HAPPINESS IS A LOOONG WAY AWAY

        YES, exactly 24 rusty drain grills away. It has been 5 years since the last paint job. We all know our weather has gone havoc. First, the scientists blamed it on the El Nino effect, and now it is global warming accelerated by burning of fossil fuels.

         In Malaysia, we have had more rainy days in the past 2 years than ever. There are no rainy seasons anymore, it just pours when it fancies. Not the piss-weak drizzles but full blown thunderstorms, with gale winds, booming thunder and lightning streaks frightening enough to make alpha dog Thory pee all over the house. With all the wetness, the grills rusted quickly. 

      Painting the drain grills was long overdue, but the very thought of this chore gave me panic attacks.  Just this Wednesday, I must have woken up on the wrong side of bed with brain freeze cos’ “kakak” and I laid the grills all along the garden and started the tedious task. Each grate is about 4 feet so we had about 96 feet to paint, 29 metres. Actually that's only one way, it is 96 feet up, flip over the grates and 96 feet down the garden again. Then it is probably, over to the chiropractor.

       We started every morning at 7.45 am. The sun gives me loads of Vitamin D but loads of pigmentation and sun spots on my face too.           So we were early and night birds, plodding along grill by grill, 

       even after dark with the garden lights. Neighbours probably thought we had gone insane with the partial lock down. 

      But who cares, it’s my face that is going to light up like a Christmas tree with freckles. 

      Three cans of glossy black and three days later, today SATURDAY at 9am, we ARRIVED at HAPPINESS. Phew, all glossy and looking new. A rolling stone gathers NO moss. But yikes,

       the inside of my drains had plants and tons of moss which had happily lived in the moist environment. 

This is a healthy Malaysian drain with its own unique ecosystem. Naturalist David Attenborough could have produced a video on this - "Flora and Fauna of Malaysian Drains."

        This was a job for a superhero and his Karcher high pressure jet spray. Gizmo Man to the rescue. One thing I must tell you about Gizmo Man is, besides his love for gadgets, he loves to do his chores in the heat of the day. So during the hottest time of the day at 11.52 am, 

he cranked up his jet spray and with Thory supervising 

he started shooting into the drains. 

Even wild horses couldn’t drag me out at midday,

 I was inside with the curtains drawn, away from my source of pigmentation and writing this post,  but there was Gizmo Man shooting away. It must be a MALE thing. After 3 hours, it was FINITO.

 So this was yet another memorable day under CMCO (partial lock down). 

I must say 2020 and the pandemic has its exciting moments!

SPEEDY SERVICE AMID AN IMPENDING CMCO

Honda Service Centre PJ 4S  allayed my anxieties of getting my car back on time. On time for what? The IMPENDING Conditional Movement Control Movement (CMCO) of course! 

Here we go round the mulberry bush again, parts of Malaysia will return to lock down or partial lock down tomorrow, 

and my car nearly went into lock down too. 

        How did all this happen? OK, it all started about 2 weeks ago when I took my car for its 40,000 km “check up.” I was informed that the service engineers found both front  lower arms faulty. What front lower arms? I know about cars - spark plugs, car suspension and even carburetors as my former carburetor died on me a few years ago. But, this lower arm lingo is alien vocabulary, and I am sure Mr. Victor Tee did not say car armrest (this one I know). 

Well, I am not one to argue with the experts, especially when I was informed the parts were claimable under warranty! He ordered the parts immediately and they were expected to arrive in 2 weeks. A few days later, I kept receiving calls from the Service Centre. But, you know, this “young” lady here has lots of happenings in her life and I didn’t return the calls. I was quite surprised then to

receive a Whatsapp message from Mr. Tee informing me to make an appointment to replace the warranty parts. My, my, that’s efficient for something under warranty and  FOC (Free of Charge) too! 

         Thus, this morning saw me hurrying to the Honda Service Centre at PJ 4S as the government had just declared a 14-day CMCO starting tomorrow. This means we can’t be jollying driving around, unless for essential matters, and replacing a car front lower arms is definitely NOT AN EMERGENCY.

        Gizmo Man was very “excited” and told me to make sure I get back my car TODAY or it may be lock down in the centre for 2 weeks.  I met Mr. Tee at around 8.45 am and was  relieved when he said my car would be ready by 3pm. PHEW, made it before CMCO tomorrow!!

         I was back home attending to my “happenings” when at 11 am, a “beeep” from my Whatsapp showed a message,

   “Your car is already done, replace parts and done tested.” That was FAST. Aargh, it was not 3pm yet. I had NO TRANSPORT cos Gizmo Man was having virtual meetings. 

        Mr. Tee promptly replied he'll meet me after his lunch break. 

Believe me, I am not paid for this post and I have absolutely NO affiliations with this service centre. In the past, I use to take a lot of things for granted, many times just forgetting to say TQ. With all the complications and uncertainties in life now, I have changed somewhat.  Say TQ now. Give credit when credit is due. 

Tomorrow may not come.

THANK YOU MR. VICTOR TEE

AND THE SERVICE TEAM AT 

Honda Service Centre PJ 4S - Tenaga Setia Resources Sdn. Bhd. 

KEEP UP THE EXCELLENT SERVICE. 

STAY SAFE ALWAYS.

Acknowledgement: The Star newspaper.

My reflection on QIGONG - SWEAT IN SLOW MOTION

JOM … I am ready,  QIGONG time!

        Qigong is like watching exercise in slow motion. Sometimes, NO MOTION at all. Are they moving? Are they even breathing? I can’t even see a muscle twitch!! No wonder there’s no action when their eyes are closed all the time. I have watched mainly the “mature generation” practise qigong in the mornings in the parks and badminton courts, and Ewww …this is definitely NOT for Sassy JAM.

6 am, breaking dawn,

       How wrong have I been! I now take back every unkind word said about qigong. When practised diligently, qigong is NOT for the undisciplined. It can build up a sweat equivalent to doing burpees. It can make you feel the burn in your arms and legs. It can increase your heart rate like any aerobic exercises. And ALL this while standing in one position or at the most moving 1 foot in length to the left or right. 

the birds are still asleep,

        WHAT IS QIGONG? Qigong in literal translation from mandarin means energy work. It appears as a graceful exercise with repeated movements and NO jarring moves. BUT, QIGONG IS NOT JUST AN EXERCISE. Followers believe in the concept of qi, an energy force that can be harnessed externally, stored and nurtured in our bodies for good health. 

Sassy JAM is already practising qigong with Typhoon Thory before sunrise. 

This is NOT my qigong uniform, I am still in my pyjamas.

         All qigong methods AIM to increase our biological/body qi to strengthen our minds. As we upgrade ourselves and build good internal references, we directly increase our self-awareness and become more conscious towards becoming a complete person. 

 

My dedicated teachers, The Liews, teaching us qigong via zoom video communication during the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) period. The little blue bird on the right is me, confirming that I am attending class!!

        This is what the qigong “lao shi” (teachers) say. One need not take their words as gospel truth. Practice qigong diligently and experience the benefits yourself. Qigong cannot be forced upon a person, it is not like going to the gym or carrying weights which promises physical results. Do not expect a six-pack with qigong, or bulging biceps to attract the gals. Qigong is NOT A WORKOUT, it is a body-mind practice. It unlocks barriers in our meridians to allow the flow of qi and sets the body into a regeneration mode. For the uninitiated, this is hard to understand and may sound like pure hogwash. Qigong is not for everyone, but  “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. ” 

       

 "Hey Belle, looks like our Sassy JAM cannot do the moving table top," says Thory

My own experience with qigong has so far been a three-year journey. I was always searching for the elusive “qi.” Some say it is like an electric current flowing from finger tips into their bodies, some feel their hands and finger tips warm and swollen red, while others talk of a “qi ball” rotating and floating between their palms. I am a scientist and having attended many, many boring Physiology lectures during undergraduate studies, I can probably analyse a few of these as being due to increased blood flow. 

    'Jom ... Belle, help me push her up.' Belle says, "sorry I am already tired."

        DO NOT LOOK FOR QI. The continuous search for qi as a physical feeling/force or trying to visualise it as light or colours can suppress other capabilities. This can lead to BIAS thinking as one then envisage qi as an energy that MUST be felt or seen. I did not realise that with qigong practice over the three years, I had already acquired “qi” in the form of enhanced sensitivity and increased perception in my daily life.  

        Just recently, Savvy K exclaimed to me, "Mummy, are you a witch or what? How did you know it would happen?" I feel that with qigong, my mind has become more peaceful (less of a monkey mind). In this improved state of calmness, I have become more receptive to messages and vibrations (insight/sounds?). I have become more discerning. This is my reflection on qigong. My experience can be supported or refuted. I accept both graciously, as the benefits of qigong differ with each individual.

        Our Zhiren Qigong group took the challenge to visit the Top of the World in 2019, shown here at Namtso Lake, Tibet. Also known as Heavenly Lake, it  is the highest salt water lake in the world at 4,718 metres (15,479 feet). Average age of group members on this trip - 60 years; oldest -  a sprightly 80 year-old (3rd from right, back row). 

Family that works out together, stays together. 
I have taught Thory to arch his back yoga-style.

This is one of the exercises from the Five Tibetan Rites, a 2,500 year-old yoga practice to strengthen the body.

QIGONG IS A PERSONAL JOURNEY

EACH WILL AWAKEN AND EXPERIENCE QI IN HIS/HER OWN WAY