Amazing adventure in Copenhagen

The last second day of my tour, the tour director informed us, that the next day, the last day we got to find our own program there were no program for the group.

She told us to organise 4 person to take a cab to the city as it was expensive to take the cab alone to the city centre, as our hotel was quite a distance from the city centre.

I asked around but nobody want to go together and the tour director didn't want to organise a tour coach to bring us to the city centre and I don't want to waste the time flying so far to do nothing on the day.

I went back to the hotel to pray earnestly.

Next morning, I woke up early went to our breakfast, met up with 4 persons in the group, this time they agreed to go together, and walk around 10 minute to the Mass Rapid Transit. It was Friday I was surprised that the MRT was quite empty, and it was fully automatic, no staff was station there.

Most of the population there speak Danish.

We got to go to the retail outlet to buy the ticket, some distance away.

We dropped at the world longest shopping street‘Strøget’ from one end to another end.

I bought a wallet for my wife but unfortunately it was lost in the MRT.

After shopping we decided to go for a river cruise at Nyhavn river

After the cruise we took the MRT back. 

I found out that I had left the gift that I had brought for my wife at the MRT.

When I came back to the hotel, my friend ask me to take the lunch at the hotel. The staff was slow as there was not enough staff there, I took the most expensive hamburger in my life, which cost me S$30.

Featured in SSA Times

My family story was featured in SSA Times. Singapore Soka Association. Issue  no 492, 15 Aug 14, page 11

The story related how I was introduced to this buddhism, my family was plagued by heavy karmic illnesses, poverty and disharmony. Presently my 3 sisters illnesses stabilized

 Later how my family took up faith and overcome poverty, disharmony and karmic illnesses.

I enshrined the gohonzon first in 1990, then  I prayed for my mom and my brother to  receive the gohonzon later.https://chantforabetterlife.wordpress.com/2012/03/11/practise-faith-to-overcome-lifes-ups-and-downs/

                                 Photo featured my sister in law and my mom.

This photo featured my niece wedding dinner.

As the publication couldn't covered everything about my family, I and my mom were actually introduced to this buddhism way back in the 60s, my first discussion meeting was at Blk 14, Merpati Road. A YMD came to my house at Mattar Road to teach my mom gongyo. Subsequently my family lost touch with the buddhism

I was reintroduced to this practice in 1986 by Eric Yeo.

My sister in law started practicing after 16 years when I practice in 1986. She and my brother received the gohonzon soon after they practice. She and my niece Fiona are leaders in the organisation.

Presently most of my siblings are active except my second sister family, which practice on and off

Now each of our siblings own their own properties and harmony, A far cry from the earlier days, before we started the practice, where 10 persons squeezed in a room.

At SSCC, SSA HQ

Overcoming numerous obstacles going to Tozan

I had decided to go to Tozan to pray to the Dai Gohonzon. I went there at 1990, next year the high priest stopped the soka members from going to Tozan.

                                              Group photo at a Temple

I was fortunate to be able to go to Tozan, 2 weeks before the departure date, the tour agent said the tour package to be increase $400, I want to stop going, luckily a co worker, lent me money to go.

When we reached there we need to register in NSIC first before we can go to Tozan.  Half way back to the hotel. They found out they didn't registered my name, if not I can't enter, so the got to go back
a few hours journey to register my name.

The area were amazing some of the gohonzon we seen were gold plated. The temples there were many accessories around and all the successive high priests name were each in a tablet beside the butsudan.

  Tokyo Zoo

Around 5K members went to pray to the Dai Gohonzon at the then Head Temple.

                                                                     

                                                          At head temple

After the ceremony, we all stayed together in the huts provided for us for the mid night gongyo at the Grand Reception hall.

The lodging that many members from all over the world stayed overnight during moving to the Grand Reception Hall for the midnight gongyo

Later at night we walked a distance to the Grand Reception Hall, a priest was leading the chanting.

It don't seem rhythmic, the high priest signaled him to stop, he took over and conduct the midnight gongyo.

After praying to the Dai gohonzon, we left the  Head Temple, few hour journey.

My tour of Japan was a week. We visited Disneyland and the zoo

                                                                          

                                                      Tokyo Zoo

Tokyo Disneyland

The last day I free and easy, I early in money I decided to walk on my own to see Tokyo myself, I was 6 and the half hour, and lost my way, fortunately I met a kind heart man who drive me back to the hotel.

The row of 36 films which I took at Tokyo was wasted, because  I didn't put the film properly, can't be developed.

                                                         Fuji Mountain

Mystically went I came back from Japan, after taking more than one week leave and no overtime, my company paid me the same that I had work full with overtime.

                                                             

                                                       Tokyo Disneyland

Searching for Chinese restaurant in Vienna

When I went to tours I usually search for Chinese foods. As usually in Vienna, from my hotel after some sightseeing and photo taking.

The Central Business District is within walking distance from the hotel where I stayed, the Intercontinental Hotel. 

The amazing church is one of the largest there. St Stephen’s Cathedral. 

The exquisite stained glass were beautiful.

After walking and taking photos for sometimes I decided to look for a Chinese restaurant.  I found a Chinese restaurant.

You can see the bowl of seafood soup was huge, the chef formerly work in Singapore as he told me, it cost nearly 3 times in Singapore. The chef told me the food here in Vienna mostly are fusion, the cooking style which mixed with other countries like Japan

My awesome visit to Niagara Falls

Going to Niagara Falls was a dream came true for me, I seem couldn't get enough of it, even now the falls was artificially stimulated.

When we reached the Sheraton Hotel around 7 pm, after I checked in I went straight away  to take picture of the Niagara Falls.

It has 3 falls, 2 at the USA side and one at the Canada side.

I used to spent much time in my younger days at the Pelton Canal  behind my house. Naturally I like the waterfront.

When I took pictures at the Canada side of the falls, it was too misty at night,  while the slight rain increase the mist, can't take good pictures.

Went to the Sheraton Hotel and its surrounding to take pictures. Took pictures of the GBR and the upside down house.

When back to  the hotel took more picture of the falls from the window and took my favourite beer. And my favourite steam bath. Slept late as usual, tomorrow woke up early to maximize my sightseeing time.

Next day woke up early in the morning do my gongyo and rush to sixth floor for  breakfast. Behind  me is the fall.


Then went to the Canada side of the falls and took lots of pictures.

Later in the afternoon when up the Skylon Tower to take more pictures and had our lunch. And went for the misty boat ride. It was a rough ride it was raining at that time, everybody was jostling for a good view and pictures.

Skylon Tower

Hornblower Niagara Cruises - The heavy misty misty ride

My heart stopping moment at Australia

I hope to travel to central europe in September 2012, with my friend. But my friend changed his mind, so I changed my plan and went to Australia and New Zealand myself instead.

This trip was arranged in Singapore, I got to find my own way, the transport to the hotels the sightseeing etc, Sometimes got to walk to a distance of around 15 min, where a few tourists will wait together there for the tour coach to bring us to sightseeing, no tour manager or director to inform or to guide me, do the booking and checking in the hotels or transport.

When I was in Australia after completing my tour in New Zealand,

At Sydney Australia the first day I went to the city tour, there was no change of the tour coach all the way.

The second day to Canberra  to and back 16 hours, the longest journey I had travelled on the road. I went to a place 15 min from my hotel to wait for the tour coach. They drive us to a place and changed bus.

I thought it was same as first day, so I put my camera and passport in my small bag beside my big bag. Then suddenly the coach stop asked us to come down.

I was in the hurried as I saw many was going down. I  got up to prepare to go down.

Suddenly the lady sitting opposite seat beside my seat notice I left something behind, she notified me. I thanks her and heaved a sigh of relief.

Fortunately I always chanted between half to 2 hours per day when I travels in the hotel.

I related my story to the lady in the reception who process my particularly at the ticketing counter at the airport, Her expression look interesting as of the heart stopping moment, she told me I am very lucky.

Canberra, Parliament

Lake Tekapo New Zealand

Our amazing Chingay parade electronic dogs and bones 2007 inventions and designs

In the 2006/07 Chingay Parade, our Prop group was assigned to make 40 electronic dogs (green & orange colour) and 4 bones props.

After numerous difficulties trying to find a solution, to stitch the uneven bone props foams together, because this time we didn't use any frames to support it. It's very difficult to hold the odd- shaped foam together to glue it with the hot glue gun and wait until it set. After gluing it together, we try to put some plastic frames inside to support it.

After many unsuccessful experimental attempts to hold it together the odd shaped materials and glue it with the hot glue gun, trying various methods. We finally discovered a way using some U-link wires to attached it to both sides and temporary hold it together, then apply the hot glue on it. After it were glued together, then removed the U-link wires.

To make forty electronic dogs for the students performers is no joke, all the different pieces ran into thousands. We didn't have machines to mass produce it. First I got use a blower to blow hot air onto the synthetic foams into various parts to shapes of different parts of the body and use my hands to hold it until it set into shapes. This process is too slow.

Later I developed a way to speed up  doing it. By making wire moulds. Put a few foams into the wire moulds. This methods greatly enhanced the speed of making the props. This way more foams set into shapes much faster.

The idea of cutting a heart-shaped hole on the front cover chest foam and put heart shape translucent covers on it and put an electronic blinking lighting device on it and with the wire inside linking to the hand to control its various  modes of the lighting effects, initially ran into difficulties.

Later I invented a way of cutting two pieces of thin synthetic foams made it into a heart shape glued it together put the electronic lighting device inside it, which able to fit into the foam (front cover of the performer) so to be able to take it out and replace it or change the batteries.

And cut a hole on it, so can switch on/off and the light, cut a hole in front so that the three little blinking light bulbs (red, yellow & blue) were able to put nearest to the translucent plastic cover, so to bring out the best possible lighting effects.

The synthetic foams were later sprayed with paint, scotch tape were use to stick on the surface to make it look glossy and prevent rain from damaging it. To tighten the tape so that, no trace of outline of the tape to be seen, a blower were use to blow hot air on it until it tightened and look glossy.

Various lightning reflective accessories were later sticked on it.    

Series of small light bulbs which blinking, were then installed on it and linked it to the batteries pack on the belt. The sewing group were to make the uniforms for the performers. The foams were then attached to the uniforms. Electric motor were attached at the back to make the tail spin. So it look like robot dogs.

Many graduates are now joining the props group maybe due to the satisfactions of seeing their creations been appreciated, that attracted them to join. Some of them stayed overnight, rushing to  compete the props for the grand finale

Dogs Props

At the Geylang Kaikan

Photos were from SGI members