The Pink Straw
Went to order an iced tea takeaway. Sales personnel handed me my ice tea and a white straw.
Simple Bear: "Excuse I would like to have the pink straw instead
please." *pointing at the light pink straw over at the counter.
Sales Personnel: *gave me a surprised look, stared at me for a while
before giving me a nod and walked away with an embarrassed smile.
Simple Bear: o_O !
*start to drink my tea with pink straw.
Yes. I think she must be thinking why a big burly bear in a black jacket is asking for a pink straw for his tea.
She might have a few conventional theories to explain it.
But it may not be true.
Friday, February 27, 2015
Monday, February 23, 2015
Play: Dreams of the Red Chamber
It wasn't easy.
Watching a contemporary adaptation of the Chinese Classics, Dream of the Red Chamber with a serious migraine and fever. Didn't read the classic beforehand and trying to figure out the meaning of the metaphors and speech used in this stage play doesn't really help the throbbing pain in my head.
But I didn't regretted watching the show yesterday evening.
Yes the title of the show is interesting. But what attracts me was the use of twelve men to tell the stories of twelve women, their struggles and pain, which transcend sex (gender) and time. Those struggles, pain, desire and joy speaks to me and I am pretty sure, may speaks to most of us.
I guess one of the highlights of the show was the theme song, which probably sums up the main theme of the song, dreams and reality.
Makes me want to watch the other plays directed by this director.
Thanks to Jerviel Lim for asking me to watch this show, for buying the tickets and for taking care of me by buying me hot drink and food to ease my migraine during the intermission.
Watching a contemporary adaptation of the Chinese Classics, Dream of the Red Chamber with a serious migraine and fever. Didn't read the classic beforehand and trying to figure out the meaning of the metaphors and speech used in this stage play doesn't really help the throbbing pain in my head.
But I didn't regretted watching the show yesterday evening.
Yes the title of the show is interesting. But what attracts me was the use of twelve men to tell the stories of twelve women, their struggles and pain, which transcend sex (gender) and time. Those struggles, pain, desire and joy speaks to me and I am pretty sure, may speaks to most of us.
I guess one of the highlights of the show was the theme song, which probably sums up the main theme of the song, dreams and reality.
Makes me want to watch the other plays directed by this director.
Thanks to Jerviel Lim for asking me to watch this show, for buying the tickets and for taking care of me by buying me hot drink and food to ease my migraine during the intermission.
Monday, February 16, 2015
The best gift?(of Love)
The best gift?
A friend and I was having a discussion on Valentine's Day gifts.
Friend: "If I am going to give a Valentine's Day present to my ex, what do you think I should get her?"
Simple Bear: "Your well wishes and hope for her to love and to be loved, to be well and happy."
Friend: o_O?
Simple Bear: "You can save on the money too."
Friend: -_-!
Save the beautiful memories of the past in a case made of love and sealed with a wish for her to love and be loved again.
A friend and I was having a discussion on Valentine's Day gifts.
Friend: "If I am going to give a Valentine's Day present to my ex, what do you think I should get her?"
Simple Bear: "Your well wishes and hope for her to love and to be loved, to be well and happy."
Friend: o_O?
Simple Bear: "You can save on the money too."
Friend: -_-!
Save the beautiful memories of the past in a case made of love and sealed with a wish for her to love and be loved again.
Spring Cleaning (the Mind)
Spring Cleaning
Chinese New Year is just a few days away and festive music can be heard in the streets. My friends and I from Nidana Youth Group had the great opportunity to help a few elderly clean up their places for the new year yesterday. I had the good opportunity to reflect on my experience.
I was give the chance to scrub this basin which was covered in dirt, which probably had been accumulated for quite some time. And as I was scrubbing the dirt away, trying to reveal the nice original state of the basin, this thought arises, "Aren't our minds like this basin, covered in negative habitual tendencies, accumulated over time?"
After the session, I had some time to reflect on this as the photos were uploaded on social media.
The detergent, the scrub and the water that we used to scrub the basin are like the knowledge (for improvement of self) and help (from others to improve ourselves) to 'scrub the dirt' from our mind and reveal the original.
The crux at this point of time, is whether we want to engage in the efforts to start cleaning up. It is tough work I must say. Some of the 'dirt' had been accumulated for too long and become 'embedded' in the mind.
Like the basin, it takes more efforts to scrub it clean.
Use the knowledge such as kindness and empathy like the detergent to scrub away the negative habitual tendencies of jealousy, anger, greed and the ego. Utilise help from others such as peer support and getting to know and hang out with supportive, positive friends like the scrub and water to scrub and wash away the dirt. And soon, you will see that the original goodness state of the mind is more visible comparatively.
Why? You may asked why was the elderly alright with living in such a condition? He probably grew accustomed to the conditions of the basin like how we grew accustomed to our negative habitual tendencies and thinks that it is part of us, it is who we are and that is permanent. The 'scrub' had shown otherwise.
Even after we wash it, clean it. It may still become dirty again over time hence we will need to keep up the efforts to maintain it. Well unless we decided to leave the house that we are living in right now. If we do it everyday, every moment without fail, the dirt is easier to scrub away.
The start is always difficult especially the basin had been covered in the accumulated dirt over a long period of time but perhaps the maintenance is easier just that it requires more efforts to do so every single time.
It is time for spring cleaning of both the house, and the mind for a better new year ahead.
Thank you once again to my friends who organised this meaningful activity.
May all have the conditions to improve ourselves starting now and continuing in the new year.
May all be well and happy.
For those who have not started cleaning, start scrubbing. For those who already started cleaning, keep it clean, keep scrubbing.
Chinese New Year is just a few days away and festive music can be heard in the streets. My friends and I from Nidana Youth Group had the great opportunity to help a few elderly clean up their places for the new year yesterday. I had the good opportunity to reflect on my experience.
I was give the chance to scrub this basin which was covered in dirt, which probably had been accumulated for quite some time. And as I was scrubbing the dirt away, trying to reveal the nice original state of the basin, this thought arises, "Aren't our minds like this basin, covered in negative habitual tendencies, accumulated over time?"
After the session, I had some time to reflect on this as the photos were uploaded on social media.
The detergent, the scrub and the water that we used to scrub the basin are like the knowledge (for improvement of self) and help (from others to improve ourselves) to 'scrub the dirt' from our mind and reveal the original.
The crux at this point of time, is whether we want to engage in the efforts to start cleaning up. It is tough work I must say. Some of the 'dirt' had been accumulated for too long and become 'embedded' in the mind.
Like the basin, it takes more efforts to scrub it clean.
Use the knowledge such as kindness and empathy like the detergent to scrub away the negative habitual tendencies of jealousy, anger, greed and the ego. Utilise help from others such as peer support and getting to know and hang out with supportive, positive friends like the scrub and water to scrub and wash away the dirt. And soon, you will see that the original goodness state of the mind is more visible comparatively.
Why? You may asked why was the elderly alright with living in such a condition? He probably grew accustomed to the conditions of the basin like how we grew accustomed to our negative habitual tendencies and thinks that it is part of us, it is who we are and that is permanent. The 'scrub' had shown otherwise.
Even after we wash it, clean it. It may still become dirty again over time hence we will need to keep up the efforts to maintain it. Well unless we decided to leave the house that we are living in right now. If we do it everyday, every moment without fail, the dirt is easier to scrub away.
The start is always difficult especially the basin had been covered in the accumulated dirt over a long period of time but perhaps the maintenance is easier just that it requires more efforts to do so every single time.
It is time for spring cleaning of both the house, and the mind for a better new year ahead.
Thank you once again to my friends who organised this meaningful activity.
May all have the conditions to improve ourselves starting now and continuing in the new year.
May all be well and happy.
For those who have not started cleaning, start scrubbing. For those who already started cleaning, keep it clean, keep scrubbing.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Perception
Maybe it's the beard?
Was having lunch with a big group of friends at a traditional dim sum restaurant. The aunties are going around with baskets of dim sum on their trolleys.
Simple Bear: "Auntie, can I have two baskets of 'har gao' please?"
Auntie: (*puts the two baskets on the table) " wah you have so many disciples huh?"
Simple Bear: *o_O ?
Maybe it's the beard? Maybe its the white hairs in my beard? Maybe it's the tummy? Maybe my friends looked young?
Maybe I just look too senior
Was having lunch with a big group of friends at a traditional dim sum restaurant. The aunties are going around with baskets of dim sum on their trolleys.
Simple Bear: "Auntie, can I have two baskets of 'har gao' please?"
Auntie: (*puts the two baskets on the table) " wah you have so many disciples huh?"
Simple Bear: *o_O ?
Maybe it's the beard? Maybe its the white hairs in my beard? Maybe it's the tummy? Maybe my friends looked young?
Maybe I just look too senior
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Nobility
"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self."
Ernest Hemingway
Let's us all learn to be noble
Ernest Hemingway
Let's us all learn to be noble
Sunday, February 8, 2015
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