture, or a message of peace, or a happy glint in their eyes.

And it's such a karmic place where lessons are sent swiftly and reality is what you make it.
I guess now that I have shared a bit of Bali with you, I can sleep easy.
I can go to bed in hopes that I'll dream of the island tonight.

*Yawn*

WELLLL I guess I'll have to then, WON'T I?

Imagine someone calling your mother or daughter a 'c*#t' and
feel that boiling blood within you.
Try imagining watching someone speak the way you do to me,
and observe if what you feel is disgust.

Everyday you get a little more rude.
With your snide remarks and your immaturity.
What I find most repulsive of all, is that arrogance and inability to see your faults and mistakes.
And repeating them, over and over again, sometimes with sickening glee and even pride....
making it all the more off-putting.

If you don't want to stop yourself from being this way,
who's to even try and help you?
If you get SUCH a kick out of power and being so oblivious to empathy and compassion,
are you even capable of being saved?

Do you even realize that ALL this energy, the one you are blowing when you lose your head,
the energy you are draining out of the people around you, the energy it takes to make you understand...
could easily but put into so many more productive and powerful things.
Your Merry Go Round of a life is kicking you in a pattern so stagnant in personal growth
but you are arrogantly unaware.

"Digging yourself deeper in your own shit" has new meaning with you.

Someone needs to wake you up.
Because you definitely are too fast asleep to wake up yourself.
I know talking to you hardly works.
Or maybe it's because it's been me that has been the most honest and frank with you
so now whatever comes out my mouth MUST be bullshit since I called you out on all yours.

There is this monster and I'm not sure if it's in you, or coming out of you but it's there.
And if you don't recognize that and try and sort out your demons within
then nobody else can help you, even if they tried to.
SO good luck.
We all know you need it. And will need it.
When it all comes back to hit you.

If you think I'm a bitch, wait til you meet KARMA.

The Lovers

In the scope of our personal relationships this card stands for the great love that deeply touches and flows through us.
It has little to do with "failing in love," which Erich Fromm rightly says is at most an indication of our previous loneliness.
The card can indicate a new relationship or mean that our great happiness is to be found here and now in the partnership we already have.
The important decisive character of this card makes it apparent that we can only tap this source of fulfilling experience when we voluntarily "limit" ourselves and affirm from our hearts that we will follow this path with a certain person.
Each of us would certainly be prepared to take this step if we could just meet the Dream Woman or Prince Charming.
This card challenges us to stop deceiving ourselves and recognize that such mythical figures do not present themselves in completed form to us, but rather that they could be within our partner, hoping and waiting to be discovered.
The path that leads to another person is: the decision.

~ Tarot of Dreams

Images from the Tarot of Dreams® Deck, reproduced by permission of Ciro Marchetti,
http://www.ciromarchetti.com Copyright ©2006. Further reproduction prohibited.

The Rose

I figure I best describe what most women want in a man, she wants from the rose.

I love flowers. I love looking at them, running through fields of them.
Receiving them and caring for them.
But roses, well roses are special.
Especially those ever-stunning deep red ones.

Anyway back to what I want in a man, wait.... in a rose. Yes.

I don't want a dozen, or half for that matter.
Just one healthy perfect, long stemmed, thorn-free Looker.
I don't want one that's too clammed up as I love the process of watching one bloom,
and I want one which have a natural openness about it.
I promise to pamper you, Rose... water you, stare at you and sing to you...
just so you'll open up for me. Spread to all your glory.

Catching a glimpse of you in my living room makes me smile.
And I often want to color your petals with the redness of my lips.
When I breeze you across my face, I want you to smell sweet.
Of meadows and spring kisses.
Yet I acknowledge the complexity of your beauty and the delicacy of your being.

You don't often find a near perfect rose but you always remember it.
And same goes for that perfect man.

Tis the Season

And December rolls around once more.
Another year passed. This one, faster than the last.
Some of us are either worrying about Xmas presents, what to do over the holidays or winding down from the hectic year we all claim we had.
Some of us evaluate our 'gains and losses' while others are just glad the year is over so they may start 2011 afresh.
A self-made slave to man-made time lines instead of natural cycles or listening to the body.

Personally speaking, schedule is so erratic that public holidays often mean nothing to me.
And as much as I try to listen to the rhythms of life and follow the planets energetically,
every year end... I do what almost most people do.
Find yet another reason to Celebrate.

Ti's the season... is this seasons usual mantra... :)

So let's be jolly.
I know I'll get into some kind of festive spirit.
I'll buy a mistletoe to attach to my newly painted door frame,
maybe some sparkly Xmas balls :) to hang randomly around the living room.
I'll probably cave and buy some lights too... because they are multi-purposeful and I can use them for other 0ccasions. :)
Thus being eco-concious and 'celebratory'.

It's likely I will spend most of December trying to prepare for 2011
but I must remind myself to balance the work and play.
So I hope you spend this Dec doing something exciting and uplifting to close the year nicely.
Backstage, in catwalk terms or finale shows... we say "be sure to finish strong".

Happy Holidays.

Guilty?

During a recent conversation with one of my spiritual healers,
I learn that guilt has the lowest vibrations and thus attracts negativity.

We all feel guilty some time.
Whether it's that indulgent cupcake, or that lazy day at home,
we often feel we do not deserve to take a break, treat ourselves, and do nothing.

This rainy Sunday, I sit at home, running the weekend through my mind.
My mates are coming over to help me paint but I have a good mind to ditch the plan and just veg out instead.
Chat and spend some quality time with quality beings.

I step out on my balcony to find my neighbor and her husband out on theirs,
in the rain.... scrubbing it down.
Surprised.. I asked, "Hi, wow, how come you're cleaning it now, in the rain?"

Her first response was,
"Hey don't worry, I am not washing stuff (dirt, I think she meant) onto your side of the wall!"

We went about with some neighborly chit chat through a slit in our shared porch wall.
and I got back to my space.
But I couldn't help but ponder on her comment.

We feel guilt and the need to express it, even more than we catch ourselves doing it.
We apologize more times in a day then we probably should.
We seldom claim our right to celebrate or get about our business even in our own homes.

And by celebrating, I don't mean clubbing or drinking ourselves stupid or splurging cash.
I mean celebrating the fact that we have fresh water at our fingertips, and food in our fridges.
(Gosh, the fact that we even have fridges!)
Just be grateful and guilt-free for the next stroll you take in the park.
Or for that warm shower you enjoy, at the beginning and end of each day.
How precious and blessed we are, to have that so accessible to us, daily.

At your next meal, take a moment to appreciate how it was served to you.
No matter how it is delivered, release the guilt and celebrate the simplicity of consuming it.

Spend some time every day realizing the amazement of your individual life.
Then, without guilt, share some joy with the other amazing beings you hold close to you.

Let's naturally lift our vibrations so we attract more positivity n share positively.
Guilt-free.