Happy New Year 2016!

 First beautiful sunset of the year. Taken yesterday!

Alright I'm one day late but anyway, wishing you a happy happy 2016! Another year has left us, and it's time for us to embrace the new year with open arms, love and happiness! I had a pretty quiet and empty New Year's Eve to be honest. There were only my parents, brother, sister and brother-in-law. I kinda miss those days when all of my family would gather together on NYE but no worries!

My sister then left for Thailand with her husband for their honeymoon. So jelly! Haha. And well, I was left alone to usher in the new year. Which I did with 1/3rd bottle of Vodka hahaha. No worries I didn't have a horrible first day of the year like last year. Yes I was quite hungover but not that bad.

So, here comes another new year. Just like 2015, 2016 is another blank canvas for me. I don't have many resolutions (I have a few already) but I do have hopes and visions for this new year. 

This might come as a surprise, but... I have decided to become a vegetarian. Yes I haven't been eating meat since the year kicked off. Like I said a few times here, I've been wanting to become a vegetarian. And I want to die as a vegan. I've been going meatless once a week for the past 6 months and well around November-ish, I have decided that 2016 will be a great start for me to achieve this goal of mine.

I do have my share of doubts and fears that I might fail. But people have been telling me to give myself a few months, and you will never look back. So yes I'm excited! :D Okay I'm going to do another separate post about this decision soon. I hope you can join in my footstep of going meatless once a week to try it for yourself. Or also become a vegetarian like me heh.

So last year I blogged a total of 112 posts. It is a decrease from 2014 but at least I keep my words of blogging at least a hundred posts in the year (unlike in 2013, urgh). So this year I'm hoping to keep my blogging habit up, and hopefully blog more! I have some ideas in store.

I have also decided to go back to writing. Remember my "Draw Something Everyday" project which I was trying to achieve? Well yes I only drew/doodled on 143 pages of the book. The rest of the pages are filled with words words words. So yes, I reckon I should probably just stick to what I love doing - writing. Anyway this was just a personal interest of mine last year. But yes I came to a conclusion that I really can't draw. But hey, I am quite proud of some of my doodles! :P

Yup so far these are some of the resolutions I have for this year. I will come with more goals as the year go by. But I suppose being a vegetarian is the biggest resolution of this year (and my life). And I will make this a reality. Gosh, I shouldn't even have thoughts and fears of failing mmhmm.

Alrighty that's all for now. Once again wishing you an awesome new year ahead! Lets make 2016 the best year of our lives again. Well, it is the best year we're going to have. Only if you make it out to be! 

:)

In 2015...

 Thank you

Right! It's the dawn of the last day of the year. Can you fucking believe it! 365 days of the year just went by like a snap of a finger. It feels like yesterday when 1/1/15 just happened. I can still remember on the first day of the year, I got so hungover from finishing a bottle of wine by myself, that I spent it on my bed trying to get rid of my nausea and headache haha. I will not let history repeat itself.

2015 has been a very weird year for me. To be honest, turning 23 felt weird. It is such a funny and confusing age when I think about it. I feel like it's the "midpoint" of our life between leaving our youth and becoming an adult. Feels like I'm too young to make decisions, yet the world is asking me to make them. When I do make them, I'm filled with doubts, and when I don't, I'm filled with doubts too.

Let's go back to day one of the year. 2015 was a blank page for me. A blank page of a book without lines on it. It was a huge blank canvas. I didn't know what to expect in this year, and neither was I expecting things in this year. I mean unlike in 2014, I was so eager and determined to go to Iceland. So at least there was something that I look forward to plan, and turn it into a realisation. 

I didn't even have any resolutions, unlike 2014. Well I did have one, it was only one. I want to make 2015 a year of organisation. Cause I feel like 2014 was rather "messy" for me so I was really trying to plan things out so that things become more organised and easier to handle. I was also aspiring to improve the flower business, since we increased our population back in November 2014 and March 2015. So there were a few things we have to sort out as well. Which as of today, I think we've achieved!

I only wrote my 3rd resolution of day-83 of the year. My 3rd resolution is to "study" Buddhism. I want to get to know this religion of mine better. Which I did! I spent a few months reading up articles about Buddhism and jot them down in this book of mine. Although by mid-May, I realised Buddhism is not a religion you "study" and read, but a religion that you have to put into practice (just like every other religions I suppose). So I kinda stopped this resolution midway. 

But now I've been putting them into practice. Not in a most wonderful way, but slowly, I will get there. Cause I really want to walk on the path of the Buddha. Slowly, but surely.

So yup, I only had 3 resolutions this year. I failed the 2nd one, which was to do small exercises everyday. I stopped after my Aus trip. I think working out is just not my forte. But anyway I'm not sure if I should be happy or sad that my weird on 1st of Jan this year, and my weight as of today is the same. Happy cause it means I didn't gain weight, but also sad cause I didn't lose any :l

I'm not sure if this is a good method; not having any resolution at the beginning of this year, but building them up as the year goes by. But I can definitely ensure you that it's a great way to achieve all of your resolutions. Because you will work towards them step by step. And you won't be "burdened" by loads of resolutions at the beginning of the year which might turn you off halfway.

2015 was a weird year for me too cause it is the year that sort of opened my eyes really big, reminding me that "hello we have all grown up now!". Seeing my parents, my siblings (who are all married now), my cousins and the people around me, make me really sad to know that we've all grown up. Well we can't stay as kiddos forever. But it just feels so bizarrely weird. My cousins are working adults now, who are working out of town, or running their shops and so on. It's so weird.... But beautiful.

It really sort of woke me up. It made me think and feel more "rationally" as adults, and no longer as someone young who loves to have fun. Part of me doesn't want to become an adult but part of me is excited to know the things that I might be doing in the future. Well, here's a cheer for our bright future!

365 days ago, on the eve of 2015, I thanked 2014 for whatever that had happened in that year. Because 2015 is going to be a great year because of all of these things that had happened. The lessons I've learned, the people I've met, the things that happened and things that didn't have definitely shaped who I am as a person today. And I'm always thankful for that. 

I used to have this habit of "labeling" my year. It was a good/bad/so-so/normal/adventurous/exciting year and so on. But in 2014 and 2015, I actually ran out of words to "label" my year. 2014 was a serendipitous year for me. But I couldn't "label" it as a good or bad year. And I share the same sentiment for 2015. I do however, feel that 2015 was a better year! Cause of what I said above.

I suppose as we grow up, we no longer see a year as a period of time of 365 days. I think I see it as a milestone. Sort of a check point to see what we have done so far. The good, the bad and so on. And well like I said, it is the things that happened in the year that really shaped us as a person. You can let these things destroy you, or make you into a stronger and better person.

You see, I think I'm going to stop labeling the years as a good, bad or normal year. I am going to believe that every new year, is going to be the best year I'm going to have in my life. I am going to make the things that happened in this year shape me into a better person, who will then make the coming year a better year than before. And I am going to continue doing this till I die. To a point where I get better every year, as a human being. If I believe that everyday is a good day, some days are better, I'm going to put this into the context of the year too. 

I've always believed that one day life is going to force you to live in the present. I suppose this is such moment for me? I'm going to stop worrying about the future and clings less to the past. Let's just make every new year, the best year that we are going to have in life. The year where we can share our hopes and determination with other people. Where we can help ourselves and help other people to have better lives, and really alleviate them from their suffering. 

On the other hand, the world has suffered enough in this year as well. And every night I always pray for everyone's happiness and safety. We cannot lose hope. We must always believe in love! I don't know what life has in store for the world next year. But I hope we can all be nicer to one another, help one another and make this world a better place before all of us leave our bodies eventually.

Whew, 2015. What a year you have been. Thank you for everything you have given me, taken away from me, taught me, made me forget, reminded me, and so on. Because you are someone who will help me make 2016 a great and awesome year. And I hope we can make 2016 a better year ahead. 

I hope you had a wonderful 2015. And I wish you all the best for the new year.

See you next year!

2015 Rewind

It's the second last day of the year, and it's time to do a rewind! Just a look back on the memorable and awesome things that happened in this year. Whew, 2015 is coming to an end real soon. It is the fastest year I've ever been in. Oh well, here goes! In chronological order that is. 

We've both grown up :P

My cousin got married back in January and it is definitely a memorable trip to Pekanbaru with my family! This cousin of mine whom I once spent a lot of time playing with together (with my cousins and sister) is married now! She just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl as well, who is such a cute baby haha. Somehow this trip is a reminder for me again, that time is flying so quickly.

My cheeky nephew on his birth day this year!

My cheeky nephew turned one in January as well! Seeing him grown from day 0 up till now is kind of an amazing journey. It's the first time in my life that I'm close with a baby and where I watch him grow. He's a cheeky and naughty (almost 2 year old) boy who has learned how to walk and is now uttering words (in a very cute way). Can't wait to see him grown up! He's attending playgroup next year. 

Cap go meh

Cap Go Meh (or Ji-it meh) was also another memorable day for me. It was my first time attending this procession in a very very long time. It's pretty heart warming to see the spirit of the community in this day. People carrying the deities' sedan, taking turns to carry and so on. Makes me really proud to be someone who comes from this humble town. Looking forward to next year's procession! 

Record Store Day 2015!

Another memorable event was Record Store Day 2015! It's my first RSD and I loved it. Seeing people, who like me, share the passion and belief that music still needs a physical manifestation, gather together in this event felt really awesome. I'm proud to discover such a community in my country, and I will definitely go for each RSD from now onwards! Especially since I own a vinyl player now hah.

You dream of a place that you can never see

My trip to Australia, AKA my project wanderlust 2015, is definitely a highlight of the year! My goal in life is to set my feet on every continent of this world. I've been wanting to go to Aussie and I'm glad I did! Although to be honest I wish I can stay longer there. Nevertheless, special thanks again to Candy, Vithya and Yiyin for being awesome hosts in Brisbane! And to Jesslyn and Candy for being wonderful travel partner in my Melbourne leg of the journey. I will never forget our trip to the Great Ocean Road. 

WSATCC Konser Di Cikini

Unlike 2014, I didn't manage to attend lots of gigs. In fact I only went to one, which is White Shoes and The Couples Company konser di Cikini. Which was definitely a night I will remember for life. I've been wanting to go for their concert and I'm glad that I booked the ticket way before the concert cause it was sold out very quickly haha. They are definitely my favourite Indonesian band. And I hope they will release a new album soon or something. Hoping to catch them live again as well! 

Thanks for coming lovelies!

Having Brenda and Jeslyn came over to my hometown for a weekend back in November was definitely a memorable weekend of the year too! Trekking to Curug Cibereum is definitely my adventure of the year. It's so exciting, exhilirating and... Tiring. A beat freaky too especially when we found out the stream we were suppose to cross became uncrossable haha. Thank you for spending your weekend with me, in my humble hometown! I hope we can travel together again some day :D

Officially the unmarried child of the family HAHA

Last but not least, my sister's wedding is also another memorable day of the year. A tad sad too, knowing this sister of mine whom I've spent a lot of time with is now a married lady. But well, life goes on! A bit stressed out as well cause it means that I'm the only unmarried child of the family haha. And everyone's asking "when is your turn". Oh dear, I'll reply them, kapan kapan! (Someday)

Yup these are some of the awesome things that happened in 2015. I'm sure there are more happy and great things that happened but these are the major ones. Business wise, we're doing well in this year as compared to 2014. Lots of improvements, and also I did achieve my resolution which was to tidy up the documentation and readings of the sales and stuff. I still think that I have room for improvements and I will always try to get better and better in the coming year! 

There's no other way to go but uuuuppppp!

My meditation is doing well in this year too. I'm going to try and improve my meditation sessions everyday next year. I don't know why but I still feel that I'm lacking something heh. I will never stop this practice of mine. It has helped me a lot and I definitely one to have its benefits envelope my life and make me a better person. Do try meditation if you can alright! It helps a lot for me. 

Alright I guess that's all for this post. I'm going to blog on another post about my thoughts and feelings I have about this year, and my hopes and aspirations for the next! See ya :)

Great Music of 2015

It's the end of the year once again, and just like last year I'm going to share with you the awesome music I've discovered in this year! I must say that 2015 is kind of a great year for music? Lots of wonderful albums, and I also discovered lots of great bands and artists in 2015. 

Hmm I don't even know where to start. Okay lets begin with the list of artists/bands I discovered in this year. This is quite a long list but here goes! In no particular order.

Great artists/bands discovered:

[] Favela [] Years and Years [] Szymon [] Day Wave [] Hazel English [] Prep [] Oh Wonder 

[] Marco Marche [] Rhye [] Grimes [] A Silent Film [] Woman's Hour [] Stars and Rabbit [] SOAK

[] Mideau [] Say Lou Lou [] Danilla [] Rhodes [] Aquilo [] Yumi Zouma [] Aurora [] Jess Glynne

PS: Sorry for the weird way to list, trying to save space! :P

I want to say a special thank you to YouTube for letting me discover most of these great and talented people! Well I do discovered some from Soundcloud as well. And also thank you to Brenda for introducing Years and Years and Aquilo to me! Cause I really love Years and Years haha. I discovered Oh Wonder last year actually, but only started listening to their monthly-released songs since January.

Alright let's move on to the best albums of the year! Similarly in no particular order

Great albums of 2015:

- How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful by Florence and The Machine

- Before We Forget How to Dream by SOAK

- Beneath The Skin by OMAM

- Oh Wonder by Oh Wonder

- Tigersapp by Chvrches

- Communion by Years and Years

- The Chopin Project by Olafur Arnalds and Alice Sara Ott

- Every Open Eye by Chvrches

- Tigersapp by Szymon

- Dark Sky Islands by Enya

- 25 by Adele

- A Head Full of Dreams by Coldplay

- Artangels by Grimes

Best album of the year: Tigersapp by Szymon and Every Open Eye by Chvrches 

Sorry I have to give it a tie cause I really love both albums hahaha. I just discovered Szymon this year and I truly fell in love with his music right away, when I gave his album a full listen. As for EOE, I'm a huge fan of Chvrches and I really feel that this is a wonderful and beautiful sophomore album from them. They've been teasing us with some songs and when the album came out, boom. I just love their songs from their new album so much! I really hope that I can see them on their next tour live :D

Okay last but not least, here are some of my favourite songs from this year, in no particular order:

Great songs of 2015

[] Easy Yoke by Favela [] White Light and 2Shy by Shura [] Golden by Szymon

[] Clearest Blue by Chvrches [] Cheapest Flight by Prep [] Heart Hope by Oh Wonder

[] Realiti by Grimes [] The Brae by Yumi Zouma [] Sea Creatures by Soak

[] When We Were Young by Adele [] A Head Full of Dreams by Coldplay [] King by Y&Y

[] Diamonds On The Water by Enya [] Runaway by Aurora [] Senja dan Mentari by Marco Marche

[] Drag by Day Wave [] It's Not Real by Hazel English [] Hold my Hand by Jess Glynne

Best song of the year: White Light by Shura 

Okay I actually discovered more music and artists than the list above. But if I were to list down everything err it's gonna take a very long time and I'm very lazy hahaha. But anyway if there's one song that's been in my playlist most of the time in this year, it would be Shura's White Light! Although it was released in July, I've been spamming this song on Soundcloud and Youtube haha. I am so excited for 2016 cause Shura's going to release her album! Not sure when, but I will wait for you~ Oh and Aurora is releasing her debut album as well, which I've preordered! Can't wait for it :D

Yup so this is my list of music discovery in this year! Feeling really awesome because I have discovered lots of music in this year hehe. Awesome, great music! I am excited and eager to discover more music in the coming new year! And trust me, YouTube is an awesome place to discover music really. Anyway I'm excited for a few bands/artists whom I think are going to release their new album next year! Like Empire of The Sun, One Republic and Low Roar.

And perhaps some new material from Sigur Ros.

Alright that's all for now. Thank you 2015 for the beautiful music, I'm ready for more in 2016! :)

I really can't, and don't want to imagine what my life would be without music.

Vinyl

Just another time I'm caught inside, every open eye <3

Today I finally tried something I've been wanting to try for a long time! Yup as seen from the photo above, I've finally tried to use my record player mwahaha. I actually bought it last week on Tuesday. However there are a lot of things I need to "complete" the player. I need a voltage step-down adapter and an external speaker. I was afraid that I couldn't find all of these in my hometown but today I did!

I've been wanting to own a record player for quite some time now. Well as you know I've been an avid CD collector. Some people might debate saying that the only proper "physical form" of music comes in vinyls and not CD. Well to me as long as it comes in a physical form (casette/CD/vinyl), they are still physical heh. But I've been drawn to vinyls because people say that they offer a much better sound quality. Although it also depends majorly on the speaker and amplifier you use.

I have like more than a hundred CDs now, and I'm interested to start collecting vinyls, and play them as well! I was being a bit contemplative because first of all this hobby ain't a cheap one. A record here can cost from 300-500 thousand rupiah! Because shipping fees are such a bitch haha. My record player itself costs 2.7 million rupiah (equivalent of 270 SGD). But after researching online, it's worthy of an investment. And record store day this year, taught me why it's an investment!

Brenda gave me Chvrches' EOE vinyl as a birthday present (actually I asked her to buy it for me, but she decided to give it to me instead, so thank you Brendy!! :D). I remember when I first opened it, it felt really special. It's a totally different feel as compared to opening a CD heh. It definitely feels more"physical". And when I spinned it for the first time just now. I was just so amazed.

Prior to getting a record player, I have been researching lots of things about vinyls. How to take care of it, how it's made and so on. I was just pretty awed by the fact that the music that came out of my speaker, were formed from the grooves of the vinyl. It's just amazing really. Well after all, this is the first time in my life that I ever own a record, and play it on a record player. I was born in the cassette era, and I grew up in the CD era. I've never seen or touched a vinyl before (except during RSD haha).

Well I'm really looking forward to expanding my record collection. It is indeed an expensive hobby. But I won't go crazy like I am with CDs. I will only buy a record that I really really really love, or a record that I share special value in it. So far I have 3 albums: Chvrches' EOE, Szymon's Tigersapp and Kings of Convenience's Declaration of Dependence, which is my favourite album from KOC.

Anyway since we're talking about music, time to share you my music discovery of December!

Great Music of December

- Water Under The Bridge by Adele

- When We Were Young by Adele

- Diamonds On The Water by Enya

- The Humming by Enya

- A Head Full of Dreams by Coldplay

- Up&up by Coldplay

- You and I by Sloslylove

- Flesh Without Blood by Grimes

- Realiti by Grimes

- Tibet (A Passage To) by Tibet Project

Okay not gonna talk about Adele, Enya and Coldplay since I talked about them in my previous posts!

I discovered Sloslylove from another music channel on YouTube called Sensei Radio, which was the channel that I discovered Shura last year! They uploaded Sloslylove's You and I and oh my I really love the whole synth and 80s vibe that they have. I checked their bandcamp page out and bought their whole album! I love the album a lot. Cause of the awesome vibe that they gave me. Well like I once said, I love anything with synths haha. Do check them out! :)

As for Grimes, I actually discovered her earlier in this year when her video for Realiti appeared on my recommended page. When I read the description about how she lost the ableton file and how this song won't be in the album, I was a bit bummed. But when I found out that she was releasing Art Angels, and that the demo version of Realiti is included in the physical copy, I quickly went to get it! :D I really love the album as well. No wonder some music publications named it album of the year.

I came across the song Tibet (A Passage To) in YouTube as well. I discovered this channel which has videos of Thai monks chanting some verses from the Sanghanusati with background music. It's super calming! And then this song appeared on the recommended tab as well and I fell in love with it. Well I just love chilout music. Especially when it has some oriental feel to it heh.

Alright that's all for now! I'm going to do a "Music of 2015" post tomorrow! 2015 has been an awesome year of music discovery to be honest. I discovered more music in this year as compared to last. Alrighty see you soon! Music, forever.

Aware

 Be still

Right I've been wanting to blog about this for quite some time. I suppose it's a good time to blog now, since it's the end of the year! Well I'm gonna talk about something I've been doing throughout the year now. In fact, something I've been doing for 1.5 years. It's about meditation!

I started meditating back in July 2014, after reading Sogyal Rinpoche's The Tibetan Book of The Dead and Living. Actually I only began properly meditating in September-ish, since I was still meditating on and off cause of my Iceland trip and also I wasn't that focused yet. Well I decided to carry on this new habit of mine to the new year, and I've been meditating almost every day of the year now! There are some days when I didn't meditate, like when I travel or when I'm sick. I can safely say that out of 365 days of this year, the number of days which I didn't meditate won't hit 20 (or 30).

I used to meditate back when I was in Singapore. But I only meditate when I want to. It wasn't something I "practised". Also, after reading the book and other materials, I realised how terribly wrong my technique was. So I used to believe that the aim of meditation is to empty your mind. But I realised that your mind is so awesome. The more you tried to empty it, the more it will fill itself up with things.

The key to meditation is to be aware of your thoughts, and then let it go. Don't cling onto them! I always remember the words of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi who said "In meditation, leave your front door and back door open. Let thoughts come and go, just don't serve them tea!". So yes, just let whatever arised in your mind go, and don't let it go wild like an untamed beast running freely.

To be honest, I was very skeptical and I was unsure myself. How does sitting in your room, letting go of whatever thoughts that came to your mind, would help you. All I know is that from the sources I read, from people I talk with (like my uncle, who's an avid meditation practitioner) and books, they all come to a conclusion that meditation will train your awareness and help you to become more mindful.

I still don't get it. What do you mean by being mindful? Being aware?

But well, I went ahead and tried it myself. I remember the first time I meditate, I was super ambitious by telling myself that I will meditate for 30 minutes. I couldn't even sit still for 5 minutes heh. I kept on looking at the clock, I kept on fidgeting, and it felt difficult. Then I remember Sogyal Rinpoche's advice of just meditating for 5 minutes everyday. He said it's better that we have a good 5 minute meditation than a horrible 10 minute meditation. And from there, we develop ourselves.

I followed the Vajrayana meditation technique. Where I chant mantras during my meditation. It's the classic Tibetan mantra of "Om mani padme hum", which is the mantra of Avalokitesvara, the Boddhisatva of compassion. Or the mantra of Padmasambhava which reads "Om ah hung vajra guru padma sidhi hum". And I find chanting mantras a great way to keep your mind focused. My mind wasn't running wild anymore. And I realised that my meditation duration increased day by day.

I also tried Samatha (calm-abiding) meditation in which I focused on my breaths. Special thanks to Mindah Lee Kumar (The Enthusiastic Buddhist) for helping me in this meditation through her videos on YouTube! You can check her channel out here. I really love this technique because it also helped me to focus my mind and really helps to calm myself down. Especially when I'm feeling crappy.

Although most of the time, I practise the Vajrayana meditation technique.

As for how I meditate, well I just simply sit cross-legged on my bed (sorry no other place to sit on haha). Closed my eyes and just calm my mind down first. This would probably take about 3 minutes? And then I begin chanting and chanting, up to a point where I (somehow) just quieten myself down, and just mouth the mantra without a sound. And then to a point where I just simply... Kept quiet.

I think the chanting is sort of a vehicle that brings my mind to a quiet and focused state. 

I've been meditating at 10 minutes a day now (sometimes longer, and more than once a day). And well I kind of feel different. Not sure how to really explain it. I remember the words of Sogyal Rinpoche too. He mentioned in the book how meditation practice (or Buddhist practice in general I think) is not an A to B practice, where we expect "results" after doing it for a certain amount of time. In fact we have to do it throughout our lifetime. And hopefully carry it on to the next life. So if you expect to become a Buddha after meditating for 3 months, a year, 10 years, and so on, I suggest you don't :P

What I truly agree about meditation is that it really trains your mind. I've always believed that our mind is a very very powerful thing in this world. You feed it with things, and it will become those things. And in our daily life, our mind is constantly being fed with a lot of things. Good things, bad things and so on. And without training, these things can just grow into beautiful and scary things without our conscience!

After meditating for a year, I asked myself a question:

Are we truly aware of what we do, say and think? Because if we do, we'll be the happiest person on earth. We know what to do, say and think to avoid all the unhappiness and suffering of this life.

And judging from the unhappiness level in life around me, I am pretty sure we are not aware.

So yes I finally understood why my uncle and the books say that mediation trains our awareness. By being aware of our thoughts during meditation, we're training ourselves to be aware of our thoughts when we're not meditating. And when we're aware, we know what to say, and not to say, and hence what to do and what not to do. It truly feels enlightening coming into terms with this hah.

I kind of realised too that when there's a problem, or when I feel really crappy, I naturally ask myself. Is what I'm thinking useful? Is what I'm doing of any good use to myself and others? I know being angry doesn't solve anything. So I usually stop being angry about things. Also the practice that we are aware of how our thoughts come and go, taught me that your feelings and emotions also come and go. So don't cling onto them. It doesn't do any good to you.

I truly enjoyed meditation. It is something I look forward to every day. When I'm really really busy, I will try to fit even a 5 minute meditation. But so far I've set aside some time in my day to meditate so... It's all good. Oh I've also been chanting sutras! Been doing it for 9 months now and I also feel that chanting sutras is a great meditative process as well. In fact, the late Venerable Dr. H. Saddhatissa Mahanayaka Thero, said that almost all Buddhist practices are nothing else but some form of meditation.

Or well when you think about it, every religious practice is a form of meditation. In some way.

Of course I'm so far of becoming a master in meditation. I know how some meditation master can actually "meditate" when they're walking, eating and so on. It's because their minds are so trained that they are in a "meditative" state of mind all the time, in which they are aware of everything. And that's my goal I suppose? I don't want to be like some super awesome person who meditates perfectly. I just want to continue to train my mind, so that I can be mindful in everything I do, and hopefully help others alleviate their suffering. Because we're unaware, that we are the creators of our suffering.

Right I'm going to stop here. I really recommend you to make meditation a new practice to carry into the new year. You don't have to be a Buddhist to meditate. Just sit down and focus on your breathing. Or you can also chant your favourite religious (or anything really) saying/line/mantra etc. It's fine.

To end this post, I just want to remind you of something.

Never believe that your thoughts, feelings and emotions are citizens of your mind. 

They are nothing but visitors of your mind that come and go away. 

PS: These are just my thoughts and opinions about meditation. Do read up more about meditation if you wanna know more about it! Even up till today I'm still reading lots of articles about meditation haha. But if you wanna ask me any questions feel free to do so :)

Quiet

I just had the quietest, emptiest Christmas' eve ever, in my life. Well my brother is currently in Jakarta with his family and so it's only my parents and I in the house. My sister is in her room with her husband. It is so quiet. Like it's so brutally quiet. It was so quiet I blast music at home, which I don't usually do (I only blast music in my room heh). And I even waited for my dad to finish bathing before continuing work, cause I really dislike the silence haha. Oh well, life is life.

This is a perfect scenario to explain what I meant about life catching up with me. I know how in the good old days my family would gather together every year end. But I suppose life happened haha. I do understand we are all adults now and we have important things to settle as well. It's fine.

Somehow every year-end would remind me why going back for good is the decision I should make. I used to question my decision but now, I am affirmed that it was the right thing to do. Perhaps your heart feels incomplete when you make a decision. But as life goes by, you will find ways to make your heart complete again. Life will find you ways, your heart will find you ways. And ultimately, it is us who will decided at the end of the day if you want to take up the decision or not.

Ah well, c'est la vie. It's the only thing I would tell myself during these times.

Merry Christmas everybody :)