Gong Xi Fa Cai

As on a normal Chinese new year, this morning I woke up to a heavy rain and stormy wind. Chinese believed that rain brings luck so there you go. Every year within weeks before their new year, the rain was always come. For Indonesian, as we were like so used to this situation already, it was not a surprise at all.

Regardless of the year you were born, there are certain customs and superstitions that many Chinese adhere to during the New Year. Shooting off firecrackers on Chinese New Year's Eve is the Chinese way of sending out the old year and welcoming in the new. On the stroke of midnight, every door and window in the house has to be opened to allow the old year to go out is one of the Chinese superstition they adhere to. Many people also abstain from eating meat on the first day of Chinese New Year because it is believed that this will ensure a long and happy life. Some may eat a whole fish, that represents togetherness and abundance, or a chicken with its head and feet intact, which symbolizes prosperity. Any noodles in your bowl should be left uncut, as a sign of long life. Plants and flowers also play a significant role in symbolizing rebirth and new growth. A home is thought to be lucky if a plant blooms on New Year's Day, as this foretells the start of a prosperous year.

Another Chinese superstition is that the entire house should be cleaned before New Year's Day. On New Year's Eve, all brooms, brushes, dusters, dust pans and other cleaning equipment are put away. Sweeping or dusting should not be done on New Year's Day for fear that good fortune will be swept away, which if you think about it does make some sense. After New Year's Day, the floors may be swept. Beginning at the door, the dust and rubbish are swept to the middle of the parlor, then placed in the corners and not taken or thrown out until the fifth day. At no time should the rubbish in the corners be trampled upon. In sweeping, there is a superstition that if you sweep the dirt out over the threshold, you will sweep one of the family members away. Also, to sweep the dust and dirt out of your house by the front entrance is to sweep away the good fortune of the family; it must always be swept inwards and then carried out, then no harm will follow. All dirt and rubbish must be taken out the back door.

For those most Chinese superstitious, the Almanac should be consulted to find the best time to do important things. The Almanac would tell you that if the day is a good day or bad day to have a funeral, sweep the graves of ancestors, worship the dead or move an ancestor's grave; start construction, move into a new house, visit friends or even travel north; get a haircut or cultivate plants and so on. The fact: if you follow ALL the "traditions", you will get nowhere!All debts had to be paid by this time. Nothing should be lent on this day, as anyone who does so will be lending all the year.

Everyone should refrain from using foul language and bad or unlucky words. Negative terms and the word "four", sounding like the word for death, are not to be uttered. Death and dying are never mentioned and ghost stories are totally taboo. References to the past year are also avoided as everything should be turned toward the New Year and a new beginning.

If you cry on New Year's Day, you will cry all through the year. Therefore, children are tolerated and are not spanked, even though they are mischievous. This is similar to when they run around in their Halloween costumes on that holiday and get away with it.

On New Year's Day, we are not supposed to wash our hair because it would mean we would have washed away good luck for the New Year. Red clothing is preferred during this festive occasion. Red is considered a bright, happy color, sure to bring the wearer a sunny and bright future. It is believed that appearance and attitude during New Year's sets the tone for the rest of the year. Children and unmarried friends, as well as close relatives are given little red envelopes with crisp one dollar bills inserted, for good fortune.

The first person one meets and the first words heard are significant as to what the fortunes would be for the entire year. It is a lucky sign to see or hear songbirds or red-colored birds or swallows.

It is considered unlucky to greet anyone in their bedroom so that is why everyone, even the sick, should get dressed and sit in the living room.

Do not use knives or scissors on New Year's Day as this may cut off fortune. All debts had to be paid by this time. Nothing should be lent on this day, as anyone who does so will be lending all the year.

For those most Chinese superstitious, the Almanac should be consulted to find the best time to do important things. The Almanac would tell you that if the day is a good day or bad day to have a funeral, sweep the graves of ancestors, worship the dead or move an ancestor's grave; start construction, move into a new house, visit friends or even travel north; get a haircut or cultivate plants and so on. The fact: if you follow ALL the "traditions", you will get nowhere!

And so today is the starting of the year of the dragon. Most of us are all to familiar with the classic western concept of the dragon, but not all have a great insight into probably one of the most recognised dragons, the Chinese dragon.

In Chinese mythology there are five types of dragon:-

1. Those guarding the gods and emperors
2. Those controlling the wind and rain
3. Earthly dragons which deepened the rivers and seas
4. Guardians of hidden treasure
5. The first dragon

The Chinese dragon (Lung) was a divine bringer of rain, necessary for the good of the people. Throughout Chinese history the dragon has been equated with weather. It is said that some of the worst flooding were caused when a mortal has upset a dragon. The dragon was also a symbol of the emperor whose wisdom and divine power assured the well-being of his subjects. Many legends draw connections between the dragon and the emperor. Some emperors claimed to have descended from the dragon.

In Tan dynasty, there is a famous fortuneteller enabled to do the prediction precisely on the street of the capitol city. One day, the king of Dragon, who was in charge of rain in the heaven, wanted to test how good the fortuneteller can predict. The king of Dragon disguised (transformed) himself  into an ordinary person and asked the fortuneteller that "When will it rain and how much?". The fortuneteller said "It will rain tomorrow noon for 3.3 inches." The king of Dragon was thinking, "I am the one in charge of the rain, not this fortuneteller. I will come to tear down his stand tomorrow."

Unfortunately, no sooner, the king of Dragon received the order from Jade Emperor, the emperor of gods, to rain tomorrow at noon for 3.3 inches." The king of Dragon was surprising and wasn't willing to follow this order. He postponed the raining schedule and extended the raining time. As a result, that rain caused the flood.

After the rain, the king of Dragon went to see the fortuneteller happily. But the fortuneteller said that "Don't you know you are in big trouble by disobeying the order of Jade Emperor?" The king of Dragon was completely shocked that the fortuneteller knew the true and ask for advise. The fortuneteller said general Wei of Tan dynasty  will come to see you to announce your death penalty, then he will kill you tomorrow at 45 minutes right after noon. The only chance is to ask help form the emperor of Tan dynasty. (In China, the dynasty emperor was the son of heaven).

That night, the king of Dragon entered the dream of the emperor of Tan, was on his knee to ask for help. The king of Dragon wanted the emperor of Tan to order general Wei staying in the palace tomorrow around 45 minutes after 12:00 PM.

On the next day, the emperor of Tan called general Wei in as his company in the early morning. They drank tea, visited the garden and played the chess. General Wei was kind of tired and had an nap during chess game. The emperor of Tan let him rest, because General Wei was still in his sight. After 45 minutes past noon, General Wei wake up, sweated and said about his bad dream. He said that, "The Jade Emperor called me up to the heaven. I saw a big shining golden dragon was tired up on a big column. The  Jade Emperor gave me a precious sword. He asked me to behead the king of Dragon and I did."

The emperor of Tan couldn't save the king of Dragon and very scare. He had the bad dream every night - the king of Dragon wanted the him to pay for his live. Someone suggested to let the most powerful and brave two generals, General Chin and General YuChih, standing by the bedroom door to guard the emperor all night long. Then there is no more bad dream for the emperor.

But they couldn't let General Chin and General YuChih to do the sentry job every night. So they find the painter to paint two general's portraits on the door. General Chin has pale face and General YuChih has dark face. General Chin wears tiger armor and holds a large ax and General YuChih wears lion armor and holds a metal-whip.

Therefore, people do the same way to paint the images of General Chin and General YuChih on their door as the god of door. They think the god of door can protect then from ghost or bad spirit to entering their house. Today, It's hard to find the image of god of door in the modern house. But we still can see the god of door in the temples.

Nowadays, whether you believe it or not, but this tradition became part of our lifestyle as for the astrological reading which you guys secretly read on the newspaper everyday but pretend to not being offended by it. Just like me this morning when I watched that Singaporean fortune teller lady on telly said that this year is going to be tough for my Feng Shui. I tried not to care but obviously I was a little bit intimidated. Apparently. I mean, come on...don't you guys too? But then when I read my zodiac sign on the paper this morning, it says that Aquarians will have an adventurous year in this year of the dragon hence felt a relieved. We the Aquarians will have the thrill that we were never even dared to imagine. Woo hoo! I was wondering what is it going to be? Super excited! It's not that I don't believe the fortune teller lady, but for me, I chose to believe what I want to believe and ignore the one I want to ignore. Hey, am a positive thinker so shoot me!

^_^

中国新的一年里快乐，我亲爱的朋友..Gong Xi! Gong Xi!

Sources : Wikipedia, Chinese Fortune Calendar, Fortune City, and China Town Connection.

It Wasn't Me, It Was You

Yesterday was by far the worst day in my life as in the afternoon, out of the blue, my ex boyfriend's sister in law skyped me and we had this so called normal conversation when she started it with asking how am I and stuffs. So yeah, deep inside my heart, as I was never have any bad feeling toward anybody, specially not her, then I answered her skyping thing. I mean, we were kind of closed before when my ex and I are still together. As two outsiders entering one same family, we built a bonding like no others. We were besties.

Then of course, when the conversation started to get a little bit more personal and she asked what happened between my ex and me, I had no hesitation to tell her my feeling about all of the drama that happened. I truly believe that everything was back to normal now as she was the one who contacted me first, out of nowhere. After all, the separation was more than a year ago so for sure I believe that everyone was moved on already as I did.

But NOPE, apparently that didn't happen yesterday. She, for the reason that I don't even know why, started her accusation on me. Yeah, she was literally attacked me with her words without even considered my feeling. I mean, am not a type of girl who can confronted others. Hey, that was the reason why I write at first place. To express my feeling without having any confrontation with others. So having someone bombarded me with words after words really was hurting me in a definition that I couldn't even describe. I was literally in tears.

But luckily for me, yesterday I talked with a dear friend who comforted me in many ways. I mean, maybe no one knows about this, but these whole times I did blame myself for everything that happened. I know for worse that I didn't have enough patience to deal with our situation, especially his. I was by far the selfish one in that relationship and I was never denied that fact, not ever once. But, for her to attacked me with her words was, for me, beyond acceptable. I mean, she doesn't even know half of my life with my ex hence she knows nothing about the situation whatsoever. True, from the outside, people would see me as the guilty part but haven't even once came out in their mind that I was actually hurt as well with these whole things surrounded us? Just because I was the one who asking for the separation doesn't mean that I was happy as soon as it happened. Not at all. I was hurting as much as everyone else involved but was that bad if I decided to moved on sooner?

For those who know me might not found this as a surprise at all as you guys probably knew already that I don't think with my heart but my head. I choose common sense over feeling hence appeared to be such of cold bloody heartless to everyone. But hey, that was just me and am not going to explain myself to anyone's satisfaction here. After all, I am what I am and you are what you are. I never asked anyone to explain themselves to me as much as am not going to do so. Besides, I chose to keep only good things in me and determined to forget about bad things. And if I about to kiss and tell the whole problems that my ex and me had between us that means that I have to spill all the details about us, badly. And for real that was not a good idea at all.

So yeah, blame me for moving on so quickly, blame me for having a gut to make a first move to leave when things were going south, blame me for not showing tears in front of others, blame me for everything I don't regret did. But in my defend, I live my life forward, not backward. And hate me in any way you want but one thing for sure that am done blaming myself for everything. Am done saying, "It was me" because it was actually you more than me. Then yeah, I'll see you up front whenever you are ready, because there where am heading to.

^_^

Every Day I'm Shufflin'!

Maybe many of you guys wonder what is shuffle dance? From the information I got around, Shuffle dance was originally a Malaysian tribal dance but the teenagers have adapt it as a street dance. The shuffle dance then mostly popular at Australia and it is known as "The Melbourne Shuffle".

The Melbourne Shuffle (also known as Rocking or simply The Shuffle) is a rave and club dance that originated in the late 1980s in the underground rave music scene in Melbourne, Australia. The basic movements in the dance are a fast heel-and-toe action with a style suitable for various types of electronic music. Some variants incorporate arm movements. People who dance the shuffle are often referred to as rockers, due in part to the popularity of shuffling to rock music in the early 1990s.

Shuffle dance today is popularly known as 'shuffling' has derived its significance from overseas DJs, party goers, visitors and the media trying to describe its phenomenon. Today, shuffle dance has evolved to become one of the most dance forms across the world. To make the dance easy, some dancers sprinkle talcum powder on the floor beneath their feet, making them glide more easily. It also helps in incorporating the 360 degree spins or jumps into their moves.

Shuffling originated from 'Stomping', which in turn originated from previous historical Celtic dances. Stomping originally incorporated tap and traditional ballet - style foot shuffling. The clog and sword dance can easily be matched to some earlier experimental rave and club dance moves that evolved into Stomping.

Dance is a beautiful medium of expression and Shuffle dance is gaining increasing popularity because of its 'easy to do' steps.There are various styles of dance present all over the world, which reflect the culture of the place they are born in. One such style is the shuffle dance, bearing a strong resemblance to the jazz style of the early years.  While the previous style had only heel and toe movements, variations were added to it at later stages. Amongst the numerous variations incorporated in the dance format were hand movements. The techno music, which was used earlier, was replaced with trance music and house music. However, the heel-and-toe action has remained the prime key to the dance form.

In the late '80s, the Melbourne Shuffle began to emerge as a distinct dance, incorporating more hand movement than its predecessor, Stomping. Break-beat and techno music was gradually replaced with the more hardcore forms of rave music, such as hard trance. When b-boys started attending Shuffling dance events, they brought in their own set of hip hop dance moves, for example, the running man and gliding. Ever since these hip hop influences became predominant, the Melbourne Shuffle has also been practiced outside of raves (a characteristic of hip hop dance culture). Where the Melbourne Shuffle was originally danced, the places were not considered to be named 'raves', but rather 'dance parties'.

After being quietly disappear from the scene in early to mid 2009, the dance was shown again in media such as YouTube and stuffs hence became a phenomenon within dancing people in the world. On June 21, 2011, the American electro-hop duo LMFAO released the album Sorry for Party Rocking which a single from that album, Party Rock Anthem (#1 on the US charts), makes multiple references to "shuffling" (The phrase, "Every day I'm shufflin" is heard two times in the song). The music video spoofs the UK movie 28 days later, with the dance being performed by a large group of people "infected" by the beat.

^_^

From Buddha With Love

So my journey on searching God was continue to the level where am interested on this belief called Buddha. In Theravada Buddhism, the term Buddha refers to one who has become enlightened through his own efforts and insight, without a teacher to point out the Dharma. A samyak sambuddha teaches the dhamma to others after his awakening. A pratyeka-buddha also reaches Nirvana through his own efforts, bur does not teach the dhamma to others. An Arhat needs to follow the teaching of a Buddha to attain Nirvana, but can also preach the dhamma after attaining Nirvana. In one instance the term buddha is also used in Theravada to refer to all who attain Nirvana, using the term Sāvakabuddha to designate an Arhat, someone who depends on the teachings of a Buddha to attain Nirvana. But why Buddha?

Every living being has the same basic wish – to be happy and to avoid suffering. Even newborn babies, animals, and insects have this wish. It has been our main wish since beginning-less time and it is with us all the time, even during our sleep. We spend our whole life working hard to fulfill this wish. Since this world evolved, human beings have spent much time and energy improving external conditions in their search for happiness and a solution to their many problems. And so do I, but what has been the result? Instead of their wishes being fulfilled, human suffering has continued to increase while the experience of happiness and peace is decreasing. This clearly shows that we need to find a true method for gaining pure happiness and freedom from misery. And here when I found out about Buddha. But, who is Buddha?

Siddhartha Gautama was born about 583 BCE, in or near what is now Nepal. His father, King Suddhodana, was leader of a large clan called the Shakya. His mother, Queen Maya, died shortly after his birth. When Prince Siddhartha was a few days old, a holy man prophesied the Prince would be either a great military conqueror or a great spiritual teacher. King Suddhodana preferred the first outcome and prepared his son accordingly. He raised the boy in great luxury and shielded him from knowledge of religion and human suffering. The Prince reached the age of 29 with little experience of the world outside the walls of his opulent palaces. One day, overcome with curiosity, Prince Siddhartha asked a charioteer to take him on a series of rides through the countryside. On these journeys he was shocked by the sight of an aged man, then a sick man, and then a corpse. The stark realities of old age, disease, and death seized and sickened the Prince. Finally, he saw a wandering ascetic. The charioteer explained that the ascetic was one who had renounced the world and sought release from fear of death and suffering. 

For a time the Prince returned to palace life, but he took no pleasure in it. Even the news that his wife Yasodhara had given birth to a son did not please him. The child was called Rahula, which means "fetter." One night he wandered the palace alone. The luxuries that had once pleased him now seemed grotesque. Musicians and dancing girls had fallen asleep and were sprawled about, snoring and sputtering. Prince Siddhartha reflected on the old age, disease, and death that would overtake them all and turn their bodies to dust. He realized then that he could no longer be content living the life of a prince. That very night he left the palace, shaved his head, and changed his prince's clothes for a beggar's robe. Then he began his quest for enlightenment.

As a normal human being gifted with curiosity, my journey on searching my almighty lead me to this interesting human being who later became one of the most influential people in the world. The number of Buddha's followers gradually increased. Nobles, Brahmins and many wealthy men became his disciples. Buddha paid no attention to caste. The poor and the out-castes were admitted to his order. Those who wanted to become full members of his order were obliged to become monks and to observe strict rules of conduct. Buddha had many lay disciples also. Those lay members had to provide for the wants of the monks. Every Buddhist monk takes a vow, when he puts on the yellow robe, to abstain from killing any living being. Therefore, a stay in one place during the rainy season becomes necessary. Even now, the Paramahamsa Sannyasins (the highest class of renunciations) of Sankara's order stay in one place for four months during the rainy season (Chaturmas). It is impossible to move about in the rainy season without killing countless small insects, which the combined influence of moisture and the hot sun at the season brings into existence.

Okay, don't get me wrong, am still pretty much a Moslem and have no intention whatsoever to converted to Buddhism. No. For me, Buddhism is not just a religion but also an philosophy. Buddhism believes in Karma and Rebirth. Karma specifically refers to those actions (of body, speech, and mind) that spring from mental intent ("cetana"), and which bring about a consequence (or fruit, "phala") or result ("vipāka"). Rebirth refers to a process whereby beings go through a succession of lifetimes as one of many possible forms of sentient life, each running from conception to death. Buddhism rejects the concepts of a permanent self or an unchanging, eternal soul, as it is called in Hinduism and Christianity. According to Buddhism there ultimately is no such thing as a self independent from the rest of the universe (the doctrine of anatta). Rebirth in subsequent existences must be understood as the continuation of a dynamic, ever-changing process of "dependent arising" ("pratītyasamutpāda") determined by the laws of cause and effect (karma) rather than that of one being, transmigrating or incarnating from one existence to the next.

Practicing Buddhist ethics or what known as Śīla in day to day life was what I found interesting. Śīla (Sanskrit) or sīla (Pāli) is usually translated into English as "virtuous behavior", "morality", "ethics" or "precept". It is an action committed through the body, speech, or mind, and involves an intentional effort. It is one of the three practices (sila, samadhi, and panya) and the second pāramitā. It refers to moral purity of thought, word, and deed. The four conditions of śīla are chastity, calmness, quiet, and extinguish.

Śīla is the foundation of Samadhi/Bhāvana (Meditative cultivation) or mind cultivation. Keeping the precepts promotes not only the peace of mind of the cultivator, which is internal, but also peace in the community, which is external. According to the Law of Karma, keeping the precepts are meritorious and it acts as causes which would bring about peaceful and happy effects. Keeping these precepts keeps the cultivator from rebirth in the four woeful realms of existence.

Śīla refers to overall principles of ethical behavior. There are several levels of sila, which correspond to "basic morality" (five precepts), "basic morality with asceticism" (eight precepts), "novice monkhood" (ten precepts) and "monkhood" (Vinaya or Patimokkha). Lay people generally undertake to live by the five precepts, which are common to all Buddhist schools. If they wish, they can choose to undertake the eight precepts, which add basic asceticism.

Two things I captured about Buddhism philosophy were peace and love. In every segmentation I can absorb the feeling of calmness. And another thing that I admire so bad was how Buddha gave up his privileges to devoted to what he believes. Today I've seen some clerics on telly doing commercial things which disgusted me so bad. I mean, come on...if you were a cleric, the last thing you supposed to do was being commercial. And here where Buddha was everything that am looking for in a teacher. I believe him for what he taught others because he lives in his words. But no, I don't say that my journey on searching God is going to stop here, not at all. My feet are still moving forward, seeking and wandering around until the day I die and that's a fact.

^_^

Sources : Wikipedia and The Life of the Buddha by Barbara O'Brien

Life Without Macallan

As you guys probably know that it was two years already since I lost my beloved little buddy Macallan who died over cyanide poison which carelessly placed by some irresponsible people targeted street dogs. Two years I lost half of my soul which die with him and I believe was taken to a pet heaven now. For anyone who didn't know who Macallan was, let me tell you how did this bonding started. Few years back when I moved to Bali following my then boyfriend, a dear friend gave us a puppy for a house warming gift. It was a super cute miniature pinscher with black and tan colors. Commonly people named those kind of colors dogs Whiskey but my then boyfriend and I had a different idea. We want his name to be specific and the first thing that came in to our mind was Macallan, a specific brand of Whiskey which my then boyfriend love and collect. Then later on I found out that Macallan was also the most expensive brand of whiskey ever made. There you go!

Ever since Macallan becoming part of our life, I found love and compassion in a different level. He was my first own dog and love was no way near to describe my feeling towards him. He was my buddy. I would rather sleep with him than with anyone else. Yeah, you can say that he was my bed warmer alright. Imagine my life after he died was beyond miserable. I literally losing grip more than I can explain when the tragedy happened as I wasn't even in the island at that time, I was in my shopping trip to Singapore when my maid called telling about the incident and seriously, I felt like I was the one who died. I was hysterical hence my then boyfriend thought that it was one of my parents who died. Yeah, that bad.

And now am remembering him in a sad way but I think am capable to move on now. This morning, a neighbor's dog came to my villa and stay with me until noon and I loved him. He was a Kintamani dog who has half wolf in his blood. So cool. He actually made me realized that maybe it's time for me to have another dog. Yeah, am so ready. Life with Macallan was awesome and for sure life after Macallan will be too if I willing to open my heart to another little buddy. I miss canoodling to a warm furry body of him. I miss his kiss every morning waking me up. I miss my Macallan.

So, as per today two years ago, I was at the Blue Ocean beach with my dear Dutchies bringing my sweet little buddy's ashes to his last journey to heaven, a pet heaven in this case. I was so grateful that I had friends to accompanied me in that such of horrible moment. I was holding to his ashes for so long just because I couldn't let him go. Until one day my landlady, a sweet Chinese lady, told me that I had to let him go so he can reach his last destination. Holding his ashes was only made his journey even more miserable and that wasn't good for him. So yeah, I then let him go.

But today, no I mean just now, when am laying down in my bed about ready to close my eyes, suddenly his image came in to my mind. The image of a guapo dog that had been with me, slept next to me for over eight years. I, for some unbelievably reasons, believe that he was somehow here with me now. I can even hear his heavy breath inhale and exhale on my ear. He is definitely here with me. Oh Macallan, how I love you! Life without you was suck!

^_^

To my Dutchies JJ, Nacer, and the Goat..thanks for being there for me!!