Last week I've finally changed my blog using WordPress. I find it's easier to use, more user friendly and I reaaalllyyy like the TAG function.

So...for those who wants to check out my new blog, please go to

www.steveandcherry.com/blogs

I'm still trying on how to change it to just ../blog. Oh heck..maybe i'll just delete the old blog (this one) and transfer all the entries to the new one (../blogs).

Thanks for checking it out.

Last Saturday praying service at Wat Pa Temple in La Puente, our group, Dhammacakatra LA invited Sifu Ju Wei, a female monk from Shi Lai temple.

She distributed this handout titled "One Hundred Tasks for Life" given by her own master, Venerable Master Hsing Yun. She asked us to pick up few to follow diligently in our life and try to review on it after 1-2months to see the progress.

So, I've picked out a few that I wanted to do...and sure do hope I can keep on it.

1) Do not spread gossip or fuss over gossip. Nor should you be influenced by gossip
Now..I admit I do fuss over gossip. I do sometimes...enjoy listening to it or discuss about it. But, not to started it.

And whenever after talking about it, I'd feel so guilty at myself for talking about gossip stuff again.

At our last Dhamma Discussion, some of the member mentioned, there are good and bad gossips. So we arrived into conclusion that:
- Good gossip: talking about other people positive traits, praising that person to other person.
- Bad gossip: talking about other people negative traits and telling others about it.
- Worst gossip: Telling lies about someone to other people.

Now, we also concluded that there are few advantages of gossiping:
- To warn ourselves of that certain someone who have bad/negative traits that we should be aware of (Eg. that person is a cheater, player, cunning or like to spread lies)
- So we know about our surrounding of what's going on
- (My fav) so we take that person who's being gossip as a reminder to ourselves. If that person is being gossiped as a great person (positive gossip), then we should learn his/her good trait, so we too can be a good person.
But if that person is being gossiped as a bad person (negative gossip), then we should learn NOT to follow them.

Now..how do I define my gossiping? I always feel that when I'm discussing about someone else bad attitudes/actions/traits with another person, I'd say that's gossiping. Sometimes it could be my friends telling that to me, coz they are telling me their frustrations to me about that person, or it's the other way round.

I know it's not good, but some said...it's good in a way, coz I'm warning/telling my friend to be careful of that person if that person is bad (so long I'm telling the truth, not fabricated story).

But, in any case, I've promised Hubby not to discuss or talk about other people's bad stuff no more to other people. It's hard esp if I'm frustrated over that person. But I'll learn not to and be more patient. Just like how Buddha want us to always practice patience, compassion and a balance mind. It's hard, but I know I can do it.

Jeesh..I'm admitting my bad habit to everyone here...

2) Think of what is good and beautiful instead of what is sad and sorrowful.
Now, I'm not saying I'm trying to practice this, but I'm writing this coz I know I lived by that sentence before.

Well....it's an old story, but I admit that sentence is so powerful and true. I swear by it.

Long time ago, when I was heartbroken, I felt so devastated. Instead of drowning myself to alcohol, food or drugs, I'd listen to more Buddhist songs and chanting. I'd go temple and pray to get a piece of mind. Then I came across this sentence at one of the sutta or book.

I then realised, it's so true. Why would I get so upset and sad over something that is in the past?! There's no point to be sad about it, to think about it over and over again. What's done is done. The more I think of it, the more I'd feel sad. Doesn't mean if I cry 24/7, everything will go back to before, or even harming myself.

So I decided to forgive that person who made me sad, and I felt so light. I felt like this heavy rock has been lifted from my heart and I could move on so easily. I could jst enjoy my life without any sadness.

Few weeks after that, that person contacted me again and was so surprised to found out that I was a much happier, healthier and stronger person than before and really wonder how that happen.
I suspected that person thought I'd still be crying over it. hehehehe

But I'm surprised too that I could just easily move on once I realised about that whole thing, the meaning of the sentence, to really SEE. No wonder Buddha said "Nothing is permanent" -- Anicca.
My parents were the one got shocked the most at my recovery

3) Stick to a regular daily routine, maintain regular sleeping and eating patterns, develop the habit to exercise; and stay away from tobacco, alcohol, pornography, and drugs. Govern and regulate your own life.
Now, I've actually combined 4 tasks into 1 coz I am living by it NOW.

I'm fortunate enough that Hubs and I actually doing all that. We really have regular daily routine that to other people it is really boring. We would wake up early in morning, Hubs would go to work, sometimes if I stay home, I'd have breakfast, watch tv, cleaning, play computer, cook and have dinner with Hubs and watching DVD before sleep.

We would normally start our day at 6-7am and end it at around 9-10pm.
We do exercise 3x a week (sometimes more), we would eat normal stuff coz almost everyday I'd cook for hubs.

As for tobacco...oh boy...no problema! I could smell that tobacco smell from farrrrrrrr away! I could even tell if that person just had ciggie or not. I'm just so sensitive with that smell and I really cant stand that smell. When I was in SG, I'd just cough loudly and fan myself in front of that smoker. I know it's annoying, but I felt so annoyed too coz that person jst smoke in public and destroying other people's health.

4) Meditate for at least ten minutes everyday
Oh boy..this is hard and I'm still trying, until now. To pass 5mins is already a triumph. Practicing....still in progress.

5 Be a vegetarian at least one day every month to nurture your heart of compassion.
Hubs and I have made promised to try this. We hope to do this at least 1x a week. We just started it last Sunday. I hope we could stick by it.

We really like this idea and apparently after discussing about this, we both found out, we both actually wanted to be a vegetarian one day. Being a vegetarian, aside that it's good for health, we also indirectly helping to stop the killing of animal. Poor them.

6) Attend to your parents and be filial to them.
Now..this is easy and lifelong commitment that we will always and promise to live by

Love you always, papa-mama

I'm sure every women agree with me on this one, that...it's so bloody hard to find that perfect dress! Why on earth is it so hard?! Really...

Why cant we go to 1 shop and there we can find that perfect dress that fits nicely on our body, hug every curve of our body nicely, it has the perfect design, color and PRICE?!

Why when we found the 'one dress', it will either be too expensive, wrong color, wrong size or in damaged condition?!

Yesterday, Sunday, Hub and I went shopping at Ontario Mill Outlet set to look for a dress for me to wear on my bro's wedding, this coming 26 Sept 2009.

I'm looking for a cocktail dress, that's about knee length, strong materials and bright colors. Coz I know any dress that's in soft materials (silk) won't fits meet nicely. It'll make me look so fat.

After few shops, I finally found "the one". But the price make me gag! It's such a nice dress. It's 1 shoulder dress, knee length, bright red, hard material, new design, just pure nice. But the price is killing me.

So I had to put it down and look for it at other shops in the Outlet. Then I went into this shop named Windsor. It has quite few dresses that interest me too. Buttttt....apparently, I ain't no size 10 no more. Size 10 is bit too lose for me and size 8 is bit too tight for me. And there's no size 9 dress.

Got 2 dresses that interest me, but the size 8 is bit too tight and only $10 cheaper than that perfect red dress. So decided to put it down and think again.

After we made 1 perfect round circle at that Ontario Mill outlet, we got nada! No dress at all, unless I'm willing to pay $$$ for that perfect red dress.

So Hub agree that he'll bring me to another shopping center to find other dress, coz I kept insisting on finding cheaper alternative. Unless we cant find it no more, we may think again about that red dress!

Jeessh...so damn hard! Maybe I should follow my friends eh....just shop, no need to think of the $$$$. But it's hard for me not to think of the $$ first instead of just following my heart!

I told hubby after our shopping trip "I think I'm just too choosy. I want good price, good dress and good quality."....Hub of coz has no comment, coz he'd be happy I didn't spend that much on a dress, but sad that he has to bring me and accompany me to yet another shopping mall

Wedding is an exciting event, but I believe it also gives quite a headache to women. Coz we, women, would automatically think of "What dress to wear?", "Do I have the matching shoes?", "How should I do my hair?", "make up?".....non stop. After all that, then we'll think "Do I have the matching purse?"....

Men are way easier and more blessed. They can just wear the same black trouser and coat. No one will know whether that's new one or the old one. Whether that's the coat from 1yr ago or 10yrs ago. Just 1 leather shoe is enough for them, and everything else goes inside their pocket. How easy!

And yeah, just put on some gels on their hair, and you are good to go and just smile to the camera!

That's why they can get ready in 10minutes and it takes women almost 1hour to get ready. And yet, men always wonder "Why on earth women take so long to get ready? You don't have to dress nicely every time. You already look so pretty"

But they'd secretly appreciate it when we dress up and look pretty for them. And walking more straight up when we are walking next to them. Isn't it?! Go and interrogate your men, they'd said yes or grudgingly say "NO, you don't have to, coz you already look so pretty to me with no make up" ..... "But a little make up won't hurt" ^0^

well..not saying my hubby is like that, thou he admit I don't have to always put on full on thick make up all the time, dress up nicely all the time. But on some occasion, a little of this and that won't hurt, just so look presentable and right at the occasion. That I agree 100% wholeheartedly, coz I can't bare to always put on thick make up, dress up, and especially wearing high heels.

Alrighty...

Time to prepare lunch now......
The on-going dilemma of a wife "what should I cook today?"

Last Sunday, hubby and I went to Tzu Chi HQ at San Dimas, LA to join their Vesak day celebration. The place is huge even thou it's up on mountain and it was once, I believe, belonged to Christian people coz they have church/chapel over there.

It has so many little building/houses up there and one of it was turned into a book cafe place. Although they don't have that many book to sell, I actually bought 1 very interesting book that was written by the Master Cheng Yen herself.

The book is titled STILL THOUGHTS...basically it's a compilation of the Master's Dhamma about Compassion and Wisdom. It's more like quotes/poem, in just max 5 lines for each. Its' very interesting to read. Short, easy to understand and remember.

So...here's some quote that I've just read from the 1st 5pages that I find it to be interesting to share with.

Every day is a new beginning of being a person, and every moment is a time for self-vigilance

Time can create character, accomplish work and accumulate merits.

The Buddha said, "One only lives as long as one breathes." Human beings do not have the ability to control the length of their own lives, nor can they prevent their own deaths. Since this life is impermanent, we should cherish it, use it, and enrich it. Let goodness, beauty and truth of this inconstant, precious life illuminate the true value of life.

Many years ago, I read articles suggesting women to use the used coffee ground to scrub your body to get rid of cellulite (every women worst enemy). In fact, it said that Cindy Crawford swore by it.

By then I hardly drink ground coffee, I'm more like an instant coffee gal. Not that I dont like ground coffee, just (1) I dont have the machine, and (2) Too troublesome.

So..last week Hubby bought a wrong type of coffee for me. He actually bought ground coffee instead of instant coffee, and he bought a BIG can of it. Luckily there's coffee machine in office.

I then remember on that beauty tips. So I tried dry the used coffee ground under the sun, it goes from wet to so dry (in fact I think I can brew it again). Then I scrubbed my body with it. It feels great, smells great (thou hubby doesnt like the smell), it's not rough too and ya..my body became all brownish and it's pretty hard to clean it away if your shower head is dead set on the wall just like mine.

Eager with the idea, I did more research on beauty tips using coffee and I found out lots more. Here they are:

1) Scrub to get rid of Cellulite
It suggest to mix the coffee with some oil and salt/sugar. I haven't try that, but I'm pretty content with just the coffee ground itself.

2) To use as facial scrub too
The ingredient/mixture is the same for body scrubs. But I think it's safer and more gentle if you mix it with honey. Coz I usually mix sugar+honey+water for my facial scrub.

The honey is to moisture your skin and the sugar is to scrub it away. So I don't want to mix sugar/salt with coffee ground again, too much scrubbing mixture I think.

3) Use warm brewed coffee for your hair
It says that brew the coffee, when it's warm (not hot) you can pour it to your hair and leave it for few minutes before wash it with shampoo. It's supposed to give some shines to your hair.

4) NOT COFFEE, but you use beat up egg for DRY hair
Separate the yolk from white, whisk the white egg until it's thick. Add 1 tbsp of water to the white, whisk until creamy. Mix yolk to it, blend it.

Wet your hair with warm water, remove the excess moisture, and apply the egg mixture to your scalp with your fingertips. Massage gently until the froth is worked into your scalp, and then rinse the hair with cool water. Keep applying the mixture until it is used up. Continue to rinse until all of the egg is washed away.

So...good luck trying ladies...I definitely will continue the coffee thing and will try the beat egg for my hair