Tree Time Stories

What happens when 2 sitar students and a yogini go on a picnic? :) 

As we sat on one of the wooden picnic tables at the park by the lake, laid the table with the pretty tea set made in Japan (which i borrowed from mum) a basket of scones, cheese breads and some delicious rambutans, a book about history of amazing Asian gardens, a flask of hot ginger infused tea which we were just about to pour into the lovely cups when we spotted a guy nearby staring right into one of the palm trees behind us...we were wondering what he was doing standing there all alone. So we kept an eye on him while having our tea and buns. After a while we noticed that the guy was chatting away, still facing the tree and looking up at the sky and spreading his arms as though he was absorbing the energies around him...that's when my friend said "looks like he is talking to the tree...nothing to worry then, he is just one of us" And all three of us burst out laughing and said..oh yes, that's so true! 

We so love the trees that we go lie on the grass under the oldest raintrees for hours till it gets dark...just having some homemade snacks and drinks, sharing random stories and somehow, the things we chat about turns out to be the most interesting ones compared to stuff we talk  about when we meet elsewhere like restaurants or even our homes. No matter where it starts, the conversations somehow gets diverted into talking  about the universe and its magical realms, light, life, aliens, music, dance, colours, books, travelling, crystals, and so on..we usually do not realise the hours that passes till the security guards at the park come shining their torch lights on us prompting us to leave... and we would reluctantly pack our stuff only then realising how long we have been sitting there.

These picnics have reminded us of how life is as it is, before we thought everything needed to be captured in photographs or published on social media. Times when we had a meal simply by sharing the moment with a friend or family and not necessarily with the whole world to see. We wrote our experiences on our personal diaries (i mean the real ones) to be kept in a secret compartment of a drawer so our brothers will not read and make fun it! But now, we snap EVERY moment to be shared..and then forget to look at it again coz everyone is too busy snapping new pictures. To me pictures are precious...i love looking at old pictures because it contains so much stories and  those imperfect shots before digital cameras came, held the most interesting stories...one picture was enough to bring the whole atmosphere back, remembering everything we said or did on that particular day and how the chain of events led to that moment captured in the picture. One shot was enough to say it all. But now, we take hundreds of pictures and yet have no stories to tell coz everything is missed while we are staring at ourselves through those tiny lenses. The vastness of life can never be captured in a shot...it will always remain a tiny part of  the whole and yet we are deceived into believing that these glimpses could reflect the real experiences.

When you choose to arrange a pretty picnic basket and wear a lovely dress and your favourite accessory , do you do it so the pictures will look good or because you yourself should feel good. How about the friends who sit with you chatting and having tea, sharing the moment for real? Isn't that more important then to simply show the pictures to another person who wasn't even there? No matter how many pictures you shared, only you heard the bird cooing and scanned through the old cluster of bamboos to find where the sound was coming from. Only you felt the warmth in your heart when your friend brought a little card with a handwritten message which included a few lines of Irish Blessings especially for you, not because it was your birthday or any other celebration but simply coz it was a beautiful day out... only  you sat there looking at the ants crawling over blades of grass and said to your friend "These ants...will never be able to see the whole world with those tiny eyes..in fact they won't even see the whole person sitting above them coz we are too huge in its vision...if we were to explain the vastness of the universe and the planets humans have come to know ...wouldn't it be way beyond their capacity to imagine it even...would they believe you?? Isn't that how it is with human beings? We believe as much as we can see and deny that which we don't...but how small are we compared to this reality? We will never know" Now, how could a picture show this moment of truth you felt while sitting at the park? If we cant give the whole truth to another person who wasn't there...what is the point of pictures? 

I am not saying we should not take pictures...for i LOVE photography and how some shots bring the magic through it. I am only saying, we shouldn't miss the reality while trying to capture it. Enjoy the moments with all your heart and soul and you will never need photographs to keep the memories...take one picture that tells the story rather then a hundred random shots that says nothing. So that was our first picnic of the year 2019...more to come...more to share...soon :) 

ALL GREEN?

Leaves i found during jungle trekking 

Are tropical jungles all green?

When you see pictures of the mountains or even when you walk through the trails yourself, do you see all green? Not if you refocus....and look a little closer ...coz then, slowly the colours will reveal itself. These colours reflect the different stages of the living forests....from the lightest shades of green to the reds, browns and yellows and finally the transparent colourless remains of the leaves...together they make the illusion of all green tropical jungles...the colours are for those who dare walk through it risking the snakes, mosquitoes...spiders or the fallen trees and slippery muddy paths, intertwined roots...the steep climbs and dangerously descending paths... risk it all and you will see these colours...or stay out safe and see only green....choice is always ours! 

Just like that, life is about living it all...dangerous or painful...rough or smooth...being alive with every moment of it is the only way we can find the colours. If we stay safe and live on the edge of it ...we may survive by experiencing a dull one dimension view of the multi layered realms! What a miss that will be!

So this new year...begin walking into your life...into your self...bear with the darkness for a while...stay focused...listen to the throbbing life calling from within...say fewer words so you can hear more...trust the path you are on.....do not be engrossed in looking for the colours....just keep walking ...till the colours come alive...in the most unexpected moments...and be mesmerized...at your SELF!

Happy new year all!! 

Rainforest World Music Festival 18

As promised, I will now share my experience at the Rainforest World Music Festival but I am not going to describe what the event is about or what happens there during the three days because you can read all about it in their websites and other hundreds of posts uploaded and shared online. What I wish to share here is about how such events make you feel when experienced live.

What I loved most about it is that the 20k people who attended this event coming from all over the world are ALL music and nature lovers!! The vibes you feel when standing among hearts tuned in to the forest and Music is quite overwhelming.  One of those rare times when people are not thinking or talking about wars, politics, floods, terrorists, poverty or business and so on. For a brief moment, people are just being people...loving life and living every moment in amusement for they all know that the 3 precious days will end so soon and they will have to go back to the"reality" they are trapped in.

We now live in an era of seeing everything through  palm sized screens. Music too has been contained in these miniature world where you are in control of when it should begin, end or how loud or soft it should be...with all the distractions that comes through a mobile phone people hardly hear the music uninterrupted. Even if they do...no vibes of an instrument gets pass the speakers of a mobile phone ...all its magic lost in the process of recording and downloading...what you hear through it just plain notes...nothing more then that. You may not believe what i am saying unless and until you have heard these musicians performing live before a cheering, screaming and dancing crowd facing a stage with a 130 million years old rainforest as the backdrop!! It's surreal ...you can feel the soul of the forest in tune with the music, the musicians and the audience. It's an unbelievable connection...and i am not exaggerating!! You have got to be there to know it...no videos or audios will ever be able to capture the experience in its true sense.

While listening to the most amazingly talented musicians...I remembered Micheal Jackson and thought...no wonder his audiences screamed , cried and even fainted during his performances! I cried even when I watched his Smooth Criminal movie which was played in the cinemas those days!! So watching him live would have sure been overwhelming. Now I see the effects of live performances especially to watch it with people who have made the effort to travel from all over the world like from the US all the way here just for the 3 days coz they sure know how precious these experiences are...otherwise it might all seem like a waste of time and energy to those who think why not just download the music n listen at the comfort of their homes.  Believe me...music is not meant to be heard through mobile phones! These traditional instruments have a soul that connects to nature and that can only happen when it is LIVE!!

Ok I can go on and on about this cos probably I don't even know how to explain it...but I do have a little more to share about the festival in my next post.  See you soon🙂💕

The Meeting Point

The earth...in search of a tree....

The tree in search of light...

and We...in search of ourselves...

One source...a million expressions...all imperfectly perfect...no two trees are identical...no two leaves are identical...no standard shade of colour to identify the trunks...all growing as it pleases, as much as light allows, in its own perfect way, so, no one can say...this tree is more beautiful then the other...coz nature has given each of its creation an identity of its own..incomparable..

Only we human beings have learnt how to compare...this is pretty...that is ugly, this is the right way, that is a wrong way, this is sweet and that is bitter, this is allowed, that is not...and a thousand other distinctions made. And all we have created is chaos... 

Can we not follow our paths as it flows...why hesitate with every move...why ask a thousand questions before we take the next step.....when we ALL KNOW...the END is only ONE...back to its source. Go right if you please...go left if you wish...walk up or down the path...take a hundred turns if you must...run all the way back if possible...and still...where do you think we will end up? A confirmed destination with a thousand paths to choose from... So, why do we still believe that our choices will make a difference? You may encounter different situations, yes, but the results will be the same...we all cry at some point..we are all hurt at some points...we all laugh at some point, only how and why makes our stories different. So whats the fuss about??

Theres only one thing we can do about it, we can LOVE! No matter what the situation is, we can LOVE...that's the only route to our destination. Despite the chaos we have created, only LOVE keeps directing and redirecting us. And love is not about relationships...its about our state of being. That's the undercurrent which we are guided by unconsciously. We may be angry, upset, sad, disappointed and yet we will eventually return to this source of LOVE. And the word LOVE too is tricky...its not an effort to be made like most people see it....but simply the state of our self when all emotions are removed. Our natural state...

Is it easy to get there? of course not...life will throw you into situations and watch you come out of it...again and again...if you come out just the same as you were before...then it throws you into it again...until you learn how to shed the layers of emotions...but life is fair too...it doesn't expect you to shed all layers in one throw...it gives you chances again and again...the sooner we get to the roots the better...

So..just like how the roots are drawn to water, the leaves are drawn to light, we...are drawn to love. Only difference is, the roots and leaves do not resist...and we resist all the way, thus, making the path harder then it should be...again...i am reminded of the message from Bhagavad Gita....SURRENDER! 

The picture above was taken last week in Kuching, Sarawak during our trip to the Rainforest World Music Festival 18. Though i have SO MUCH to say about the festival, just felt like sharing this beautiful moment i had with my good friend and the amazing tree. Magical!   

SwarAsia Malaysia@Rainforest World Music Festival 2018

Ever heard the forest sing? 

Have you walked through the jungle, listening to the subtle streams continuously whispering to you? Have you stopped a moment to listen to the rustling of the hollow bamboos? Have you watched the waterfalls taking a plunge into streams? Have you felt the soft muddy paths when it rains...or reflected in the droplets resting on every leaf moments before it slips away? Have you touched the velvety moss on the tree trunks and absorbed its most beautiful shade of green? Have you tried catching the rays piercing through the branches of the trees? Have you smelled the living earth beneath your feet and sensed the throbbing life in its roots growing beyond ...? Have you felt the connection of it ALL? Have you heard them all sing the secret of life...? Have you felt your heart beat in unison with the breathing trees? 

And...what could we possibly give in return for all the magic the forests offers us? What can ever match the mystery of our tropical rainforests? Words will fail, pictures will lie, videos will only distract...then?

The only equally enchanting experience as a forest is of course..... MUSIC. And its the time of the year here in Malaysia, when we celebrate the Forests. Musicians from all over the world come to offer a part of their soul through music. Its a thanksgiving! Its the Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak, Malaysia!   

Its been my dream to go watch these soulful musicians coming from very interesting cultural backgrounds from all over the world such as the  Philippines, Russia, Brazil, Serbia, India, America, Solomon Islands, Indonesia, Tunisia, Poland and of course our very own Malaysia!!

And this time, the Malaysian Band "SwarAsia Malaysia" will be performing in it too. So no way i would miss it! I could hardly wait to be there and would definitely share my experience when i get back. I cant say more now as i don't want to say anything based on the videos I've watched. Both the forest and Music can only be truly experienced when its LIVE! And to have the opportunity to experience the best of both at a time is a blessing and a calling!!

So till i get back to you with my stories do click on the links below for more information and come join us in the Awakening of the Rainforest with SwarAsia Malaysia!! 

See you there!! :) 

http://rwmf.net/
https://youtu.be/aUu3kRLSmo0
swarasiamalaysiahttps://www.facebook.com/SwarasiaMalaysia/
https://www.facebook.com/rwmf.official/videos/896690360455735/

Munduk Waterfall, BALI

Imagine this....

You are all set to go for a hike through the trails of a small Balinese Village hidden away from the world, and you check with the hotel about how difficult these trails are and what to expect on the way. They tell you, its an easy one and you can finish the trail by 2 hours...so you say...ok then lets go!

The driver drives you about 5 mins away from the cottage and stops by the winding road, gives you a simple sketch that is a map showing just one main path starting from where you were and ends at another point uphill. I expected the driver to introduce us to a guide but no he said we wont need a guide..coz its safe to walk by ourselves...He assured us that its a very easy trail and we will not get lost. 

Ok then, see you at 12 we said...Bye!!

Off we went walking along a small path going through the village and there were guys on motorbikes riding up and down the path...So, Nantha and i concluded that its not really a jungle trail...but just a village, so maybe there will be streams or small waterfalls along the way..

At one point of the trail, interestingly, there was this wooden table placed, looked as though it was a reception area leading into a building or park or something like that...i found it so cute as it was sort of welcoming you into nowhere. And i was tempted to take a picture as though i was the receptionist there welcoming people into nature :) so i held the map and stood behind the table.. :) hehe...

From there, we kept walking for about 10 mins and we saw a little hut where tickets were sold to go to the first waterfall. I was thinking...huh? already here? how big can the waterfall be with just about 15 mins hike from the main road? Well lets just go find out, we thought, and walked on...as the path went downhill we began to hear the fall...and it got louder as we got closer...hmm so its not that small! We kept walking.....and then out of nowhere, the most unbelievable sight came into focus!! i stood there too stunned to say anything, just kept saying "Oh my GOD! Look at that!! I cant believe this!! 

Yes, nature has a way of surprising you (like real BIG) When you least expect something it turns out to be the best...A fall rushing down with a deafening roar from such a height and force and yet the pool below safe and shallow enough to walk around and enjoy the view, safe for even children ...AND there was no crowd ...only one other couple with a photographer. Can it get any better then that?? so the show was all for ME!! (and Nantha of course, hehee) as i walked nearer to the fall, i found a rock right in front and center, perfect to sit on and watch....

the misty spray from the falls wetting my face and hair...at a point when you will not hear anything but the roaring fall..SO loud...louder then all your desperate screams ever...giving you no choice but to  just shut up and listen...you cant even think as you will not hear yourself. OH MOTHER! is all i managed...then into SILENCE! 

What is it you want?? why the confusion? can you not hear me? how much louder do you want me to scream into your head, She asked, i am flowing right through you...LET GO!! and FLOW with me and you will be taken exactly where you should be...She said. But Maa.....i thought... and then into silence again...(You cant argue with Her...can you?! :D )

Though i have seen Rhinefalls in Switzerland...there was something so powerful about this landscape which focused all its energy into a narrow gorge with no boulders breaking its speed, falling free with such tremendous force to the ground from such a height!! 

After a few minutes of soaking in the view...

I turned around to look at Nantha ...he was standing behind me...taking pictures and video of me there...and how the scene changed in that one instant...how the world behind me looked different now...why all the confusion?  When everything is so perfect..so beautiful...unbelievably right!! It was me, who broke away for a while...but its as clear as the water flowing below my feet now...THANK YOU maa...i see why you diverted my journey from our original plans...i see why you convinced me to take a 4 hours drive from the airport into a hidden valley i never heard of...i see why you made me walk these trails...as you knew that only your deafening scream will shut my head off the thoughts to bring me back to senses! I SO LOVE YOU! 

MOTHER HEALS i wrote on my FB status with the video above attached...

Yes..Nature heals ...because it brings you back to where you belong...when you feel so in sync...you are not angry with anyone anymore...or disappointed with anyone...coz you know...it was not them who caused any misery. It was you yourself falling out of your center..and nature uses people around you to knock some senses into you...so you dont go too far. So these people are just merely the tools...and we could be the tools in someone else's life too...we might never know..unless we see the bigger picture.

Then its a whole new journey once more...another level...another realm to pass...definitely with more tests to get through...could be tougher ones...but knowing she is with you all the way...and also knowing it gets better with each time, its comforting.

So...we continued the hike with renewed energy to another two even bigger falls...with slightly tougher climbs and very slippery and steep neverending stairs downhill...we both almost slipped at one or two points...but thankfully managed the whole trail with no injuries...towards the end of the trail it started drizzling ....and the paths got even more slippery. And the trail wasnt as straight foward as it looked in the overly simplified map we had in hand...

I totally trusted Nantha's sense of direction to keep going (knowing how bad i am)...till it came to a fork! great! now which way? right or left?? we both stood there wondering which one to take...Nantha opted for left after trying to get some clues from the (not so helpful) map while i stood there still wondering...but after taking a few steps he stopped coz there were about 5 or 6 dogs running towards him, barking and blocking the route! I told him to walk slowly and calmly back to where i was...he did that..and thankfully the dogs stopped too...they just stood there watching but still blocking the way...though i believed these dogs were friendly...it just didnt feel right to proceed on that path...so after about a min figuring out what to do i said..."I tell you what...lets just go right" he said ok and after about 5 mins on that path...you will not believe if i said this but i swear its true...we heard the Gayethri Mantra playing loud somewhere!! Nantha and i looked at each other in amazement! we cant be imagining it coz we both heard it. Then we realised it was coming from one of the houses hidden behind the trees on the other path going up...well it was Bali with about 70 percent Hindus...so hearing Gayethri mantra is not a miracle you might say...but to us at that point, being a little lost on a track..hungry ...thirsty ...with no phone line (even with line...i had just one bar left before it would die off) yes..it was a miracle..coz that path we took after being redirected by those dogs was the right way out!! And the Gayethri Mantra was reassuring. Thank you doggy boys and girls...!!

Bali is mysterious!! 

So...that was the waterfall story ive been wanting to share...it was totally worth it...rejuvenating...magical...healing and amazing!! I was so happy coz i never thought i would see such waterfalls in a trail so short! Still, It wasnt enough...i hope to go there again sometime! and discover the many other falls in that area. And spend more time there!

And here are the pictures...which as always does not match the real thing but just to give you a glimpse of it... :) 

SwarAsia Kampungku

Before i get to my waterfall experience in Munduk, Bali, i wish to share an equally rejuvenating experience waiting to happen this April right here in Kuala Lumpur!

If you have sat by the streams or watched the waterfalls, you will understand both the power of nature and its balance at the same time...it may look like its rushing wildly down the cliffs, forming  such tremendous energy along the way, roaring as it cascades off the rocks but still it has a clear sense of direction which allows it to settle into a rhythmic flow, in harmony with its surroundings.

Watching the falls and listening to its deafening roar has a therapeutic effect. Just the same, theres something about LIVE music which creates similar effects on people. If you have watched videos of nature with a background music, you will not be able to say if its nature which makes music sound beautiful or if its the music which makes nature look so divine...they just blend in so well you cant make a distinction on its effect.

Somehow the environment we live in, sips into our souls and makes the person who we become. Such effects are most obvious among musicians. They somehow become part of nature surrounding them since childhood and the music made by them will reflect the nature they live in. You will see what i mean if you listen to native American music. Its all soaked in the nature they live in, you can feel the trees, the breeze, the leaves, the mountains and the soil in their music coz they have become part of it and it sings through them like a hollow bamboo. 

Just the same, if  you listen to the pieces of the Band SwarAsia led by sitarist Samuel J Dass,  you will feel the nature of our country, Malaysia, with its flavours of the village, the coconut and palm trees, the colourful blooms all year through...the constant rain and sun, the warm climate...the cool and simple people, the variety of food with the fragrance of its spices, the vibrant colours of its mixed culture and above all the ancient feel derived from the millions of years old rainforest all blended into uniquely Asian music. 

The word "Kampung Ku" means "My Village" and thats the title of this upcoming concert by the band, this time in collaboration with the JKKN (National Department for Culture and Arts, Malaysia)

If you want to get to know a country or its people, just listen to its music and you can connect to the soul of it. So, get to know Malaysia..in its true sense. Come watch SwarAsia-Kampung Ku!!

Below are the details and links to some Promotional Videos of this concert and also their previous ones!! Do check it out and please remember...nothing equals to LIVE music! you've got to hear it for real!! heres just a glimpse of it... :) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqq-64MU2Ak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzb0WaVs3no

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETuLjf8P6Xk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6qwJ8FFRBo&t=7s

 https://www.facebook.com/SwarasiaMalaysia/

Concert details:

VENUE: MaTiC, Jalan Ampang, KL  

DATE: 27th (Friday) & 28th (Saturday) April 2018

TIME:8.30pm

For reservations call Mr Satya 012 2220850

(Tickets are priced at RM20 and RM50)

          An experience not to be missed!!

Cosmic Injustice?

While reading this book about experiences of a guy with nature, i came across this term which caught my attention and made me sit wondering about a lot of things for a few minutes...

"COSMIC INJUSTICE" ....yes think about it for a bit before you read on. :)

Another paragraph which made more sense to what i was wondering about:-

"What is it about our species that allows us to watch sitcoms and argue over sports while cultures and creatures and those things meek and green and good are chopped, shot, and burned from the world for a buck? Why is it that we so revere compassionate, heroic characters in literature and theory but practice such arrant apathy?"

Just think about it, this world is made of a million things, all alive in its own way but with ONLY one form of life that does not live according to its natural ways...HUMAN BEINGS...all animals live in their own ways according to the characteristics of the species it belongs to, they eat the same time type of food, built nests the same way, live in the same habitat. We don't see vegetarian lions, or meat eating goat, all hyenas laugh the same way, all cuckoos sing the same tune. They simply stick to their nature. They don't act differently. 

Same goes to all kinds of plants, roses are roses, lilies are lilies, they don't cross their boundaries, all permanently stuck in its only reality, no way out. If you are a rose, no matter how beautiful you are, you will just be a rose forever! you will not explore or experience the nature of Lotus, of being soaked in mud and to bloom with the sun! No such thing is allowed. Nature has decided the fate and that's the END!
 
But HUMAN BEINGS!  You can be anything you want to be! You are planted with PASSION in your heart, that one thing other life forms are not packed with! They merely live to spend their lifetime. Trapped in their own ways of life. They cant get out of it! They dont experience ecstasy! But we are allowed to go beyond! And to rejoice in every moment lived with passion! Most people are trapped just like the roses and lotuses, though beautiful, it is still a prison. Why stay trapped when we are allowed to explore! Theres SO much to experience! Endless!! and the good news is we are allowed to! Then why stay trapped!? I don't get it! I seriously don't! 

And then, locking ourselves in our own prisons, we say "Life is unfair" hello!! If only you can hear life screaming at us "Get out of your head!! get into your soul!! IT IS ALL THERE!! 

Just think, why would nature create a species only to let it suffer! If we were to only breed and die like all other animals and plants then why give us sixth sense, why let us feel what the others don't, why make us see what others don't, why such variety among the same species, some are yogis, some are scientist, some are artists. Why give us the brains that can build rockets, and to explore the space. Why let us discover electricity if its going to pollute the environment? Why allow such criminals who kill animals for money, why create the villains!! Why not create a standard human being who acts exactly the same, lovable, just eating, breeding and lazing around like animals!? Wouldn't planet Earth be safer that way, no one to destroy the amazon, no one killing the elephants for ivory, no one killing sharks for its fin! SIMPLE! is it not? And we think nature is so dumb to have created a species who can be self destructive. And we have this group of people who are trying to save the planet! Hello again! We are the last thing nature can count on to save itself! So stop being such a hero!

We cant reverse the technology...we cant even live without a mobile phone. We cant imagine a world without electricity. We need the taps and running water, we need the heaters, we need the vehicles. No matter how much we love nature, its impossible to reverse everything that has been created.

My question is, why do we think nature was not aware of what is was getting into by creating us. It seems to me, more like it has put us here for a reason. We may not live to see it, but it is sure getting somewhere. At the rate science is going now, imagine the world 50 years from now! Do you seriously believe, planting a thousand trees a year is going to change that??

I don't think so. I think it is going where it wants to go, we may call it destructive, but probably it is not! What if it is building an entire new world with a different kind of species with higher intelligence?! Who can adopt to places further away from planet earth? People are breaking records in sports every year, what exactly is the limit, we don't know! So , what if nature does want us to go beyond our limits to a place destined, which only nature herself would know. What if Earth is just a training ground?? :)

The universe cant be wrong, it is too systematic to make such foolish mistakes...it could have killed us all in a blink if it wanted to. But no, its waiting, ever patiently for it to happen naturally. WHY?

It is not a Cosmic Injustice! It is destiny, not only of human beings but of the universe. We are just playing parts! No one is a saint, no one is a hero, no one is a sinner, no one criminal! Everyone is simply doing their part, like it or not! And without realising, we are helping the universe reach its destiny! That's what we are! A tool!

Or at least that's what i think we are :) :) 
 

When the MOON calls :)

Hubby and friends planned a gathering in Cameron Highlands and decided to go on 2nd week of November. But since one of our friend's birthday fell on the 3rd week, we all changed the plan and went on 3rd weekend instead, so we could celebrate her birthday while we were there. So that's how we ended up going on the 3rd week of November instead of 2nd week. And 4 of us were there a day earlier since the rest could not take leave and could only come the following day. So, the four of us decided to check into the cottage house early on Thursday afternoon. Since the others were only coming the next day, we thought we would cook some simple meal in the cottage and relax instead of driving out to the town. Since we brought the electrical steamboat set along and bought some fresh vegetables at Cameron Highlands and also packed other food stuff which we could grill or boil, we decided to have a simple steamboat meal at the garden of the cottage though we were hoping it would not rain as it has been pouring everyday and it was also raining all the way from KL to Cameron!

By 8pm, weather was breezy and cold but it wasn't raining. So we set up the garden table to get started with our steamboat meal. Once all food and utensils were ready, we sat around the table, we plugged in the stove and started making the soup and also threw a few sausages on the grill pan. As we sat there waiting for the soup to boil, i looked up at the sky, and that's when i noticed a bright light behind the trees. As it wasn't clear from where i was sitting, i got up and walked to the front portion of the cottage garden to have a look and then realised that the light was actually a full moon coming up the sky. I was delighted and quickly ran into the house to get my new camera and set it up to attempt a few good shots of the full moon. 

Until that moment, i had absolutely no idea that it was full moon on that day. I took a few shots every few minutes to get different views as the moon moved upwards. Honestly it was my first time looking at a full moon that huge and bright! I was pretty happy how the pictures turned up though i am still learning how to do the manual settings, and i couldn't take too long or i would miss the moon! So i just did the best i could and here it is ...

 

When i saw the light behind the trees from the garden at the cottage

And the moon started rising to the top of the trees

When i got home after the trip and as i was looking through the pictures i snapped, i was pretty delighted to have had the chance to catch such a beautiful moonlight in such a beautiful place ...and it was all coincidence...or was it?? 

If we had stuck to the original plans of making the trip on 2nd week, then i would have missed the moon....or if we decided to have a steamboat inside the cottage as it was more convenient that way, also i would have missed the moon.. Or even if i sat facing the opposite side of the garden...i would have missed the moon! If it had continued to rain....i would have missed the moon...if the clouds formed at that hour...also i would have missed the moon...so...how many things has to be right just to catch that few moments of light? Coincidence? Or meant to be? It depends on what we believe and how we see it. Here's what i see ..

I believe life brings you what you love in the most mysterious ways...and sometimes it is amazing how much trouble it takes to give you what you love. I sure love nature and i love watching the moon even through the congested concrete walls of KL, i always try to catch the full moon whenever possible....so what if the moon decided to give me satisfying treat? What if it had planned this whole trip to give that joy? Otherwise, why was the trip postponed to the week ahead...why did we decide to cook instead of going out...why did we cook out in the cold night knowing it might rain any time instead of staying warm indoors and save the hassle of setting up the stove and food outside...why did i choose to sit facing the direction where the moon was rising...above all, why should we sit there just in time as the moon was rising...if it had been just half and hour later...i would have missed the huge moon behind the trees....how can there be so many coincidence? :)

Though it may sound strange to some of you, i do believe the moon decided i should see her that night...and it happened :) Nothing was planned and yet everything was perfect...the time, the position, the sky, the weather...the place and the camera...all in union for a divine moment with the mysterious full moon!

Just like that, if only we let nature plan our lives, you will be amazed at what it could bring you. Say i planned to catch the moonlight during this holiday...could it have happened the same way then? How often people hike up hills to catch the sunrise and come down disappointed for missing it either because it got cloudy or they were too late, or camera didnt work or it rained or whatever weird reasons...but if you take notice of life...everything that happens perfectly happens when you did not plan it or did not expect it even...nature loves surprises! It gives you what you want if you trust it! So let life work for you...dont stress about it...let it be...let it go...let it happen...and you will have the best....ALWAYS! 

Wishing you all a fullmoon moment....just stay calm...and wait for it !! 

:)   

When Moths stick to you!

Two weeks ago i was in Fraser Hill, Pahang for a holiday organized by my music school, Swara Community Arts Center. It was my first time at this lovely hill resort. Unlike Cameron Highlands which has been commercialized to the level where the nature of the hill has been altered totally, it was relieving to see Fraser untouched with its greens and misty hills intact! 20 of us including children, parents, students and our Sitar Master's family stayed in a huge bungalow perched amidst the serene hills. We all fell in love with the environment the moment we stepped out of the car and started breathing in the fresh, cool air.

There were nothing but hills all around us....and the sounds coming from the jungle was absolutely soothing, below are the pics of the views on the right, left, front and back of the bungalow.

The garden and view

While we were all indulged in the surroundings...something interesting happened. Master's brother in law came walking to me with a grin pointing his index finger and i noticed a small moth on his finger. And i said "hey lets take a pic of it before it flies off! but he coolly said...it is stuck to my fingers, wont fly off!...then he walked around trying to get the moth to fly off....but it stayed comfortably on the tip of his finger. So he walked into the bungalow and placed his finger on the dining table and tried pushing the moth so it would shift itself away from his finger...and it finally did. Then i was watching the moth...and touched it lightly to see if it would fly off but instead of flying off she decided to stick to my index finger! hahhaa....i was delighted. Can you blame me? I mean how often do we get moths sticking to you like magnet? Most of the times it is us stuck in the traffic jams of KL! So i happily walked around the bungalow with the moth, showing it off to my other friends and everyone was amused!

So here she is....first time meeting a leaf moth up so close! she sure looks like a leaf with wings!! so pretty! I couldn't help talking to her. Asked her to reveal the secret behind her beauty. And she told me this..

"Just stick to nature...she is the secret of all secrets"

Simple! right?? And that explains why everything seems haywire in the city....we are so far from nature...what do you expect! The moths cant even get anywhere near you through the concrete walls! We have blocked ourselves from all sources of energy and then we go on complaining about life! 

After having a few minutes with her, i decided to put her back home, reluctantly walked to the garden and placed her on the leaves of a plant and said....thank you for the message. And i will see you again...sometime, somewhere...in some form ...till then...bye with love :)

There she is....happily one with nature...  

So that was one experience at Fraser Hill...theres more to share. To my delight, our master took us hiking in one of the many beautiful trails in Fraser. Will share pics and the experience in my next post :) 

Till then....just stick to nature and watch out for the moths :)

Naked in Eden

"Can you feel it in your bones? I felt like the forest had been awaiting my arrival" says Robin Easton in this true story about her and her husband who decided to go live in the a rainforest in Australia simply to get in touch with life. 

When i read those lines above, i remembered how i felt when i for the very first time in my life stepped into the rainforest at the National Park. While our guide was leading the way explaining something about the rainforest, i stood right in front of a gigantic bunch of bamboos and the beautiful path that so invitingly leads you deeper into the forest. In amazement i was mumbling over and over "oh my God! this is so beautiful!" And he smiled, nodded and coolly said "yes, it is" I was like how could you be so calm about SUCH beauty? Then i realized he has been going up and down that path for 15 years, everyday. It has become his home. He is not breathlessly crammed up in a concrete jungle like the rest of us in KL. No wonder he could be so calm about it! The forest is calm...and it is contagious! Its nothing like the little hills around KL where we go hiking. No this was really home! Every leaf, branch, trunk, flower, root, or fern was old...as old as life! and you could feel it your bones! yes after about 6 years i finally realised that is how i felt, in my bones! Thanks to Robin Easton for putting it precisely in her book, i didnt know how to explain the feeling before this :)

"Life is curious about itself" 

This is another line in the book which made me think. Its so true. We ARE life and yet WE are curious about life. We are looking for ourselves forgetting that WE ARE IT! what is there to look for? We've got to live it and be it. Nothing to look for....chasing our own tails as Osho says :)

 "Aah, the marvels we take for granted. Could you create a living butterfly? Life isnt only intelligent; it's dazzling creative in its self expression"

She says this after witnessing the miracle of a butterfly emerging out of its cocoon. How the very fragile life flutters out beautifully. Yes, do we even think about it as a miracle nowadays! We have take it for granted. But just for one moment pause to think how amazing a butterfly is! 

When the movie Avatar played in the cinemas, i heard some friends saying..."imagine there really was a world like Pandora" And i told them...what is there to imagine? If there really was a world like Pandora we would have gotten used to it and started destroying it just like what we are doing to Earth now. We wouldnt think it was beautiful or amazing or a miracle. If we can take Earth for granted...what difference would a Pandora make!?? 


"Mother nature doesn't judge, that's a human thing"

Yes, and that is why the human species is still surviving. If nature took revenge, we would not be here for we have been the worst pest infecting the surface. Destroying and polluting earth incessantly, and yet we go on wondering why all the chaos. Ever forgiving mother nature is only trying to help by balancing itself everytime we break her, still, if ever she looses her balance it is not her that is in trouble...she will just make adjustments and go on for another billion years. It is US who are in trouble. For we cant live without oksigen, or rain, or clean air or food. If any one of those changes happen...it is us who will be wiped out ...probably making way to a better species who will be intelligent enough to know how not to interfere with nature :)

Anyway, if you love the rainforest, you will love this book. Awesome experiences in the jungle especially the spiritual ones. How she is connected to the trees...the messages she received. The things she learnt about life. Its all inspiring and joyous. 

I sure loved it!! 
  

The Language of Flowers

Flowers ....the moment we hear the word, we are sure to feel it in our hearts...we may not notice it but it sure happens. That is one reason why we get flowers for almost any occasion, whether happy or sad one, somehow we need flowers. The fragrance, the softness, the colours, and its nature on the whole is something words can never explain. Its a reminder to show the beauty of life can be contained in such delicate petals. And yet, people are never satisfied to see things as it is. We must give it another dimension with our own interpretations and names and meanings and then use it as though we created them in the first place! 

This book, The Language Of Flowers is a novel about an orphan who had the ability to connect to all flowers and was able to help people change their lives by choosing certain flowers for them.

She had a dictionary to learn the flowers names and its meanings as it was recorded since ancient times. Like, Acacia means Secret Love, Aloe means grief, Baby's breath means everlasting love, Basil means hate, Orchid means Refined Beauty, and different colours of roses meaning different things like pink is  Grace, Red is love, yellow is infidelity and the list goes on for hundreds and hundreds of flowers and its colours and meanings. 

Then, in one part of the story, one of her friends explains about the meaning of the quote "A Rose is a rose is a rose" a sentence written by a women named Gertrude Stein in a poem. It simply means things are what they are. What we call it is not going to change the nature of it. 

Made me think, why do we name and interpret everything we see and feel? Cant we just look at it as it is? For example below is a picture of a yellow rose i snapped myself in a nursery in Dunstable, England 3 years ago.

I can still feel the joy i felt looking at such a brilliant creation of nature...the colour especially! The most beautiful yellow i have seen in my entire life and it gets reddish in the deep center of the flower, the petals were silky smooth, soft and made perfect outlines like how u see in sketches and paintings... and i am sure you can imagine the fragrance....such beauty...but unfortunately someone centuries ago must have been in a bad mood on that day to have thought the yellow rose means Infidelity!! Why? Seriously? Why ruin such a magical creation?! I also remember in school, friends saying...Red is for love and yellow means jealous especially during Valentines day...you cant buy this gorgeous yellow rose for someone you love because it means you are jealous!! How strange is that? 

Say no one named this flower...then wouldnt you by all means pick it to be given to someone you love. Well...i will never be able to pick it from the plant and ruin the wholeness, but if it was in the flower shops and if i was choosing one single rose to show my love then this would be the one....so bright...so joyous, so strong yet soft.

   

 Just like the flowers, we have named everything we see and not only named but also given it meanings to which we have become so used to that we cant see it any other way! Of all things that we have named the worst would be ourselves. We have named ourselves and then never go beyond that name. We forget what we really are inside. We have simply become our name...the description fits just the name but not who we are within. We are so obsessed with names that sometimes we even forget that we are human beings or maybe most of the times! Coz if we remembered, then we would be nothing but full of love, joy and peace. But being our names, we become everything else....full of hate, anger, sadness and confusion. Once we see beyond our names, we will slowly begin to see who we really are. Just like this yellow rose, then we will show the beauty which is so obvious yet goes unnoticed. 

So as a start to this beautiful year, lets learn how to see things as they are....the skies are just skies....the sun is a sun...water is water....you are you ...no descriptions attached...no interpretations ....nothing.  

Setting 2014 with the Sun

The world is renewed with every rise of the sun. It is not about the year or month. Its about every moment refreshed second by second. So life is eternally new. Live every moment of it.

That's the message i got while i sat by the beach in Langkawi, watching and meditating upon the setting sun last weekend. While i get restless by 5 mins when i attempt to meditate at home....i unbelievably sat still for almost an hour and a half there simply watching the sun set at its own pace, absorbing the golden rays and purplish skies and there was no need for calming Zen music to keep my thoughts quiet...as my mind was totally merged with the soothing sound of waves splashing in rhythm with my breathing.

I was sitting there alone while hubby and the group of friends were resting on the folding beach chairs further up. After a little while, my friend comes up to where i was sitting and asks me to turn around facing my back to the sun for her to snap a shot of my silhouette. And the picture turned up so nice :)


We were lucky that despite the rainy season the weather was so good on that evening. And the sunset was simply breathtaking. While my friend's kids were running up and down the shore collecting sea shells, building sand castles and simply running to the waves i noticed their silhouette from where i was seated looked interesting....so i decided to take few shots of them. Here it is....








Once the sun went down...rising in another part of the world...i got up and walked to the waves just to wet my feet and saw that the kids were still not tired of running up and down, most likely because they were absorbing all the natural energy and feeling light and free from all the "don't touch this! Don't run! Don't scream! Don't talk! Don't Don't and Don't...." No, here they were running free....as much as they wanted...and you could see the joy in their eyes! No concrete buildings to break their runs...simply endless shores and light ...such freedom is priceless especially for children...is it not?

Then i walked back to where the rest of my friends were sitting and chatting. One of them sees me walking up and asks in amazement,
"Anuuuu....how could you sit for that long???"

And only then did i realise it myself...that i was actually sitting there for more then an hour.....so i smiled and said to her "actually it wasn't enough" :)

How can u be bored when the sun is setting...changing colours by the seconds ...dropping into the ocean inch by inch right before your gaze! The shape of the clouds changing and forming new patterns every minute...the waves getting closer to you with every splash....the reflection of the light on the sea forming a path as if it is paving a way for you to walk up to the sun...such a majestic live show going on....and how could anyone be bored looking at it! 

The world when you got there before the sun set was gone...and there was a whole new world of dark skies and colder breeze with twinkling stars in the making....it was a new world in the making right before your eyes. How often do we notice these changes....to us the world goes by clock....its 5pm.....its 6pm....its 7 pm....its 8 pm....but do we even notice whats happening during these hours on ordinary days...No, we define our day by hours ....lunch hour....tea break....after work....dinner time....tv time....bed time...and that's it....the same routine follows the following day.....timing ourselves as though we are a bomb ticking! But the sun is putting a show every morning through the day into setting again....but we don't care to notice! Not that we don't have time...coz even if we have time we rather be sulking that we are bored then to be indulged in nature.

We may not be able to watch the sunrise or sunset everyday....from where live. But we can sure catch it at least at one point of the day before we go to bed again. It makes a difference when we watch how the day is changing every second....how the clouds are moving...when the wind is blowing them away...we too are changing every second. Our life is renewed by seconds...we are growing and blooming into ourselves...unknowingly. So lets pay attention to the changes...lets watch ourselves rise and set with the sun. Lets notice the changes in our thoughts....Lets acknowledge the love we feel. Lets LIVE with every breath ....like the sun.. :)

So my resolution??? 

Is surely to watch as many sunrises/ sunsets from as many parts of the world possible this coming year! :)

So stay tuned for lots of light and colours in 2015!

I have a lot more to share about Langkawi....will do in the next posts...

Have a great year all!