Out With the Old, In With the New

And now, the end is near...

All too soon, another year has come to an end. I hope you had a good year! And if you haven’t, you will be pleased that the year is coming to an end. It’s time to look forward to welcoming the New Year. Let all the unpleasantness of last year remained in last year.

As the year comes to an end, don’t look back at yesterday’s disappointment. Look forward to tomorrow’s promises. - Unknown

For last year’s words belong to last year’s language, and next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning. - T.S. Eliot

New Beginnings are in order, and you are bound to feel some level of excitement as new chances come your way. - Auliq Ice

What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year. - Vern McLellan

Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, ‘It will be happier.' - Alfred Lord Tennyson

And here is old blue eyes doing ‘My Way’. Not the most appropriate song, but I am sure the lyrics will resonate with some.

Life is Short

We live, a brief moment in time; like the passing cloud, here one moment, gone the next. We do not know what tomorrow will bring, and the only time we really have is right now.

So, spend your precious time with people whom you love and who love you., Spend time with people who make you happy, people who make you laugh. Do the things you enjoy doing. Have fun and live your life the way you want to live it. Treasure the time you have, make full use of it.

Live not as though there were a thousand years ahead of you. Begin, at once, to live life to the fullest while you are still healthy and have all your faculties intact. Live each day like it is the last. Laugh your heart out. Dance in the rain. Cherish the moment.

Do not let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or the future. Relax and enjoy life. Live in the moment. The moment is all you have. You will never live this day again. If you don't live you life well now, when are you going to find the time to go back and live it over?

Live as you will wish to have lived when you are dying. - Christian Gellert

Too short… Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don’t and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that it’d be easy, they just promised it would be worth it. - Harvey Mackay

Remember that man lives only in the present, in this fleeting instant; all the rest of his life is either past and gone, or not yet revealed. Short, therefore, is man's life, and narrow is the corner of the earth wherein he dwells. - Marcus Aurelius

The great thing that strikes you on looking back is how very brief is the span of life on this earth. The warning that one would give, therefore, is that it is well not to fritter it away on things that don’t count in the end; nor on the other hand is it good to take life too seriously as some seem to do. Make it a happy life while you have it. That is where success is possible to every man. - Sir Robert Baden-Powell

It is only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth – and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up – that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had. - Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

We are all just a car crash, a diagnosis, an unexpected phone call, a newfound love, or a broken heart away from becoming a completely different person. How beautifully fragile are we that so many things can take but a moment to alter who we are forever? - Samuel Decker Thompson

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. - Steve Jobs

Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savoured. - Earl Nightingale

Spider Lilies

Spider lily is the common name for a number of different plant species within the family Amaryllidaceae  which belong to the following genera:

- Crinum, a genus of about 180 species of perennial plants in the family Amaryllidaceae found along the sides of streams and lakes in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide, including South Africa
- Hymenocallis, a genus of plants in the family Amaryllidaceae
- Lycoris, a genus of 13–20 species of flowering plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, formerly often treated in the family Liliaceae
- Nerine, genus of about 20–30 species of South African plants in the family Amaryllidaceae
-Wikipedia

The Spider Lily has spider-like blossoms. I guess that’s where the flower gets its name. In Singapore, the Hymenocallis is most commonly seen. To be fair, I hadn’t realize that there are so many varieties of Spider Lilies. I could have seen the other varieties and not know that they are lilies. Anyway, now that I know about it, I will share them here if I should come across them in future.

Spider Lilies are perennial bulb plants. They are easy to grow, hardy and they bloom throughout the year. They grow best in well-drained soil with moderate moisture during the growing season. They can be grown in full sun or part shade. Of course, part shade is more ideal.

Since they are hardy plants, they don’t need a lot of care. If you plant them in beds like in the pictures, you might like to give them a trim now and then – to cut off the dead, or dying leaves, so that they will look neat. Otherwise, they are okay to be left alone.

The following lily looks like it is of the Crinum genus. Or maybe they are just a different variety of the Hymenocallis. I am not sure. What do you think? Have a look at the next two pictures and see if the lilies are from the same family.

I managed to get a picture of the bulbs.

A little trivia on the Spider Lily. The one big advantage they have over other bulbs is that they are toxic, making them pest resistant. If you are out walking your dog, make sure that your dog don’t munch on them.

More on...

Silence

Silence is essential. We need silence, just as much as we need air, just as much as plants need light. If our minds are crowded with words and thoughts, there is no space for us. - Thich Nhat Hanh

Silence is helpful, but you don’t need it in order to find stillness. Even when there is noise, you can be aware of stillness underneath the noise, of the space in which the noise arises. That is the inner space of pure awareness, consciousness itself. - Eckhart Tolle

Solitude

Solitude is for me a fount of healing which makes my life worth living. Talking is often a torment for me, and I need many days of silence to recover from the futility of words. - Carl Jung

Anger

When you look deeply into your anger, you will see that the person you call your enemy is also suffering. As soon as you see that, the capacity for accepting and having compassion for them is there. - Thich Nhat Hanh

When faced with anger, senseless drama, spiteful criticisms and misguided opinions, walking away is the best way to stand up for yourself. To respond with anger is an endorsement of their attitude. - Dodinsky

Pain

Pain is temporary. It comes to teach a lesson and when the lesson is understood, it disappears into the night. - Unknown

War

War itself is, of course, a form of madness. It’s hardly a civilized pursuit. It’s amazing how we spend so much time inventing devices to kill each other and so little time working on how to achieve peace. - Walter Cronkite

Relationship

The Relationship you have with yourself is the most important relationship of all. - Unknown

Listening

When you know how to listen, everybody is the guru. - Ram Dass

Today

Today will never come again. Be a blessing. Be a friend. Encourage someone. Take time to care. Let your words heal, and not wound. - Unknown

Freedom

Freedom means not being dominated by anger, greed, ignorance and other destructive emotions. - Buddhist Quote

Mind

My mind is at peace knowing that what was meant for me will never miss me, and that which misses me was never meant for me. - Unknown

Life's Little Lessons

Welcome to the world of quotes. Quotes – the words of wisdom from the sages, the philosophers, the poets, and all the wise men of old, (and recent), who had been through life’s hardships, adversities and indignities.

The beauty of quotes is that they are ageless. They are also usually fairly simple in words and meaning. However, behind the simple words, and sentences are profound truisms. Unfortunately, it is easy to read the words without really understanding the more profound meaning they convey, missing the point the of the quotes.

Still, don’t underestimate the power of what a few simple words of encouragement can do for a person. It can make all the difference in the world to him. A few simple words at the right time can inspire or motivate. It can change a person’s point of view, and how one looks at life. Sometimes, it can also change a person’s life. That is the power of quotes.

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them. - Dalai Lama

If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress. - Barack Obama

It's hard to lead a cavalry charge if you think you look funny on a horse. - Adlai Stevenson II

There is no stronger bond of friendship than a mutual enemy. - Frankfort Moore

You have to allow a certain amount of time in which you are doing nothing in order to have things occur to you, to let your mind think. - Mortimer Adler

There would be no advantage to be gained by sowing a field of wheat if the harvest did not return more than was sown. - Napoleon Hill

There’s a saying among prospectors: “Go out looking for one thing, and that’s all you’ll ever find.” - Robert Flaherty

Even with a dull axe, you can blaze a trail. - Robert Powers

He that is robb’d, not wanting what is stolen, Let him not know’t, and he’s not robb’d at all. - William Shakespeare

Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. - Carl Jung

Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life’s deepest joy: true fulfillment. - Tony Robbins

A good indignation brings out all one’s powers. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Greatest Love

It's a cliché, but also a deep truth (as clichés tend to be), that you can't love another person very well if you don't love yourself. - Harriet Lerner

Before you set out to love someone else, you must muster the courage to love yourself. You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

The journey of self-love, is also a journey of self-discovery. When you can understand yourself, you will also understand your fellow man better. You will realize that they are like you, wanting more or less the same thing. You will have more empathy, more tolerance and maybe more patient. You will learn it is not easy to love. Love means acceptance, kindness, encouragement, and care.

When you love yourself, and you are confident in yourself, you’ll help to heal and inspire others just by being yourself. You’ll help them to discover that it’s possible for them to love themselves too. It’s a beautiful gift.

With love, doubt disappears, fears fade, and there’s a comfort that develops which makes even being alone a place of solace.

I must learn to love the fool in me, the one who feels too much, talks too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and loses often, lacks self-control, loves and hates, hurts and gets hurt, promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries. - Theodore Isaac Rubin

You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. - Gautama Buddha

Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all. - Michael Masser and Linda Creed

Eggs at the Garden by the Bay

I saw these ‘eggs’ at the Gardens by the Bay. At first, I hadn’t a clue what they were all about. It was later on in the evening when the eggs lighted up that I thought, ‘Ah, that’s interesting.” However, it was only after reading the write up and elaboration of the idea behind the eggs that I thought, “Wow. What a cool idea.”

That is the way with most arts. Just looking at it, we will not get the story behind the creation. But when the whole idea behind the creation is explained to us, we get to look at the art from the artist's point of view. We might not totally agree with the artist, but we sure understand a lot more about the art, and why the artist do what he did.

Entitled Autonomous Resonating Life on the Water and Resonating Trees, the interactive digital installation is a commentary on how we are all interconnected by invisible threads to one another.

The following information is from their website Eggs at Gardens by the Bay: Resonating Life on the Waters of the Dragonfly Lake

In the day, the eggs at Gardens by the Bay appear white, almost like a swarm of giant insects have laid their eggs on the lake or the aliens from Cocoon are invading Singapore.

From 7 pm to 12 am, the ovoids will be lit up in bright colours of purple, blues, yellows and reds. The trees at the edge of Dragonfly Lake also light up in sympathy with the eggs. They shine brightly and fade together, as if they have a natural, innate pulse of life.

Some of the 334 ovoids stand along the boardwalk, inviting visitors to interact with them.

Push an ovoid and the colour of its light changes. It also emits a tone which is specific to the colour. The first ovoid’s colour change then triggers the next adjacent one to also change colour, creating a ripple effect of light changes that emanate throughout the art installation. This results in ever changing hues as people interact with the squishy ovoids.

The work reflects how singular ideas can resonate and spread outwards from the original source. Colour changes triggered from another part of the installation are also a reminder that there are other living beings in the same space.

Here are more pictures of the eggs later in the evening. Apologies about the quality of the pictures. They are not the best, because they are taken with my cell phone.

This was early evening. The eggs appeared bluish in colour because they were reflecting lights from the surrounding.

The following were taken during the light show, when the eggs showed wave after wave of colours. It was quite awesome - something which you have to be present to appreciate.

Forgiveness

“To err is human. To forgive divine.” I believe every one has heard of this maxim before.

Sometimes, when we sit back and retrospect, we realized that there are many occasions when a little forgiveness on our part will have made a lot of difference. Learn to forgive now, so that in future, you will not have to blame yourself for not being more forgiving.

Forgiving is something that we struggled with after someone has wronged us, either through hurtful words or maliciousness acts. We kept thinking of the hurt, the injustice we suffered. We hold a grudge against them, and we keep thinking of a way to get back at them, or to get even with them.

This is wrong thinking. To think this way only does us more harm. I can pretty much guarantee you that the person who wronged you doesn't go around thinking about it daily, if at all. He is done with it. He did what he did – maybe intentionally, or maybe he didn’t even realized that he had done wrong. In any case, he would have moved on.

Whereas, here we are, still mopping, plotting revenge, trying to get even. Little did we know that harbouring all these harmful and negative thoughts does not hurt the person who did us wrong, it only rob us of our peace of mind.

We must learn to forgive. Forgive the people who had done us wrong, but don’t forget the lesson, or the reason why we were taken advantage of. Learn the lesson well, so that we will not be taken advantage of by the same trick, or person again.

In society, in our social circle, there will always be people who spoke out of turn – people who said something about us, or did something involving us that is unforgivable. No matter who we are, we have been hurt at one time or another. But we must stop holding grudges. Too many people wasted their time obsessed with hatred for those who had hurt them.

We must learn to let go. Whatever it was, let it go. This is so that there is closure to the hurt, and we can move on. Life is too short to be holding grudges, or keeping the hurt and anger in us. Doing so will hurt only ourselves in the end. Forgiveness is the healing of wounds caused by another. We choose to let go of a past wrong, and no longer be hurt by it.

It really doesn’t matter if the person who hurt us deserves to be forgiven. Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves. We want closure to the hurt, the unpleasantness. We want to move on. And we can only do so, if we close the chapter.

A wise man will make haste to forgive, because he knows the true value of time, and will not suffer it to pass away in unnecessary pain. - Samuel Johnson

Forgive all who have offended you, not for them, but for yourself. To forgive is to set the prisoner free, and then discover the prisoner was you. - Lewis B. Smedes

Forgiveness is the fragrance a rose gives to the heel of the boot that crushes it. - Unknown

So, forgive everyone everything, including yourself, set yourself free in the process.

When We Are Older

When we are older, we are more tolerant of people’s flaws and mistakes. We understand that everybody makes a lot of them. When we were younger, we feel: “Hey, this person is evil”, or “This person is a jerk”, or “stupid” or “What’s wrong with them?”. Then we go through life and we think: “Well, it’s not so easy.”

When we are older, we understand that life is unpredictable. There is always ups and downs. Sometimes, it is easy and sometimes, it can be very difficult. It can get complicated at the worst of times, and sometimes, we have no idea what to do, or where to go from here on. Still we keep trying, we keep going. We plod on. Life goes on, and we must live as we can.

We have to go on, despite the pain, the hurt, the unpleasantness we are feeling inside. It is moments like this that build us up, and make us stronger. We may not realize it now, but later on when we are older, when we look back on our lives, we will understand that we are stronger, and wiser because we have gone through life’s experiences. We will be proud of ourselves because we made it – despite the hard knocks life has thrown at us.

As we grow older, we begin to understand that...

It is always the simple things that change our lives. And these things never happen when you are looking for them to happen. Life will reveal answers at the pace life wishes to do so. You feel like running, but life is on a stroll. - Donald Miller

Every situation in life is temporary. So, when life is good, make sure you enjoy and receive it fully. And when life is not so good, remember that it will not last forever and better days are on the way. - Jenni Young

Acceptance of one’s life has nothing to do with resignation; it does not mean running away from the struggle. On the contrary, it means accepting it as it comes, with all the handicaps of heredity, of suffering, of psychological complexes and injustices. - Dr. Paul Tournier

Life is really very simple. What we give out, we get back. Every thought we think is creating our future. - Louise Hay

It does not matter how long you are spending on the earth, how much money you have gathered, or how much attention you have received. It is the amount of positive vibration you have radiated in life that matters. - Amit Ray

Life is simpler when you plough around the stump. - Unknown

In life, it’s not where you go – it’s who goes with you. - Unknown

When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1,000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear. - Unknown

Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you; Live so that your friends can defend you, but never have to. - Unknown

Petrified Wood

I learned something new recently – Petrified Wood.

I have seen these features on my previous visits to the Gardens by the Bay before. I had wondered at the significant of these tree stumps in such an open area, and thought what a odd place to be placing these ugly things. If I had went near them, I would have learned about Petrified wood a long time ago.

It was my friend who pointed out these features to me and told me they are called Petrified Wood, on my last visit.

Petrified wood is also called Fossilized Wood. Although it looks like wood, there is none of the original wood left. But from a distance, they look like ordinary tree trunks.

The sign explains how Petrified Wood came about.

Petrified wood forms when, “... plant material is buried by sediment and protected from decay due to oxygen and organisms. Then, groundwater rich in dissolved solids flows through the sediment, replacing the original plant material with silica, calcite, pyrite, or another inorganic material such as opal. The result is a fossil of the original woody material that often exhibits preserved details of the bark, wood, and cellular structures.” - Geology.com

The Petrification process took occurs underground and it took millions of years. Elements such as manganese, iron, and copper in the water/mud during the ratification process give petrified wood a variety of colour ranges.

It is said that petrified wood can preserve the original structure of the stem in all its detail, down to the microscopic level. Structures such as tree rings and the various tissues are often observed features.

You will notice that the petrified wood is smoothened out. At first, I thought that was what these installations are all about - polished tree stumps, and I was not impressed.

I should have taken close up photos of these petrified wood. Well, next time then.

Choose to be Happy

If you want to be happy, choose to be happy! It really is as simple as that. For example, an unfortunate incident happened which made you very unhappy. You can choose to sulk and mope, and remain unhappy, or you can accept that the situaution happened, put the unpleasantness behind you, and move on.

If you cling on to the unhappiness, it is your fault. It is your responsibility, no one else’s. If you permit someone to make you unhappy, you are choosing to be unhappy. You can choose to be happy by refusing to let anyone make you unhappy.

You don’t have to be happy only when everything is good. You are happy because you see the good, the positive side of everything. Sometimes, a change in mindset and attitude makes a lot of difference.

So, if you want to be happy, just be. Take a little time to do whatever makes a happy you. Only you know what makes you happiest. Being happy is a very personal thing and it really has nothing to do with anyone else. To be happy you must be your own sunshine. You must not be too concerned with others.

Be so happy that when others look at you they become happy too!

Be happy for no reason, like a child. If you are happy for a reason, you’re in trouble, because that reason can be taken from you. - Deepak Chopra

Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more. - Mother Teresa

Be happy with being you. Love your flaws. Own your quirks. And know that you are just as perfect as anyone else, exactly as you are. - Ariana Grande

Be happy, and a reason will come along. - Robert Brault

Be nice to yourself. It’s hard to be happy when someone is mean to you all the time. - Christine Arylo

Being happy is of the utmost importance. Success in anything is through happiness. - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Being happy never goes out of style. - Lilly Pulitzer

Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections. - Gerard Way

The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts, therefore guard accordingly; and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue, and reasonable nature. - Marcus Aurelius

Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking. - Marcus Aurelius

Life's Little Lessons

Don’t underestimate the power of a kind word, or a few simple words of encouragement. Quite often, it is all that we need to get us through the bad patch, or the bad spot we are in. A timely word can open up a new perspective, and help change our attitude, mood, and maybe turn our world around.

Quotes – these words of wisdom, help to reinforce our thoughts, ideas, beliefs and opinions. They are a source of strength, motivating and inspiring us along life’s journey.

The following words of wisdom are short and easy to remember. Do take a few moments to have a look. Maybe there is something that is useful to you. Or, maybe you know of someone who needs some encouragement. If nothing else, they will add to your treasure of knowledge.

If you cannot find a good companion to walk with, walk alone. It is better to be alone than to be with those who will hinder your progress. - Buddha

When a doctor does go wrong he is the first of criminals. He has nerve and he has knowledge. - Arthur Conan Doyle

When you’re fed up or stressed about life, just remember, you will be dead and forgotten soon, so nothing really matters. - Ricky Gervais

Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth. - Marcus Aurelius

By no means run in debt: take thine own measure. Who cannot live on twenty pound a year, cannot on forty. - George Herbert

He that hath a trade hath an estate; he that hath a calling hath an office of profit and honor. - Benjamin Franklin

Only the open-minded get to experience the world from many perspectives. - Unknown

There is something beautiful about all scars of whatever nature. A scar means the hurt is over, the wound is closed and healed, done with. - Harry Crews

A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination. - Nelson Mandela

We should not judge people by their peak of excellence; but by the distance they have travelled from the point where they started. - Henry Ward Beecher

You never have to chase what wants to stay. - Unknown

There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval. - George Santayana

One Week to Christmas

A week to Christmas! All preparations for the festive holidays are in full swing. Gardens by the Bay – Singapore’s most popular tourist attraction is also ready for the party.

Here are some of the displays in the Flower Dome.

Some decorations in and around the Gardens.

Promotions for the events held in the Gardens.