feng shui salsa - lazy man's feng shui

Arrangement Of Your Furniture To Enhance Decor

2012-05-22T06:21:00.000+08:00

Arranging the furniture in the right manner ensures that the room area is efficiently used. A clever furniture arrangement can also highlight a favorite piece of furniture. However, figuring out the best way to utilize space and create a comfortable atmosphere can be a difficult chore. But with some planning and creativity, it can be accomplished easier than you think.

Before you move anything, you have to decide what the focal point of the room is going to be. Focus your efforts around that location or item. Before arranging furniture in the room, decide on what will be the focus of the room. Center your furniture arrangement around that focal point. It can be anything; a fireplace, a picture window, a home entertainment center or a wall painting.

Chairs should be placed within about eight feet of each other to encourage conversation. Position a table in such a way that it is easily accessible from every chair. Keep a light source near the seating area. Coffee tables should have a clearance of about 14 to 18 inches from the sofa. Side tables should be at least as tall as the arm of the chairs or sofa to make serving easy and discourage accidental spills. When arranging furniture, make sure you provide enough space to move around the room.

In a multipurpose room, arrange furniture in a way that you divide the room into separate living and dining spaces. A strategically placed screen or curtains hung from the ceiling are simple and inexpensive ways to accomplish this. Make sure the room stays balanced and that the sections or divisions don't fight one another. Area rugs are a great way to define areas and groupings. Small pieces can easily get lost in a large room, so be sure to group them with larger elements.

Curtains For Feng Shui

2011-02-15T23:12:00.000+08:00

If you're looking into adding some fresh decorative touches to your home, a good place to start is with your window treatments. But it can be a bit daunting to your budget to purchase window treatments for an entire room. However, there are many window treatment options available that you can do yourself, and you never even have to pick up a needle or thread a sewing machine. With a little imagination and some simple connectors, any piece of fabric can easily and quickly be transformed into a window treatment. So find a fabric that suits your home décor and personal style, and choose something that already has finished edges, such as a vintage linen or printed sheet. Then choose a grommet, clip, hook, or cord to hang it with, and you'll have a beautifully simple and inexpensive window treatment that reflects your personal style and creativity.

Grommets, slipped over wall hooks, produce a simple, crisp window treatment. Generally, a hammer and a grommet tool works at least as well for setting just a few grommets. The grommet prevents the hook from tearing through the hole. You can thread rayon cording through grommets and tie behind the grommets to create loops to hang from a wooden dowel or hooks above the window.

There are also stylish clips that can be found at flea markets and antique stores that simply latch onto the fabric. Home decorating and import stores also carry clip-on rings to hang curtains from.

You can even use buttons on curtains. Simply thread fine wire through the holes and sections of ribbon and simply twist the wire on the back side to create simple ribbon loops to hang the curtain with.

Let your creativity be your guide, and you can craft window treatments that reflect your personality and style. You're only limited by your own imagination.

Little Tips 1

2009-11-08T16:30:00.003+08:00

It is good feng shui to design a row of commerical buildings with unifying architecture or constructional features.

For example, if 1 building is made of bricks, those that are built next to it shoud be the same bricks either. It would be even better to build them of the same height. This architectual layout enhances the unity and compatibility of the feng shui of the buildings.

Organization Of A Small Bathroom

2007-12-28T01:29:00.000+08:00

Small, cramped bathrooms with little space and lots of stuff can present big problems for a busy family. With items strewn across the bathroom countertop with no designated space make it difficult to find that favorite pot of lip gloss, box of dental floss or can of hair mousse when morning routine time is at a minimum. You can conquer this problem with an honest assessment of your bathroom's contents and some creativity.

First of all, look around your bathroom. If you have products in your bathroom that you didn't like after the first use, or that someone who previously visited left there and your family doesn't use, get rid of them. This can be a tough pill to swallow if you focus on the money that you spent on buying it, but if it's taking up valuable space in your cramped bathroom quarters, it's costing you more in headaches and stress than it's worth. You'll probably be amazed at how much space you can free up by clearing out these unused, unwanted items.

After you've cleared these items out, assess what's left. If there's a drawer for makeup, but nothing in it is sorted, consider some small boxes or baskets to place them in. Place lipsticks and glosses in one bin, another for makeup compacts, and another for makeup applicators such as brushes and sponges. If there are a lot of hair products, consider using a larger basket to place them in and stored under the sink which can be easily removed and put away each morning.

If you're in the habit of stocking up on those products you seem to go through quickly such as toilet paper, lotion, or toothpaste, consider storing those in a pantry or linen closet instead of in the bathroom itself. Make sure all family members know where to look for a replacement or refill should they run out.

Most importantly, get your family to agree on using and maintaining the organization system that's been developed. It'll do no good to organize only to find things disheveled and unorganized the following week. Ask for input when devising a system, and make sure it's one that everyone involved can live with.

Little Tips To Liven Up Your Living Room

2007-11-25T00:39:00.000+08:00

Your living room is the room in your house where most of the living takes place. It's where your family gathers to watch television, read, and generally unwind and relax after a busy day. It's also the room where company gathers during parties and holidays. But you're struggling to come up with decorating ideas and strategies for it, and you worry that your budget isn't big enough to do the job justice. But with a little planning, creativity, and ingenuity, your living room can be a relaxing environment where you can unwind or entertain with comfort and ease.
Consider pulling pieces you have in other rooms into your living room to use. A short, double-sided dresser can easily become a buffet when a table runner and an arrangement of candles or a colorful flower centerpiece is placed on top.

Use your furniture arrangement to define functional areas. Strategically placed floor rugs, lamps and furniture can create zones in your home. You can arrange your seating to take advantage of a focal point, such as a television, picture window or a fireplace. You can also find affordable component pieces that combine functional storage with fashionable decorating lines. Tables with drawers and shelves add valuable, and a simple desk doubles for homework, household management, bill paying and filing.

When accessorizing your room, remember that less is more. Choose neutral colors and accent with colorful textured throws, rugs, and other decorative and artistic elements. Keep the balance of your room in perspective. You don't want to overwhelm a small room with large, bold pieces, nor do you want to place smaller, neutral pieces in a large room where they'll get lost.
If you're working with used furniture, try distracting from worn upholstery or a faded finish by using colorful toss pillows or table runners. Bright curtains can distract from a faded carpet and breathe new life into an old room.

Creating A Scrapbook Of Your Life

2007-10-24T00:34:00.000+08:00

Scrapbooking has become a popular pastime through the past few years. If you've looked into it, you know that it can easily become an expensive one as well. But with some creativity, you can use the everyday items in your house to create a scrapbook that reflects your individual personality and style.

After you've selected your favorite photos and mementos for your scrapbook, take a look around you. You've probably looked at items around your house hundreds of times without considering their scrapbook potential.

If you've got photos from a favorite vacation, look around to see what you have around your home that reminds you of that trip. Postcards, souvenirs and even travel brochures that can be cut apart are great ways of building a great vacation page or section.

If you're building a school days page, report cards, awards, certificates, ribbons, graded assignments, and even notebook doodles are clever enhancements. Paper clips or crayon wrappers work nicely.

Pressed flowers, handwritten poetry, and clippings from magazines can also nicely enhance a wedding or engagement page. Be sure to jot down details of the day you want to be sure you remember. Use the fronts of some of your favorite cards and remnants from saved gift wrap as backgrounds for your photos.

Ribbons and gift wrap remnants also work well for baby's page. Be sure to include an announcement card and a copy of baby's footprints. You might also want to tuck in a corner of a baby blanket or a page from a favorite storybook.

Even remembrance pages can reflect your own personal memories of your lost loved one. Enhance your favorite photos with a label from a favorite perfume or cologne, food, beverage. Movie ticket stubs, buttons, newspaper articles, handwriting samples and favorite quotes or funny moments jotted down on paper can make your page special.

With a fresh look at some ordinary, every day items, your scrapbook can take on a personal and individual flair.

Coordinating Quality Family Time

2007-09-22T01:45:00.000+08:00

If you have a busy family that seems to be traveling in different directions constantly, you know how challenging it can be to coordinate everyone's schedules. Between projects and deadlines at the office, meetings with your children's teachers, after school activities like soccer practice and troop meetings, not to mention the household chores, it can be a dizzying and confusing task. But if each family member is committed and communicates effectively, the task of creating a combined family schedule is a manageable one for you.

The first step is to commit to weekly family meetings. Make it mandatory that each family member is there so that the schedule can be discussed and organized. This should also double as a great opportunity to schedule quality family time together, so make sure it's held at a time when everyone is able to attend.

Next, design a schedule that can be easily accessed by all family members, so that everyone knows where everyone else should be at any given time. This can be done by designing one yourself using materials such as poster board, markers, pushpins and index cards that can be pinned to the schedule, allowing for changes that can occur from week to week. It could also be designed on your family computer and saved onto the desktop, so each family member can readily access it and make changes if necessary. Have family members get into the habit of indicating on the schedule specific addresses or contact telephone numbers if the activity is new or changes from week to week. Be sure that care providers for your children such as grandparents and babysitters are familiar with your scheduling system and know how to use it.

Again, with a commitment from each family member and open lines of communication, the family schedule can be a useful tool for everyone.

Managing Mail And Paper Clutter

2007-08-21T01:34:00.000+08:00

Households are bombarded with paper on a daily basis. Bills, statements, pay stubs, calendars, schedules, menus and permission slips seem innocent enough individually, but when joined with the other piles of unattended paperwork, they can form an army that overwhelms even the best defenses. But you shouldn't feel defenseless against this persistent warrior. With an organized plan of attack and some disciplined strategy, the paperwork enemy can be conquered and tamed.

First of all, take a look at the type of paperwork that's overwhelming you the most. Is it those bills that go unpaid when you can't locate them? Is it the mounds of artwork your children have lovingly created and decorated your refrigerator with? Maybe it's the constantly changing soccer schedule or troop meetings.

Once you determined the most invasive paper culprit or culprits, it's time to line them up and sort them out. A successful filling system has three main components. A file for those things that need to be acted on immediately, one for those that are part of a household's ongoing management, and one for those that are more infrequent but nevertheless crucial, such as tax records, insurance policies, wills, and home maintenance documents.

When conquering the paperwork monster, make a promise to yourself to deal with each item the first time you handle it. Get out of the habit of rifling through your mail and tossing it aside. Set aside time each day to open mail, go through paperwork in your inbox and sort and file appropriately. Decide if each item is something to be paid, something to be done, or something to be filed. At the end of each week, take out each file and respond appropriately by paying the bill, responding to the request, or moving items that need to be filed into their permanent locations. Of course, if you know something is urgent and can't wait until week's end, clip it to the front of your file box or place it in front in a folder labeled Urgent and act accordingly.

Save telephone time by keeping calendars, schedules, take-out menus and phone lists into clear page protectors in a 3-ring binder. Flip through the household notebook to quickly check meeting dates or find phone numbers. Create your own forms, or use our free printable Household Notebook forms. This is also a great place to put correspondence addressed to the entire family. Organize magazines and newspapers into baskets kept near couches and living room chairs for people to look at during their free time. Be sure to keep in the habit of sorting through this on a regular basis and filing those magazines you decide to keep and tossing old newspapers and magazines you wish you toss.

Managing Bathroom Clutter

2007-07-20T03:12:00.000+08:00

Bathrooms seem to be notorious for becoming cluttered and unkempt. Between small makeup compacts, medicine bottles, hair accessories, razors and the like, it can be quite easy to lose things in the shuffle. Assess your bathroom and its contents and utilize a few simple ideas and you'll find more space and tranquility as a result.

First, take a good look at your medicine cabinets. Ironically, it's probably not a good idea to store medicine in your medicine cabinet, as most bathrooms become hot and humid during showers and baths, and can be detrimental to medication that requires being stored at room temperature. Don't keep medicines past their expiration date, even if you've never opened them or have used them very little. Try storing your medications on a high shelf in your linen closet with a lock-tight lid. This will help lengthen their shelf life as well as keep them out of reach of curious little hands.

The same should be done with old makeup. Generally speaking, most makeup will last about 18-24 months, with the exception of mascara, which lasts about three months, and liquid eyeliner, which lasts about three to six months. Nail polish generally only holds up for about a year, so if you have any older than that, get rid of them. And since many makeup products have animal-based ingredients, it's also important to pay attention to how they smell. If they smell like they've gone bad, they probably have, so toss them. Try using a permanent marker to mark the purchase date on the back of the item, so that way you won't have to try to remember just how long it's been since you purchased something.

If you take a look in your favorite discount store's home organization aisle, you'll find lots of inexpensive storage containers that can easily be utilized in bathroom drawers, under the sink, and for shower and bathtub areas as well. Since bathrooms are full of small things, they can easily be organized in small bins, baskets or boxes.

Preserving Your Memories

2007-06-19T13:24:00.000+08:00

Photos can be a wonderful way to preserve memories and relive favorite past moments. However, they can also become a cluttered mess without an organized storage plan.
Probably the most important tool to have when you begin your photo organization project is a trash can. Statistics show the average person develops one roll of 24 pictures a month but only seven are worth keeping. That being said, you'll probably find many photos in your collection that simply aren't worth keeping.

Another tool you'll need during your organization process is several manila envelopes. Do your best to sort the photos by year, and place each group in the envelope with the year clearly marked on it. Place these envelopes in a strong cardboard box or storage bin. You'll probably be able to store a decade's worth of photos in a single container.

Collages and shadow boxes are great ways to display several photos from a selected year. Include mementos and keepsakes in the shadowbox to add a unique personality. Special photos should be enlarged and framed to be displayed around your home.

Take special care to purchase photo albums that are made with acid-free paper. The acid used in processing everyday paper can be very damaging to photographs over the long haul.
Scrapbooking is a growing trend and a clever and creative way to display your photos. Craft stores have an abundance of scrapbook supplies, including stencils, decorative scissors, background papers, rubber stamps and permanent markers. You can also utilize everyday items around your house such as ribbons, magazine clippings, and fabrics. Again, take care to ensure that the paper you use is acid-free or is displayed separately from your favorite photos.
Lastly, just in case something should happen to your photos, make sure you have a backup plan to replace them. Store the negatives of your most important and cherished photographs in your safe deposit box to also protect against theft or destruction from elements such as fires or floods.

Recycling For Feng Shui

2007-05-17T18:22:00.000+08:00

Every year, tons of material that could be recycled aren't, and end up clogging our already overwhelmed dumps, waterways and roadsides. Most people think it's a difficult undertaking to organize a recycling center at home. However, with some creativity and commitment, it can be easy to do. You'll feel better about yourself doing your part to care for the environment as a result, too.

Find a convenient place in your home or apartment for the center. It doesn't take much
room for your recyclables. The garages, a storage closet, corner of the kitchen, or under your kitchen sink all make great locations. Find and clearly label containers in which to store your recycled materials. Plastic buckets, storage containers or even trash cans work great depending on the amount of room you have available.

Get your family actively involved in the recycling process. Make sure they all are aware of what products can be recycled. Teach them the difference between the aluminum can bin and the tin can bin. While doing their weekly chores, teach them to be on the lookout for recyclable material lying around the house, and encourage them to place it in the proper storage bins.

Encourage them to come up with ideas for reducing the amount of recycled material that's consumed by your household. Take them along with you to the recycling center in your neighborhood so they can witness the process firsthand. Show them how they can reuse recyclable materials in their own organizational efforts at home. Perhaps a large cardboard box can double as a bin for all their shoes, or a coffee can be repurposed as a penny bank.

And when they learn the money that can be both saved and earned from recycling and reusing products, they'll have developed an environmentally healthy and thrifty habit for life.

Do Not Forget About Safety When Remodelling Your Home

2007-04-26T21:41:00.000+08:00

Home improvement projects can be dangerous. Many tasks call for sharp tools or power tools that can cause injuries. You can't successfully repair or tackle home improvement projects your home if you're not careful. With a little careful organization and forethought, even the most difficult home improvement tasks can be conquered safely and successfully.

Be sure to completely read the instruction manual for your power tools and follow the manufacturer's safety cautions. Tighten any adjustments and check that the guard is working before you operate a tool. Keep power tools dry, and plug them into grounded electrical outlets. Take care not to cut the power cord. Never store your power tools while they are still connected to the power supply.

Keep fingers well away from a power blade. Clamp small pieces of wood before cutting them, rather than holding them. It's imperative to wear work gloves when you're handling rough materials such as wood, glass, or metal, but take them off when using a power tool so you have complete control over it.

Never use any kind of power tool without proper protective eyewear. Unplug a power saw before changing the blade or doing any other kind of maintenance or cleaning to it.
Learn how to properly support a board when you cut it with a power tool so it doesn't kick back towards you during use.

Always completely shut off power or water when working with the electrical wiring or the plumbing. One of the first questions you should ask as a new homeowner is where your shutoffs are located.

When working on a ladder, don't lean out to either side. Keep your body weight between the sides of the ladder. It may take longer to get off the ladder and move it to reach farther, but it is well worth your time. Falls are one of the most common causes of injuries in the home.

If you're not used to the physical element of doing construction, remodeling, or renovation work, you might easily injure yourself or strain your muscles. You may not even notice the aches and pains until you wake up the next day. Don't take chances and overexert yourself when lifting heavy objects, or when repeatedly lifting lighter loads. Get a helper to do some of the work, and take plenty of breaks. Listen to your body's signals and realize when enough is enough. Learn to bend and lift with the knees and not your back.

You're going to find a great satisfaction and pride knowing that you're able to safely and successfully accomplish repair, remodeling and renovation projects around your house as long as you're smart, safe, and keep yourself organized, focused and on task.

Procratination And How To Manage It

2007-03-10T03:13:00.000+08:00

Procrastination can creep in and easily become a habit. Once it does, it erodes your capacity to function effectively. But it can be a hard habit to break. However, with some honest self-assessment and an organized and attainable plan of attack, it can be overcome successfully.
Be gentle with yourself when you decide to try and kick the procrastination habit. It may be so ingrained that you don't fully recognize all the ways you actually procrastinate. Start out by taking a large or complicated task and breaking it down into smaller parts that you can accomplish easier. It's important to bear in mind that the most difficult or complex tasks are simply just a series of smaller jobs.

Make a verbal commitment to someone else about improving your time management skills and your desire to avoid procrastinating. Allow others to become involved in your efforts by reviewing your progress, helping you set deadlines or evaluating your results can be very helpful. This will most likely create a commitment on your part to fulfill the expectations they've set for you.

Sit down and map out a plan to manage your time more effectively. When a deadline is looming, make sure you allot time each day to work on the project so it doesn't sneak up on you in the final hours or days. Learn to ask for help when you're feeling overwhelmed or overworked.
Reward yourself for good behavior and accomplished goals. Don't wait until you've accomplished the ultimate goal, but reward yourself for your successes along the way. Make sure the reward is something you like to do. Treat yourself to the newest book by your favorite author and take the time to read it. Indulge in bubble baths or relaxing music. If you've gotten into the habit of working late, make sure you develop a new habit of going home on time each night.
By making a commitment to avoid the avoiding habit, you'll soon be well on your way to finding more time and find yourself more relaxed and productive and less stressed in the process.

Enhancing Room With Furniture Placement

2007-02-15T22:44:00.000+08:00

Arranging the furniture in the right manner ensures that the room area is efficiently used. A clever furniture arrangement can also highlight a favorite piece of furniture. However, figuring out the best way to utilize space and create a comfortable atmosphere can be a difficult chore. But with some planning and creativity, it can be accomplished easier than you think.
Before you move anything, you have to decide what the focal point of the room is going to be. Focus your efforts around that location or item. Before arranging furniture in the room, decide on what will be the focus of the room. Center your furniture arrangement around that focal point. It can be anything; a fireplace, a picture window, a home entertainment center or a wall painting.

Chairs should be placed within about eight feet of each other to encourage conversation. Position a table in such a way that it is easily accessible from every chair. Keep a light source near the seating area. Coffee tables should have a clearance of about 14 to 18 inches from the sofa. Side tables should be at least as tall as the arm of the chairs or sofa to make serving easy and discourage accidental spills. When arranging furniture, make sure you provide enough space to move around the room.

In a multipurpose room, arrange furniture in a way that you divide the room into separate living and dining spaces. A strategically placed screen or curtains hung from the ceiling are simple and inexpensive ways to accomplish this. Make sure the room stays balanced and that the sections or divisions don't fight one another. Area rugs are a great way to define areas and groupings. Small pieces can easily get lost in a large room, so be sure to group them with larger elements.

Bedroom Feng Shui

2007-01-10T21:44:00.000+08:00

Thought I’d share a simple case study of a bedroom. This apartment faces South 190 degrees. There will be a full renovation of the ceiling and interior. Moving in expected in late February.

Period – 8

Flying Stars Combinations (Mountain-Base-Water)

S - 8-3-8

SW - 1-5-6

W - 6-1-1

NW - 5-9-2

N - 9-4-7

NE - 7-2-9

E - 2-6-5

SE - 3-7-4

C - 4-8-3

A good combination at the facing (Bedroom 2). It’s a shame that the room is the smallest of the bedrooms. The favourable aspects of this combination of stars will converge on the occupant of this room.

It was made known to the owner that he can consider “opening” this room by knocking off the walls that borders the room and corridor or replace it with clear “walls” to allow the energy to seep into the house. Sometimes owners are open to these ideas or are already thinking of it but would not say for being afraid to sound stupid. Nevertheless, the wall will remain. The door should therefore be kept open whenever it is convenient to do so. This enables energy in the room to flow into the corridor highway to other parts of the apartment.

To harness the wealth and health energy that concentrates in this room, a tinge of red at the window will be adequate. Open and “minimalist” concept should be used.

The interior designer proposed a shelf at the center of the room. It sounds weird but the designer showed how it can be a design masterclass with his visual mock up. A central shelf will cut up the energy and even manifest hostile energy. Not only will the favourable forces be wasted, but visually, space will appear to be constrained. The owner went with common sense and decided against that shelf. What a relief.

The designer also proposed another shelf at the left of the window. This effectively creates resistance to the energy that will enter from the window. It will also block off the view from the window.

Personally, I feel that it’s a waste of a good view. On a positive note, the shelf will act as a barrier from harmful energy entering from the East. To fully allow the essence of wealth and health energy at this area to thrive, it is best to allow it to enter the room as a whole. I don’t like the window shelf. The owner is undecided.

The orientation of the bed troubled me. A simple look and it will seem very obvious that the bed should be parallel to the wardrobe with the bed head against the wall pointing to the East. To me, I can only see this orientation.

The designer however wants the bed to run parallel to the wall. This to integrate the “art” of design. An orientation like that will leave the bed head with no “support” whether it points to the window or wardrobe. And with a storage bed, the sleeping height will be elevated above the window bay. Such a condition is akin to floating the occupant in the air. Man are not made to fly. If the orientation of the bed is not what I suggests, at least make a smaller storage bed to allow the occupant to sleep at a level lower than the window bay.

Bay window lights preferably should be centralized. This can be done by casting the lights towards the center of the bay. Or if for example 3 lights are used, they should not be spread out at extreme left and right. But all 3 at the center so that it looks like one as a whole at the center.

I have not applied personal 8 Mansions Feng Shui as there are certain limitations to the room. The macro feng shui also takes precedence over micro feng shui. The crucial significance of this room is that of the star combinations.

An LCD TV will mount on the wall at the West. Activating this area of the room can bring wealth and romance luck for the occupant. (Previously, the star combination I mentioned referred to the apartment as a whole) Metal energy will enhance this micro energy present. A metallic colour LCD TV will do the trick nicely.

The wardrobe that takes up the North and Northeast imprisons negative energy present in the room. I have no qualms about that.

There are beams present in the room. Since the ceilings of the whole place will be done up, the beams will disappear when the renovation is completed. The play of lights of the false ceiling can entice Yang energy to strengthen the good sectors of the room. Lights with more presence (if any) is preferably placed on the South and Southwest. If not, night lights can be used in those areas.

There is no study table.

There are many more considerations to look at just in this room alone. We haven’t even covered the Trigrams, 8 Mansions sectors, 8 characters to harmonize the occupant with feng shui, flying stars, etc.

Aren’t you glad that you can leave all that to a practitioner…

tension & outlet

2006-12-20T00:19:00.000+08:00

A lack of breeze felt like a huge plaster on my face as I made my way down Orchard Road. Sweat oozing from my pores as I focused my eyes as if to show the audience (if any) the sweat wasn’t affecting me as I was in deep thought, briskly walking purposefully to my destination. I brushed my fringe aside just to satisfy my physiological urge to do something with my hands. The “audience” is watching. Its interesting how we put up our social personas even when we are not engaged with others.

I passed the dogs at the entrance of Ngee Ann City. I remember having an amazing conversation with Mabe that started with the dogs. I wonder how she is doing. Hope the elements are with her and she’s doing well.

A pretty face stood beside the male celestial creature. I suspect she has depth in character. (wonder how I came up with that). Her fizzy hair atop her good posture tells me that she has confidence but lack the self esteem to project that inner energy outward. The Tiger eye hanging from her Nokia phone contrast her personality with circumstances. It felt like she is unconsciously looking for protection. In body hugging blue, I wonder how even the celestial creature can resist her.

I stopped just for a moment to feel the connection I felt with Mabe before. I caught her eyes. .. and continued walking. The creatures guard the entrance, the curve at the entrance of Ngee Ann is meant to capture energy and direct it to the entrance, the plots of vegetation are there for a reason, while the ashtrays are meant for smokers hahaahha

I wonder what Veron has for me. She wanted to catch up.

V: “This is Pearl. I would really like you to speak to her.”

(OMG Thought I would just have a normal catchup conversation with Veron)

P: ”I slept with someone I shouldn’t have.”

(What!!! IM not a Therapist!!)

S: “Are you …”

P: “It just happened. We talked, he came over… and left in the morning..”

S: “Watcha feeling at that time?” (Im trying very hard to be congruent with concern. Hey its late, Im not prepared for this, my sweat is just beginning to dry, I didn’t bring my cheat sheet while the lights at the café was buzzing like a bee on fire. Give me a break.)

P: “It actually felt good… .”

S: “Im talking about your feelings.:S”

P: “I felt like he knew me and appreciate my qualities as a person.”

S: “What qualities are you talking about?”

P: “blahblahblah… I think I got it. Thanks.”

CASE CLOSED

I truly believe that many times people are fighting over airtime. What they want are just someone who they can comfortably communicate with without having to compete on time. For Pearl, it’s a release of tension that had built up from the lack of an outlet to release them.

In 8 character analysis, the practitioner will seek out a balance of energies to be more neutral. There are times when there is too much of a particular element without an outlet to release energy. Adverse circumstances can befall an individual. If for example, there is too much water composition in an individual, the feng shui practitioner will advise some wood element based accessories to provide an outlet for water energy.

Its an over simplified example, and it is to explain this concept. There are many more concept to bear in mind in 8 character analysis.

Wholeness

2006-12-02T21:29:00.000+08:00

James called today. I did up his house up for him. The house was designed with a cyber feel to it. One of those interiors that look like the inside of a UFO. (if ever we know what the inside looks like) He paid the designer $2,000 for that design. That excludes the markup that the design house put on the carpentry and furnishings. The final price made the design house look like a vampire. Hey I know the costs of these things. But if it seem like good value to James, its his money.

J: “The designer drew up the layout incorporating your advice and proposed the colour theme which I really liked.”

S: “That’s great! You must be really anticipating the completion of the project. Remember what I told you about the Northwest. Hope you didn’t compromise it.”

J: “I put the wardrobe there as you suggested. Just one thing.”

S: ”What’s on your mind?”

J: ”Im removing the study to expand the living room.”

S: “Whats that again?” :S

Its good that people like James would discuss changes to the layout of the apartment rather than take matters into their own hands.

Feng shui is designed to fit into a living area as a whole. Wholeness is crucial to good feng shui. Can you imagine if the apartment is designed with feng shui and leaving the living room open to negative energy? Its an exaggerated example. But that can compromise the energy base that resides.

In James case, a maroon rug will solve the problem as the study is wood based and is an unfavourable area.

If you have decided to practice fengshui, go with it and don’t be afraid to ask for feedback on changes. Thinking you know when you don’t is as good as no feng shui.

#1 feng shui rule

2006-11-19T21:38:00.000+08:00

I want to emphasize again that feng shui has to be practical. While accompanying a friend to see an Interior Designer, I cannot believe my ears when I heard the ID say that a feng shui master insisted that a client sleep with his head pointing towards his favourable direction – which is diagonal to the orientation of the bedroom!

The ID’s mind must have gone blank when she heard that from the client. I would have stared right into the client with mouth open, thinking “What the crap have I got myself into?!?!”

How can an apartment be in harmony with the environment when it is not in harmony with itself. Its like the saying

“How would you be able to take care of others when you cannot even take care of yourself”

Yes. According to the text, a house can be considered feng shui. But it really grabs me like a level of resignation that these “masters” are so text book.

Yes. 11 individuals on a pitch obeying the rules can be considered a soccer team. But a great team gels and knows when and where to foul, where to attack, when to pass to feet, who should take free kicks, who to play keeper, and all that.

I shook my head in disbelief when I heard the ID’s encounter.

It’s a good thing my friend believes feng shui … . … is full of crap. It allowed me to keep an open mind to the ID’s proposals without interrupting with my feng shui principles. She particularly wants her whole place to have light effects blended with warm colours to bring out a natural feeling of warmth. This requires a false ceiling for the whole apartment as proposed by the ID. I have to say, the portfolio was impressive.

A lot of IDs play with false ceilings and down lights. From a feng shui point of view, whole ceilings without any significant depressions or L-shapes are fine. A ceiling with depressions as sometimes designed by IDs creates a downward force on the apartment. Beams take shape focusing these energies in specific areas of the place. if these designs are really desirable, it is best not to carve out walkways where the beams hang overhead. You can also designate cabinets below the beams to even out the walls.

In the event that your Mother-in-law insists on depressed ceilings, and you can’t kick her out of the house, you can segment up areas as an alternative. I don’t recommend ceiling fans, but if you must, give it a colour that is exhausted by your wall colour.

I’ve seen false ceilings built around air-conditioners. The air-conditioner will half protrude out from the ceiling. Very ugly sight. Don’t do that. Get your ID to design wholeness. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that these small issues are insignificant. Feng shui is after all, making small big.

If many light points are used, it is best to keep them within your control. Do not have a switch that would turn on ALL lights. That sounds stupid, but there are people who do that for whatever reason. And for environment’s sake use more energy saving lights.

As I left the condusive ID selling environment, I cannot help but take a dig at the ID

“So how did you handle the challenge of designing diagonally oriented beds?”

“Oh I told them to fuck off!”

What a passionate designer

9d23r

2006-10-10T21:36:00.000+08:00

There is a place and time for everything. A relentless persuit of glory has to step aside for responsibilities that society has tied to everyone. A great man has the ability to go against social conditioning at the risk of his name. Absolute chaos or absolute grace occurs when an irresistable cogent meets an immovable conviction. Forbiddance is frowned upon without agreed congruence.

Sarah used to say "Every choice I've made is different since I've met you." But are the choices correct choices. I don't believe that a choice can be determined correct at the point of decision. Choices are made whatsoever, and its up to us to make them correct.

If there is one thing that Im unable to grasp in our inner world, it is that our outer world plays a huge influence on our inner world. And notwithstanding the progress of the society that we live in, our inner worlds do not keep up with outer world progress.

Mar always hype me up for positive reasons. What he means is that instead of letting the outer world influence our inner world, let the inner world take over the outer world. such transitions carry huge social risks. And many people are not ready to take on such risk... unless there is security in the outer world. We are both very lucky to be able to see the paradox of success. It doesn't mean that we are better than anyone else. It just means that we can see a cube instead of a square.

"To go to space, you need to have a medium" - Salsa

The dilemma of taking on the social world is made easier when there is linearity in thinking. It cannot happen without linearity... unless there is a medium. Mediums cannot take the place of linearity, but it sure makes up for absence.

The great man used mediums in place of linearity for success as linearity is as scarce as the giant squid. What if both linearity and mediums are present? I would have to say abundance.

The easy way out for commonality is to use mediums as an excuse. How rational is that? Well, the outer world sees it as rational. And it filters down to everyone's inner world. Does it sound simpler to look for a medium?

"I don't believe in forever" - Jess
"Its not up to you to believe" - Salsa

The lazy man takes the easy way out. What is the easy way anyway? How come a definition of the easy way is another's definition of the hard way? Why is it that many accept sub-standard? If only the pandora's box can enlighten me on this paradigm. Its all in the frame.

"Knowledge is power" - Whoever
"Knowledge is useless without application" - Salsa

The concept is not that abundance is achieved with mediums. But rather, mediums are essential for abundance. TO be able to see this cannot be trained. It takes an awareness within oneself to unlock the the chest of thought. The way to awareness is to be "here".

"Im attracted to punk" - Mabe
"No you don't. You think you are." - Salsa

There is a place and time for everything? I don't think so. Rather, there is something for every place and time. Belief is crucially diverse from trust... but how often we fail to realise the line that seperates them. Both have very different implications that influences thought and faih. Does thought and faith go together, and belief & trust don't?

"Im a visionary" - Jose
"You are in deep shit" - Salsa

The great visualizes the way to freedom through adversity. Going through adversity for freedom is the way of the courages. Taking the smart way to avoid adversity will always be the sticky point of the weak. With it goes the chance of freedom. Appalling as it seem that many choose the path to ultimate restraint.

The visionary sees the future. The courages takes on adversity to get to the future. The deligent succomb to adversity to stay relevant. The intellect avoids adversity. The buffalo works to have time to feed.

"I've earned respect" - Camara
"You are given authority" - Salsa

Awareness breeds the aptitude of calibration. It takes a man of high awareness to realise a lack of self-awareness. Conditioning often blur one's awareness. Are you aware of that?

Its been a long session of self-reflection...

Zodiac compatibility

2006-09-09T03:18:00.000+08:00

I drew this up for a small company which wanted to put it into their brochures so that people may want to keep the brochures. The original has much more packaging than this. But the information is the same.

This is a table that shows compatibility between people of different zodiacs.

Because of space limitation, I've changed the top row to the 1st letters of the particular zodiacs.

The sequence of the top row from left to right is the same as the 1st column from top to bottom.

Have fun checking out your compatibility with your partner and potential partners!

1 - Great
2 - Good
3 - Neutral
4 - Difficult

...

Steve Irwin

2006-09-07T00:43:00.000+08:00

I loved his shows.

I used to catch Crocodile Hunter Diaries thinking that I wanted to know whats happening in Australia Zoo. But then I realised that I'm addicted to his personality. Everyday at that particular hour, I will be craving for a fix. My fix was Steve.

He just do his stuff with so much contagious enthusiasm that it injects a virus into you. And bridging the TV and our interest with his enthusiasm, he educated the world about wildlife. He educated us about how misunderstood animals are.

There was an episode where Steve cried uncontrollably when Mary died. (and those weren't crocodile tears) You could just feel how much this life and dedication he has chosen means to him. This guy is for real.

If ever there was a show that was made great because of the host's enthusiasm, its Steve Irwin's. I'm sure Jeff Corwin (another good host) is at least as enthusiatic about animals as Steve, but the difference between them is that Steve can channel the enthusiasm right through the TV. Making you feel his enthusiasm. Thats why Steve is great. You don't feel that with Jeff.

A CEO may have the most innovative ideas in the world, but if he is unable to communicate ideas to management, his ideas are almost worthless. If he is unable to channel his enthusiasm to management, you get below-par standard.

And to be killed by a frightened ray......... its such a sad irony.....

I wanted to catch him when he visited Singapore in March. I skipped it thinking he would be here again since Australia Zoo has a good relationship with Singapore Zoo.

"I will catch him another time"

Now I catch him in the news.... ..

RIP Steve.

Spider!!!

2006-09-02T23:35:00.000+08:00

I don't know how.... but a teranchilla the size of my palm crawled its way into my room just now...... I guess the romance star in my room confused its vision. It crawled with a bounce in its step just like on TV!!! My jaw dropped..... Had I not recovered in time, it would have crawled right into my mouth. It looked like a crab at 1st! I was in a state of disbelief for a moment.

I recovered myself and threw it out of my house for trespassing into my property without a warrant.

"GET BACK TO WORK AND EAT SOME COCROACHES!!!"

"AND STAY AWAY FROM THE HORNET!!" (is it suppose to be the hornet that kills the teranchilla? nvm)

DAMN!!! I didn't have the presence of mind to take a picture of it!

I should have also tested its reflexes so that it recieves proper training to survive in the wild. DAMN!!!

I swear!! It looked something like this.

.
.
.
.
.
Alright not exactly.

It actually looked something like this. But much darker. This is for real.

In feng shui, some people see spiders as good luck while others see it as bad luck. I don't know how significant are those spiders under your bed (not very much), but this teranchilla is DEFINITELY a significant find.

OH MAN!!!! A huge spider means a sign of HUGE LUCK!!!!

If it represents bad luck, i have thrown it out of the house. Bye bye!

In dreams, where the spider is or what its doing is an indication of where the unlikely wealth will come from. If you find one in your mail box, its a sign that you will recieve the good news in the mail.

This baby came in from my door.

That means wealth oppurtunities are going to walk right into my path!!!!

WOOOHOOOOOOooO!!!!!!!!!!

...

Friend or foe

2006-08-31T00:36:00.000+08:00

I've been having plumbing problems for almost the whole year. It can be interpreted from the annual stars for the year. But I will not go into that.

This is about something else. The phrase "your best friend is your worst enemy" has its origins from society which had already gone through every social circumstances. I actually believe more of the phrase "you are your own worst enemy". Both are enemies nevertheless.

My basin have been slanting like a half broken chopstick for some time and I'm finally going to replace it. I thought "hey since somebody is going to make money out of me, why not let it be someone in my network or extended network of friends.

I made some calls and found a friend's friend who does plumbing. I went through some trouble to get him to do the job for me. (wheres the customer service? nevermind) Lets build on our invisible implied bond.

He came, we talked and laughed. We chit chat about how we met my referral friend and some casual stuff. Then he quoted me an audacious fee! I have never heard of a basin so expensive! Its not gold plated, its not even bronze plated! OMG it became clear what his take on this was - a one time win-lose transaction. But because he was referred by a friend, and rejecting his services is not a good friendly gesture, I actually asked him to go ahead! Is that crazy or what?! I was caught in the moment!

Now I feel very stupid to have paid him. I should asked him to go fuck himself.

How did a situation like this arise? Can't anybody see the long-term potential of this? I could have referred even more business to him.

I'm not asking for a cut-throat price, I just expect to pay a reasonable fee. I checked the papers to look at basin prices and found that what I've paid is almost double those that are quoted in the papers!

What the hell is going on in this guy's head? I think that he realised the social game in play and went for the kill. If the plumber was someone I found from ads, I don't think they would dare quote me a price like that. They would be mindful of the competition. But since I'm a referral customer, he must have thought that I have no choice but to get his services. I'm an idiot not to call the plumbers in the papers. The deal is as good as closed. Because if I had wanted to find a plumber from ads, I wouldn't even have bothered to get in touch with him.

He will never get any business from me again. And I hope his business goes down the drain like his plumbing.

Now I even suspect that my referral friend is in cahoots with him and they will split the dough from the easy meat (me). Maybe he knew my weaknesses and instructed the plumber how to work on them. He may have guessed that I would not turn away someone I asked him to refer.

What has happened to good faith? I have another friend who keeps asking me questions about business and I have always provided him with well thought-out timely information and ideas. When I asked him recently for the same in return, he totally ignored my questions! What is going on here? Its not that I offered him my feedback conditionally... . well.... yes maybe there is a condition. A condition of good faith... ..

What has freaking happened to good faith? This guy I just met was chasing me down to meet me alone to discuss some business plans. I kept telling him we can talk over the phone, but he insisted on meeting. When I finally made time to meet up with him, he did not turn up! His excuse? "my friend refused to drive me down to the our meeting place" And he told me that after making me wait for half an hour! What kind of fucking excuse is that?!?! Since then I have filtered out his every attempt to contact me again.

What the bouncing jelly beans has happened to good faith? One of my favourite friends from school told me that he had a seminar to attend but didn't want to go alone. He didn't need to beg me to go. I agreed without raising an eyebrow. When I arrived, he tried to hard sell me mlm in a 3-pronged attacked with 2 of his "mentors"! Even while clearly knowing my stand on mlm! Thats the beginning of the end of our relationship. I can never trust him again.

What the bloody ass has happened to good faith? I always go to my favourite noodle stall to have dumpling noodles. Naturally I got to know the lady well. The more I go to have my noodles, the smaller my portions got! She must have thought that since I'm a regular, I will keep going back whatever portions she gave me! OMG .... dream on baby... ..

What the sesame seed buns have happened to good faith? I bought a notebook from a big name company and got one that does not meet the specifications stated in the brochure. I asked to exchange for the notebook with the specifications in the brochure. They refused! And have the audacity to ask me to upgrade to a higher performance notebook and top up the difference! I gave them a piece of my mind and reminded them of the Fair Tradings Act! Only then, they offered to give me a top up dicount of $50 if I upgraded my notebook selection! OMG..... I just want what I paid for..... is that too much to ask... ..

And what the wicked willy has happened to good faith? I have supported my favourite soccer club for almost 20yrs. And they won't even win the 1st 3 games of the season for me! Please get a quality midfielder and right back...

Its a crazy world out there. And I'm only living on a dot.

Feng shui sex test

2006-08-30T01:37:00.000+08:00

The most innovative ideas come from crazy bullshit conversations

I happen to be having one with the guys (as usual). We were talking about how interesting relationships feng shui were. How they can see the compatability of a couple by feng shui is rather fascinating. Being able to predict the dynamics between partners by feng shui fascinates me till today.

Then....

"Is there a feng shui sex test?"

I've never thought of feng shui in that way. But what applications and implications would a feng shui sex test have? A "feng shui sex test" would be a marketer's dream come true. But a product with a catchy heading needs to live up to it.

So this has got me thinking...

The only part about feng shui that I can relate to sex is all-conquering romance energy. So powerful that even a nuclear bomb will cause no penetration! (pun? anybody?) That is thinking in a box.

Lets try to explore outside the box.

Maybe partners of particular zodiacs matches will have great sex! I'll think about that

Maybe certain combinations of elements at the right time will induce an atmosphere for exploding testosterones! I'll look into that

What if you are exposing red g-strings to your partner alone in your bedroom dancing to a "lamppost"? At the fire passion sector of the house! And facing your most favourable direction!!! Wait.. .. in that situation, you're probably going to get down on it whatever the elements are....

What if you were to clump all your dragon tortises, gem trees, crystals, etc together and place them at the corner of your romance sector? I'll write that down.. .

What if you were to sit in front of the computer all day thinking about some crazy bullshit conversations you had with the guys? Definitely worth a try.... damn i live in a box....

Elemental partnership

2006-08-28T00:37:00.000+08:00

I could feel the speaker getting wet from the tears down Faith's cheeks over the phone.

Faith: I thought he was the one
Me: Faith baby, what did I tell you your personal element is?
F: Water
M: Whats your "one's" element?
F: Water
M Faith baby, your "one" should be someone really compatible in a more democratic relationship. Not the one you were in with that jerk. He is probably of the earth element. Your destroyer! ahahahh (that was maybe an inappropriate joke)
F: So how can I find him?
M: Faith baby, I'm not a matchmaker
F: Why you never told me this about democracy before?!
M: Faith baboon, I did. You never pay attention, you monkey!

Everyone has a personal element. It can be found by refering to the day you were born in 8 character analysis. In your 8 characters, you can find the element of your marriage partner. I assume that the marraige partner is the "one" unless you like to stock up on divorces and awe at your own accomplishments.

In the case of Faith, her "one's" element is similar to her self element. That means that he will be one who is very similar to her personality and will provide emotional support. Their relationship will have many "friend" qualities. (this is not redundant bullshit. many of us do not have "friend" relationship qualities with our partners) Because of this, there is a high chance that she will run into him as or through a friend or competitor.

In this case, her "one" would probably have water self element as well so that it tallies with her's. 2 complex formulas make a beautiful equation.

However the "one" may or may not be benificial to anyone. This is dependant of the strength of the self element. This is why sometimes, a great lover is describe as a "jinx". Its because the "one" is not favourable to the 8 characters.

So instead of marrying a "jinx", you marry a jerk.