A sandwich lunch with Dahlias

After a whole morning of writing, I walked to the gardens for lunch. There are quite a few nice wooden benches plonked around the lawns of the gardens and I chose the spot infront of the Dahlias and just soaked in what is left of the summer sun, swinging my feet and just enjoying the time here in Kew. The breeze was cool and the sky was clear and the large oak and pine trees swayed in the skyline. It is a dream.

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Meher Baba and Pete Townsend of The Who

Yesterday (19 Aug 2004), I met a yogi from India. He is here on an invite by my landlady who will arrange for him to give a talk at Pete Townsend’s studio which happens to be nearby, how happening is that? Apparently he is a disciple of a famous yogi called Meher Baba. Anyway, he is an old cherubic Indian man and was sitting in a chair at the corner of the dining room. He stood with much effort when he saw me and hugged me twice (left and right) and clasped my hands in his and said “I am very happy to meet you.” As he was talking to me, a caucasian man, presumably a disciple, knelt before him, in reverence. Needless to say, I was just thrilled to have experienced the strange but pleasant meeting and I felt priviledged to have met him. I told him that my friend would be thrilled to know that I had met him as he was starting a yoga school and he replied:” Do you know what yoga means? It means, You go and I come.” and he smiled widely. So, after about 10 mins of him and I staring at each other and holding hands and talking…I had to hurry off for a dinner and all I could mutter was, “God bless.” Funny.

Peace, man.

I did a search and found out that the nice cherubic man is called
Bhau Kalchuri

“Bhau is a member of Baba’s mandali (close circle of followers) and the Chairman of the Avatar Meher Baba Trust. Here he is giving a talk, in his inimitable way,about his life with Meher Baba at The Pilgrim Centre, Meherabad. Bhau has written many books about Meher Baba including the large biographical volumes ‘Lord Meher’, and many great ‘Ghazals’ (type of poetry)”

Source: http://www.tonyhowell.co.uk/bhauji.htm

A peak into the centuries’ old woods

The walks to and fro the herbarium takes 45 mins but are refreshing and restorative. Old Deer Park apparently is 7 centuries old and some of the trees that stand there to this day are a few hundred years old. Peak through this to see along the meridian line.

Contemplatives

“…contemplatives in the heart of the world”

Old Deer Park

At 7 am, I decided to go for a run in this big field called Old Deer Park which is by the river. The weather was nice and there were several friendly people walking their dogs. These dogs are lucky to have such a big relatively empty field to run about in. I must have covered just under 10 km, after 2 rounds and an hour in. I showered and had what must have been my 10th sandwich meal, and walked another 40 mins to work. What a retreat this is. All is so quiet and peaceful.

Unlearning a bad experience

I am here to unlearn a bad experience. It has never been so clear before but as I sit here calmly looking at the field and the river, mindfully doing my work and thinking clearly, without being so jumpy as before, I realise that 3 precious years have been wasted. It is so quiet that I can hear myself think.

Curry by the Sea

It was a beautiful day at the beach today. Josh was busy playing with the sand and I was looking at the remarkable patterns on a piece of dead coral stone.

The waves ebbed near our feet and as the tide receded, I noticed the small footprints Josh had etched in the sand. My moment was. however interupted by one tiny amphi/isopod that had sunk its proboscis into my left foot, and no doubt, having his own moment. I caught it and presented it to Jen who of course was unmoved by my discovery and let out a muted, uninterested “eek…”. I flicked it back to the sea, the wide open sea…

I remember clearly the days my parents brought my elder sis and I to the beach almost every other month or so. My younger sis hadn’t come into the picture yet. It was simple. We swam and ran around the beach. I would go off and inspect rock pools and chase after the crabs in the hollows and fish that were, at that time visible in the shallows. There was always a pot of chicken curry with hard boiled eggs and the french loaf. We were always ravenous.

Till today I remember with vividness, the day I saw 3 water spouts, summoned by the heat of the day dancing across the surface of a very calm Changi sea. It was a magical sight to behold and I was overawed for that 15 seconds before the spouts collapsed back into the water’s surface.

Josh and Matt can’t eat curry yet, but in time, we will have our very own curry by the sea.

Breakfast at Seletar

The kopi is gourmet and the wantons loaded with MSG. I love it.

Clarity in August

“Everything will be clear in August” - how true Brother…