Fate

Fate (IG: rimareyka.writes)

Still related to my new passion, crystal love, I would like to share my experience and feelings with you here. You know, just like us, a human being, crystal too, required fate to be with us. Why I told you this? Well, it is because there are too many crystal out there that is looking for the owner.

I bought them online and offline. When getting them online, sometimes I could not choose as the platform was to sell to mass demand. So usually the seller will show few good ones then sell the rest altogether to everyone. And when your name appears on their list, it will depend on the speed of your Internet. The faster the speed, the earlier your name would appear on their end. And hence, usually, the better quality will be given first (although not always).

So, it happened many times that when we received the actual goods after days or weeks later, it turned out the quality we received could be satisfying and could also be unsatisfying. Nevertheless, it was ours and could not change. Unless, if there was significant breakage on it. 

My friend often conveyed their dissatisfaction when the quality they got was not what they expected to be. But you could not please everyone with that kind of selling system.

I could only told them, "It was fate ba. What is yours, is yours." And crystal is a natural thing. They come in many different forms, just like us, a human being. When we were born, we could not choose our look, as it would usually follow the genes of our parents. Some came from defect gene. And what we could do, was just to live with it. Unless if you are willing to go through aesthetic operation and make your look just like those Korean actor and actress.

The other way to get crystal as what you desired, was to find those seller that cater to one-to-one customer basis, be it online and offline. Online can be finding representative who will shop on your behalf (usually they will charge additional percentage on top of the item price), can be through online platform, like carousel, and offline can be purchase your crystal at the crystal shop (usually the seller will sell it at more expensive price as they do it for a living). That way, you will get your item at better quality, but more expensive price. 

And today, I just received my crystal that I purchased from online platform. By right, I should have received the item according to the picture shown by the seller. However, to my surprise, the level of discrepancy of what was posted and what was received was so much different. Check out the following photo below.

Top: posted Below: received

I ordered this dragon turtle red phantom. The above 2 photos were what the seller posted. But what I received was the below photos. Could you tell me, were I too fussy? Or you could also spot the differences???

The above was red phantom and what I received was more like red hematoid. Although both were red, but it was just different. I messaged the seller about it and she insisted that she only had one of its kind (dragon turtle). Therefore, I took the photos and showed it to her. 

Actually, although the inclusion in the crystal was not much, but the dragon turtle was full of rainbow. And I am the rainbow lover (be it real rainbow and the crystal rainbow). And when I sat down at my sofa, the sunlight from behind lighted the dragon turtle that I put beside me. The rainbows that appeared inside its body was really surprised me!!! For me, it was much better than the initial photos she showed (the one that looks more like red phantom).

It was like, hey, I fell in love to it for almost immediately and could feel the fate that existed between us. Wow!!! I was just dumbfounded and wanted to share my feelings with you all here. 

I forgave the seller right away and told her to check again at her side if she can find the initial pictures. I do not mind to purchase it again with the same price. 

Until now, I have brought many crystals into my house. They occupied one corner of my living room facing the Buddha altar. I love them so much and hope they can stay happily here together with us. 

Fyi, for those who do not know what dragon turtle is and what benefits it brings - "A dragon turtle (Lóngguī) is a legendary Chinese creature that combines two of the four celestial animals of Chinese mythology: the body of a turtle with a dragon's head is promoted as a positive ornament in Feng Shui, symbolizing courage, determination, fertility, longevity, power, success, and support."

Well, I hope they love us back too and together we stay happily ever after.... :)

A Little Reflection

Are you wasting your time???

It has been a while since my last post. How are you doing guys? Hope everyone is doing good and blessed with good health. Covid has changed so many things in us but hope that it will not let us being defeated by it

I have heard many bad news for the past 2 months of who have had it and who could not manage to survive. The death happened to anyone, be it young or old. I can not imagine how the related person have to face it and go on with their life.

This will only be a short post as when I looked at the quote above, I had a sudden inspiration to write this. 

Ok, alright. Because of Covid, we can not travel. And well, I can not travel. So I have plenty of time to spend. Naturally, I should spend it doing something like working, back to workforce life. 

I can choose to go back doing the office job, fully use the qualification I attained years ago and get the salary I deserve, or doing something else, something I love doing, something my passionate call me for, but the return may not be high or enough. Well, for some people, money is never be enough right?

Since a year ago, I had chosen to work part time, a job that many people generally are capable to do, whether you have experience or not. And fate brought me to land to another place, which is more suitable for my liking and personality. 

And starting February, apart from my part time job, I had started to pursue my interest related to something I used to love, but not die-hard loving, which was crystal. 

I was mesmerised by the beauty of the nature. They were nature too, built in over million and billion years naturally. And they were believed to carry many positive benefits with them. 

When I started my second part time job, I often felt unease. It might be due to a new place, and also the nature of the job that needed me to deal with items that could harm me, such as: knife, cans, slicing machine, hot pots and pans, hot water, oven, and so on. 

Bruises and cut wounds took turn tattooing my parts of body every week. Actually, it was something that I could avoid, but somehow, it happened. So I started wearing crystal to work: a pair of earrings, necklace (that I hid inside my shirt), and 2 bracelets (one left and one right - they were put in my pockets when working).

Somehow I could feel the energy from it. They might not prevent me from getting wound and blisters, but they helped me in keeping myself calm when it happened. 

It was somehow giving me calm effect, believed that they were there to protect me, give me strength and confidence, calm me down when it was busy or angry, and they too, helped me in clearing the misunderstanding, encouraging me to speak up what my heart was saying, and at the end, won the heart of my colleagues. 

You may or may not believe, but I personally feel it inside me and what change it has brought me into.

Both part time job and crystal interest may not give me enough money to live by. In fact, every month I spent most of my salary to purchase the crystal. But anyhow, I still feel that it is better than taking the full time office job that would not make me happy because the motivation would be to earn bigger money, but not because I like the nature of my job. 

So since it is part time, I do not work every day. One week, I may work 2 to 4 days only. The rest of the time, I spend it to engage myself in buying crystal (physical and online), getting design inspiration, learning how to do it, making it, and so on. This way, I can use my creative side in making DIY crystal bracelet too upon the buyer request.

For now, my sisters are my greatest supporters. Few close friends are also supporting me too. To be frank, I do not earn much from it. Because I am happy enough that they too believe in the goodness from it. Just as long it can cover the cost, that is enough. 

So going back to the quote above, I just want to tell myself, and to confirm it, that there is no rules that I must work office job, earn lots of money, in order to call myself living my life in decent way. There are still many other choices that I can make (while I am still given that choice), and still call it living my life according to my wish, my passion, my love, and then work out with the little money that I earn. 

Most important, keep my health (both physically and mentally) in good state by developing positive thought as much as possible, spread good things around to people surrounding me, live stress-free life (the more you earn, the more you attach your life style with it), learn how to balance (when to buy and when to stop), use my other talent in good way (in this case, my creative side), and just be myself. Be happy and content with everything, and never compare my life with other people. 

With this post, I hope you can reflect into what you are currently doing in your life too. Whether you are living your life according to what you want, whether you can fulfil your dreams or on the way into it, and so on. Always remember, there is no right and no wrong, but it is better if you can give yourself a chance to follow what your heart is saying. Wish you all a great day ahead!!! Stay safe and take care!!!

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016 - Victoria, Australia

It was Spring season in Australia now. The weather in Melbourne was still feeling like winter though with temperature of 12 degree in afternoon and 8 degree at night, especially during rainy days, the first few days we reached to this city. My hands and feet were freezing cold each night before going to bed. However, after coming back from Gold Coast and Brisbane, the weather had turned warmer. At least there was sunshine during the day!!! And we were very lucky and blessed with beautiful weather on the day we visited the Tesselaar Tulip  Festival on 24 September 2016.

Flora, my sister and I made appointment to visit this festival about a month before my arrival's. Flora, her husband - Karma, her friend - Sonam, were arranging to take leave from work so that we all could go together to this event. And finally, the day came!!!

Total 13 of us with two cars reached the car park in the morning around 10.30 am. We unloaded our stuffs and headed inside finding great location for our picnic. It was a great space under the big tree, not too far from where the live jazz was held. Mats were lied down and we all settled down.

We-fie :)

Surprise Birthday celebration at Tesselaar Tulip Festival - 24 September 2016

Soon after, Flora took out a flowery box from her bag. It turned out to be the Oreo Cheese Birthday cake, ordered by her and made specially by her Bhutanese friend. Her daughter, Lekdhen, helped up decorating the cake by putting up my name on it. Not only that. She also took out the handmade Birthday card drawn cutely by Lekdhen - Doraemon as the cover, then inside the Koala with birthday wishes as Flora intended to convey for me, plus birthday gift for me - the beautiful necklace with "a tree of life" pendant (I often saw it here but had no idea about the meaning. It sure had so many meanings and symbolized different things religiously and culturally. But for me, I would take it as the life's journey and motivated me to keep living, become stronger and wiser, just like the old tree, no matter how life would challenge me again and again). Name same kadinche-la Flora for your very kind thought towards me.Thank you, thank you, and thank you.

Delicious Oreo Cheesecake from Flora :)

We all sang the Birthday song. I made a wish and blew up the candles. We took photo together to remember this moment. Cake was cut and I had quite a big share for myself. Zimbeh la... which means delicious :)

Suja Desi for celebrating the belated Blessed Raining Day :)

The day before was the auspicious Blessed Raining Day but we could only celebrate it on the day after. Sonam made Desi (yellow glutinous rice with raisin), while Flora concocted Suja (butter tea). We had both after the cake. Hhhmmm..... I felt blessed beyond measure. Although I was not in Bhutan, but I could feel as if I was there :)

Six beautiful ladies in Kira - under cherry blossom tree - Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016 - Victoria, Australia

We were all very full. Now it was time to walk around. Before that, ladies changed their clothes into Kira (Bhutan traditional cloth). It was Flora's idea so I brought my Kira all the way from Singapore so I too could wear it with them :) She even lent her friend's Kira so that my sister could wear them too. So, there we were posing beautifully with beautiful flowers there :)

Bhutanese Picnic Lunch at Tesselaar Tulip Festival - Australia

At 3 pm we all gathered back into our place. It was time for lunch. Both s Flora's and Sonam's families brought Bhutanese dishes into the picnic. They shared it with us too. There were ema datshi (chili with cheese), bean with cheese, potato with Paneer cheese, egg curry, Ricotta cheese with chili, and Karma even cooked beef dried (shakam pa) in Bhutanese style for us despite they were all vegetarian. Both red and white rice were there. It was so delicious. As a result we all ate more than one serving :D Thank you so much everyone for sharing your delicious food with us.

Had tea at Flora's place :)

We went home at 4 pm and stopped by at Flora's place as my nephew's request (he wanted to play with Flora's and Sonam's daughters for a while). Hahaha... So we stopped there and Flora made us a cup of tea/ coffee to warm our bodies in such cooling evening. In a while we all went home. It had been such a beautiful day and let me share the beautiful flowers' photos as per below. Enjoy!!! :)

Beautiful spring blossoms at Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016 :)

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016

Tesselaar Tulip Festival 2016

Cheers from us :)

Bhutan Trip Day 9 - 1 July 2015 Visit to Langthel, Kuenga Rabten Palace and our leisure time around Samcholing school :)

Rupa has summarized our meeting on her beautiful blog post here. I guess I don't have to explain further about it hehehe... :P But if you still want to hear to my story, you can always continue read it here la :D

Foggy, mysterious, and wet morning at Samcholing School (left) and Samcholing Palace (right)

As per Rupa said, initially we were waiting for one Bolero to drop us there. However, the guy who wore Gho with cowboy head didn't return for a long time, as if he was swallowed by deities in the Lhakhang and disappeared. Puff!!! It wasn't difficult to imagine especially when you saw the photo above :)

Our journey from Samcholing to Langthel to meet Ugyen Gyeltshen :)

Fed up waiting for too long, we were lucky that we managed to get into another Bolero (together with students who were going back to their home for summer break holiday in Langthel) in order to meet up with Ugyen Gyeltshen, our fellow comedian blogger cum Engineer cum author of Dear Seday book :) 

Priceless picturesque view on our way to Langthel :)

Samcholing green tea plantation :)

I asked Rupa to sit at the back as we were the uninvited and additional passengers (although I knew she was a teacher there and the students would prefer her and me - her guest - to sit in front, covered from rain and hot sun, in a comfy seat). I told the students that I would never have a chance to sit behind like that in Singapore, so please..., let me remain sitting at the back, and they gave in with no words to say :)

Another priceless picturesque view on our way to Langthel :)

Hustle bustle on the field - On our way to Langthel

It was drizzling and foggy in the beginning, but once we went down, the sun started to shine. We just needed umbrella to protect us from both conditions though. Sometimes the car was so bumpy and it hurt our butt so much but we could only look at each other and laughed out loud in pain hahaha.... :D

Enjoyed their Parala dice game - Trongsa, Bhutan

The Bolero stopped at Olo's general shop. The driver went in to buy something. We waited there. Suddenly, another Bolero stopped and parked its car in front of the shop. The driver went down and suddenly I felt familiar with the driver's face. "Hey Rupa, it's Ugyen Sir!!!" I shouted and jumped excitingly just like the daughter was finally finding her father hahaha.... And Ugyen was responding too! He asked us to go down and moved into his Bolero. You wouldn't know how relieve I felt upon seeing him hahaha... I shook his hands firmly and my first impression about him was that he was such a serious kind of guy that you sometimes wondered if he was the person who often wrote those jokes in his blog posts (Rupa said he was the guy who joked seriously - I think that fit the description very well :D). Before leaving the place, Rupa bought enough doma for him to chew :D

Inside the tunnel of Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project in Langthel, Bhutan

Next thing, we were inside his Bolero and he drove us down directly into the tunnel, where the 720 MW Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project was built. It was such a huge and long tunnel. We stopped at the Power House. All of us went down and wore helmets (for safety protection). He took out his note book and started drawing. 

Inside the tunnel of Mangdecchu Hydroelectric Project in Langthel, Bhutan

While drawing, he was explaining to us what the project was all about. We listened to him trying to understand the whole big picture while it was pretty noisy and bad air surrounded us as the workers were doing their job molding and other stuffs. We moved on to the other side to have a look, and then went out.

First Palace cum Lhakhang that we went to but didn't enter :D

Since we had some time before lunch, he brought us up to the mountain to one of the Palace cum Lhakhang (I forgot the name. Was it Indo Choling Palace?), and we didn't enter though as Ugyen didn't like visiting Lhakhang so we just went to the nearby shop and had some drink :)

Delicious Indian lunch offered to both of us - Kadinche la Ugyen!!! :)

At around 1 pm, we were brought to the MHPA personnel lodge and had our Indian food lunch there together with few of his colleagues. The food was prepared freshly by the Indian cook just behind the dining room. The roti was delicious and fresh accompanied with some veggies, yogurt dips, cucumber, onion, chili, and a small bowl of dhall. I think I took 4 pieces of roti before decided that I was full hehehe... Nyummy!!! We were even given a special sweet dessert made of butter, Besan flour, and sugar, which tasted a bit like peanut paste for me :) Thank you Ugyen for letting us tasted the delicious Indian dishes there :)

Beautiful mountain view from Langthel back to Samcholing

After lunch Ugyen drove us to visit Kuenga Rabten Palace.

Road block - Common thing to face during monsoon season in Bhutan :)

On our way, there was a road block that took us almost an hour. Funnily, while waiting, I suddenly saw the man in Gho and cowboy hat that supposed to drop us to Langthel, just behind Ugyen's car. Lol!!! Me and Rupa were laughing to our heart again upon seeing him hahaha.... :P

Kuenga Rabten Palace - Trongsa, Bhutan :)

After patiently waiting, we finally reached the Kuenga Rabten Palace, was built in 1929.

Our visit to Kuenga Rabten Palace and Lhakhang - Trongsa, Bhutan

This was another palace that was used by second King - Jigme Wangchuk - during winter season with his wife - Ashi Phuntsho Choden. Three of us went for a visit while Ugyen was outside playing archery with young children :) We browsed the library at the third floor and it's filled with many Buddhist transcripts, which many were part of National Library of Bhutan's items.

Second King - Jigme Wangchuck's room inside Kuenga Rabten Palace - Trongsa, Bhutan

Rupa asked permission from the monk to show us the second King's room that was still well preserved, as if he was still living there. I loved the color and design of the wooden window inside his room. It's striking and reserved the Bhutanese culture in it.

Surround the Kuenga Rabten Monastery - Trongsa, Bhutan

There were more monks seen in this monastery. Many were seen busy studying the scripts. Maybe exam was coming??? :)

Busy playing archery :P

Very different from the group of 'children' here who were busy playing archery hehehe.... :D

Trio blogger meeting at Samcholing and Langthel :)

After visiting, Ugyen sent us back to school. Thank you la Ugyen for bringing us around almost whole day now. Because of you I was able to visit many beautiful Lhakhang and enjoy the picturesque mountainous view around Langthel and Samcholing. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!!! :)

Very happy with her Doraemon shirt and look at her wall!!!!! :O

Rupa and I had no agenda after that. What we did was we tried on the clothes and took photos. Hahahahahaha..... *again, never grow up women in action!!! Lol!!! :P Rupa was trying on Doraemon t-shirt I gave her and I was trying on full Kira that she gave to me.

Welcome to my Bhutan kitchen!!! :P

After that both of us went outside and took lots of pictures wearing our Kira. When passing by the school's kitchen, I went in. It was huge!!! The stoves were made by the cut barrels. The smoke was coming out from the boiling pot. It reminded me so much of the Korean series that I watched before. Didn't want to miss this occasion, I asked Rupa to take my photo there. Since I was wearing Kira, it would be as if it was my kitchen hehehehe.... My Bhutan kitchen!!! :D

Now welcome to my house!!! :D

And the above was my house, my typical Bhutanese village house up in the mountain, complete with the Phallus signage to ward off the bad things hehehehehe.... ;P

And here was my paddy plantation la!!! :D

Completed with my paddy plantation :)

Perfect combination!!!

The overall view surrounded the school was magnificent la!!! Such a perfect combination!!!

My dear friend :)

Ooopps... it won't be pefect yet!!! Without someone who accompanied you in your life journey, life would never be perfect!!! Yes, that's it! Friend!!! :) No matter how big your kitchen, house and paddy plantation were, but if you didn't have a special friend in your life, your life would never be complete la!!! You would only materially rich, but no emotional happiness inside your heart ^^

Their friend is your friend too!! :)

Their brother are your brother too hahaha... :D

Yeah, I think I've written too long and put so many pictures in this post. Hope you don't get bored reading it but instead, enjoy the beautiful nature and human being reflected inside. Hahaha... Just kidding... Laso la.. That was how our day well spent and ended with chang pa and dinner prepared by dear Rupa. Thank you Rupa for your time and effort spent together with me!!! I appreciated it very very much!!! Name same kadinche-la!!! :)