A Home of Our Own...At Last!: An Initial Landscape Feng Shui Personal Experience.

I bet that nowadays people will always complain about their financial statuses, especially for those who depend on monthly salary like me. My colleagues as well as my comrades will keep their eyes fixed on issues that are related to keywords such as "salary increase" or "annual bonus". As a public servant and a teacher, I realized that career is not just about "making money". If I do, then I will get myself into money ventures where people will aim for nothing except for profits and revenue. However, I never deny that we need money as a "one tool that fix them all". 

Education, car, fuels, our daily "fixtures" and others will need money as one of their key ingredients; or if not, the sole authority whether you're going to survive in this capitalist system or perish in the gargantuan tug-of-war. People might say "Ahh..I wish that I could have this bonus to renovate my house, accommodate my monthly medical expenses or buying health products, having a trip with my spouse to Bali etc". Things are never enough; that's the norm but the fact is life is not really bad after all if we could adapt ourselves to the changing environment by CHANGING OURSELVES! The Darwinian Theory suggests that only the strong will survive and this is not only applicable to animals' species only but we as human beings as well.

Alright, let's get back to track. I am not going to discuss further on today's monetary issues since this thing will have its ebb and flow. I relate this issue with my post since people are so concerned about the rising prices of two man- should-have assets, namely CAR and HOUSE.  Gone were the days where any single guys (or even married ones) would afford to own a credit card (or more, depending on your financial status) or a double storey terrace house! All things in this life exists in cycles, and there are times where things are easy and at times, hard as well.  I can consider myself as lucky because at present, I still managed to own both of them without scratching my head when it comes to monthly payment. Am I a self-promoting person??? Nay...

The hunt for my own dream home started about 5 years ago, where I did some amateur on-site landscape Feng Shui assessment for my colleagues. I am not saying that I was so choosy since I need to find the 33.3% "Earth Luck" part of my life which need to be in tandem with my Feng Shui principles. My non-Feng Shui enthusiasts friends would shrug off at the moment I say "This place doesn't fit the basic landscape Feng Shui guidelines- no "tortoise", "dragon" and "tiger" hills, the facing direction has a bad combination of flying starts for the current period" and other terminologies that sound Greek for them but for me, it's my bread and butter.

After a long arduous and painstaking period of searching for my perfect "casa", finally I set my mind on a double-storeyed terrace house on the outskirt of the city. At first, I considered the area was  little bit "sien" except for the bustling new airport which is only less than a minute drive. Advantage?? Well, I guess that I shouldn't be a homey boy, instead I should (or must) travel away and the airport would remind me of my quest! (Please read my previous posts on travelling---It's my #1 passion!). It wasn't bad after all since it fitted all of my basic criteria, location, budget and comfort. While people writhing their way to search for a home that fits their budget-tight life, I easily made my way through a number of advices from my friends and definitely my #1 mentor, my Mom...<3.

I won't show you how my future home look like, but I can say now that it has been almost 100% complete, minus the electric line and road linking the housing area from the trunk road. It was a small housing area, comprised of a 6-in-a-one row terrace houses and some double-storeyed houses. At first, I thought that I was the only staff who decided to settle down there, but now, two of my colleagues made the same move too! The monthly payment wasn't bad after all, it caused me to be on a tight budget at the beginning; where I have to adjust my expenditures back to the basic level. Most people will sacrifice everything and living only from hand to mouth after their salaries' deduction. 

The moment I went to the site to do some Feng Shui assessment, I just feel good about the surrounding. It was perfectly nestled in an undulating area, far from the madding crowd. It's a grandeur complete with its dragon, tortoise, tiger and even the long-envied feature of all Feng Shui landscapes, the small, "Phoenix" hill just across the trunk road, directly facing the front door. I am not an expert but based on what I have read from numerous Feng Shui books on external features, no matter how bad the effects of the flying stars will be (due to the time dimension Feng Shui), there will always be a support and protection from the naturally occurring landscape that is already powerful enough to deter the menacing impact of these "bad" flying stars. 

There's also a "Ming Tang" or an empty piece of land right in front of my house, where the Chi will accumulate and settle before entering through the main door. I was aware that many housing areas have an arrangement where units are directly confronting each other, especially with sharp roofs and Bagua mirrors. Such an unfriendly set of features that surely we would like to avoid at all cost! The trunk road, which is nicely viewed from the main door, it's not too near but not too far as well. It serves as the main conduit of chi that will be slowed down by the "Bright Hall" and definitely the soon-to-be-completed road that buds out from the main road.

Unfortunately, due to copyright and company rules, it seems that I am unable to post the pictures of my uncompleted house for now. I will, one day publish the pictures of my new home. By the way, I am happy now because I am going to have a house...a home for my wandering heart at last...<3

It's a place that shouldn't be put aside..
Despite the fact that it has been put aside for a very long time..
Deep within my own tireless heart..
I would try to vanquish it from its very existence..
BUT...

I just can't do it...
I tried..not once...not twice..
BUT...

For countless time...
Whenever I would try to step forward
There's always something that holds me from moving ahead..
Like a gentle grasp; not too strong..but not too faint..
It is just there, strong enough to make you feel guilty
No matter how much I would try to show that I wasn't..
BUT...

Someday, I will get over this unnecessary feeling
Like another chapter of a book, it will soon to pass but it always stay...
Farewell my "old place"...
You will always remind me of the past, but definitely not my future..
The future is in my hands...

BUT..again
The past is left behind...<3

Journey to the Land Below the Wind: The undying Kadazandusun heritage of Tenghilan, Tambunan and Ranau.

Famously known as ‘Land below the Wind’, Sabah is a land where your heart is. My younger sister, who married a local Tenghilan Dusun took this opportunity to visit her in-laws during the end of the year holidays. It supposed to be a rainy season but thank God, the ‘Bambarayons’ (They are actually the "Spirits of the Rice" according to Kadazan/Dusun beliefs; it is really interesting to find its striking similarities with the Tibetan Buddhism beliefs in local guardian deities) seemed to realize my eagerness to explore these parts of Sabah and blessed our journey throughout the entire week.Ounsikou ginawoku sabab barakat Diolo!

There was something quite odd each time I reached any one of these places; I was greeted by a gentle breeze followed by a sweet smell; perhaps you would consider those things were only made up by my mind but seriously, I never had that kind of experience in my own place. Much to my surprise, I managed to set my foot on one of the most well-kept landscapes I ever seen, the valley town of Tambunan, the birthplace and hometown of the current Huguan Siou.

 

We took some pictures for you to view by yourself. Needless to say anything, a single picture will tell more than a thousand words. Here are some shots taken in various places; namely the capital city of Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Tenghilan, Tambunan, Kundasang and Poring. There’s a lot more to explore to Sabah but I think that should be kept for our future plans!

I took a snap with brother-in-law's sister and her family. It's a typical attitude of Sabahans to be super-friendly with any visitors; you will never feel like a stranger, but instead you will quickly adapt and feels just like at home!

Posing in front of the statue of St. Therese of the Little Child of Jesus, Tambunan

The locals said that this once famous Tambunan Village Recreational Centre was a rendezvous for both locals and tourists alike; also known as TVRC is now becoming more like a lifeless-resort compared to its golden era. I hope that the management will do something to attract more visitors to this wonderful place before it is too late!

Tambunan Warrior's Memorial, this is the site where you can find out a brief history of Tambunan and how it got its name: A combination between the names of the tribe "Tamadon" and the once-famous head warrior, Gombunan.

Kundasang War Memorial Park; it's much cooler here despite the sunny evening!

One of Sabah's unused couches used during the reign of North Borneo Amalgamated Company is now being displayed right outside the State's Museum

Compared to my state, Sarawak, Sabahan tourism management is absolutely fabulous! If you happened to visit any of the public places in Sabah, be it the Agnes Keith's House, State's Museum or Mt Crocker National Park, you only need to pay a mere RM2!

The largest lifestyle- shopping mall in the island of Borneo, 1Borneo Hymermall, famously known as 1B by the locals. It reminded me of Mid-Valley Megamall; except its not as sizable as the former and its heavily influenced by Bornean cultures.

This is not a painting; it's a real scenery indeed!. There's nothing on this Earth that could be compared to the beautiful scenery of Tambunan Valley; situated at an elevation of 976m above sea level, it is also the heartland of Pure Dusuns!

A cute Tenghilan Dusun couple gave out wedding toasts to their guests; they're happened to be both cousins of my brother-in-law.

I just loved Tambunan; you can run away from the hectic life in large cities like Kota Kinabalu and spend the rest of your life here; in a secluded and serene valley, deep within the Crocker Range.

Definitely you should not miss posing in front of the tallest, most beautiful and definitely the most accessible waterfall in Sabah! I present you: The Mahua Waterfall

 

My Latest Updates for the Year 2013: Appreciating God's most valuable gift--------LIFE!

Hello everyone and welcome again to my latest updates in my blog,

It has been for a very long time since my last post a few months ago. Life has been so busy that I even cannot spend my time to write even the simplest ideas in this blog. Life has changed so much that even a second is really precious for a busy person like me. A teacher's routine is no small issue; it involves a lot of hard work and sacrifice. There's a lot of things that I needed to settle first before I spend my time with the net. Thank God, now I can breathe for a while and I would like to take this opportunity to share some of my few experiences with all of you here. I used to have a negative view on my life before. If you read my posts before, you will exactly know what I meant. Enduring both physical and emotional pains are no big deals for me. I have gone through a lot of hard times before but He gave me this strength to overcome all the difficulties. 

My most beloved person, my own father left us even before I started my career. Sadly enough, he was the one who sacrificed himself to make sure that I could make it to the end during my 6-years' course. I was really distressed during that fateful moment; it seemed like the world around me is already crumbling. My mom and my sisters were also deeply affected. Then, the metamorphosis took place; like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, I was fully transformed into a new "being", with new life and new look. I began my quest to search for the meaning of life; I started to learn more about GOD; not through what other people's view or through 'religious means', but through His words; the Holy Bible. 

I admitted that I was grown up in a non-religious family; despite the strong background in Catholicism. "Sunday Christians" or a "lukewarm believer" is the best term used to describe my family members. I don't blamed them for my own lackadaisical attitude towards "committed Catholics".  I found my life in Jesus Christ when my housemates introduced me to the "real" concepts of being a true Christian witness of Lord Jesus Christ; not just merely a "professing Catholic". At the same time, my faith was already challenged due to drastic cultural changed as I suddenly moved to an area where if you do not have the strength to be a witness of Christ, you will easily fall into the bottomless pit; to a point of no return.  

Definitely God has a unique plan for an ordinary being like me. At the same time; either I would called it Karma or whatsoever proper terms that anybody could apply, I accidentally met my new "interest", Feng Shui. 

Out of my respect, this millennial-aged esoteric knowledge survived  the powerful forces of time and modernization. I won't put this in details since I already discussed them in my earlier posts. You can read my previous posts on Feng Shui and how I applied this knowledge in my daily lives. I used to view it as something religious due to its non-Christian origins and might even opposed the Absolute Truth itself. I heard about it before, but I just rather ignored it and considered it as an irrelevant subject. Alas! The life-changing incident had a deep impact and Feng Shui made its way into my life; and thank God, my life really changed so much ever since!

I am sure enough that the Great Almighty GOD is still watching from above; much better than a 24-hour surveillance camera..LOL! Ohhh..praise HIM! When my heart gave up on doing anything to change my life, God is always there for me; being a secret life-planner. I always keep a notion that if I failed to carry out plans as expected, I will put that total blame on myself; considering myself as a loser. But hey...wait! You forgot someone! I am definitely sure He has a better plan for me indeed. GOD is always there and I am sure He has bigger plans for me ahead.I will keep this prayer in mind each time I am in trouble; asking GOD to give me strength and virility to fight against the desires of the flesh. 

"O Heavenly Father, Thou art my strength and through Thee nothing is impossible, Thou has granted us the grace to persevere in faith by being the witnesses of Thy Most Beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ by being a nation of priests that consecrates ourselves to Thy Eternal Kingdom. When I was lost in my own bodily desires, I forsake Thee O Lord; but Thou didst not; instead Thou art the one who remindeth me of Thy undying Love. Give me strength O Father, when I am weak; give me courage when I live in fear; to fight against the desires of the flesh; so that one day O God, that I will behold Thee, face to face in Thy Endless Glory. I asked this through the same Christ, Our Lord. Amen". 

Come, Lord Jesus, come!!