Waiting for the rain to subside

QOTD - On raining day :)

I just filled my stomach with hot yong dou fu soup at the coffee shop inside the shopping mall nearby my house. Dated my hubby who worked at the same building, and we had coffee to warm and energize our bodies in such cooling weather.

I left my house without the pocket umbrella that I usually brought in every occasion (be it hot and rain). It was cloudy when I glanced upon the balcony window, but I did not step outside to check whether it was raining or not. The cold weather enveloped Singapore these past few days and I took it for granted that it was not due to rain. Only after I came out from the lift at the first floor, then I realized that the sky had already drizzled.

"It is just little rain," I told myself as I was too lazy to go up and take the umbrella from home. I continued walking and passing by the mail box to drop a letter before reaching the mall.

Since I woke up quite late today, I did not have my breakfast at home and directly had heavy lunch. So now, my stomach was still full from it.

I walked around inside the shopping mall after separated with hubby, to catch at least 5,000 steps counted by the watch on my wrist. The goal was 10,000 steps a day. And I had zero for the last 2 days as I was engulfed in my reading and hid myself below the blanket enjoying the cold weather. "So today, let me get at least half for now." 

Christmas tree on raining day ^^

The watch vibrated when it reached 5,000 steps and I wanted to go home. But alas, it was raining outside, even heavier than when I came. "Haiz..... Where should I go, what should I do????"

My lip wanted to taste another cup of black coffee or even the hot milk tea. The image of me dipping the kaya toast and slurping the half boiled eggs filling my mind. As when I passed by the shops, I too imagined munching the deep fried you tiao and the fluffy meat bun. However, my full stomach alarmed me and said no to all my imaginary scenes. "Hahaha.... It is not that I do not have money to buy those. But this stomach puts the 'no' sign voluntarily. "

The air condition blew harshly and made the place much cooler. It made me running away from it. Luckily this mall was built with some outdoor seats with roof on top. I walked down to the basement and found a quiet nice wooden seat, then rested my butt in it. This rain had given me a reason to write about this situation and romanticize everything that I faced.

It was still raining by the time I finished writing this. It rained heavier and the sky had become much darker. "I should have just stayed at home just now. Haiz.... it is too late now."

Luckily I had fully charged my phone battery before coming out. I browsed around Goodreads to find out what nice book to read. I searched such interesting book at the National Library apps and checked whether they had the online book available. "Yesssss!!! I got one. 'Life will be the death of me' - by Chelsea Handler."

My next read - 'Life will be the death of me' by Chelsea Handler

I downloaded it immediately and it was time to read now as I clicked the 'publish' button from this site. After all, I only needed a book, good weather, and quiet place to do what I like doing.

Visiting Jeju Island during Typhoon Mitag - Day 1

Flight from Busan to Jeju Island by Jeju Air (Experiencing local domestic flight) - South Korea

From Busan, we flew using Jeju Air (domestic airline) to Jeju Island, on October 1st, 2019. In the evening after we reached Jeju, I heard about the typhoon Mitag. From the internet, they said the typhoon would pass by China, Japan, and South Korea, and that too to area where we went - Busan and Jeju.

Safe flight - Busan to Jeju Island :)

Omg!!! Months of September and October were not really good to travel around Southeast of China, Japan, and Korea. The typhoon came more often these past few years.

So upon reaching Jeju, I immediately sent the message to Mr Won (who would drive us around Jeju island on our second day in Jeju) about the possibility of the typhoon. He too conveyed his concern since safety was the most important issue that he had while traveling with his guests, and he was willing to cancel our arrangement if the typhoon was getting bad the next day.

Welcome to Jeju Island - South Korea

It was raining when we flew from Busan and it was still raining even after reaching Jeju Island. After putting our luggage at the hotel, rain did not deter us from walking all the way to Dongmun Market - a must visit place when you go to Jeju. Everyone wanted to have lunch inside the air-conditioned restaurant and have proper meal (in their case, rice set), while I insisted of eating at my favorite stall selling more like Korean street food kind.

I went there last time with hubby on my first visit to Jeju and still reminisced the taste and feeling we both had on the food served. Even if I had to be alone, the Universe decided otherwise. As I chose my seat - I sat and shared table with one granny - she smiled at me, and even offered me the Kimbab (rolled rice) that she was having together with her Tteobbokki (spicy rice cake).

Lunch at my favorite stall in Dongmun Market - Jeju Island, South Korea

I ordered one plate of Tteobbokki as well and hesitated of ordering the Kimbab - which was my favorite. I was afraid I could not finish it as it was too filling - carbohydrates from rice and rice cake. Therefore, I ordered one portion of Odeng (fish cake with soup) - 3 sticks were served. She still offered me her Kimbab, so in return, I offered her my Odeng. Hahaha.... This way, both of us could eat more variety without having to eat too full!!! Thank you Ahjumma for your kindness!!! I could not stop smiling while eating the food :)

Try their mandarin orange juice - Jeju specialty fruit and Hotteok (sweet pancake) at Dongmun Market - Jeju Island

Finished my meal with a bottle of cold mandarin orange juice - the Jeju specialty fruit - with its cute bottle at KRW 3,000 each, and Hotteok (sweet pancake) from one of the stalls near the exit.

Dongmun Market - Jeju Island

There were many other snacks available and souvenir shops too. It was better to buy the Jeju souvenir here. The price was slightly cheaper than the souvenir shops at touristic area.

Afterwards we took taxi to visit the Yongduam Rock. It was located not too far from the Dongmun Market. By taxi it cost us KRW 3,400 only. The wind was very big once we went down from our taxi. But miraculously, the rain stopped, and so did the wind. It allowed us to take photos with no hassle and kept us dry!!! Thank SB!!! :)

With Dol Hareubang (Grandfather rock) at Yongduam Rock - Jeju Island

Or perhaps it were Dol Hareubang (Grandfather rock) who were protecting us from the wind and the rain when we visited the place. Fyi, Dol Hareubangs were the two large rock statues, considered to be gods offering both protection and fertility and were placed outside of gates for protection against demons travelling between realities (usually found only in Jeju Island) - see the above photo :)

Posed with the Mermaid at Yongduam Rock - Jeju Island

Yongduam Rock is a popular oceanfront volcanic rock formation in the shape of a dragon's head, a must visit place if you go to Jeju Island. Legend said it serves as the symbol of the dragon's unfulfilled dream. Read more of its story here.

Yongduam Rock (the volcanic rock in the shape of Dragon's Head) in Jeju Island

We went back to hotel to have some rest and at night, we asked the hotel staff on where to eat the Jeju black pork BBQ. Lucky that he pointed us to the local restaurant located not too far from where we stayed as the rain was still there on and off, and all was the effect from the Typhoon Mitag that happened at the surrounding area.

Donsachon - Korean BBQ Black Pork in Jeju Island

We ordered a portion of white pork and three portion of black pork (two portions were rejected as it was too little). Four portions were still too much for five of us as we were all ladies and some ate very less. So, as the youngest, I had to try my best not to waste the food, and that was why I gained so much weight from this trip :P

The BBQ white and black pork with Hallasan Soju and Terra Beer - Donsachun in Jeju Island

I used to detest the taste of Korean Soju, until Sam (our driver in Seoul - who was actually a very rich businessman) introduced us "Bum" - the mixture of Soju and beer. When mixed together, the taste of Soju was not that obvious and both combination became tastier. So that day onwards, I always had Bum mixture instead of Soju or beer alone :) And if you go to Jeju, Hallasan Soju is a must have!! :)

Not forgetting the Korean ramen at aside :D - Donsachun, Jeju Island

Yes, not forgetting to order the Korean noodle soup at aside. It tasted really delicious in such cold night. Perfect with the BBQ pork :)

See our happy faces??? :D

Mom and sisters :)

Our happy faces as per shown above, before we became overeating. Hahahahahaha..... :P So, will share another post on where to visit during Typhoon Mitag in Jeju Island!! Oh, as for additional info, after going back to hotel and watching news, we found out that many flights were cancelled flying from Busan and Jeju Island on that day. Luckily we reached Jeju the day before from Busan and it did not affect us. SB was really helping us and let our journey went on smoothly. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!!! :)

Outer Mongolia - Places to Visit in Ulaanbaatar (Part 2)

First time flying with Mongolian Airlines

It was my first time flying with MIAT (Mongolian Airlines). It was such a joy to experience the different types of airlines while traveling. Each airline represents the country where they were from. The first thing I loved doing after boarding to the plane was to take out their in-flight magazine and read it. In there, I could find many information about people, places, and so on. It made me understanding more about the country and their culture as well.

Chinggis Khaan International Airport - Outer Mongolia

Chinggis Khan International Airport was located 18 km southwest of the capital, Ulaanbaatar city. By the time we reached, the sky had already turned dark. We were transferred immediately to our hotel - Bayangol Hotel - to have a rest.

On second day onward we started traveling and first, we visited places in the capital.

1. Bogd Khan Winter Palace Museum

The front part of Bogd Khan Winter Palace Museum - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

It was built between 1980 to 1903. It used to be the winter palace where the 8th Jebtsundamba Khutagt (the spiritual head of Gelug lineage of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia), who was also the last King of Mongolia, known as Bogd Khan, and his Queen Dondogdulam - the White Tara - lived and ruled the country for over twenty years. Now it had become one of the oldest and most valuable museums in Mongolia.

The beautiful Peace and Happiness Gate with 2 flag poles - Bogd Khan Winter Palace Museum

At the front part of the Bogd Khan's green palace you could find the Shield Wall (the grey wall on the left), the Peace and Happiness Gate with 2 flag poles (the gate on the right) - to commemorate Mongolia's independence, plus the Three Open Pavilion Gates (the gate in the middle) with no door, where the King and Queen used to welcome the high ranking nobles, state officials, and monks. The gates with no door represented all the goodness and fine things of the universe constantly entering and flowing through their open doors.

Bogd Khan Palace Complex housing the seven 'wisdom glorifying' temples

The Bogd Khan Winter Palace - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

The palace complex was separated into 2 sections: the seven 'wisdom glorifying' temples and the winter palace. After the Queen passed away in 1923 and the Bogd Khan in 1924, their possession of historical, cultural, and artistic values, idols, ethnographical items and household items along with a variety of stuffed animals were transferred to this museum. Many interesting items included Bogd Khan's throne, bed, his ornate ceremonial ger lined with skins of 150 leopards, a pair of ceremonial boots given by Russian Tsar Nicholas II, a cloak made of 80 foxes skin, and so on. They were amazingly beautiful and worth the visit! :)

2. Zaisan Memorial at Zaisan Hill

The outer part of the Zaisan Memorial - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Zaisan Memorial was built on top of the Zaisan Hill to commemorate the Soviet soldiers who had fought and sacrificed during the WWII. They had protected, gained freedom and independence for the Mongolian's People Republic.

The inner part of Zaisan Memorial - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

The monument itself resembled the Mongolian fireplace, symbolizing life. It featured a circular memorial painting that depicted the scenes of friendship between the people of the USSR and Mongolia.

Posing with Mongolian falcon from the top of the Zaisan Hill

Ulaanbaatar with Tuul River view from Zaisan Hill - Mongolia

From this place you could see the panoramic view of the entire city of Ulaanbaatar together with the Tuul River flowing past the city.

3. National Museum of Mongolia

National Museum of Mongolia - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

The National Museum of Mongolia was established in 1924. The museum contained many historical, archeological, and ethnographical artifacts from prehistorical time to the contemporary era.

National Museum of Mongolia Timetable

There were 9 halls inside displaying items according to historical periods and themes, such as: the ancient history of Mongolia, ancient states, traditional clothing and jewelry, the Mongolian empire, traditional culture, traditional life, artifacts from 17th century to the beginning of 20th century, the socialist Mongolia era, and the democratic Mongolia era.

With background picture of Genghis Khan - National Museum of Mongolia at Ulaanbaatar

For a first timer like me, it was a good place to learn about the Mongolian history. As mentioned earlier, I could learn about their earlier life, their tradition, culture, lives, and so on. And when you heard about Mongolia, you would also hear about its famous founder and first great Khan of the Mongolia empire - Genghis Khan, born with name of Temujin (1162-1227).

Other than Indonesian history, I never learned about other countries' history. To prepare myself before visiting this country, I spent some time to learn about him from this BBC documentary. So at least I had slightly idea about who and what the guide was talking about :)

4. Sukhbaatar Square

Sukhbastar Square 

Previously known as Chinggis Square, was the central square of Ulaanbaatar. It was located at the heart of the city and surrounded by iconic buildings, such as: the Government (State) Palace, Mongolian Stock Exchange building, State Opera and Ballet Academic Theater, Central Cultural Palace, and so on.

Sukhbaatar Statue - in the middle of Sukhbaatar Square - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

A large statue of Sukhbaatar stood in the middle of the square. He was one of the leaders of Mongolia's 1921 revolution and who had declared Mongolia's final independence from China. This square was named after him.

Government Palace with monuments of Genghis Khan, Ogedei Khan, and Kublai Khan - Ulaanbaatar

There you could find the monuments of Genghis Khan, Ogedei Khan (third son of Genghis Khan and second Great Khan of the Mongol empire), and Kublai Khan (the fifth Great Khan of the Mongolian empire) - at the Government (State) Palace facing the Sukhbaatar Square.

In front of Genghis Khan monument - Sukhbaatar Square - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

5. Gandantegchinlen Monastery

The front gate of Gandantegchinlen Monastery - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

The first monastery (Gungaachoiling Datsan) was built back in 1809 by the order of 5th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu. In 1838, it was moved into the present location and built along with his private residence. In 1938 the monastery was closed (due to the influence of Communist government) and reopened in 1944. And with the end of Marxism in 1990, restriction on worship was lifted. They started building it again and now it has grown into Buddhist schools, University, library and temples housing hundreds of monks, even hospital, and it is still growing now.

Feeling blessed at Gandantegchinlen Monastery - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Gandantegchinlen - this Tibetan name was translated into "The Great Place of Complete Joy". This place was indeed upholding its name. Let me share you my experience.

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, one of my great motivations visiting Mongolia was to visit Buddhist temples. And this temple was one of them. The night I reached Mongolia, I sprained my back when lifting my luggage up into the luggage rack inside the hotel. If you ever sprained your back before, you would know how painful it was!!! I had it once before that and it took me few weeks to recover. So that night, I was feeling horrible!!! It was only my first night reaching Mongolia and there were 7 more days to go!!!

"How can I prostrate fully if my back is paining tomorrow?? It is one of the temples I really wanted to visit!!!" That was the first thought that came into my mind. Followed by, "How can I participate on those activities stated in the itinerary???" - I was referring to horse and camel riding, walking and exploring nature, and so on.

I could not sleep well that night. Went to bed at 12 midnight but managed to sleep only at 2 am. That too, I was awoken 3 times for toilet visit (the cooling air made me visiting toilet easily). At 5 am, the summer sky in Mongolia had turned bright, and I was awoken by it. I slept all night with the pain and despite of cooling air, my body was sweating.

Walking path towards the main temple - Gandantegchinlen Monastery, Ulaanbaatar

The next morning the pain was still lingering there. I had to walk, stand, and sit down slowly. Since we visited so many places in a day, I had to bear with the pain in order to enjoy my trip. This temple was the last place to visit on the day. As I went down from the bus, Sherab asked me how my back pain felt like. I told him, the pain was still there. Then we had to walk a distance to reach the main temple.

In front of the main temple - Gandantegchinlen Monastery - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

In the entrance, I was distracted and forgot about my pain when they said I had to pay Mongolian Tugrik 7,000 if I wanted to take the photos inside the temple (it was common in Mongolia to have such condition including the Palace and Museum that we visited earlier). This time, I was willingly paying the fee because I was longing to visit this temple very much. So I paid the amount and entered.

Gandantegchinlen Monastery - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

I was amazed to see the 26.5-meter-height statue of Megjid-Janraiseg (the Lord who watches in every directions) or Avalokitesvara (Goddess of Mercy and Compassion). I stood for a while, looking up and down throughout the whole statue and smiled for all the joy and happiness for finally meeting Her there.

Despite the statue was not the original that was built back in late 18th century (as it was dismantled by Russian troops in 1938 by the instruction of the Communist government), Mongolian people had built this replica back with all of their hearts and souls; from their donation and hard work, featuring precious stones, silks, gilded with gold leaf, filled with tons of medicinal plants, sutras, and mantra. I could feel their intense loves and devotions there.

Avalokitesvara 26.5-meter-height statue at Gandategchinlen Monastery - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

I put down my bag at the side and started to prostrate three times all the way down to the floor. Amazingly, my back pain was all gone. I continued my prayer after the prostration and I cried. I cried because I felt so much happy and grateful for all the good karma, for the fate to finally visiting this country, this temple, Her, feeling homely (it looked just like I was inside the temple in Tibet itself), and for finally able to prostrate because the pain had disappeared. I was feeling joy for Her love and compassion and very thankful for everything that happened in my life.

Thank you SB, thank you, thank you, and thank you... So, imagine the back pain that usually took weeks to recover, it was suddenly gone after visiting this temple. It was a miracle, at least for me. And yes, it was really the Great Place of Complete Joy... :)

6. Cashmere Factory Store

EVSEG Factory Store in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Cashmere Factory Store was a must visit place when you went to Mongolia. They had many different shops around the Ulaanbaatar city, such as: Gobi Cashmere Factory Store, Altai Cashmere Factory Store, EVSEG Factory Store, GOYO Cashmere Factory Store, and so on.

You could find a very good quality cashmere with a reasonable price. Most factory store was set with international standards separating man and woman section for the convenient of the customers. As mentioned in previous blog post, Mongolia produced second largest cashmere in the world. So if you really needed one, why not? It could be a great gift to give too!!! And if you were just want to see the whole range of it without traveling to too many shops, just go down to the next place here.

7. State Department Store

State Department Store - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

This place was a must-go place if you liked shopping and wanted to purchase the local products. Established in 1921, this landmark building was the largest and most luxurious store in Mongolia. Here you could find a good quality cashmere located at second floor featuring many different well-known brands of cashmere shops.

Souvenirs were sold at sixth floor. The prices were reasonable too. If you bought more quantity, they offered with cheaper price. This was where I bought most of my souvenir!!!

It had supermarket as well on the ground floor offering many food and beverage (including Mongolia liquor). A really one stop shop for everything that you need. Highly recommended!!! :)

And if you did not have enough Mongolian Tugrik on hand, worry not, as you could pay using US dollar with the rate converted directly on the spot at the cashier (No need to trouble yourself to find money changer).

8. Tumen-Ekh Folk Song and Dance Ensemble

Tumen-Ekh Folk Song and Dance Ensemble - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

This was another must-do thing when you visited Ulaanbaatar, which was watching the Mongolian traditional folklore show. With our tour, we were brought to this place called Tumen-Ekh Folk Song and Dance Ensemble. and according to the reviews of many others, this place was simply the best. Not based on the stage and theater condition, but the quality of the performers. In fact the place was quite small and really packed of tourists like us. The later you reached, you had to sit down using pillows underneath on the staircases and some had to sit on the floor very close to the stage (due to the seat space constraint). So better to come in much earlier before the show started. The performances, other than singing, dancing, playing the various traditional musical instruments, and acrobats, they also showed us about how the Shamanism was usually being done. There was religious mask-dance that was pretty similar with Tibetan mask-dance with the old man with white hair and happy smiling face as one of the main characters.

A fantastic Mongolian throat singer :) - Tumen-Ekh - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

But my favorite was the performance done by the man on the picture above. He was performing the Mongolian throat-singing. I found it very unique and required a great amount of efforts and talent to perform. The overall show lasted for about an hour and it was really worth visiting!!

Well, there were many other places that you could visit in Ulaanbaatar that I did not mention here (since I did not go), such as: Choijin Lama Temple, National Amusement Park, various museum, theater, and so on. If you had many days to spare, then you could check for more recommended places to go. But if your time was quite limited, then the above places should have been good enough to visit. Next post would cover other places outside Ulaanbaatar. Stay tune! :)

Activities update - last month of year 2018

Last running event (10-km Standard Chartered Marathon) of the year - 8th December 2018

Time was indeed running, just like the Standard Chartered10-km marathon I had last Saturday, 8th December 2018. I often heard about it before, but first time finally joined it. I had it together with PY and also with my brother, sis-in-law, their relatives and friends. 

10-km Run For Hope at the beginning of the year 2018 - 21st January 2018

Finished it slightly faster (1h20m) than the one I had beginning of the year - Run For Hope on 21st January 2019 (1h28m). It still felt just like yesterday though.

This month I had no travel planning to anywhere as I had so many doctors' appointments, purely landed my butt at my home sweet home, doing things I loved doing, spending quality time with my families, keeping in touch with many friends who stayed all over the world, and so on.

Christmas gift from the heart - Home-baked lemon cake :)

With the latest purchase of new toy, I kept practicing and made the better version of marble cake. Also, I learned the second cake that I loved eating, from YouTube, which was lemon cake :) It turned out quite well. Made small versions and gave it as presents for my dear friends, while the big one - as my dear son's Birthday cake :) Btw, my friend liked it so much and suggested me to sell it :D She would be my first buyer of the bigger version of lemon cake!!! Thank you la for your support and encouragement!!! :)

Baobei turned 16th today!!! Yayyy!!! 12.12.2018

Did I mention Birthday??? Yeah.. today is my Baobei's Birthday!!! He's been living for 16 years now since he came out from my belly hehehe... And the cake that you saw at the above photo, was the large version of the lemon cake that I  made :) Looked not bad right??? :D (Baking cake - sweeten's people's lives - and staying at home as a housewife was my dreams since the initial days of my life :) Thank Buddha for giving me a chance to realize these dreams although I am not sure how long this will last!)

Oh, I also made video compilation above today, the continuation from his 11th Birthday to the present time. Pardon me for the poor quality video and the watermark that appeared, as it was a free trial version :P (Earlier on, I made his 0 to 10 years video compilation, which you can watch it here :))

Started wearing reading glass - oh man... getting old now... sighhhh..... 

I spent my time reading sometimes. The above was among few books I had been reading this month. And I guessed I had the old people eyes now. I needed the help of the reading glass in order to read now. Sighhhh..... our body could not lie the age I was holding now. It kept deteriorating one way and another. Hope it would not get worse in near future.

P.S. This book showed you how you should give your miserable job up (of which you hung unto it because of it's so highly remunerated) and instead, follow your passions and dreams doing what you love doing to have a happier life, plus follow your heart to love and let yourself be loved by someone who loved you. You deserved happiness in life after all!!! Nice read, believe me!!! ;)

Not forgetting to spend time watching the latest famous K-drama - Encounter or Boyfriend from TVN every Thursday and Friday at 9.45pm. Hahahaha... My Myanmar ex-colleague introduced me this drama and I had been hooked since its first episode. Watch it if you find the access at anywhere you stay guys!!! The main stars - both guy and girl - were very good looking. But the guy's characters that attracted me most - traveler, photographer, reader, and so on... ;)

Walk and move up!!!

Well, raining season was here again!!! I hardly got any chance to cycle in evening time due to the rain. Lucky my friend gave me the watch that could track my steps every day. With it, I could find out how much steps I had made each day and tried to walk at least 10,000 steps every day. So far, I could only make it on alternate days instead of every day though, but better than just sleeping whole day in my room :)

Baobei's part time job as a waiter!!! Jia you!!!

Since Baobei reached 16 this year, he was legally allowed to work part-time. This holiday time he started utilizing his time to work and try various jobs before settling to this one. He felt that this suited him best since he received staff meal allowance (delicious meal) daily. 

Both hubby and I were very proud of him since he had shown initiative in finding the job, going for interview himself, and saving his money to buy the thing he had been wanting to have (in this case, his dream was to build-in his own PC and put it in his room. Looks like he would have it pretty soon... :D) Although tired, he managed to appear to work on time and never once he found excuse not to go or to quit, yet. Well done Baobei!!! Keep up your good work and positive spirit!!! :)

Christmas trees decoration at Orchard Road :)

And yes, Christmas was coming to town!!! If you were here in Singapore, never miss walking along the Orchard Road at night time. It was the best time to see the lighting and Christmas decorations along the famous shopping belt area in the country. I too, did not miss it this year, had a sweet date with dear hubby ;)

Well, this coming 17th, I will be celebrating the 10th year survival Anniversary as the SLE patient (Lupus). It has been with me perhaps much longer than 10 years though before I was detected and confirmed of having it. All I could say was that all my worry that I had 10 years ago whether I could still be alive 5 or 10 years later was really useless. 

There were ups and downs in between but thank Buddha it was nothing much. Just like the recent low blood count was detected (anemia came attacking me again!!!), but after taking the medicine regularly everyday (instead of 5 days a week), my blood count had gone back to normal. Phewww!!!

Health and Happiness Quote (Pic source: Google.com)

If you were wondered how I could manage to live this long, well, the above quote might help answering your question. Peace of mind, heart and soul was the key, so did laughter and love. No matter how much possession you had, if you could not make peace with yourself, it would only bring you worry and stress, and make you unable to sleep. 

The past has already gone and the future has yet to come. Live at the present moment. Seize your days doing what you love, and love what you are doing. Realize your dream when you can no matter how difficult it might sound or be. Because no one can guarantee that you can still live tomorrow.

I read it from somewhere the beautiful messages below:

- Don't wait until you happy, then you smile. Smile, then you will be happy :)

- Don't wait until you become rich, then you donate. Donate, and you will be richer!

- Don't wait until people notice or care about you, then you notice or care about them. Do care about them first, then people will care you back.

- Don't wait until you get an inspiration, then you write. Write first, then the inspiration will come accordingly!

- Don't wait for people to love you, then you start to love them. Learn to love them first, then they will love you back :)

- Don't wait until you are rich then you will live in peace. But first, live in peace then there will not be only money that comes to you, but also many other kind of luck in you life!!!

- Don't wait until you become successful then only feeling grateful. But be grateful first and you will have more success in life.

And last but not least, don't wait until you free then you pray or learn the Dhamma. But spare your time to pray and learn the Dhamma first before everything else!

Well, hope after practicing it, you too could live a happier and healthier life, with peace of mind, heart and soul everyday :)

Sabbe Satta Bhavantu Sukkhitatta

May all sentient beings be happy and healty, free from suffering, life full of peace and joy.

Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu