Kuching Landscape

Chas, my big ginger and white cat strikes a pose sitting on the window sill like a porcelain cat. He is haughty and rather imperious and does not answer to command. On the contrary, I am at his beck and call pampering to his every need, making sure he is fed with only the freshest of turkey or chicken lightly poached and seasoned with a hint of Bistro gravy.

I suspect he was an emperor in his previous life. I am rather partial to the feline species. I adore their independent spirit, dignity and beauty. Cats are very much in my blood having grown up in a city named Kuching, the Malay word for cats. It is the enchantingly quaint capital of Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo.

Kuching Landscape

It is 36 years since I left the city to live in England but every time I return, it is still like a home-coming. As sure as I have grown older and er...broader, the once sleepy town has also matured and expanded into a beautiful city with all the attributes of a well-planned metropolis infused with the vitalizing yang energy of the Sarawak River. Yet despite its growth, the old colonial charm and the laid-back tempo of the city still resonates. 

The hawker stalls I used to frequent as a schoolgirl are still there selling the same local delicacies of delicious congee with mince pork with extra charge for an egg and the much loved 'kolok mee', a local staple breakfast dish of blanched egg noodles flavored with fried onion oil and garnish with barbeque pork and prawns. And of course, the famous Sarawak Laksa, a signature dish of spicy coconut soup served with rice noodle, prawns and shredded chicken that serves as a quick fix for breakfast and lunch for the locals to kick start the day.

Strolling through old Kuching with its narrow streets is like walking back in time for me recalling schooldays jaunts with my classmates in our after school escapades. Nothing much has changed here, except the facade of the buildings that have been restored and given a fresh lick of paint. The newer swanky buildings are all centered along the river or further inland.

What's in a Name? 

The provenance of the name of Kuching is varied. The mythical version pronounced that when James Brooke, a young swashbuckling Englishman sailed up the Sarawak River in 1842 in search of fortune in the spice trade, he saw a feline creature on the bank with its eyes gleaming in the dark, When he inquired what the creature was, he was told it was 'kuching', a cat.

He was to become the first White Rajah of Sarawak and he named his settlement Kuching. Another source, probably a more reliable version, said it was named after Sungai Kuching, a stream flowing through 'Bukit Mata Kuching' or 'Cat's Eye Hill', "where there was an abundance of the 'Mata Kuching' trees, a fruit of the green longan family that has a translucent flesh wrapped over a large brown seed which resembles a cat's eyes.

Today, Kuching is affectionately known as 'Cat City' and kitsch statues of cats are erected in the city center. There is even a cat museum dedicated to everything about cats featuring the role cats play in different cultures, famous people who own cats, the different species of cats and a plethora of cat paraphernalia from all over the world. It is probably the only cat museum in the world on that scale. 

While Singapore was named after a lion which symbolizes power and authority, Kuching has the characteristic of a cat. It is fairly laid-back, small but perfectly formed, dignified, friendly and like a typical cat, always preening itself, beautifying and improving the look of the city. No wonder it is voted the cleanest city in Malaysia and hailed as one of the healthiest cities in the world by the United Nations and World Health Organization. This ends Part 1 of Kuching Landscape. You can read Part 2 at the next post.

Luck Marriage Proposal

This is Part 2 of The Royal Wedding - Luck Marriage Proposal

FROM BUCKLEBURY TO BUCKINGHAM PALACE 

The marriage of Prince Charles and Diana may have made a Greek tragedy look like a comedy, but something beautiful came out of it - Prince William. He is very much his mother's son in looks and his outlook in life to reach out to the common people and make a difference in their lives. He has carried out his mother's legacy in his many charity works and getting down on grass root level by living a normal life serving in the Royal Air Force.

Luck Marriage Proposal

Having experienced the trauma of his parents' very much publicized war and divorce, and the terrible loss of his mother's death at such a young age, he resolves to make sure his life runs a different course. He is determined that he will marry for love and not out of duty. Enter Kate Middleton, a commoner from a middle-class background who captured the heart of Prince William and the nation and who is poised to lift the dark cloud over the House of Windsor. He has found happiness with the woman he has loved and courted for nearly ten years, and eventually made her his bride.

Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, popularly known as Kate, has no aristocratic pedigree by birth and grew up in Bucklebury, a small village in Berkshire. She was christened Catherine Elizabeth, a name that resonates with royalty notably the three famous queens - Queen Elizabeth 1, Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II while there were several Queen Catherines in history. Her middle-class father comes from an established family of trade, while her mother is from a working class background of miners.

Unlike Diana who came from an unhappy dysfunctional family of divorced parents, Catherine comes from a loving family and she and her two siblings have very stable upbringing. While Diana was not well educated, Catherine excelled in school and university in St, Andrews where she met Prince William. Theirs is a match of mutual love nurtured and blossomed over nine years and they waited till the right moment to marry when both are matured and certain that they want to be life partners.

Although Prince William is Kua 9 in East House and Catherine is Kua 8 in West House, his element of Earth supports her Metal element. Diana on the other hand was very young and immature and was swept into the marriage by circumstances and hardly knew her husband on a personal level.

It was an arranged marriage with Diana harboring a romantic idea of marrying her Prince Charming weaned from her notion of romance from her favorite read of Mills and Boon novels. But what both ladies have in common are their beauty, warmth and ability to win hearts.

Detractors who initially cast doubt on the suitability of Catherine as the future queen consort have now succumbed to her beauty, charm, elegance and the dignity with which she conducts herself in public and to the media. She carries herself more regally than most aristocratic ladies put together.

Although she has been hailed as the latest fashion icon in the media, she is neither a victim of fashion nor a mere clotheshorse. She is so secure in her own skin that she is not afraid to wear high street fashion or be seen in the same dress twice. In fact, she has been described as 'frugal' and her wardrobe is affordable to ordinary women who are inspired by her.

While Diana and Prince Charles's big day was hailed as 'wedding of the 20th century' by the media, there was already a bad omen from the beginning with a third party skulking in the background and Diana casting doubt on the marriage. Catherine and Prince William's wedding on 29th April 2011 on St Catherine's Day was celebrated as the 'wedding of the 21st century' and no one wanted to jinx it by calling it a 'fairytale wedding'. This is a wedding borne out of love of two soul mates who are clearly very much in love. 

Once again the whole world rejoiced and cheered as Catherine Middleton, in her beautiful Grace Kelly style wedding gown walked down the aisle in Westminster Abbey and emerged on the arms of her Prince as the Duchess of Cambridge, the future queen of the United Kingdom. She is the hope of the House of Windsor to lift the curse of unhappy marriages (Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Charles' track record of divorces) and to ensure the monarchy is back on track in the hearts of the people. 

Where Diana had failed, Catherine is likely to succeed as she has a supporting husband by her side who marries her out of love and who is determined not to make the same mistake as his parents. On their recent trip to Canada and America, it was clear to see the great respect and adoration they have for each other as a team, with Prince William guiding his bride through the minefield of public protocol on royal visits. 

By contrast, when Diana and Prince Charles were on their visit to Canada, the Prince was irritated when the public was more enamored with the princess than with him. It is such a joy to see the Duke and Duchess together so in love and so at ease with each other and may they live happily ever after. Diana must be laughing from her grave with approval. This ends Part 2 of The Royal Wedding. If you want to find out more, you can check out Luck Marriage Proposal.

Feng Shui And Marriage

This is Part 1 of The Royal Wedding - Feng Shui And Marriage

The House of Windsor is probably the most famous royal family in the world. Steeped in ancient tradition, the 'Firm' as they are called in the media, is run like a big corporation headed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with its headquarters at Buckingham Palace. Originally built as a private residence of the Duke of Buckingham, it was officially installed as a royal palace with the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837.

Feng Shui And Marriage

The building has been extensively remodeled to its present structure with an impressive facade flanked by three wings round a central courtyard in a quadrangle. A building with a hollow middle without a heart is indicative of austerity and solemnity of the residents. There is a lack of warmth and harmony. According to the trigram, the Northeast direction of the front of the palace reinforces the regimental and conservative characteristics of the household as reflected in the code of conduct of the royal family who is strictly governed by protocol and
etiquette. The palace is accessed via a straight road called the Mall that shoots straight at the building like a 'poison arrow' sending negative energy.

At the front of the palace, the Victoria Memorial, a high structure with a large seated statue of Queen Victoria topped by a tall winged sculpture of Victory at the pinnacle further ushers the 'shar chi' force towards the palace, The House of Windsor has been plagued with scandals (even among its employees), divorces and tragedy. And the mother of all divorces among the royals is between the Prince and Princess of Wales In 1992 at the height of the 'War of the Wales' and the Windsor Castle fire, the Queen in her speech called it a year of "annus horribilis' to describe the disastrous events.

When the Prince of Wales was ready to settle down, the search for the right 'candidate' was in earnest. As the heir to the throne, his wife would have to come from either royal blood or an impeccable background. Then along came Lady Diana Spencer from an aristocratic background whose family historically have strong ties with the royal family past and present. She was the perfect candidate to be the wife of the future king. 

Young and fresh with a faultless reputation of innocence without any history of past lovers lurking in the background, she was also blessed with the good looks of a pure English rose. So on 29 July 1981, the whole world rejoiced as Lady Diana walked down the aisle in St Paul's Cathedral and walked out as the Princess of Wales in the arms of her Prince Charming. It was described as a 'fairytale wedding' and the whole nation celebrated with joy.

Everyone wished the royal couple everlasting happiness. Little did we ever imagine the maelstrom and tragedy that followed the royal couple, which shook the House of Windsor to the core and divided the nation in their respect for the monarchy.

From their natal chart, the marriage between Diana and Prince Charles was incompatible. Diana was Kua 3 from East House while Prince Charles is Kua 7 from West House. His Chinese zodiac sign is Water Rat and Diana was Earth Ox and in the Five Element Cycle, earth destroys water, but the Ox and the Rat are secret friends. Despite their bitter divorce, Charles did care for Diana as the mother of his children and he was visibility shaken by her tragic death and it was he, not the Spencer family, who went to Paris and brought her body back and insisted her coffin be draped with the royal insignia. Camilla on the other hand is a perfect match for Prince Charles.

They are both in West House with kua 7 and share the element of water. Divided by their age gap of 13 years apart, Diana and Prince Charles were intellectually incompatible and they had very little in common. Camilla on the other hand is of similar age and intellectual level as Prince Charles and she shares his love of country pursuits of hunting, fishing and gardening, and she understands his priority to his royal duty above everything else. For him, she has always been the love of his life but royal constitution forbid him to marry a divorcee at the time, but in the end, love conquers all. To continue, you can read Part 2 of The Royal Wedding at the next post. If you want to find out more Feng Shui, you can check out Feng Shui And Marriage.

Myanmar Astrology

This is Part 3 of Mahabote - Myanmar Astrology

Friday's child is the Guinea Pig 

If you were born on Friday, then your animal sign is the Guinea Pig. Your ruling planet is Venus, the planet of Love and Beauty. As the saying goes, "Friday's child is loving and giving" and this is the hallmark of your personality. There is no one as generous and as kind as you in the Zodiac and anyone who knows you will always feel lucky to be part of your inner circle and feel very grateful for your friendship.

Myanmar Astrology

 
As a child of Venus, you are an extremely creative, artistic individual and your mind is always bubbling with fresh new ideas. Like a "genius scientist" your mind works in a thousand directions at once, and it will take a highly intelligent and equally creative person to truly understand and keep up with you. Because you are always eager to put your ideas into action, you are often very good at starting something new but less inclined to finish them! Mostly this is because before one idea can be accomplished fully, you have already jumped onto another bigger and better idea which you feel deserves your immediate attention!
 
Nevertheless the world is very lucky to have people like you as all things beautiful and new come from Venus people or some influence of Venus! The person who marries a Friday person is very lucky, for Friday people love deeply, passionately and eternally.
 
As a Friday child, your lucky direction is North. Invite the image of a Guinea Pig into your home and place in the North. The Guinea Pig should be plump and prosperous looking. Place it on a bowl of jewels.
 
Famous People born on Friday: David Beckham, Bill Gates, Adam Sandler, Lady Gaga, Anne Hathaway, Eric Bana, Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump, Hugh Grant, Renee Zellweger, Kirsten Dunst
 
Saturday's Child is the Dragon

If you're born on Saturday, then your animal sign is the illustrious Naga or Dragon. Your ruling planet is Saturn. As a Dragon, you exude a powerful air of confidence in everything that you do and this is both your strength and your weakness. Generally, you excel in all your endeavors due to your courage, stamina and charisma. Socially, you are a magnet to the opposite sex - as you have a quirky sense of humor which many will find irresistible! As a Dragon, your personal energy is so strong that you rarely need anybody's help to achieve your goals. You alone are the master of your destiny and you have the ability to do anything!
 
Being ruled by Saturn, which governs careers and positions of authority, you will always find yourself easily rising to leadership positions in the corporate scene. Your intrinsic ability to control your surrounding circumstances will give you an edge which you will use to your fullest advantage.
 
Being a Saturday person, your lucky direction (according to Burmese astrology) is the Southwest. Invite a Dragon and place it in the Southwest to create good fortune for you.
 
Famous people born on Saturday: Chris Evan, James McAvoy, Ryan Reynolds, Kate Middleton, Drew Barrymore, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Mark Wahlberg, Daniel Craig, Colin Firth, Bruce Willis.
 
Sunday's Child is the Garuda 

If you're born on Sunday, your animal sign is the Garuda and your ruling planet is the Sun. Garuda is a mythical bird which has powerful wings that spread open whenever they sense danger or need the ability to fly out of trouble! Those born on Sunday are said to have a gentle nature and a kind heart, always doing charity and helping the less fortunate. Because of this many will assume that you are a "softie", but they would be wrong!

According to Mahabote, the Garuda is one of the wisest and toughest animal signs and the only animal in the Zodiac that can fly! Hence those born on Sunday have the ability to reach great heights and overcome all kinds of challenges in life. The tougher the challenge, the more they will rise to the occasion.
 
Born with the Sun ruling your house, it is believed that you have the capability of becoming a public figure, or someone very famous. You are naturally an inspiring person and rarely allow anything to demotivate you for long. Many people will find you very attractive and will always want to help you succeed.

 
As a Sunday child, your direction is Northeast. You can invite the image of Garuda or any powerful bird and place it in the Northeast for good luck.
 
Famous people born on Sunday: Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, Seth Rogen, Sandra Bullock. Johnny Depp. This ends the final part of Myanmar Astrology. 

Mahabote Astrology

This is Part 2 of Mahabote - Mahabote Astrology

Wednesday's MORNING CHILD Is the TUSKED ELEPHANT 

If you were born on Wednesday morning before 12 noon, then you are considered the Tusked Elephant and your planet is Mercury. Being a tusked Elephant, you have the personality and outlook of an adventurer. You are a free-spirited person and love thrill-seeking experiences. To you, hang-gliding in the canyons and sky-diving is your idea of weekend of fun! With Mercury as your ruling planet, you are highly intelligent, and are blessed with being able to think critically and react quickly on your feet. At work, you enjoy projects with a little more "risk" and will often thrive when asked to achieve what others have never done before!

Mahabote Astrology

As a Wednesday child, you are generally very attractive to the opposite sex for your passion and exciting nature. To some you will appear as someone who shuns responsibility and commitment, but really, you're just a person who prefers to "go with the flow" and live each day as it comes. You do not believe in anything permanent as change is the name of your game.

As a Tusked Elephant, your lucky direction is the South. Invite the image of the Tusked Elephant and place him in the South to bring you good fortune. Ensure that the trunk of the elephant is facing downwards.

Famous people born on Wednesday before 12 noon: Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Victoria Beckham, James Franco, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Keanu Reeves.

Wednesday's Afternoon Child is the Tuskless Elephant 

If you're born on Wednesday after 12 noon, then you are known as the Tuskless Elephant in the Zodiac. Your ruling planet is Rahu. Unlike your tusked brother, you are almost the direct opposite! "Risk" is a dirty word in your vocabulary. You are someone who has very high I.Q. and every decision you undertake in life is skilfully calculated to accomplish a specific outcome. Because of this, you are often very successful at work and in business dealings with others. You will almost never get into a sticky situation due to poor decision-making. More often than not, it is bad luck rather than bad judgement that will bring you problems in life.
 
As Rahu is your ruling planet, you are the master of deception. You are skilled at masking your true feelings such that your personality remains a mystery even to those who have known you for life. This is mainly because you are such a private person and prefer to keep your innermost thoughts to yourself. The person who will win your heart is someone who is equally guarded, and enjoys quiet evenings of chess rather than all-night partying.
 
As the Tuskless Elephant, your direction is Northwest. Invite an elephant with no tusks into your home and place it the Northwest for good luck. Ensure that its trunk is hanging down and all four legs are on the ground.
 
Famous people born on Wednesday (possibly afternoon): Demi Moore, Cate Blanchett, Ryan Gosling, Hugo Weaving, Steven Spielberg, Richard Gere, Penelope Cruz.
 
Thursday's Child is the Rat 

If you're born On Thursday, then your animal sign is the Rat and Jupiter is your planet. As a Thursday child, you are a natural born survivor. You can thrive in almost any condition and situation life throws at you and you will find a way to make the best of what you have. Among all the 8 animal signs, you are gifted with the attributes of being sharp, witty and street-smart with a hungry desire to succeed. With these qualities you can rise above any challenge in whatever you choose to do with your life.
 
As a child of Jupiter, you are blessed with the potential to achieve great wealth and success, but you must be prepared to work hard to obtain everything in life. AS you get older, resources and help will become more easily attainable, but every cent you make will be hard-earned. In work and business, you will be respected for your abilities to sniff out promising opportunities and take advantage of them. Because of this, you make an excellent business person and will thrive at any profession that involves buying and selling.

 
As a Rat child, your direction according to Burmese astrology is the West. Invite the Rat into your home and place him in the West for good luck. It is a good idea to invite a bejeweled Rat and place him on a plate of jewels.
 
Famous people born on Thursday: Jennifer Lopez, Scarlett Johansson, Orlando Bloom, Catherine Zeta Jones, Steve Carrell, Matt Damon, Steven Seagal. This ends Part 2 of Mahabote Astrology. You can read Part 3 at the next post.