Mt Fuji

When we arrived at Fujikawaguchiko it was foggy and wet. We couldn’t see much other than the misty lake. The hotel had promised a good view of Mt Fuji from our room but it was no where in sight.  We certainly brought our tropical rain to Kawaguchiko which was supposed to have only 5 days of rainfall in November. As the evening waned the rain stopped. Gradually the contour of Mt Fuji took shape but the top was still shrouded. I slept early eager to catch sight of the full mountain in the morning. I felt the excitement of a child on Christmas eve waiting to find out what her present was the next morning.

At 3 am I woke up suddenly. I gazed out of the glass doors and held my breath in awe. In the darkness the mysterious Mt Fuji wore a white pointed straw hat like those worn by Japanese farmers. If I were to assign a gender it would be a HE, a grand sire, a wise man, a village chief; one whom earns the respect of all.  I didn't sleep much that night. I was on vigil just before dawn. Then the sunrise splendor unfolded. The first sun  rays dropped a tinge of pink on the summit. Slowly and  steadily this drop of pink spread downward along the Eastern slope acquiring an orange hue as it slided. Soon the eastern face of the mountain was aglow. I was so struck by the beauty of it all that I told myself there must be a God behind such wonder.

Spell bound I held Mt Fuji as sacred. I thought it disrespectful to spread our laundered undergarment on the deck chair in the balcony of our room before Mt Fuji's very eyes.The whole of the next 2 days we took endless pictures of the mountain from various locations of Kawaguchiko. Every view was breath taking, be it between branches of a maple tree, at the lakeside with tall rushes or from a nearby hillcock.

In our hotel there is an indoor hot spring with full glass windows which provide a magnificient view of the mountain. As per Japanese public bath ethics you have to bathe yourself before dipping into the spring naked. When I went in one afternoon I was fortunate enough to be alone. Still I felt a bit awkward and shy to bathe in full view of such sacredness. After being in the spring for a while, a sense of quiet delight overwhelmed me. My bare body in the clear spring waters joined by the majestic mountain awakened my sense of  just  BEING.

 
 
 

Can not mention

I am really amazed at the speed our government introduce changes in policies. I am not sure whether to be impressed or amused. Today was the release of the PSLE results and I have read in the papers that the ministry is considering not announcing the top students. I thought it meant the ministry will not be revealing the names of the top students in the cohort and the schools they come from. Little did I expect such draconian measures to "hide" the scores. I was at my school to see how my P6 clients fared and also to standby should any pupil need counselling. In the hall where all the pupils and parents were gathered nerves were raw as usual. As per past years after the usual announcements about the application process for secondary school and getting the pupils to acknowledge the dedication of their teachers, the Principal went on to reveal the percentage of passes in the various streams and the subjects. The name and the score of the top 3 students were not announced. In its place the Principal spoke about "model" students who set good examples and 5 names were flashed on the screen. There was no mention of how they fared in the exam or how they earned the merit of being "model" students. I turned to a teacher standing next to me with a puzzled look and she told me these students are actually the top scorers in the school. Throughout the briefing other than broad percentages not a single mention was made about the actual scores, the magical 3 digit figure became a taboo overnight.

Another new "pattern" shall I call it was the introduction of an award for the student with the best character. "Hmm....isn't that rather subjective?" I whispered to the teacher. She told me there was a list of criteria for the selection and the school had to get the teachers to nominate students and then  decide on the name after a long meeting.

I find the sudden change rather amusing. I thought about the tuition centre which no longer could parade the picture and score of the top PSLE student whom it proclaimed to have groomed. I thought, about the parents of the top students in each school who missed the opportunity of feeling the glory which their child brought upon them (aiya just missed by one year). I empathized with my principal whose rotten luck deprived her the pride of announcing a substantial improvement in the scores this year. I thought about that 3 digit figure, be it 197, 212, 224, 236, 244, 255, 262, 279, 285 obsessed by generations of parents. Yes it is high time this figure be banished from our dream/ nightmare.

Nothing surprises me anymore?

A common expression amongst people as they age is "nothing surprises me anymore". This is  usually from people who have seen a lot, feel jaded or unruffled.

However I feel quite the reversed. Increasingly I find things happening around us rather puzzling and unimaginable. Some of them are as follow:

1) The gangnam style video that has gone viral

2) Property prices rocketing out of comprehension

3) University undergraduates posing erotic sex video on the web

4) Flooding in New York

5) Republicans underestimating the changing demographics of the Hispanic vote in the presidential election


The gangnam video was viewed 680 million times on youtube. Yes it is funny and amusing but surely not earth shaking. Perhaps it is fueled by curiosity exponentially. It is amazing what seizes people's fascination nowadays. Apparently the humour and surprise element coupled with the unique dance movements in the video mesmerizes lots of people.Then you have the infamous NUS law scholar who wondered whose sensitivity he should be protecting and why was there a need to apologize for posing pornographic videos of him and his girlfriend's sex life on the web. It seems people have an insatiable thirst for new things and the more out of the ordinary anything is the more excitement it creates. It is as if people have to break out of boredom to survive. Therein lies the irony. The intention is to draw attention by delivering a surprise but any shocked response arising may be labelled as old fashion and outdated. Try sharing with the youngsters your disbelief that certain things  are happening and they will say you are out of touch and uninformed.

Yet uninformed is exactly the real reason behind other surprises that we encounter. Every one talks about how the property prices have rocketed beyond comprehension. Yet if one has been observant, focused and inquisitive one can see it coming, at least in Singapore with the accelerating increase in population. If we have cared enough to find out or note the annual population growth and the GDP growth over the last few years or bothered to be inquisitive or think deeper where the excess liquidity floating around will settle and wondered about the prolonged low interest rate environment, we should have seen it coming. Of course there are people who jumped in with what they called gut feel but most likely are people who have taken note of all such factors subconsciously. The fact is we have to reckon that in many so called surprise happenings it is ourselves who have not been alert ie. OUT OF TOUCH in the true sense.

Having said that there are many aspects/events in today's world which are hard to predict or which have turned out unexpectedly. These include subtle social changes that creep onto societies stealthily like a fog. I was amazed to learn that the youths in Japan are known to be complacent,apathetic and unmotivated. Unlike previous generations whose quest was to learn from the west the new generation appears unengaged and inward looking. Apparently the enrollment of Japanese students in top  US universities have been falling. The young people watched and decided not to follow the footsteps of their parents who sacrifice quality lifestyle for the lifetime dream job. Meanwhile the government grappled with setting some directions or aspiration to  tackle the prevailing aimlessness. The social aspect of things is especially difficult to envisage because it involves human psychology and behaviour. Like the effect that industrialization and modernization have on  climates, social changes can catch people and governments off guard, adding to the list of surprises we encounter. No wonder the Republicans lost the presidential election. They had failed to adapt to the changing demographics in the country;surprised whilst they watched the billions spent on campaigning went down the drain.

Feel the Magic

Read in the papers about this lady who founded Pat School House who is now moving on to be the CEO of another pre-school chain, G8 Education, one which is considered lower tiered in terms of fees. Her aim as she explained is to bring holistic child development to a wider group of families, inculcating in the children the love of music, literature and expression. One of her remarks which strikes me is that when interviewing child care teachers she will get them to sing and tell stories to assess their suitability. For a moment I was wondering whether I should apply for the job because I would love to engage in such activities daily (ie. if it does not come with the din and children on the loose haha).

As it's Friday and story telling time at the Library, I have to flip through the books which I  borrowed in advance to get a rough idea of the storyline. I have chanced upon 2 very inspiring books, at least for me who might not have grown up after all. The mystical flow of both stories awakes the child in me and the deeper meaning beneath them led me to some adult inner reflections. I was so enthralled by the language in one of the books that I went on to google a bit on the author, William Steig. He was a well known cartoonist for the New York Times before he went on to write children's books at the age of 61 (Wow so inspiring!). The language he used was so packed with emotions, of sadness, of struggles, of losing faith, of gaining hope and of riding the storm and emerging from difficulties. I think this children's book is worth more than any adult self help book as it appeals to the innate healing power of the inner psychic.

"Rather than using iPads, animation and loud sounds that will only attract a child's attention, I want to teach children so that their imagination can go further, they feel the emotions of a story"-commented the new CEO of G8 Education. I do agree with her. One must not forget that there are many aspects to living and the physical plane is just one of them. Helping the children to feel the magic will impart a dimension that makes life a little tad more worth living.

Child or Pet?

In today's Life Sumiko wrote an article about how pets can stand in for children to foster closer relationship between husband and wife. She described how she and her partner found joy relating little tricks and pranks that each of their pet dog was up to. In fact it is now common for young couples to substitute pets for children since pets provide just as much joy with less stress and commitment perhaps.

In Buddhist class the discussion was about the sufferings that attachment and the clinging on to things can bring about including relationships. I asked the teacher doesn't love equates attachment. Does it then mean to be less attached one must love less. This sparked off a spirited discussion including the animated opinion of one classmate whose pet dog has just passed away. The group consensus was if one loves unconditionally without expectations one will not suffer. So if you care for someone and does things to promote his or her happiness but were not appreciated and reciprocated, you will not feel hurt. A heavily pregnant woman once asked a religious teacher a question. She told the teacher she was about to give birth to a child whom the doctor prescribed would not live long after birth. She asked what she needed to do to support the child. The teacher told her she must first not resent the child for not fulfilling her expectations for it. The child was born with its own purpose and not according to her wishes and not to fulfill her expectations for it. The teacher then went on to discuss how very often we load onto our children expectations that serve to fulfill our need to feel that we have been good/successful parents and that it is worthwhile to have them.

Perhaps that is why some people find loving a pet less taxing than loving a child. A child comes with a string of associated expectations which arise from the feeling that it is an extension of oneself. Giving unconditional love to a pet comes easier. So if my cat Miao2 is getting fat and lethargic and watches with one eye half opened a lizard dashing across the floor, I just give her a nudge and reproached her idleness in jest.

The Balinese Door

Did you notice that the doors to most homes in Bali are relatively small. Often when you step in you will also face a small wall. Behind the wall a landscaped garden awaits you be it a big or small one. Even if a house is located along a busy street, once inside you feel like you are in a different world away from the hustle and bustle. Serenity is restored almost immediately as if you are coming home to your real self. Here you can discard your mask and your armour. You will get this experience when you stay at smallish boutique or back packer hotels in Bali.

Yesterday I heard over podcast an interview with Kofi Annan. When asked how he juggled his life  between family and his job as UN Secretary-General, he talked about trying his best practice to work hard for the "larger world" on week days and keeping weekends for his "smaller world". His "smaller world" which includes his wife and family provided the support which was so crucial especially at times when the UN effort seemed so fruitless in some countries' political strifes and killings. His mention of the 2 worlds prompted my recollection of images of the Bali doors. These Balinese are so clever in trying to build ambiences and atmosphere which facilitate and nurture the connection to one's inner world.

Apparently the wall is called "aling-aling" and its traditional goal is really to stop demons from entering the house.  If you think about it, from a psychological and mental point of view isn't that also relevant to us. I mean it will be good to  have  a wall to stop demonic thoughts from raking our minds, the common ones being desire, fear, doubt and anger. Both Gautama Buddha and Jesus Christ had to overcome such thoughts and emotions (often termed as temptations) before being freed from their fetters and achieving enlightenment. As we straddle between our outer and inner  worlds we have to leave the door opened to things happening outside; but at the same time we need a wall to filter non beneficial or unskillful ideas and emotions so that the serenity in our inner courtyard can be maintained always to welcome us home.

Seeds from past and for future

When I first arrived in Singapore more than 30 years ago, I put up at my aunt's place at Selegie Rd. I attended a secondary school at Toa Payoh and commuted to and fro by bus which took more than an hour. The bus route covered a stretch of Bartley Road where the Ramakrishna Temple stood on a small hill. ( I found out it was a temple only recently) It looked more like a villa to me. I remember often wondering from afar who this "villa" housed and what its interior looked like whenever the bus passed by it.

Two weeks ago after a meeting at MCYS, accompanied by its supervisor I dropped in at the Ramakrishna Mission Boy's Home to see one of my clients, a P 6 student who stays there. He is there because his home environment is not conducive for his upbringing. The boy was surprised, a bit shy but delighted to see me. He was having his weekly Science tuition given by an Indian lady who is a volunteer. My unexpected visit cut short his tuition session. The supervisor asked him to show me around the home and the temple and the tutor joined in as she had not been inside the prayer hall of the temple, which is just next to the home. The premise is on sprawling high grounds and the surroundings is quiet and serene.

After showing us the various rooms in the home the boy brought us to view the garden patches at the side and back of the home. At the side there are several rectangular plots for the planting of herbs, each plot the responsibility of a small group of boys to nurture. We then crossed over to the temple (the villa in my memory). The lower hall was adorned with photographs of Ramakrishna and his disciples. Me and the tutor chattered excitedly and rather loudly because there was no one in the hall. The boy then whispered to us to speak softly because the holy ones (in the pictures) are meditating. Like naughty girls caught misbehaving we apologized. On each side of the hall there was a staircase. The boy told us that he will take the staircase on the left which is meant for the men and we ladies have to take the other staircase meant for the women. I followed his instructions not knowing what to expect on the upper floor. I imagined we would find ourselves in a separate prayer room meant for ladies. Instead the staircase led us to a big open hall on the second floor and our young guide was there waiting for us with a quiet confident smile. I don't know why but I felt so happy to see him, almost like a child meeting a parent. Throughout the visit I have noticed my student behaved very differently from the way he does in school. In school he is treated like an irritant by teachers and a clown by his classmates. But here he was like a knowledgeable tour guide leaving out no details introducing the statue of Ramakrishna as well as people in the framed picture on the wall. He hit the gong softly to show us the start of a prayer routine as well as the bells used during prayers. I grasped onto his words with a feeling of awe.  He urged me to take some of the literature displayed on a side table, showed me one which listed upcoming events and encouraged me to attend one of these prayer sessions. "But this is not my religion" I whispered softly in reply. He told me all believers are welcomed and mentioned that they believe in the Bible too. I just smiled not making sense of what he told me; but I did pick up 2 little booklets to get a better understanding of this faith. Whilst taking the staircase down a phrase from the Bible popped up in my mind "and a child will lead them".

 As I stood at the temple corridors looking down on the surrounding Bartley area I reflected  that it took me 3 decades to be inside the "villa" which I had wondered from afar. The seed of "awe" which  was planted in my mind more than 30 ago has now ripened and enriched my visit, giving it a sense of bewilderment. A week before this visit I had submitted notice to the school about my intention to quit next year. I have been with the school for almost 4 years and need to move on, though I don't know what I will embark on next. I have been tossing ideas in my mind about the various options, volunteering here, volunteering there, maybe some part time employment, maybe focusing on acquiring religious knowledge or maybe even focusing on investing money.

As I bade farewell to the boy, the Home and my "Villa", a feeling of warmth came over me and I felt another seed has been planted in my mind. Somehow I have a feeling this seed may possibly give me some directions in time to come.

(Incidentally Ramakrishna is perhaps one of the best known saints of nineteenth century India. He had a universal approach to religion believing the validity of different religious paths. Amongst his teachings was the belief that all religions including Christianity and Islam lead to God).

Now I know where the boy is coming from.