The Mocking Diet

Vegetarian diet---  in the Eastern part of the world is being seen as a " cumbersome".While in the West, it has becoming a fashion statement, a trendy way of living. Interesting!

A personal statement: Not all vegetarians are healthy, not all non-vegetarians are unhealthy. Its the upholding of making a wise decision and able to discriminate what's good and what's bad for our body. In the Eastern diet, especially Chinese--- a good percentage of vegetarian choices are mocked meat.

I've no idea who started this mocked meat varieties, its really contradicting. Many vegetarians take mocked meat to replace real ones, but why? Why go for imitation when there are real ones?

* mocked meats are made up of beans, gluten, lots of seasonings and sauces ( high in salt and sugar), soy- protein concentrate--- a highly processed food.

In actual fact, the mind is still holding on to the craving for meat. Its a suppression, that the consumption of meat happens in the mind; and not knowing what exactly the body is taking.  Thus, the mind and the body is moving apart, causing internal tension.

I know people rushing into a vegetarian diet for different reasons, and changed their diet suddenly. What's the rush? Practising the values of non-violence involve the others and also ourselves. Moving into a mocked- meat based diet is as good as mocking at ourselves.
Take one step at a time, monitor through the food choices and just be in full consciousness.

" Its better to be on a healthy non- vegetarian than an unhealthy vegetarian diet."

The cello is my weapon~ Dr. Beatocello

Just a 15 minutes walked out from the guesthouse, there is a hospital sitting at one side of the main road. As the day breaks, the locals would be waiting outside the hospital--- hospital for the children. We were on our way down to the central area, as the tuk- tuk passed by the hospital, i saw flashes faces with glimpses of hopes waiting for the door to open.

Beside the hospital, is a small concert hall--- where Dr Beatocello ( real name as Beat Richner) holds regular cello performance every Saturday at 7.15pm, free admission.

On a Saturday evening, we settled in a cushion seat, waiting for the show to start. Later, a man in smart causal, messy hair, armed with his cello walked up on the stage, without a word., sat down and played the first song. I used to attend concerts and heard how soloist perform for the audience. This Swedish man, played only for himself--- he was so engrossed that somehow the cello, the notes, the tunes and him has become one. As if the only thing he do whole day is this. Really shweet!

In between each pieces, Dr Beatocello would give a speech of the current situation of the hospital operations, the Cambodian children ( most of them suffered from TB), and very open about that they need funds and blood for the patients. And followed by a short video clips, that screened the history of how he came about in Cambodia, way before i was born.

I'm impressed, not only by what he has been doing--- but that he knows how to keep his passion going for himself by performing in public, and using his talents and skills to fulfill his mission to help the Cambodians.
Want to know more about this operation, please visit: www.beatocello.com

From Singapore, a group of wonderful doctors do also run " Operation Smile" , providing treatments for facial deformities to Cambodian children, check them out at:  www.operationsmile.org

We meet many people everyday, but how many of them are filled with so much warmth and passion, who are happy with what they has been doing, who are willing to go an extra mile, beyond their work space, and extend their hands to make a positive difference in the society? Not many.
I count myself lucky to meet a few...

Lady, you want some massage?

A day before the group arrive, shirly and i had our little holiday--- traveling around the town of siem reap intensively. We were told that the massage services are very affordable ( from USD3 on wards). A more premium range is probably charging at USD25 onwards.

Baking under the noon sun, feet were sore from the whole day of walking, we decided to check out the services. Went around hunting for Frangipani Spa as recommended by Kania ( a staff from Bloom Garden). It is located at a small street cluttered with other shops. The moment i stepped in, it a nice fuzzy homely feeling seeped into me. The operation is run by a group of Cambodian ladies, properly trained with good skills.

 

Out of curiosity, we went on to for a foot massage at one of the affordable range. We opted for the leg massages--- and never expect any foot reflexology, because its just "massage".

We probably got massage the same strokes for 15-20 minutes on each leg. And later they moved on our shoulders, neck and head. I could not stop laughing--- running on my shoulders, pressed my head like cracking a walnut; i must had look utterly funny with the violent shakes all over. I went back with some colours on my legs. Its was an interesting experience:)

a penny for a thought...

A Riel getting away!

A 3D4N getaway ended beautifully as how it had began.

Gathered a group of people who met up for the first time, shared their purpose of attendance, shared their history and future, discovered their first time in Siem Reap together, sweated through the practices, nodded off sleepily together in the meditation classes, armed with yoga mats for a practice in Aagkor Wat for the first time...

At the back garden of Bloom Garden.



breakfast! breakfast!

Personally, a yoga retreat was a dream, and others helped this dream come true. I am truly grateful for that. The idea of  "I.M Perfect Getaway" came in by chance in 2010. As shirly and i were chatting about organising a retreat--- just then the computer besides us popped up an email from Diana. An invitation from her to her newly operated guesthouse in Siem Reap. I felt fairy godmother had sprinkled some miracle dust over us--- " Why not do it in Siem Reap!?".

Six people from six different backgrounds with six different stories met in Siem Reap. And we became a part of one other's history.

Ces't La Vie!

We are standing on the same land, doing different things.

We are holding the same responsibility, upholding different values.

We are doing similar things, on different lands.

We are looking through the same window, seeing different things.

We are doing the same thing, thinking differently.

We are speaking the same language, conveying different messages.

What we see is not necessarily what we get.

What we want to get is not necessarily will make us happy.

We are unsatisfied until we get it. When we get it we're unhappy again.

And looking for things we have yet to get.

And so... ces't la vie! ( that's life!)

Crossroad--- love and hate

" I AM STUCK IN A CROSS ROAD!"

At some point in our life, we may had experience spending some time standing at a crossroad. You may had just reached, still standing or had just move away from that point.  We thought life was good, but how did we get ourselves stuck on the crossroad?

Standing on a crossroad is an experience, a good one. When reached a point that we're exposed to many pathways, we stop. A time when we felt loss, unsure, doubts--- and we're aware of it. Otherwise, we would have just walk according to plan.

i would see it positively, its a chance when we can decide to take on a life-changing path--- or staying stagnant and get stuck. Most time, we can see a group of people standing on the same crossroad, discussing which path is best to take. And this take almost....FOREVER. Till today, they are still standing at the same point.

Before the crossroad, is an experience.

On the crossroad, is also an experience.

Moving away from the crossroad, is too an experience.

No point making any conclusion unless the path is taken.

It's risky to stay on the crossroad for too long, watch our for fast moving vehicles!

Words turned zer0

Anything that's been overused loses its value. Just like a joke been told to the same person repeatedly, has loses its tickle. The person who hears its, the ears turning numb; the person we spoke it, the tongue turning numb. And there's little meaning in that conversation.

We love to use this three words to anyone " How are you?". Some are sincere, most are not. Its different from ' Good day or good morning". If the same person asks "How are you?" everyday,  are they willing to help me if I'm not good?

When my sis just started working; one day she came home from work and said, " the people in my work place are weird. They asked me how am i, before i could greet back, the next sentence is " could you help me to do something?" ".

When we find ourselves started to repeat the same thing again and again, cut it back, its time to make some changes. Revalue what's coming out from our mouth, add some value to the words for the ears of others.

7- Year

Biologically, it takes 7 years for body cells renewal completely. So to say, every 7 years, we sort of take on a new body. But of course, if we were to look into this microscopically, we've never stop changing. This second is different from the next...

Zooming out for the bigger picture, if we were to view our life cycle; we do move into stages of life every 7 years. First 7 years, we learnt to stand on our both feet and talked. we started to explore the things around us, made our parents crazy by never-ending questions.

The next 7 years, we went through dramatic hormonal changes during puberty. In search for self-identity and social circles. At 14, was a my first turning point. I finally flung my exams due to my years of laziness. Made a sharp turn and woke up since.

At 21 year old, we turn "adult" officially. We wanted others to treat us in a mature way. We stepped into  the working society and moving into career. I was at a cross-road and had my second turning point here, shifted from management to yoga teaching. I did not realise it, until i started looking back at my personal timeline. Interesting!

Moving into the third batch, i am in mid way to 28 year-old. We have this blue-print at the back of our head; a visualization of the life we want to move towards to. Our body changes, i am no longer the 21 year old "Adeline". Learning to drop the body and take on a new body.

How many batches of 7-year do we have in a lifetime? Well, its up to us.

Take a step back and review our life cycle in batches of 7-year. Though there's no strict rules that things should change every 7 years, its when we keep track whether we're "growing" or "aging". And every transition, is like a "re-birth"--- we're given another chance to grow, don't miss it!