Flood

It was raining heavily yesterday evening and the road was still wet this morning. I departed as usual, eager to meet those willpower humans.

To my disappointment, I was wondering how come I didn't find many of them after crossing the Sunrise Bridge??? Seemed like all had suddenly disappeared. I only saw 1 cyclist from the opposite direction. No uncle who sat on wheelchair. No woman with barbells on her hands. No old-age couple. Even the moon had hidden itself from me.

I was sad and wondered. Was it due to the rain?? But it was not raining this morning!! Or did they sick? But couldn't be all of them sick at the same time, could they???

I kept wondering until I saw the flooded road under the TPE bridge. I thought the water level was not deep, so I went all the way with my bike. But I was wrong. The water level got deeper and it was as deep as 30 cm, maybe? I got my two feet wet while cycling (I had to keep cycling otherwise my bike stopped in the middle). There were some who trying to walk from sideway, but it was too low to go and the road didn't come straight, therefore made it difficult for people to walk through it. And at the end of the flood road, I saw the uncle who sat on the wheelchair. He was stranded there. And when cycling to direction of Punggol Park, I finally met the rest of the people whom I used to see and then I understood why.....

I continued cycling to Punggol Park and went one round along the pond and met the group of marching people again and heard the uncle's sound warning the rest of the group about my existence. Hehe...

When returning back, I went through the flooded road again. Anyway, my two feet had already wet, so what if I got it wet once again? No big deal right?? Just pray hard that there will be sunshine this afternoon so it can make my shoes dry :D

After reaching home, I made a glass of fresh apple juice. Hm... So sweet :) Nowadays I try to keep my life simple, as usual, and try to have more healthy food. Haha.... Easy to say but not easy to do. There are so much food varieties here! Too many temptations hehe... :D At least, try to drink fresh fruit juice everyday ba! And also eat at least one fruit a day.

I know life is short. And there were real happening too on those people who ran marathon and suddenly passed away on the finishing line at such young age. For outsider, they might think, what for you trained so hard? At the end, this was what you got.

And we've heard many other stories too, where young man in his 30s and 40s had suddenly passed away, although he didn't smoke, didn't drink, he exercised, took care of his food intake, and so on.

That's why many people lose their faith on doing all these. Therefore, they just live their lives as what it is. Enjoy life doing what they like to do with no control. Like smoking, drinking, eat excessively, no exercise, and waiting to die :D

But if I was those who died young, I might share my sentiments. Yes, I might leave the world so early, but we all know, life is unpredictable and nothing last forever. We will never know if we still can alive in minutes from now. But at least, before I died, I would have done what I loved to do and no regret ba! And at least I have tried my best to treat my body with love and kindness by doing healthy lifestyle. Hehe... That's just my thought though :D

Anyway, I'm still alive now. Will continue doing what I love and grateful for each and every new day that comes. Thank you SB!

The joy of meeting 'Willpower Human'

In previous post I was saying that I'd install a new habit. And now it's third day I woke up at 5am. Tell you what. I will describe the feeling that I had while cycling from these past two days here.

I departed at 5.30am from my home. The sky was dark. I was all alone, accompanied only by the crescent moon on my whole journey. I looked at it far above the sky, greeted and smiled :) At that hour, there were not many cars yet, moreover human.

I rode my bike while listening to Buddhist chants along the road path, all alone, quiet and dark. Sometimes there was water sound from the man-made river. Few times when I realized I was alone, the eerie feeling would turn up and scared myself he-he... I conquered it by listening to the chant. Luckily it didn't last long. Once I was reaching the bridge - I called it 'Sunrise Bridge' - where you could see the sunrise - I started seeing human beings.

It started with one or two cyclists from the opposite direction, then an old man who was doing exercise on the bridge. I started smiling and felt happy when seeing them because I was no more alone. From that point onwards, I had this gut feeling to observe the human that I met along the way. I called them “Willpower Human”, which means human with strong willpower.

Every time I passed them by, I would tell myself, “Wow!!! What a wonderful willpower human they are!! They wake up so early everyday (after two days of my observation when I met the same person again), just to do the exercise and keep themselves in a good health (body and mind).”

Since yesterday, I was observing them. I wanted to know how old they were. Was it more men or women? What they did? Was it walking? Sitting and meditating? Cycling? Running? It was at same path, almost same location where I saw them.

A lady in training suit was sweating and walking fast with two barbells on her left and right hand in a good coordination of the body moving. That’s the first that captured my view after passing by the bridge. Moving on, I saw a couple of old man and woman who walked separately, but they obviously know each other and perhaps husband and wife.

I saw an old man in a wheelchair yesterday. He was sitting all alone facing the big river. I was wondering who brought him there, or how could he land himself there as the place couldn’t be reached directly so easy using the wheelchair. And this morning, I finally found the answer.

I saw a man in running suit pushing the wheelchair from the opposite direction. “Haa…,” I nodded and talked to myself. “As per what I guessed.” There must be someone who pushed him there and left him while he did the exercise nearby. That was really great intention by this “willpower man”. The old man looked so weak and couldn’t walk himself. But he has a chance to enjoy the morning breeze and I saw him doing meditation, and it all thanked to the man who brought him there. Again, I was smiling and felt very happy seeing both of them.

On the way to Punggol Park, I would pass by a long road path. It was the path where I could meet more people. And these past two days, I saw the exact same people with additional of others. The same running man, the same bare-top man with a lady walking side by side and talking to each other, the same group of aunties in orange shirts walking by, the same old man clapping his hand while exercising, the same couple who did the warming up, and so on. It was so interesting, at least for me. I won’t get myself bored to see them again and again. They even motivated me to go there daily so that I can find them again.

Once reached Punggol Park, I would find some old men walking backward. It’s how he did his exercise. There were few more middle-aged women wearing same orange shirts did any kind of exercise they like. I rode one round around the pond and would pass by a group of about 20 middle-age people wearing same uniform that walked and marched together. They were all sweating and breathing hard. When I passed them by, I would hear the old man’s voice warned the rest of the group in front, “Xiao xin, jiao chi zai hou mian,” which means, “Be careful, bicycle on your back.” I heard it for a second time today, same voice and same person. I was smiling and happy hearing his warning as he cared about the safety of that group of people.

Oohhh…. It felt so good!!! Doing thing that you love really makes you feel wonderful. You wouldn’t feel dragged down to wake up so early in the morning. You would do it again and again, willingly, which I would say, opening up your heart for it.

On my way back, I saw some people whom I met earlier, going back to their home. Some aunties brought the plastic bag (perhaps after buying breakfast from nearby coffee shop for her families back home). Some were chit chatting on the bench. It seemed that this morning activity had created friendships for them :) And I would smell BBQ prawn from the prawn fishing place that located above the road path at that hour. Amazing right?? Some people didn’t require sleeping at all and enjoyed their lives anytime!! Haha….

It was still dark when I returned back to where I was from. After passing the “Sunrise Bridge”, I would be alone again, with view of very few people running or doing exercise. The moon was still there smiling at me. And before I went up, I met a cyclist who greeted me, “Morning!!” for a very first time human interaction and I greeted him back, smiling. Hehe… I also met an old couple who happened coming from the same estate where I stay, walking to the “Sunrise Bridge” direction. Usually I met them when I was on the way to MRT station to work. So now I know where they came back from.

There were group of people standing up in circle and I didn’t really know what they do, honestly. They were doing some kind of breathing exercise and I could hear their voice, which at first I thought was singing, hehe… This “Willpower humans” were the same group and were there these past two days.

It was wonderful! I will do it as many as I can, since I stay not far from the park. And being able to do this was really a gift, as not every day or every time that the weather was good. Tomorrow onwards, I will greet more on people whom I meet ba! Meeting so many willpower humans has made me feel happy and full of joy!

Reaching home, I put my bike back. Went to kitchen, took 2 carrots and 2 oranges out from the fridge, and made the fresh juices. Once done, I would sit on my balcony, enjoying the cool breeze and healthy juice, ready to start my day!

Do what you love and fear of doing - in practice

Simple thing that makes me happy :)

Lately I focused and enjoyed more on the nature that exist surround me. Realizing that I live in a place where natural resources are limited and surrounded more by concrete buildings, it doesn't stop me treasuring it. 

Instead of complaining on what we are lacking of, I focused more on what we have. Indeed, there is no big mountains, no real waterfalls, no big lake here, don't even have forest that is walkable and not forbidden to enter, but we still can enjoy the sunrise every morning and sunset in the evening. There are still beaches and rivers nearby us. There are still trees with beautiful flowers and different animal creatures like birds and butterflies flying in the sky.

Last night I was reading 'The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari". I read the part "Do what you love" and "Do the things that you fear." First, do what you love. I love cycling. I felt so freedom while riding it, as if there was no one else there, just me and my bike. And second, do the things you fear. I fear of waking up so early as I was afraid I wouldn't have enough sleep or energy after that. Hehe...

I was thinking to wake up as early as 5am every morning and do something like meditation. But somehow, since I had cycling in mind, and I had the urge to see the sunrise, I decided to start the easier thing first :) At 11.20 pm last night, I was telling my hubby to prepare the bike for me as I planned to cycle at 5am this morning. He was laughing at me and even asked me to kick his head if I could do that. Hohoho... Laogong, be prepared, Ok? :P I knew, he mocked me in purpose so that I could prove him wrong :D. 

And this morning when alarm rang, I had a thought of giving up. Hahaha.... I thought of having more sleep honestly. But my hubby's words played in my mind and I really wanted to prove him wrong. Haha... So I got myself prepare and left home at 5.30am.

It was still as dark as night time. Not many people outside and in the park. I went to Punggol Waterfront, the nearby man-made park and river. I listened to Buddhist chant to start my day and cycled all the way to Punggol Park. When reached the coffee shop, I thought of stopping and buying breakfast. But I then realized that there was no lock on my bike (but I brought the key with me... hahaha..). So, forget it then!

Punggol Waterfront - Sunrise at 6.30 am

i cycled back and went to the bridge where I could see the sunrise. At 6.30am, I sat and waited for the sun to rise. I took a rest, enjoyed the view, and snapped some shots of its beauty. Each time it came with different colors and it brought me with happiness. There were birds flying and singing. There were fishes swimming and looking for food near the grasses. And the sunshine was simply beautiful. The clouds were red and orange in color.

Sunrise @Punggol Waterfront

 And I love the clouds. It looked just like a cotton candy in the sky :)

Beautiful clouds @Punggol Waterfront

Well, I'm thinking of installing the new habit of waking up as early as 5 am in the morning everyday. Hehe... Make it this way ba! If weather is good, I'll go out cycling for 1.5 hours before going to work. But if it's raining, I'll still wake up early and try to meditate? What about it?? We'll see ba!!!

Beautiful sunrise :)

And I took the view above on the way cycling back home. I'm loving my new way of living. Hope I can maintain this spirit ah!!! Jia you jia you!!!!!

To-Read List

Just came back from library and managed to borrow a book by Ajahn Brahm and two books by Robin Sharma. I am reading halfway of 'The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari'. Hope it's gonna be undisturbed weekend and learn few things and practice it into a real life :)

I recall back on what he wrote, "When the student is ready the teacher appears." And also,
“I’ve learned that everything happens for a reason,” the yogi Krishnan told him. “Every event has a why and all adversity teaches us a lesson... Never regret your past. Accept it as the teacher that it is.” So, although I've just found out all this a little bit too late, it's still better late than never to know at all :) I feel so grateful! Enjoy your weekend everyone!!! :)

Minecraft random things with color :)

Colorful pictures by Reever Skantei

This evening after work, again my Baobei showed me his new creation. This time it comes with colors :)

Lately he loves to play the game called Minecraft. "Minecraft is a game about breaking and placing blocks. At first, people built structures to protect against nocturnal monsters, but as the game grew players worked together to create wonderful, imaginative things.It can also be about adventuring with friends or watching the sun rise over a blocky ocean. It’s pretty." - source Minecraft.net.

So, again, those were all his imaginations. Hope you enjoy that!! :)