The Ugly Duckling

We found you in a newspaper ad
And called the owner Mr Yee
May we see?
Your house?

He gave us the wrong address
So, we saw the wrong house
But like what we saw
And asked to see the rest...

We made an appointment
And waited at the wrong address
But eventually found Yee's house
Luckily it was not a disappointment!

The house was vashtu sastra compliant
To me it had a high and airy ceiling
It was bright and gave me a good feeling
We were pressed to decide, as there were two other clients.

Yes, two prospective tenants were there at Yee's place
They needed a house immediately.
We offered that they check out our place!
And drove them to our old house.
They like and was eveready
To rent our old house.


So there we have it a perfect house swap.

The house is not spic and span
You will pick up a broom, duster and dustpan
With swift strokes, you begin to dust and sweep
You dream of a perfectly clean house, even in your sleep.

The kitchen towel is not hung in its place
A picture is crooked
An empty mug lies on the table
Everything has to be returned to its original place

Early every morning
The table is perfectly laid
With a sumptious breakfast
For your son, he has to eat first
Before he goes off to work

You are upset at the dog
Which has peed on your perfect lawn
Leaving behind a brown patch
Of which you will replace with a new green patch

When relatives intend to visit
You become a busy bee
Checking every corner of the house
Ensuring that the house is as neat as can be

When I was a child, running barefoot in the streets
I return to have you inspect
And scrub those filthy feet
Oh, Pa calls you the Foot Inspector!

You have to be amongst the earliest
And push your way through all the other shoppers
So that you don't miss a sale
Getting a bargain, you can't afford to fail.

When the traffic light is green
On the excelerator you will step
Your heart a pumping, full of adrenaline
For you must be ahead before the sign says stop.

Mama, the house is comfortable as it is
It doesn't have to be hygienically clean
A crooked picture acts character
Relatives come to see us
A neat house would not matter
I like my crack and dirty feet
For it means I've toiled in the garden
And so what if you miss the traffic light
It will give you time to ponder
A minute to relax and smile
At other frowning drivers
You don't need to prepare breakfast
On every single day
For we are overfed
And we can skip a day

Mama, relax
You have given enough
We all love you, even in a less than perfect home
For being perfect is way too tough
So, relax, dance and have a good laugh!

Ingredients:
a) 1 tsp mustard seed
b) 1 tsp cumin powder
c) 1 tsp fennel powder
d) 3 tbsp of chilli paste
e) 1 bowl of ground shallots
f) 1 thumbsize of shrimp paste (belacan) pre-toasted
g) A few curry leaves
1 whole ripe pineapple cut into small pieces
You can substitute the pineapple with egg plant and cut them into rectangular pieces about 1inch x 2 1/2 inches
1 bowl of oil
1/2 palmful of tamarind presoak in 2 bowls of water

Method

Heat oil
Fry mustard seed and curry leaves
Add item a-f and simmer under low fire till fragrant
Add tamarind juice without the seeds (this is according to how sour you would like the dish to be)
The consistency should be broth like.
Add salt and sugar for taste. This dish is quite sweet.
Add pineapple and cook to a boil for about 25 minutes. (till pineapple is soft).

Serves 6 persons
Can be kept in the freezer for about 2 months

An artist by the name of Scott Wade created this art on dirty window screens. Creativity is boundless.

Our breathing changes according to our emotions. Most of us do not breathe completely. When a person is angry or upset, the breath is shallow and increases. A calm person takes slower breaths and therefore deeper. Shallow breaths leaves stagnant air in the lower regions of your lungs which causes ill health.

Below is a list of breathing techniques for health and healing.

The Complete Breath

Effect: Increases your lung capacity, helps to cleanse your blood and expand your chest cavity.
Position: You can stand, sit or lie on your back.

Inhale and fill the lower part of your lungs (expand your abdomen gently).
Continue inhaling and fill the upper portion of your lungs by expanding the upper part of your chest.
Fill the uppermost part of your lungs, slightly draw in your lower abdomen.
At the end of your inahlation, occationaly raise your shoulders to permit the air to enter the upper lobes of your lungs.
Retain your breath for as long you comfortably can.
Exhale slowly and contract your abdomen slightly.

The Cleansing Breath
Effect: Beneficial before a meal and when you feel fatigued.
Exhale as deeply and as vigorously as possible.
Take a deep breath.
Exhale immediately through the nose as you contract your abdomen.
Repeat 5x. Resume normal breath.

Alternate Nostril Breathing
Effect: Helps to calm you down, good for imsomnia.
Position your ring finger on your left nostril, middle and pointer finger folded on your nose, thumb on right nostril.
Close your right nostril with your thumb. Inhale deeply on left nostril to the count of 5. Retain the air for a count of 5 while closing both nostrils.
Close your left nostril with your ring finger and exhale through the right nostril until all air is expelled (to the count of 8).
Keep your left nostril close and inhale again through the right nostril to the count of 5. Retain your breath to the same count and close both nostrils.
Close the right nostril and exhale through the left nostril.

Repeat slowly 5x.
Long exhalations will have a calming effect.

The Ha Breath
Effect: This breath is revitalizing and recharges your body.

Stand with your legs aprt.
Inhale deeply, raing your arms up from each side until they are stretched above your head.
Throw the upper half of your body forward, bending from the waist, at the same time letting your arms fall forward and expelling the breath with a strong blast, making the sound HA.
Let your body hang loosely from the waist, arms swinging, head hanging as you repeat the ha sound several times.
Stand up slowly and repeat 2x.

The Waterfall Breath
Effect: Deep relaxation.
Inhale deeply and with slight parted lips. As you inhale create a hissing kind of sound.
Retain your breath to a count of 6.
Exhale to a count of 6 with slightly parted lips.
Repeat as you wish.

The Bellows Breath

Effect: Energizing and blood cleansing.

Sit with a straight back.
Inhale fully.
Exhale forcefully through the nose at the same time contract the abdomen and expel air with a powerful push from the diaphram and thrust from the throat.
When you release the contraction, your lungs will automatically take in air.
Gradually build up to ten rapid expulsions, after your last one, inhale deeply to fill your lungs with air, exhale slowly, and relax.

Source: A woman's book of yoga. A journal for health and self discovery by Louise Taylor.

1. Blow your nose correctly - Press your finger over one nostril while you blow gently to clear the other.
2. Rest well. Prop an extra pillow to elevate your head. This relives nose block.
3. Gargle - Mix a teasp of salt with warm water 4x daily. To reduce the tickle, try a type of tea containing tannin which tightens the membrane. Steep one tbsp of raspberry leaves or lemone juice in two cups of hot water, mix with one teasp of honey. Let the mixture cool to room temperature before gargling.
4. Drink hot liquids to prevent dehydration.
5. Take a steamy shower
6. Aromatherapy steam: Fill a deep bowl with boiling water and mix with 2 tbsp of chopped ginger or chamomile (3 tbsp). Or, add a salve i.e Vicks VapoRub to the hot water. Or, add a few drops of eucalyptus oil into a bowl of hot water. Cover your head with a towel as you breathe in the steam.
7. Hot chicken soup is a potent mucus stimulant especially if it's loaded with garlic, pepper, ginger and pungent spices.
8. Add raw garlic to your food- garlic has antimicrobial and immune stimulating properties.
9. Ginger also stimulates nerves that lead to mucus production. Ginger has an antioxidant effect and is anti-inflamatory.
10. Chilli peppers are a great source of capsacin, an antioxidant that also acts as a natural decongestant and expectorant.

Onion cough mixture
Chop a whole red onion more pungent or white less pungent (large)
Mix with 3 tbsp of brown sugar
Add a half cup of hot water
Stir the mixture and press to extract juice from onion
Drink syrup while still hot.

Lemon/honey/herb tea
Pour hot water over 2 teasp lemon rinds, 1 teasp sage, 1/2 teasp thyme (dried or fresh herbs).
Cover and steep for 15 mintues.
Strain tea then add juice of 1/2 lemon and 1 tbsp of honey.
Drink 2 - 3 cups daily.

Lemon/honey tea
1 teasp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
Stir mixture and drink immediately

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, and my loving family for less grey hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed,or for buying that silly cement gecko on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.
I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon before they understood the great freedom that comes with ageing.
Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4am and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those 40, 60, & 70's tune, and at the same time weep over a lost one.
I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.
They too, will get old. I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.
Sure over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broeken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.
I am so blessed to have live long enough to have my hair turning grey and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep groooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.
As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don'[t question myself anymore. i've even earned the right to be wrong.
So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not wast time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day (if i feel like it).

Source: Newletter Sage, Penang - A Senior Citizens clubs, my mum is a member.