SAYING HELLO TO OUR NEXT-OF-KIN, THE KADAZANDUSUNS

Chapter 1: An Introduction to the *KadazanDusun Culture and Language

( Disclaimer: *The ideas represented here are fully based on the blogger’s personal knowledge and experience and are not related to the particular interests of any groups, race or religion. Readers are advised to use their own judgment and discernment while reading any parts of the article).

Hello again to my followers (if any)..hahaha! I know that long wait finally comes to fruition when I compiled my experiences into a short, descriptive post here. Well, guys, sorry for making you all waiting a tree stump since I was so engrossed with my daily routines as a school teacher. I’ve been in a hiatus mode for most of the year 2014 but it doesn’t means that I am shutting down myself in the real world. For most people, blogging is just another way to spend their free time rather than a life-generating source of income. A big thank you to all of my followers out there, especially to my totally unexpected visitors from the United States, Great Britain, Russia, Germany and even right from my own soil; Malaysia.  Right, here it is…for those of you who have read my previous posts, I am absolutely sure that most of those posts are related to my numero-uno passion- Feng Shui! Some of you might get sick with my Feng Shui stories despite the interest of some who really would like to discover for themselves the uniqueness of this esoteric art. 

Okay, okay, enough with the Feng Shui terms! What am I going to tell you now is not about my vacation or my new love experience; despite the long school holidays. I would like to share my experience in learning one of the most alluring languages I ever learnt; the KadazanDusun language (or some might prefer it as either the Kadazan or Dusun language, since they considered these two languages are two separate entities that share many linguistic similarities). My experience might be few, but I really hope that there will be those who are learnt in this field contribute their expertise in improving my linguistic abilities. As a matter of fact, I am an Iban and honestly saying, I am not a linguist or an anthropologist who have expertise in conducting researches. So, please don’t get it too serious if any of the information included here is inaccurate or totally irrelevant. By the way, this blog is not for academics purpose. PLEASE TAKE NOTE..AGAIN..! 

The KadazanDusun priestess are called "bobolian/bobohizan". Like other cultures that believe in the supernatural, these "bobolians" connect the spiritual realm with the mortal world.

Epilogue: How It All Started

During my university days, I lived with a sort of three to four KadazanDusun housemates; all of them were males. You might expect that I was first introduced to this language by learning it from them but wait, you’re wrong! Ironically, they came from different dialects groups of the same language and they NEVER communicate in their own respective dialects! ( well, I never had such difficulties in speaking the Iban languages despite the different dialects which share almost 90% similarities, which does not impede casual conversation). They used the Sabahan Malay, some sort of an informal Malay dialect which is spoken throughout Sabah; regardless of the ethnicities. According to them, there might be similarities but different vocabulary and grammar rules that would make a normal conversation turns difficult. Some of them only used the language during conversation with their close family members while others never used the language at all.

The KadazanDusuns are very well-known for their fondness to music, merry-making and lots...and lots of dancing!

I am still wondering why I always have a chance to meet a KadazanDusun friend wherever I am. Since leaving my hometown in Sarawak, I always had encounters with numerous new friends which happened to be always Sabahans. Perhaps it was related to my past-lives karma. Perhaps I was one of their ancestors’ close acquaintances, who know. My first encounter with the Sabahan native was during my pre-university days. One was a Lotud Dusun (hailed from Tuaran) and the other is a Muslim Sungai (the Sungai dialect is a Dusunic language; despite its unintelligibility with the rest of the Dusun dialects…hmmm..that’s interesting!!). I still remembered that my Sungai ex-floor mate whom I still recalled as ‘Yok’ from Kinabatangan (I don’t know his real name…unfortunately I lost contact with him and never had a chance to meet him after my graduation) gave me a simple answer when I asked “I never heard how the Sungai people speak, can you please give me one word in your native language??”. The Sungai pal simply answered, “It’s more or less like the Dusun language; for instance both languages refer to water as “waig”.” I did not further my question since we were running out of time; well as like the rest of other pre-university students during that time, we were more interested with our books rather than with our room mates. Honestly, my exposure to the KadazanDusun language and culture was almost zero, since I knew nothing other than “Sumazau”, Mount Kinabalu and “Jambatan Tamparuli” song…LOL!!! (to be continued...)

Mount Kinabalu is the most prominent feature that can be seen even from the bustling capital, Kota Kinabalu

The Amazing 12-year old Mongolian boy who sings for his mother!

       Hello and blessings for those who still have the patience to wait for my latest post. Life has been busy though, with tonnes and tonnes of assignments waiting to be completed in a very limited time frame. Months have passed since my last post and my hectic life prevented me from sending post in my blog. As time progresses, things have changed so much and experience really made me a more matured person.

For those who followed and read each of my post in my blog site, they will know exactly what I meant here. I began my life with a very melancholic approach but I was really assured; thanks to my good Feng Shui practice and the recent 'Spiritual Feng Shui' rituals, finally I managed to win the 'battle' against my own desires; namely the 'attachments' that would subsequently leads to 'sufferings'.

Music has been an important part of my life. No matter what language that you speak; or what culture you belong to, music always plays an important world in shaping our life. It is also a good way to soothe our stressful daily lives and definitely it is a universal tool that traverse through geographical and cultural limitations. 

To be honest, I enjoyed listening to any songs; regardless of the language used in the song, the song will 'speak' by itself to you. Despite my own Iban background, I don't really enjoy listening to today's Iban music since it doesn't fit well to my taste. Well, to be honest, only a few managed to entertain my ears and most of them are the revolutionary-but-genuine genre of music. It doesn't means that I am not proud of my heritage, it's just that our people need to go for a paradigm shift in music industry. The Kadazandusuns, Taiwan aborigines, Turkish and Kazakh music industries really captured my attention. Their unique blend of music and definitely their originality were the number one factors why I really loved their songs and musics.

Well, I've been off-limit now. Let's get back to our topic. Anyway, I would like to share this video on a 12-year old Mongolian boy named "Uudam" (or 'Wudamu' as he is called in Chinese) who sang a traditional Mongolian song entitled "Alsad Suuga Eej Minee" ('My Mother in the Distance'; as it is properly translated from Khalka Mongolian--the standard form of Mongolian spoken by 90% of the people in Mongolia), not "Mother in the Dream" as popularly known by the non-Mongolian speakers.

This video was taken during an audition session in the year 2011. It was during this time that the judges and the whole crowd of audiences were amazed by his immense talent. Not only that, the fact that he was an orphan added more emotions to the those who were present there. 

When asked by one of the judges about the whereabouts of Uudam's mother, this angelic-faced boy only managed to answer "She is now in Heaven" and it was also learned that his father also died a year later following a road accident. If you watch the whole content of the audition video, you will see that the boy remained calm and focused despite the emotionally-shaken moment. What a touching moment!

Uudam when he was only 8 years old

Based on what I have learned from the conversation between Uudam and the panel of judges who unanimously chose him to go for the next round in the sinitic version of the well-known American reality show "America Got Talent" which is known as "China Got Talent :Season 2" hailed from Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia; an autonomous territory under The People's Republic of China. In other words, he is a Chinese Mongolian. Like other nomadic boys, he enjoyed living under the blue sky and running across the vast green steppe of the Inner Mongolia.

He also told the judges that his dream is to create an ink that if one drop of it falls onto the Earth, it will change the whole world into a vast, green field; just like his homeland (Wowww...that is such a big dream! I never had a thought like that during his age...). This is another latest picture of Uudam which I found just now.

Yeah..he is a grown up now; at the age of 14-years old, he is a handsome, charming and talented singer who would be one day be able to change the world as what he has dreamed all this while???

Here's the lyrics of the song "Alsad Suuga Eej" originally sung by the Mongolian-national singer Javhklan and later versions by Baator Dorji (another member of the Hulunbuir Choir) and definitely the touching version by Uudam.

Alsad Suugaa Eej (Original version by Javhklan)

Sumeih zeregleend gegee anirlaad
Susuglehiin erhend eej mini bodogdana
Huugee irene geed suugee orgood
Huslee chiltel alsiig shirtee dee
Alsad suuga eej mini
Amin hairtai shuteen mini bilee

Zadgai tengerd uul ni zamharna
Zalbirhiin erhend eej mini bodogdana
Argaliin tsogond tsaigaa buliyeelj
Anis'haa chiltel alsiig shirtee dee
Alsad suuga eej mini
Amin hairtai shuteen mini bilee

Huhereh uuls'aas hoglerj haragdana
Huugiin tani setgil gegelzeed baina
Hunii zeregleend huu chini yavnaa
Husliig tani nimgeleed yavaad ochina daa

*Alsad suuga eej mini
 Amin hairtai shuteen mini bilee.*

Taken from http://lyricstranslate.com/en/Baatar-Alsad-Suugaa-Eej-Mother-Dream-lyrics.html#ixzz2z1vW67eQ

Mother in the Distance

The first daylight appears in the hazy morning
At a devotional moment I recall my mother
hoping her son will return
staring into the distance till her desire fatigues

My mother who lives in the distance
is my dearest conviction

In the boundless sky thin clouds are ethereal
At the moment I pray I think of my mother
boiling tea on the stove
staring into the distance till her eyes fatigue

My mother who lives in the distance
is my dearest conviction

The range of mountains ah...so imposing
In my heart ah.... always with a lump in my throat
I hold myself together in this world
bear the weight of sustenance to seek my dream in the distance

*My mother who lives in the distance
is my dearest conviction*

Taken from http://lyricstranslate.com/en/alsad-suugaa-eej-mother-distance-mother-distance.html#ixzz2z1wChi9q

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!!

 

LEARNING “BA ZI”: KNOWING THE PURPOSE OF LIFE AND WHAT IT MIGHT CONTAIN: A CASE STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF COMBINATION-DESTRUCTION IN PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Certain things happened for reasons, and Ba Zi would give you a clearer picture on your destiny even though it only makes only 33% of your total destiny!

Alright, let’s go to the core of our issue—Learning Ba Zi. I won’t reveal my Ba Zi chart to you for the moment, since I consider it to be more personal in nature, but no worries, since I will share some parts of my Personal Chart and show you how Ba Zi can be utilized to maximize your potentials to its fullest!  My Ba Zi chart clearly shows that my present 10-year luck is not quite a promising one, even though there are some “favourable elements” do play their parts. I would like to pin-point this issue to one issue only--personal relationship. There is a very clear and permanent indicator in my own 8 Pillars of Destiny that says “It is better to stay away from relationships and even if there is one, it will never last for long”-TRUE! This is one of the checkpoints of Ba Zi where one of my unluckiest encounter did occur exactly on the time indicated in my Luck Pillars.

Based on the advanced concepts of Ba Zi, one very important point that I would like to focus on is what the Ba Zi experts called as the “Monkey-Snake-Tiger Combination” that occurs somewhere a few years ago that gave me a deep grief; even to this day. It was worsened by:-

(a)  The existent permanent clash that in the Spousal Pillar;  the Yin Fire Snake in the Day Pillar clashes with the Yin Water Boar in the Month Pillar!

(b)  This clash occurs in my Personal Eight Pillars Chart; that means this clash will occur throughout my entire life! The presence of the Direct Wealth star in the spousal pillar clearly shows that I will be in direct confrontation with the person whom I considered as my soul mate.

(c)  This type of clash is considered as a severe one since the same polarity (Yin Snake –Yin Boar) clashes are more serious than the different polarity slashes (e.g Yin Snake- Yang Rat).

No matter how "perfect" is your new boyfriend, if he is not meant for you, then does it, understand?

This already explained why any kinds of spousal relationships will never come to a good ending---despite whatsoever effort or good luck Feng Shui trinkets used to heal the situation. What’s the only solution? Stay single for the rest of my life---I guess..LOL!

A full-screen capture of my eight pillars of destiny chart. For confidentiality, I have deleted some of the information to avoid people from manipulating my Ba Zi.

I am sure those who practice Classical Ba Zi will realize that the only solution to heal or at least to minimize its bad effects is by introducing a certain “animal sign” into the clashing animal signs in the Ba Zi chart. In most cases, where no other combinations involved, a relationship can be healed, but in my case, for instance, it wasn’t as easy as suggested. The year of the Tiger (2010) which was supposedly to “heaI” the clash actually worsened the condition. WHY? The Fire Snake from my Day Pillar combines with the Yang Metal Monkey from the 10-year luck pillar (age 30-39). This pair is known as the Combination-Destruction structure.

As the Combination-Destruction pair entered the Year of Tiger (2010)…you will get the super-worst Snake-Monkey-Tiger combo! You got the picture right? The Tiger can only act as a ‘saviour’ only after I have moved into another 10-Year Luck Pillar, which is going to happen in another 8 years! As I did further reading in a book on Classical Ba Zi,  the events and the person involved in the combination were accurately depicted!  Let us go into each animal sign. For those who are used to the directions of the 12 animals, surely they know that the Snake’s location is the South East; the Monkey Southwest and finally the Tiger, Northeast. Then how could the directions tell me the origin of the persons involved in this formation? I will list out each detail as follows:-

(a)  The Snake represents my Self (homeland) which is Sarawak; exactly located southeast of Malaysia. (check my birth certificate; surely it is 100% TRUE!)

(b)  The Monkey (10-year Luck Pillar) represents where the relationship first took place (spark); yupp you get it now, southwest of Sarawak is exactly its capital city, Kuching (read the map if you’re saying that I’m bluffing around)

(c)  The Tiger (the Year Pillar—so-called “savior”), specifically mentions the origin of the person involved (origin)…(Northeast of Sarawak/Borneo?)---I’m not going to purposely annoy someone for this; but you should know how to read directions, right?). 

This is the permanent clash that I meant just now; the Yin Fire Snake in the Spousal Palace clashes with Yin Water Boar

This depiction was so accurate that I totally awed years after the incident! It clearly explained that a supposedly “healing animal sign” becomes the one that causes destruction in a relationship. Was that possible? Yes, it was. Further reading of the book explains that this combination means that the “right person” who is considered as a “savior” was the one who betrays and kills the short-lived relationship. As we go deeper into the analysis, it was also revealed that another Combination-Destruction structure exists as the Snake-Monkey branch was formed throughout the present 10-Year Luck Pillar. The Combination-Destruction can be interpreted as a good beginning with a tragic ending vice versa. 

The original screen-captured view of how the Day Master (Yin Fire Snake) forms the Combination-Destruction with the 10-year luck pillar (29-39 years old!)

    (a)  Fire Yin Snake represents Friends and Companions while the Metal Yang Monkey represents the Wealth Element.

    (b)  The favorability of a combination depends on the type of new element produced. In my case, the Snake-Monkey Combination produces a new element; which is Water and surely this is my most unfavorable element! In a nutshell, this Combination is like adding a salt to the wound!

Since I am a weak Yin Fire, the presence of the new Water and Metal Elements will further weaken my Self Element and definitely I was totally extinguished! When we interpret it into a real life situation, it clearly means that the purpose of gathering wealth (money; and since its polarity is Yang, it means money gained from a “moving source”, which is salary) is to impress my friends and colleagues around me. Since I can’t gain control over my Wealth, instead of making me feeling happy, it became a source of burden and suffering for me. The new Water element represents authority and that represents an “extinguishing task”. Luckily, even though I was feeling demotivated by the incidents that occurred around me that time, my friends and colleagues never took advantage on me since the Companion element was direly needed in this crucial situation.

I am not cynically pointing out my ex-lover’s fault, but rather I would like to prove that things did happen despite whatsoever effort that we put on to “save” the relationship. Yes, after almost a decade since my last breakup, I did know someone during that particular year which I believed as “the one” who was going to change my life forever but….alas! Our unexpected web-based love relationship which was initially for lust satisfaction suddenly turned into an almost-serious relationship; it was almost a near-perfection version of the person I was looking for; as that was truly an Utopian manifesto. Serve me right, I was too carried away by my lovey-dovey feelings and heeded all the warnings that were clearly indicated in my Ba Zi! As an end result, I fell into the bottomless pit and I was totally out of sync! I was ignorant and say ‘nay’ to the warnings portrayed symbolically in the Ba Zi chart that time and to my surprise, it did happened!  As you read this, I would strongly encourage those who are still learning the knowledge of the Ba Zi to practice what you have learnt, never ever be a pharisaical person, who is good at preaching doctrinal values but never practice it! I was, but I will always remind myself that it won’t happen again next time.

Years that follow (be it the years of the Snake-Boar) will not even promise anything either, even the luck of the present Dragon year won’t do any good to heal the permanent clash in my Ba Zi chart. Neither the next 8 years in my present Luck Pillar. In the other hand, I should concentrate on other aspects of my life such as career (and definitely the partnership type career) and financial planning for the future. By the way, the next 10-year luck pillar will promise a better future. At that time, my most favourable element, the Yang Wood which represents the Resource Element will push my dreams to the limitless skies! Hopefully my luck will change for good as my age will turn 39…hmm…that means I have to wait for another 9 years for my luck to be truly ripen and bear its sweet fruits..:). I won’t mind at all if my hair will turn grey that time. The Wheel of Karma will always spin; it solely depends on our past and present karmic actions that will determine whether it’s going to move faster or slower.

Many people asked me when I am going to have a settled life and a family of my own. Since I’m not a “waiting silently” type, so I know exactly how to respond to this irritating but yet can be answered in a simple manner:--“I’m searching but I found no one that suits my taste. I don’t want to just simply marry anyone and regretting myself spending my lifetime with the WRONG TYPE OF PERSON!” By the way, I’m not really concerned about getting old; many couples married at a relatively “later” age, but yet they enjoyed a prosperous and joyful life. There are also some couples who got married at a very young age and ended up with divorce and another chain of marriage-divorce-remarriage dilemma.  I learnt my lesson that love s not simply just marrying a person; but to love and cherish your spouse for all days of your life. It is not necessarily old means worn out or out of date, but rather it means an age of maturity. Cross my fingers, I am working ahead towards it, I know I can!