Having Massala Papad at Khailash Prabat Restaurant along Syed Alwi Rd today.
Today was my first visit to Syed Alwi Road since 2019. The pandemic and lockdown seem such distant memories. How quickly 4 years just passed like that!
Pre-pandemic shot. At Syed Alwi Rd 4 years ago. (7 Nov 2019)
At Mustaffa Centre, I saw the circular enameled plates of my childhood. All the way to our late teens, my brother & I had gathered around it to make pink & red dumplings of glutinous rice flour every year.
Enameled plates on which Chinese families knead glutinous rice flour to make dumplings and Malay families assemble Nasi Ambeng ingredients for communal dining.
In my friend’s home, it was a platter on which his mom assembled her Nasi Ambeng ingredients for communal dining.
It is amazing how an ordinary household item links cultures and evokes nostalgia.
Jai approves of the pani puri.
Today we also had our fill of pani puris, channa puris & papad masala, and TWO servings of masala tea. Indian food is also my comfort food. It reminds me of my neighbour, Asha, who created unlimited supply of thosai, curries, murukus and snacks from her single burner kerosene stove for us kids.
What was meant to be just a lift to my medical appointment turned into a full blown tea with shopping and purchase of flower garlands thrown in. The much loved deep fried little pockets made of dhal flour.
Perhaps in the face of volatile politics, fickle human dynamics and unpredictable climate, we find solace in memories of people who had loved us without expectations, in humble utensils and affordable snacks that have withstood the test of time.
This is my dream menu. I’ve always wanted to try the indian street snacks showns in documentaries & vlogs. Sweets for New Moon and to wish my former tutee, Niq, a sweet start and sweet finish to his PSLE. Coming Monday is Ganesh Charthurti.
Whenever I pronounce the name of the Goddess of Wisdom, “Saraswati”, I feel articulate & calm.
One recent Sunday evening on the ride home, I felt a strong need to listen to a “Saraswati” mantra, specifically the version sung by Krishna Das.
So right there in the living room of my flat with Oliver on my lap, we listened as Saraswati’s Beej Mantra filled up our home through the deep but effortless chanting of Krishna Das.
Oliver & I on a Sunday evening with Ma Saraswati. 🙏
Today a friend shared what a mantra is with me.
“A mantra is a kind of magic formula that, once uttered, can entirely change a situation. It can change us, and it can change others. But this magic formula must be spoken in concentration, with body and mind focused as one. What you say in this state of being becomes a mantra.” – Thich Nhat Hahn
The late Thich Nhat Hahn’s spoken words in his accented English always feel very warm to me.
Oliver sat very still throughout the Saraswati mantra. Maybe he was receiving the wisdom he needed to have an easy & relaxing stay at the veterinary clinic in a few days’ time.
At the vet before he was admitted for a 2 day stay.
May the Super Full Moon tonight share her crystal silence with us, so that in that clarity everything we choose to hear & say becomes a mantra to benefit all sentient beings. 🙏
The exceptionally beautiful tree we met this morning also shed gorgeous leaves.
We bowed to the tie dye combo of emerald green, glorious gold, fiery copper and chrome yellow as we bent low to pick one leaf after another.
More leaves fell as the breeze rose, as if the tree was shedding her grace on us.
I told my brother that I would make a mandala out of these leaves that have been bathed by moonlight for the New Moon tonight.
He placed the 12 leaves in the car boot so they wouldn’t get crushed.
May the New Moon bless all that she touches even if they have to fall to the ground one day. And may all sentient beings be endowed with Grace to turn all life lessons into gold. 🙏
No trip to Little India is ever complete without a meal at Madras New Woodlands for us.
Even though we can visit more upmarket eateries now, going back to our old haunt for a meal always feels like a treat. This is the place that fed & welcome us in those days when we didn’t have much.
The restaurant began around the time we started university, which was 40 years ago. One top of its flavourful meals, its charges are easy on the pocket for students & young working adults. And regardless of the size of your order, you can be assured of utmost hospitality.
Over the years, and despite the market fluctuations, their menu and prices have remained fairly stable. And their hospitality always makes me feel like a much loved patron despite me being of a minority race among their patrons.
Pre-covid days, the restaurant made its muruku (dhal chips) and other snacks fresh. Their oil for frying was top quality. I used to haul packets of my beloved murukus home as if they were gold.
After we washed down our wholesome dosas & pooris with massala tea, it was time to check out Apollo Shopping Centre for sweets, oils, fragrances, retro time pieces & Handloom of India for pure cotton kurtis (short top) and kurtas (long top).
After lunch, we stopped by this little shop to try on their Rajasthani cotton prints. My friend Sharonne got to charge her phone here too.
Ever so cheerful & obliging, the husband & wife proprietors of Handloom spared no effort in showing us their wide collection of pure cotton tops that bore one of a kind chikankari embroidery from Lucknow.
To some, the embroidery may just be sewing. But vibrating among the delicate threads that form patterns of leaves, flowers & paisleys are aspirations for beauty & better lives.
When I bought my first cotton kurta from this couple, their daughter was doing her primary school homework among their merchandise. Now their little girl has become a teacher and is married.
As the nearly full moon appeared in the bright evening sky, freshly strung thanksgiving jasmine garlands by Prasad the Florist were our final purchase to wrap up an awesome day.
Sharonne took this shot of the Moon above me. (27-7-23) Thanksgiving jasmine garlands strung by Prasad the Florist was our final purchase in Little India to wrap up an awesome day.
A page from Kinmen Literature (Autumn 2020) showing a list of activities inspired by the Sweet Potato.
The hardy & humble sweet potato adds bulk & flavour to rice porridge, and sustains generations during scarcities & human conflicts.
Among the gifts I received over a Peranakan lunch today was a precious packet of sweet potato sticks from the island where my ancestors originated.
Kinmen women having Peranakan dishes served on enamalled metal wares of their childhood. (Ellenborough Market Cafe, Paradox Hotel at Merchant Court).
When I got home I decided to offer the sweetness to the New Moon first.
While looking for a background to assemble my sweet potato sticks, I found a page in a 2020 issue of Kinmen Literature that shows a series of activities to honour the sweet potato.
Kinmen Literature is a magazine that keeps Kinmen’s past & present alive for all related to the island one way or the other.
Fortune may come & go, but I think Sweetness will never go out of style.
May the New Moon amplify these 8 sticks of sweetness, strength & humility to bless every sentient being.
🙏🪔 A blessed new moon to ALL.
Miao Ling comes from Kinmen Island, where my ancestors originated. She is also my link to Kinmen Literature, a magazine that keeps Kinmen’s past & present alive for all related to the island one way or the other. (18 June 2023, Central Mall, Clarke Quay)
Hermit the Kitten opened his eyes when he came to the shelter. He is an alert and focused little boy. May he thrive and go to a good home. (Picture taken on 28 June 2023 at Mettacats & Dogs Sanctuary, Singapore)
“He will outlive me,” said the elderly feeder candidly, as she approached the shelter for help with her kitten. She had found the little one on the road with eyes still shut, but no mother in sight.
The day Hermit arrived at the shelter was also the day he opened his eyes.
Last Thursday as I held him in my palm while the shelter’s litter boxes were being cleaned & refreshed, I felt his heart pounding wildly against his rib cage.
As his cries got increasingly frantic, I steadied my breath, and place the kitten against my chest.
Reciting the Medicine Buddha mantra under the Windhorse prayer flags.
The last time I held a kitten the size of an iphone was 20 years ago. In my younger days I used to put a small alarm clock among the beddings of abandoned kittens to simulate their mother’s heart beat, and hope this illusion would encourage them to live.
So Hermit leaned on my heart while I recited the Medicine Buddha mantra. Nestling just below my chin his head felt the vibrations of my vocal cords, and his ears received the words leaving my mouth.
Soon the wriggling & meowing were replaced by loud purring. He also found comfort in nursing on the skin between my thumb & index finger. In no time Hermit the Kitten was fast asleep.
Meanwhile, Caddy, the orange cat who had been napping on the sofa opposite us woke up. Some neurological issues had given this gentle creature a slight head tilt. Despite his condition, he was not without purpose or intelligence. Caddy hopped onto the table and made his way towards us as if to parttake in the peace.
Hermit snoozing and Caddy sitting close by.
As Hermit snoozed on & Caddy watched me, I thought of the hardship faced by animals, and how learning about their struggles can inform the way we live our lives.
Caddy gives off vibes that remind me of Sekhmet, the Egyptian Goddess of War & Medicines.
I thought of the nursing cat and dog moms scavenging for scraps and being shooed off with broomsticks, kicks and even hot water. I thought of the mom hiding & giving birth in the monsoon drain, only to watch her kittens wash away by sudden rain. I thought of the mom at Whampo Market carpark looking on helplessly as a lorry backed up & ran over her remaining kitten.
For every happy pet we see on social media having a spa day, countless animals continue to struggle to get by day to day.
So may I wish upon this Superfull Moon for Hermit, the lucky kitten to thrive, and to go to a good home. And may all animals meet humans of wisdom, compassion & ample means to help them. 🙏
For adoption enquiries on Hermit, Caddy and any of their loving shelter pals, please contact Mettacats & Dogs Sanctuary ❤️😊
Panda, the shelter dog’s affection is boundless. (June 2023)
On the full moon that just passed, a former student made a trip to Nepal. She offered to help me deliver non-prescriptive medicated animal supplies to friends who are taking care of street & shelter animals there.
The soft spoken child in her impossibly white school uniform writing compo in my class some 20 years back is now venturing to rugged Nepal & wants to help me bring stuff?!
When we took this picture, I didn’t know one of these young girls would one day help me deliver animal relief supplies to street and shelter animals in Nepal. Wound washes & medicated shampoos to relieve animal suffering, improve their physical conditions and increase their chances of getting fed. For animals, beauty is never skin deep because it makes a difference between getting fed or getting kicked. 🙏
I didn’t jump at her offer at first. But I was touched that someone with little exposure to street animals & shelter work would want to take on this extra weight on her personal trip.
I was also unsure if I could assemble the needful items in time for her trip. There was a medical emergency in my family at that time.
Looking back I’m so glad she persisted in wanting to perform this courier duty.
As it turned out, she not only fulfilled all she needed to do in Nepal, but also took time off to climb the “epic” hill (cos her taxi couldn’t climb) and reached the village where the dog shelter was located. (I did this only once in 2018 with help).
My former student is all grown up now and wears many hats, among which is that of peacemaker to keep dogs from squabbling.
“I’ve never been so dirty and happy,” she texted me, referring to the muddy paw prints on her attire and person, as the dogs inundated her with cuddles.
Receiving the Baptism of Mud from shelter dog, Dorjie, to remind us to remain grounded no matter what our positions are.
Her enthusiasm in helping & subsequent initiative to seek out the shelter to hang out with the dogs & relief workers are compassion & wisdom at work. In return she felt honoured and blessed.
Art of Giving: Simple food lovingly cooked and respectfully given.
Today people living in the Southern Hemisphere observe the Winter Solstice. Yesterday those in the Northern Hempishere marked the Summer Solstice. It depends on our geographical positions.
But there’s a position which we all can claim regardless of who we are and where we’re born. And it is the position of power to render help. This power begins in the heart and radiates from the mind.
I believe it is this power that keeps people with limited resources going, and in turn inspire others to get involved.
Street Dog Care e.v. treats street dogs and shelters the ones that need a safe place to recover before returning to the community. It is supported by donation and run mostly by local staff & volunteers.
So I like to take this Solstice celebration to wish all of us the power to bring relief regardless of our positions, so that collectively we become a source of delight to all sentient beings.
Happy Solstice to you, and all sentient beings in the North, South, East & West. 🙏
This unexpected gift of a crystal singing bowl will be sounded for the first time on Vesak Day tomorrow.
The rain today is a welcome respite from the scorching heat that had weakened my resolve to walk to the nearby shops to get flowers and snacks for this Vesak Day weekend. 😄
A gentle breeze in the on off drizzle this morning gave me the courage to sally forth.
The breeze this morning, the soft sun light and the on off drizzle gave me the courage to venture out to get flowers for the gods and snacks for my friends.
It’s the first day of June, make it memorable. Don’t waste the beautiful weather. So I asked my brother to join me for a meal.
In the spacious heartland coffee shop, two grey haired siblings had an ordinary but hearty meal, like they used to in their primary school days.
After that we stopped by the young hindu florist to pick up fresh jasmine garlands, and flowers for the gods. And for the humans visiting my home tomorrow, I got them cakes and pineapple tarts from the happy muslim baker. ❤️
It was Buddha’s birthday. All the 12 zodiac animals were invited. Everyone was punctual, except Rabbit. It turned out that on his way to Buddha’s party, Rabbit stopped for someone who was sick and gave him medicine. Hence the delay.
For his deed, Rabbit now lives on the Moon where he assists the Moon Goddess to prepare medicines & elixirs of longevity.
The above is one of the stories that my dad told me on nights when we sat under the full moon.
Last Friday, a friend drove from the east to the west to help me carry medicated supplies to another party who would then hand the precious parcel to rescuers of street animals.
Seeking Medicine Buddha’s blessings on the medicated supplies for street animals.
After the handover was settled, we had the best charred bee hoon (fried vermicelli) among other dishes in a cafe by the Changi Beach
That vermicelli dish was extra special because it had to be consumed straight from the pan to the plate to savour its crispiness. And the sambal that went with it was like no other. It is a dish that truly demands that you be fully present.
Our meditative lunch was further augmented by the company of another friend who supports our medicine journeys for homeless animals.
3 friends born under the same zodiac animal sign.
While chatting over coffee, I realised the 3 of us were born in the Year of the Rabbit. And thus it is only befitting that we should take such an interest in medicine gathering. 😄
Posing with Sharonne in the Year of the Rabbit at her family’s cafe.
As we look to the Vesak Day public holiday and the Full Moon, may all gatherings hold potentials for goodwill, gratitude & grace. 🪔
This piece of plastic deer that was part of last year’s christmas dessert decoration is now packed full of the power of peace.
New Moon, New Protection for all sentient beings facing changes not of their own choosing.
May we not fear, but learn to rest in the silence of the Moon, Trees and Animals, and be healed. 🙏
“Nature does not hurry; yet everything is accomplished” – Silently the seeds bring forth roots and shoots. Silently the leaves and flowers arrive. And silently after 2 years, a chillie emerges.
Lisa Ong 