Today, the 14th of August, I make a vow to re-read Daisaku Ikeda's lecture on The Opening of the Eyes (the yellow book published by SGM - "OTE") with my heart. It seems significant that 14th August was the first encounter President Ikeda has with his mentor, Josei Toda. This was mentioned in the foreword of the OTE.
Notes of 14/8/12:
1. ND's Buddhism is a powerful force for defeating the devilish nature inherent in human life.
2. Philosophy is what powers our struggle to be victorious in life.
3. The world of animality means a state in which one is ignorant of the principle of causality and is COMPLETELY ABSORB in IMMEDIATE events. It is the base state of those who live according to the law of the jungle. Reflection: I am govern by this world.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Friday, July 16, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins
I created this over New Year weekend. Since it's a brand new year, I thought I change things a bit, instead of normal blueberry muffin, it will be a cream cheese version.
Did a quick search on the net which didn't seem to yield any results. I wasn't able to find a recipe that fully blends blueberry and cream cheese in muffin. The muffin I had in envision; is slightly lighter than the ordinary muffin, moist, textured soft and slightly crumbly. Thought I will improvised and see what turns out :)
It's a tad dense for my liking, not crumbly but moist nonetheless. Suspect I need to cut down on the flour and make it lighter. It's still in the works.
Here it is, the recipe: Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffin version 0.1
Group A
250g cream cheese
50g butter
100 ml milk
Group B
200g self-raising flour
6 egg yolks
50g dried blueberries
2 tsp baking powder
Group C
140g fine granulated sugar
6 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1. Mix group A together over a double boiler until you get a smooth consistency. Set it a side to cool down. Then fold in the Group B ingredients gently to mix.
2. Heat the oven up at 160 degrees C.
3. Whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until it is foamy. Then add in the sugar. Whisk the egg white until it becomes soft peaks.
4. Gently mix cheese and egg mixture together. Pour them into medium size paper muffin cups.
5. Bake muffins at 160 degrees C (325 degrees F) for about 15mins-20mins or until the top is light golden brown.
Monday, February 2, 2009
AT LAST!
Hiyoh! This blog has been blocked for so long. Don't know for what reason. Was about to plaster my complaints all over the web. Anyway Happy Chinese New Year everyone. My question is why do we do it to ourselves? Overeat every CNY come what may and groan and moan in agony thereafter.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Is it impossible to change our personality?
I have been requested by a friend of mine to write on personality. Is personality determined by fate? We may possess some unattractive qualities which we want to change. Is it impossible to change our personality?
People’s personalities are diverse. Each blossom is beautiful in its own way, each person is also endowed with their own special qualities. Being introverted does not make someone incapable, just as being quick-tempered does not make a person useless. We should live in a way that is true to ourselves.
No one’s personality is flawless. Every one of us, without exception, has some negative points which render us less than perfect. However, it is difficult to see ourselves objectively. We ordinary people can see neither our own eyelashes, which are so close, nor heaven in the distance. Perhaps we could ask someone who knows us well to name the admirable qualities and negative points that we possess. We may find that there won’t be many people who will be so honest with us.
One may look at personality in terms of a concentric circle. At the very core of this circle exists our most basic nature. Around that is the side of us that is shaped by habit and custom, and surrounding that is the part of our personality we have formed to cope with various situations and circumstances.
It’s not easy at all to change the core aspect of our personality. Yet, other aspect of our personality can sometimes change so much that people may comment that we seem like a completely different person. An old schoolmate of mine that I bumped into recently said the same about me being such a different person from what I used to be when I was in the high school. I hope the change is good.
In any event, we have to be true to ourselves. We have to follow our own path and do our best. We become our most attractive selves when we pursue a goal that allows us to fully develop and make use of our unique character.
Stop WW4 – the coming nuclear war
I attended a peace forum 2 years ago and was shattered by the photos showing the killings of civilians in Iran and the Cold War. War is an act of barbarian. Why are women and children always the victims of the war? War is cruel and filthy and filled with sadness and misery. No matter what justifications may be offered, there is absolutely no such thing as a just and correct war. War treats human life as a means to an end and it brings only terrible suffering and unhappiness. That’s why we must always oppose war. All conflicts should be resolved, not with violence and brute force, but with wisdom and sustained dialogue. Real peace is only to be found in the realties of daily life. We must plant the seeds of a fundamental peace in the daily life of individuals, our hearts and inner lives.
“I believe that there is greater power in the world than the evil power of military force or nuclear bombs – there is the power of good, morality, or humanitarianism. I believe in the power of human spirit.” – Linus Pauling
“Peace can never be attained by passively waiting for it. It is necessary for each of us, no matter how weak we feel we are, to build deep within our hearts a stronghold for peace that can withstand, and in the end silence, the incessant calls to war.” – Daisaku Ikeda
“We live in an age of nuclear giants and ethical infants, in a world that has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. We have solved the mystery of the atom and forgotten the lessons of the Sermon on the Mount. We know more about war than we know about peace; more about dying than we know about living.” – General Omar Bradley
Our world in the 21st century is filled with conflict and violence. Increasing tensions on the world scene, escalating terrorism, religious intolerance, relentless environmental degradation and the systematic violation of human rights demonstrate now more than ever the need to understand the diverse roots of conflicts, as well as the links between peace and security, poverty and environmental deterioration.
It is up to us to construct a world without war. Whether we give up on this as an impossible goal, or whether we continue the challenge, however great the difficulties involved – on this the fate of the entire 21st century depends.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
That's a Wrap
I just don't know what is it about food being wrapped in pancake or bread or rice paper that drives me wild with desire and gluttony. I noticed that recently my fave food has been alternating between either lebanese wrap of sun-dried tomatoes and tuna with green apple with vietnamese pancake. The latter consists of bean sprout, prawns & chicken meat being folded in a pancake made of rice & coloured with saffron and then I get to wrap this in lettuce leaves and lots of basil before I chomp down in pure pleasure. I also love our local 'popiah' - bits of different cooked & raw stuff - bean sprouts, prawns, greens, sometimes chinese sausages, wrapped in a 'popiah skin'. One clear reason I loved indian cuisine with its pitta bread & the various savoury breads/pancakes - naan, chappati, tosai - I get to wrap them around vegetables or pieces of chicken cooked vindaloo style or tandoori and dipped in chutneys or dhal. I get cravings just thinking about it. I also like the idea of using my fingers, I guess, caressing the texture as I pick and role in the wrap. Messy, yes but infinitely enjoyable. To me. And there is also the variety of both cooked and raw vegetables, different colours and textures I get to put in a mouthful.
Another kind of wrapping I like is, well, wrapping presents creatively with textured papers and ribbons, strings or cloth.
My favourite beach-wear is sarong wrapped in many different ways.
I like to receive parcels not in those boxes sold by our post office but wrapped in brown colour 'mahjong' paper and tied with brown string. There is just something romantic about that. Maybe I am influenced by the Sound of Music: 'raindrops on roses & whiskers on kittens,...brown paper packages tied up with strings., these are a few of my favourite things..."
I wonder whether this is a fetish and whether anyone else feels the same way.
Another kind of wrapping I like is, well, wrapping presents creatively with textured papers and ribbons, strings or cloth.
My favourite beach-wear is sarong wrapped in many different ways.
I like to receive parcels not in those boxes sold by our post office but wrapped in brown colour 'mahjong' paper and tied with brown string. There is just something romantic about that. Maybe I am influenced by the Sound of Music: 'raindrops on roses & whiskers on kittens,...brown paper packages tied up with strings., these are a few of my favourite things..."
I wonder whether this is a fetish and whether anyone else feels the same way.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
COtB
CREATE OPPORTUNITIES to BLOOM [COtB] (name and idea created by WCN. All rights reserved (c) 2008)
We are already doing this in Soka Gakkai. SWS (Soka Women Study) is one. I have been getting a few of our fabulous members, one man and several females to contribute something that they are passionate about or which have something to do with their career. For instance, we have an MD (men division) who heads a famous cosmetic line to speak about women's beauty from both a professional perspective and as a man. Then this coming Friday, I created the opportunity with the help and consent of Mun Yee, for a WD (women division) from Shah Alam who has been volunteering in an NGO that operates a help-line for the depressed to share her knowledge and experience on depression. This lady has been "dying" for an opportunity to get out there and do something for our members. There is a young lady who for some reason no longer wish to continue with kotekitai (all girls' band) or any of the dance activities that SGM offers. Sooner or later her link with Soka Gakkai will fizzle out. I know she likes to read, so I asked her would she write from her perspective as a youth for Cosmic and she said yes!
I am constantly amazed and inspired by the talents and capabilities of our women members. I noticed I have this desire to create opportunities for our members to express their talents and manifest their passion for all to share within the frame work of our Soka Gakkai activities. And I realised that is what I have been doing for the past one year with any members I meet be it YWD, WD, MD or YMD (young men division). Many like the WD in the forum on depression has have a yearning to share and to shine.
Earlier today (23/9/08) for example, I offer an opportunity to another WD from Klang who has been in the human resource field for many years and she has a dream to coach and to guide on attitudes, job skills and the betterment of the employment processes. She is exemplary of many of our WD members who had to juggle career with children minding and family as well as self improvement (she just obtained her MBA). Yet she had felt bogged down by what she termed as "things of little value". I threw her a challenge. I will create an opportunity for her to lead a discussion or give a talk on what she wishes to share from her field, which is her passion. She has to pledge she will commit to preparing herself and I in return will work within the framework of Soka Gakkai to create an opportunity for her sharing of something that is close to her heart.
As I mentioned from the beginning, we are already doing this in Soka Gakkai especially in the SWS activities. What I am creating is a wish list of any member to share their passion by emailing me what they would like to contribute in terms of their talent or experience. I in turn will keep this list and the individuals in mind and create opportunities within any of our discussion meetings or YWD monthly meetings or even more appropriate continuing with our SWS forum include a space or provide the stage for this invidiuals to do something which they love and they volunteered. It could be providing the 5 mins entertainment slot during one of our discussion meeting like the 4 young girls who loved to dance did for the talk on Beauty.
So, there you go. This is my passion aside from writing and dancing. I learn from my own experience, when I get to contribute in SGM framework by doing something I loved, I would naturally have that passion to do more & more. My ties with Soka Gakkai grow stronger each time. As all members who 'get their hands dirty' preparing for meetings or events in SGM know, those who get themselves personally involved than just merely be a bystander or watching from the sidelines, get the most satisfaction and a sense of achievements from the many episodes of human revolution required in the process of realizing the goal at hand.
That is why I want to create this project, Creating Opportunities to Bloom starting with our YWD and WD.
So, any comments and further ideas?
We are already doing this in Soka Gakkai. SWS (Soka Women Study) is one. I have been getting a few of our fabulous members, one man and several females to contribute something that they are passionate about or which have something to do with their career. For instance, we have an MD (men division) who heads a famous cosmetic line to speak about women's beauty from both a professional perspective and as a man. Then this coming Friday, I created the opportunity with the help and consent of Mun Yee, for a WD (women division) from Shah Alam who has been volunteering in an NGO that operates a help-line for the depressed to share her knowledge and experience on depression. This lady has been "dying" for an opportunity to get out there and do something for our members. There is a young lady who for some reason no longer wish to continue with kotekitai (all girls' band) or any of the dance activities that SGM offers. Sooner or later her link with Soka Gakkai will fizzle out. I know she likes to read, so I asked her would she write from her perspective as a youth for Cosmic and she said yes!
I am constantly amazed and inspired by the talents and capabilities of our women members. I noticed I have this desire to create opportunities for our members to express their talents and manifest their passion for all to share within the frame work of our Soka Gakkai activities. And I realised that is what I have been doing for the past one year with any members I meet be it YWD, WD, MD or YMD (young men division). Many like the WD in the forum on depression has have a yearning to share and to shine.
Earlier today (23/9/08) for example, I offer an opportunity to another WD from Klang who has been in the human resource field for many years and she has a dream to coach and to guide on attitudes, job skills and the betterment of the employment processes. She is exemplary of many of our WD members who had to juggle career with children minding and family as well as self improvement (she just obtained her MBA). Yet she had felt bogged down by what she termed as "things of little value". I threw her a challenge. I will create an opportunity for her to lead a discussion or give a talk on what she wishes to share from her field, which is her passion. She has to pledge she will commit to preparing herself and I in return will work within the framework of Soka Gakkai to create an opportunity for her sharing of something that is close to her heart.
As I mentioned from the beginning, we are already doing this in Soka Gakkai especially in the SWS activities. What I am creating is a wish list of any member to share their passion by emailing me what they would like to contribute in terms of their talent or experience. I in turn will keep this list and the individuals in mind and create opportunities within any of our discussion meetings or YWD monthly meetings or even more appropriate continuing with our SWS forum include a space or provide the stage for this invidiuals to do something which they love and they volunteered. It could be providing the 5 mins entertainment slot during one of our discussion meeting like the 4 young girls who loved to dance did for the talk on Beauty.
So, there you go. This is my passion aside from writing and dancing. I learn from my own experience, when I get to contribute in SGM framework by doing something I loved, I would naturally have that passion to do more & more. My ties with Soka Gakkai grow stronger each time. As all members who 'get their hands dirty' preparing for meetings or events in SGM know, those who get themselves personally involved than just merely be a bystander or watching from the sidelines, get the most satisfaction and a sense of achievements from the many episodes of human revolution required in the process of realizing the goal at hand.
That is why I want to create this project, Creating Opportunities to Bloom starting with our YWD and WD.
So, any comments and further ideas?
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