Lotus - Beautiful As Ever

Is this myself I see?
Ignorance & darkness...
Unfolding petals...the expansion of the soul...


Going through emotional experience and yet, never giving up....steadily pulled up by the warmth of the sun...

Illumination in the splendour of the light...

Flat-topped seed pod symbolizes offspring and fruitfulness...


Lifting up any wilted spirit...

Lotus seeds...known for its endurance and permanence.

Thoughts...
Growing up with the Lotus, I never realize the uniqueness of this beauty. Many never even give it a second thought of how this flower/plant enriches our lives. I have enjoyed lotus root soup, munching lotus seeds in mooncakes and wrapping rice dumplings with lotus leaves... TODAY, I like to share with all of you the lotus flower, when it blooms and when it wilts. I enjoy watching my lotuses growing just outside my kitchen window, graceful and majestic, and over a few weeks I have patiently taken the above shots.

I have just successfully finished my thesis for my Education degree and the blossoming of the lotus is exactly how I felt throughout the course of completing it. Given only 2 weeks to get a thesis done is no joke; almost impossible. I related to how a lotus starts its journey through darkness and ignorance...slowly going all sorts of emotional experiences...never quitting...and in the end, standing up to be the exemplar of beauty, purity and humility.

To all my friends...may the Lotus continue to inspire you, to continue to strive through difficulties and to remind you that life is beautiful :)

John Bay's Collection

There is magic in long-distance friendships. They let you relate to other humans beings in a way that goes beyond being physically together and if often more profound. (Diana Cortes)







There is one friend in the life of each of us who seems not a separate person, however dear and beloved, but an expansion, an interpretation, of one's self, the very meaning of one's soul. (Edith Wharton)
The beautiful photos above are compliments from a very dear friend, John Bays, who lives in the United Kingdom. He takes such fabulous photos (flowers are from his own garden); I just want the world to see what he sees. John and I share a passion in photography. Living across the globe from each other doesn't stop us from sharing our passion together. Thanks John, for our special moments :) Thank you for the trust and comfort,and always making days more special for me.

John is like a shady tree...beside a summer's way
He is like sunshine that makes my perfect day
He is like a flower that I wear close to my heart
He is definitely treasure...I will not wanna part

Frangipani

Plumeria Alba, although I prefer the name Frangipani, is one flower of beauty, charm and grace. It represents spring and new life. Can't believe this flower dates back to the Mayan civilisation, and they believed back then that this beauty symbolizes life and birth of human beings.
I first heard of the name Frangipani a few years back, when I made a trip to Bali. Bali is a haven for body massages and I had Frangipani oil all over my body. Fell in love with the fragrance and being so relaxed afterwards.

A little history: The name Plumeria came from the honorable 17th-century French botanist, Charles Plumeira. The name Frangipani birthed from a noble Italian family, a 16th-century marquess of which invented a plumeria-scented perfume.

Here in Malaysia, this strong-scented beauty is also as The Graveyard Flower. These trees are commonly found around cemeteries; believed to offer protection and shelter.
You don't get to choose how you're going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you're going to live. NOW. (Joan Baez)

It's been a tough week for me. I lost a friend last Sunday. It was especially difficult for me because this is a friend whom I have never met in person before...always wanted to but never had the chance...always thought that that one day would come...assumed that there's plenty of opportunities in the near future...and now that one day is gone forever. I could not believe that I had to 'meet' him for the very first time in the funeral home.
Death ends a life, not a relationship. (Jack Lemmon)

When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. (Anonymous)

Memories...
Six years ago, I was honoured to have been in the life of a very special young boy named Jonathan. Jon came into this world with lots of challenges...he was born was a 'blue boy' (had a hole in his heart) and obviously, along with that, came many more health obstacles. Doctors confirmed that he would only be able to live until age 2. Nevertheless, God allowed Jon to live 11 wonderful years in this world. He was one cheerful boy. His mom made sure that he lived to the fullest; home tutoring, junkfood and computer games!!!
I remembered a few days before he passed away. He was hospitalized; he needed to have surgery and he wanted so much to have a Nemo to hug. I made sure he had one specially air-flown from the city. Nothing could make me happier watching him smile when he saw me carrying the Nemo towards him :) Jon died a few days after, just before his 12th birthday. His mom made sure that Nemo accompanied him in his coffin.
Death is nothing else but going home to God, the bond of love will be unbroken for all eternity (Mother Teresa)

Wild Thistle

To see the world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower...hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour. (Willian Blake)

A weed is but an unloved flower. (Ella Wheeler Wilcox)

Can you believe this wild flower is a weed? A plant pest! Unwanted. Unnoticed. Yet, if you take a minute to actually look at it, it is gorgeous. This particular "pest" is known as a wild thistle. Although there are many species of thistles around the world, this thistle belongs to the Marsh Thistle family.

The colour purple on this thistle is simple breathtaking. A symbol of royalty and nobility, the purple colour certainly caught my eye as I was taking my morning walks. I could not help but stop and take some pictures of it.


The name thistle is a national symbol of Scotland. Hmm..why would Scotland choose a weed to be their national symbol? Well, the story goes like this... when the Vikings invaded Scotland, the sleeping Scots were saved when one of the attackers trod on a wild thistle with his bare feet. His cries raised the alarm and the roused Scots duly defeated the Danes. Hehe...saved by the thistle!
The grasshopper takes the lead in summer luxury ...he has never done with his delights, for when tired out with fun, he rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed. (John Keats)

Thoughts...
Child abandonment comes to my mind when I look at these beautiful yet unwanted flowers. Cases such as these are increasing tremendously in our nation, unfortunately. Poverty used to be the root cause of abandoning babies but not today. Fear. Shame. Irresponsibility. Stupidity! Recently (17 May 2010 The Malaysian Insider), a senator proposed that men who were responsible for babies to be abandoned should be castrated. Well, it takes two to tango! Women (or mostly, teenagers) have to be responsible too. It all boils down to the family institution and values. What is happening to the Asian world nowadays? Family values are evaporating fast. I have read about babies being dumped into drains and dogs eating them. I have read about gang rapes in school and causing unwanted pregnancy. We, like any other government, do whatever necessary to create awareness. Campaigns. Talks. Forums. And our young generation still pays no heed. Why???

Ixora

If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen FOR you, TO you and BECAUSE of you. (T. Alan Armstrong)

The beautiful Ixora...more commonly known as Flame of the Woods, Jungle Flame, Burning Love...but I grew up knowing it as "Needle Flower" (Bunga Jarum in the Malay language).
Ixoras represent passion. Passion for love. Passion for life. Passion plays a vital role in our lives, won't you agree? Passion shapes our existence, fuels our inspirations and makes our hearts, minds, body and spirit collaborate to produce feelings, ideas and values.
Never underestimate the power of passion (Eve Sawyer)

As a kid I use to love sucking its nectar from the flowers. Then my friends and I would pluck the flowers patiently and connect them to make them into garlands. We would wear them and dance around, giggling...dreaming we were Hawaiian maidens :)
The pink Ixoras are my favourite so far. This baby soft pink looks sweet and happy. Pink is the colour of romance....:) Ahhh...a walk by the beach, hand in hand with your loved one, and a glass of champagne in the other....passion follows right after *grin*
Yellow is the colour of optimism and the promise of the future. Yes! With passion, whatever we do...we should continuously move forward and don't look back. Never regret on our past decisions. Take it as life's little teachings and move on...better, stronger, more determined.



Red...the ultimate symbol of passion. Red increases enthusiasm, stimulates energy and encourages confidence. Be it passion in relationships or work... one must have the heart. The yearning for success, the eagerness for achievement and yet, to enjoy it along the way. That's passion!

Passion lies in all of us, sleeping, waiting... and though unwanted , unbidden,...it will still stir...open its jaws and howl. It speaks to us...guide us...rules us all and we obey. Passion is the source of our finest moments...the joy of love, the clarity of hatred and the ecstasy of grief. If we could live without passion maybe we would know some kind of peace...but we would be hollow. Without passion, we would be truly dead. (Joss Whedon)
Passion in a young life...
Nicole, my 12 year old daughter, has a passion for writing. She started doodling and scribbling when she was 3. She loved pencils and papers. No one actually noticed what she was doing until a few years later, as my dad was tidying up the floor, he took up one of Nicole's scribbles and read it. She had written a short story! Dad suggested we keep her papers...who knows maybe one day...they would be useful. I did. Furthermore, I bought her thick notebooks to write from then on, hoping to create a more organized Nicole! Nicole one day blurted out that she wanted to be a writer. She wanted her stories to be made into movies. By age 10, she has written books and books of short stories. She carried a notebook everywhere she went. She would write whatever that came to her head at whatever time; even if we are in the middle of dinner! She made sure she had a notebook in her schoolbag; she would write during breaks. It was a joy to see her write. Writing seems to come so naturally to her. We had to do something about the stories that she had penned all these years. I compiled about 20 of her stories and sent them to a good friend of mine to be edited. We are in the process of printing Nicole's first book. I hope that when this book is finally done, it would be an inspiration for her to continue writing and let nothing stand in her way...Only passion, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things. (Denis Diderot)