What's the story?

So I was reading the news as usual. Just catching up with interesting happenings around the world. I always start with the business section as it can have the most immediate impact on everyone. (at least I think so) “China’s biggest bank to IPO” “IBM profits up 11%” “Intel unveils yet another chip” Now on to the Sports section. I pinched the bottom left corner of the page. My eyes scanned the page before turning. Ahh….. the sports section…. Wait a minute, I turned back to the previous page.
Right smack at the center, I see a familiar name. I’ve seen this name before when I was in the army. Naturally, I looked at the picture. Is that him?! The age was printed too. Hey that’s the same age as the army friend I know. I looked for more information to tally with what limited information I know of my friend. His location….. match
I felt a tingling down my back… That was the Obituaries section.
Reaching for my phone as if an instinct, I called Darren.

“Hey can you take a look at the Straits Times Obituaries. Home section page 14. Seah. Is that Seah from our camp?” Darren without skipping a beat: “Yes. We are going to the funeral tonight.”

Sitting there, staring at empty space, I took a sip from my coffee mug as flashes of my past interactions with Seah filled my arc of sight. I really don't know the appropriate things to think and feelings to feel. (if there are any appropriate ones)
Four weeks ago, I just saw Seah at reservist. He greeted me with a cheeky smirk on his face. Now he’s gone.
[In Singapore, every guy has to spend 2 – 2 ½ years full time in the army. Having completed the service, if you are lucky, you have to return for training once every year. If you are very lucky, once every few years. If you placed your wish-fulfilling cow at the right place in your home, you won’t even get a recall (if any) in years!]

*Feng shui tip: The cow is regarded as a holy animal. It helps us lighten the work load. (try ploughing the land yourself!) Not to mention the dairy products that they provide us. (unless you are lactose intolerant, you will probably agree with me on this) The wish-fulfilling cow is said to bring good luck and usually sits on a bed of coins or ingots. Display it on your coffee table.

Isn’t life unpredictable?! The only certainty for tomorrow is that the sun will rise. Seah is my first 1st degree friend to go. I cannot claim to know him well. Nevertheless he has reminded me with 2 of the oldest and overused phrases of wisdom – “live life to the fullest”, “live each day as if it is your last”.

Take time out from your job. Do some things that you’ve always wanted to do. Go for a vacation. Make small talk with people you don't know but crossed path. It could be fate that brought 2 together. If feng shui is a hobby, start to feng shui your home now. You never know…. feng shui changes made today may just help you avert misfortune tomorrow.

The irony is that right here, we are fortunate enough to apply feng shui to better our lives and seek life’s mysteries through metaphysics, while others in the middle east are only concerned if they would make it through the night. Feng shui is probably the last thing on their minds. (Israel is planning for more air-strikes at Lebanon as I write this)

*Feng shui guide: The ruling star for the year 2006 is the conflict star. Surprisingly,the ruling elements for 2006 are fire and earth. These are also in conflict with the self element of 2006, wood. Now we are seeing what all these feng shui energy dynamics means. ..