Make Love

Saint Paul in his letter to the Church in Corinth said, "Make love your aim..." He was writing to the  early  converts about the necessity of keeping love as its primary aim in the pursuit of the variety of spiritual gifts and cautioning them against strife and disunity. He added that "all things be done for edification." (verse 26). 

Today, we read with horror, shock and sadness the "9/11" of India in Mumbai. 195 people from more than 10 countries including Israel,  Japan, Thailand, United States and including one from Singapore were killed and hundreds injured by terrorist attacks. We share the grief and suffering of the families affected by such acts of brutality.

Where is love, freedom and respect for humanity? 

Today marks the first Sunday in Advent. It marks the beginning of the celebration of Christmas where "love came down".  In the light of the tragic act, can the world experience the purity of love associated with Christmas season?   Can we make love, instead of hatred, our aim?  

Another bonus

I thought that the heavy rain had destroyed the three pretty water lilies yesterday. But this morning, the sun was shining brightly and I was given a pleasant surprise. The three lilies not only "resurrected" but another lily emerged from the shallow flower pot. The photograph shows the four lilies arching towards the light! Here again, I thank photography for being able to "freeze the moment in time" so that we could admire and share its beauty indefinitely. In addition, if you examine the picture more closely, there are several buds that have the potenitial of blooming into flowers again! O what a bonus!

The beauty today

After I had repotted the plant, it took several weeks for these three beautiful water lilies to emerge together. I appreciate the process of sowing, pruning and flowering. Apart from adding fertilizer, time and patience are necessary ingredients.  The process cannot be rushed! In its own time, it will  bear much fruit! This morning, I took several photographs from different angles, including macro shots. If you would to view them, I shall be happy to share them with you.  By the early afternoon, it was raining cats and dogs.  Naturally, the flowers "closed up". Will I see the flowers again the next day? Probably not. What lessons can we draw from this? Learn to appreciate the beauty that is around us today. What you've got today, you may lose it altogether when the unexpected harsh rains come! Would you like to share your thoughts?

3D

Most of us are familiar with the term WYSIWYG i.e What You See Is What You Get. What do see in the picture on the right? On the surface, it is blurred and out of focus. But if we put on a pair of 3D glasses, you can see the picture gradually popping out! And in my personal experience, you will feel like reaching out to touch it!

A third dimensional perspective offers new and fresh views/insights. The new light can liberate us from the danger of feeling like being trapped by the mundane things in life. This is especially so when we are dealing with difficult issues around us. A 3D perspective may instead help us to reach out. What are your thoughts?

Quaint Chinatown

In the wake of the growing political uncertainty in KL, the hustle and bustle of the street was thinning in the quaint Chinatown. Noticeably, business was quieter than usual for the stalls. Nevertheless, the fragrant aroma of the roasted chestnuts would easily attract prospective buyers. But sadly, the traditional personal greeting by the seller is now being replaced by an automated machine.

Bubble surprise

Surprise, surprise! The pix was shot yesterday after I had trimmed a withering leaf stalk of a water lily plant. Bubbles just oozed through its remaining stem located just beneath the water surface.  It continued for about twenty minutes. It gave me the opportunity to capture the discovery of a rare beauty from nature. A pleasant surprise indeed! If you zoom in, you would discover a whole range of nature's beauty too! (of course excluding the photographer at work! ha! ha!). Enjoy the surprises. Savor the moment. Look out for other surprises! 

You'll love it or hate it!

There is a fever in this tropical South East Asian country Singapore . It's not dengue nor chikungunya. It's the craze over the King of the  jungle! Durians! There is a bumper harvest in Kelatan, Johor, Segamat (West Malaysian States) etc... They are brought into our country daily by the lorries!  (almost 25,000 tonnes were imported in 2004) Durian connoisseurs love the bittersweet taste. The colour of the flesh ranges from yellow to orange to red. It has a strong pungent smell and you either love it or hate it. A caucasian once described it as, "smells like hell, tastes like heaven"!  The price is between $5 to $25 per kg, depending on its grade. Some are sold as low as 50 cents per fruit.  Since 1934, 190 varieties have been registered by the Malaysian Argicultural Research and Development Institute. Have you tried it? Do you like it? 

LOST

There is a sense of emptiness when you have lost something dear or precious to you. Two days ago, I had carelessly dropped my PDA outside my house. Within 10 minutes of driving to work, I realised it and went about to comb the area. You're right, it's gone! All the data that I have painstakingly stored and the GPS disappeared in  the wink of a eye! I suffered grief! The pix depicts the emptiness associated with loss. But, when I reflected more deeply, I felt that it cannot be compared to the painful loss of lives due to the disasters in China, Myanmar and more recently, in the Philippines. Have you lost something lately? How are you coping with it?  What does it take to empathise with someone who had lost a dear one? The telephone rings !!! Oh dear, a call from my sister-in-law who had lost her mother due to a long term illness.

Do you want wealth?

The largest fountain in the world, the Fountain of Wealth attracts numerous people everyday. Nationals and tourists from all walks of life stroll around the mini fountain in the centre to touch and feel the water in an almost  ritualistic manner. It is claimed that visitors to Suntec City, who walk around the central base of the Fountain three times and touching the water at all times, would gain some good luck of their own (cf.  Wikipedia).  In the hot and humid afternoon, I was attracted to a group of seven ladies marching around the fountain. The leader (hidden by the one dressed in red) was a pregnant lady perhaps hoping that by her act, her new born would bring her wealth. The picture of the last woman was cropped for obvious reason.  While most of us recognise that wealth in itself can be our friend as well as our foe, but the relentless pursuit of it usually carries severe consequences. Some may argue that the problem of our world is the disproportionate distribution of wealth. What's your view concerning wealth in today's context? 

Earth Day 2008

Today we celebrate Earth Day. Let's join all human inhabitants of the earth in protecting, preserving and enhancing its limited and depleting natural resources. Can we have access to fresh air, clean water, sufficient fresh food, good climate etc...? Or have we abused the earth's resources so much so that we are close to reaching the point of man made disaster and destruction! On a practical note, everyone of us can make a difference by practising the 3Rs i.e. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Governmental bodies can enact legislation and pass laws to prevent further abuse. And together as a global community, we can support the common mission of addressing crucial and urgent environmental and ecological concerns of this world. Since our Creator has made the earth, the natural resources, people, animals, insects etc..., we ought to be responsible stewards of all that is entrusted to us. Happy Earth Day!