In the Wrong Pool

I was waiting for my lunch when this lovely pair took flight out of their own pond, and decided to take a dip in the more luxurious swimming pool. The owner was chasing them back, until they noticed I was taking pictures of the mischievous pair (who knew what they wanted!).

I remember it was very warm that day in Amed. It must have been global warming & the higher temperature causing the pair to flock for the larger cooler human pool. It is a challenge right now trying to stay fresh if I stay outdoor for more than one minute. I can feel the change in temperature as compared to a year ago before I left for Tokyo.

On Sunday, I visited Lama Shifu with my bf's family. We asked some questions, and received some blessings. During the Q&A, he encouraged us to break out of our own limited perspective. He mentioned that most couples these days have high expectations of each other which can become a problem. It is natural that a man wishes for his lady partner to be pretty, gentle, and able to take good care of him. A woman on the other hand hopes that the man be rich and successful.

look up

Religious symbol relating to the mountains in Amed, Bali.

This week was crazy with bosses coming from Tokyo and London. In addition to the extra P&L book I had to take care of, I had to attend three one-on-one meetings, and lunches & dinner. Still, meeting the heads was rewarding. It was an opportunity to stretch my perspective and deliberately try on new viewpoints. It was a good chance to gain simultaneous awareness of the big picture, as well as the individual circumstances that are about to change...

View for Four Days

This is the view from my cottage for four days. It is really inspiring to be with nature, and to be so close to the horizon:

Four days of peace and healthy food served @ Dancing Dragon was truely refreshing. The resturant prides itself on "No Msg" and no heating up of food in microwave ovens. I remembered asking for soy sauce to go with the eggs, and the waiter replied "sorry we don't serve artificial flavouring".

Unfortunately, you can't bring the serenity back to city life. In fact, for the past week my team just moved up to the trading floor. You hear "Sell Sell Sell" especially around the 4pm window. As they speak louder, I begin to yell louder on my phone. Still, I am amazed @ the energy level, and love this new environment.

A Cat's Life



Chinese has this saying "tong ren bu tong ming". This also applies to my friend's cat Tiger, housed in a landed property he named "Cat Country".

Tiger is the most well-fed (fat) cat I have ever seen in my life. Tiger's sleeping and sitting posture is almost human-like. Recently, another kitten, named Sushi was adopted from the Animal Lovers League (for abandoned & abused pets). Sushi was very defensive as we tried to bring her out of the cage. She was even reluctant to drink the first feed of milk from a tablespoon. Of course, she refused to swallow the de-worming tablet as we tried to force her to swallow. But little does she realize, she is about to become one of the luckiest cats you can find.

As I mentioned "tong ren bu tong ming", I also read the following from The Sunday Times, UK, by AA Gill:

"Last week, I came this close to eating at the furry bowl, but it was dashed away before I could get stuck in. I have at last found a nation that eats cats for pleasure. Stand up, Ghana, and take a miaow. Innocently, a chap I was travelling with in the bush mentioned that he had to get home. “We’re having cat tonight,” he said. “Mmm-mmm.” Cat? Real cat? Moulty, lap-needling, stink-spraying, baby-scratching pretty kitty? “The same,” he said. Is this just you and your wife, or do others eat it, I inquired, trying to keep the excitement out of my voice. “Oh, everyone eats cats – they’re delicious, a great delicacy. We have restaurants that serve cats.” Do you keep them as pets as well? “Yes, of course. We love cats. The children play with them, then we eat them.”

With nature

Amed, Bali - on a fisherman's boat, a journey that started @ 5am.