Stand Still Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Saturday, May 31, 2008

The Universe spoke to me, sometimes in a strange way.  Sometimes, uninvited.  But when these messages come, I tend to become powerless to do anything except to submit and surrender.

The message:

"I had a dream about you.  You were kissing someone whom I also like."

A precognition?

I wonder, is this the condition of the time against which I can do nothing?  What has been full must empty; what has increased must decreased?  Perhaps, this is the way of Heaven and Earth?

I can only remain mindful.  Perhaps, time is gathering snowdrops that on the chill wind, the seed is waiting for the call of spring.

I feel, however, blessed.

Stand Still

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I Honestly Love You Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Friday, May 30, 2008

Love ~ Thank you for being there.  Thank you for what it should be.  Thank you for just being what you are.

I Honestly Love You

Olivia Newton-John

Maybe I hang around here

A little more than I should

We both know I got somewhere else to go

But I got something to tell you

That I never thought I would

But I believe you really ought to know


I love you

I honestly love you


You don't have to answer

I see it in your eyes

Maybe it was better left unsaid

This is pure and simple

And you should realize

That it's coming from my heart and not my head


I love you

I honestly love you


I'm not trying to make you feel uncomfortable

I'm not trying to make you anything at all

But this feeling doesn't come along everyday


And you shouldn't blow the chance

When you've got the chance to say


I love you

I honestly love you


If we both were born

In anoother place and time

This moment might be ending in a kiss

But there you are with yours

And here I am with mine

So I guess we'll just be leaving it at this


I love you

I honestly love you

I honestly love you

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My Spirit Flies To You Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Friday, May 30, 2008

We are glad that we decided to give Chiauw a call.  She is back in Singapore.  Unfortunately, we also learn that her brother is in Intensive Care Unit from a brain surgery. 

It seems that a blood vessel burst. Our prayers are now with him .. for his strength, for his recovery

We feel sad for her.  Hope everything will turn out well.

Chiauw, as usual, wanted to talk about the home renovation but we dismissed the topic.  Guess for now, what is more important is for the brother to regain consciousness and recover.

Our prayers are for Chiauw, her brother and family.

Brain Music

Reiki Music

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.. to the Drawing Board 6 Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Thursday, May 29, 2008

Chiauw is still not back from her Shanghai business trip.  Guess, she got tied up.

Meanwhile, it would be good idea to start planning the layout for the electrical switches and plugs for our discussion when we meet her.  Chiauw has actually deployed some idea for the electrical switches and plugs for kitchen and guest/mbr toilets.

Generally, we are not going to have ceiling lights in the house except for the Dining Area.  We intend to play with lots of down-warm-yellow lights.

Electrical Switches And Plugs:

3D Light Switch - Entrance

3D Electrical Plugs - TVConsole

3D Electrical Plug - Sofa Right

3D Electrical Plug - Sofa Left

3D Light Switch - Dining

3D Electrical Plug n Light Switch - Kitchen

3D Electrical Plugs - MBR TV Console

3D Electrical Plugs - Study

3D Electrical Plug - WiW

Hmm, I wonder if these switches and plugs are just too many?  Basically, I am trying to avoid using extension plugs in future.

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Great Singapore Sale 2 Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Wednesday, May 28, 2008

It has been years that we last bought bedding sets.  It surprises me today how the bedding market has changed.  Few years back, as I recall, the highest thread count was not more than 360.  Gosh, the numbers have gone up - now, there is even a 1,000 thread count.  With a higher thread count, it is also a bigger hole in your pocket!

What is Thread Count?:

Thread count is simply the number of threads per square inch of fabric.
These consist of vertical threads (warp) and horizontal threads (weft)
woven together.  Construction refers to how the thread count is
achieved (# of warp and weft yarns, # of picks in the weft, use of 2
ply yarns etc.) To achieve higher thread counts, sometimes 2 ply yarns
are used and sometimes multiple yarns (picks) are inserted into the
weft.

Bedsheet Thread Count Construction

We went to Robinson's sale at Centrepoint but didn't find one that we like.  Basically, the sheets we want should be plain - not solid colours, and with little print as possible.  Therefore, It made our search difficult earlier.  Robinson's has wide range of bedding sets, and mind you, they are not cheap even with good discounts.

We decided to shop at Metro next - worse, not only they have limited stocks, the quality isn't good neither.  Our last chance was to hop to Takashimaya and, thankfully, we found some affordable bedding stuffs at a reasonable price. These are the bedding sets we bought - there's a little design though, at 50% discount:

Bedsheet 03A

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The [not-so] Win-Win Conversation Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Tuesday, May 27, 2008

We are smokers.  For the past few years, we have always bought our cigarettes in cartons from few shops around our place.  It is cheaper that way rather than to get a pack a day. 

For the last six months, we decided to change our 'supplier' from the mama shop to a provision seller cos we got extra dollar off.

Obviously, our mama friend is not happy.  As I passed by his shop the other day, this conversation took place:

Mama - "Hey, long time no buy cigarettes ah? Stop smoking?'

Me - "No lah, still smoking"

Mama - "Then how come no buy anymore?  Buy from somewhere, is it?"

Me - "Yup."
Mama - "Alamak, how much they sell you?"
Me - "Got extra $1 off there"

Mama - "Aiya, only $1 extra.  Buy from me lah"

Me - "You will give $3 discounts?"

Mama - "Cannot lah.  Don't make money. Buy from me lah.  Help me"

Me - "Then who will help me?"

Mama went quiet.

We hope we can get a supplier when we move to the west.

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Great Singapore Sale I Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Monday, May 26, 2008

We are looking forward to the Great Singapore Sale [GSS] which starts on 23 May till 20 July.  It is just timely.  It will, definitely, be a good time to get most of our furnishings for the new house at great discounts - it means that we will be able to save some money for some great buys. 

Hopefully, GSS will also give Chiauw better prices, on top of her usual corporate discounts.

We went to International Furniture Centre [www.ifcsingapore.com] at Sungei Kadut Loop yesterday.  It was our first time.  Indeed, the place boasted furniture collections from local and international export manufacturers. 

However, we didn't see much to our likings.  Perhaps, we were scrolling and browsing too fast to take notice of the many things.  Perhaps, it was just too much of the same thing.
There were some good bargains.  In fact, it was good for anyone to go down should they had the time and looking to buy some furniture.

We saw a Mahogany dining table:

Mahogany Dining Table

We are looking for a long, about 2 metres, 'wood' dining table with 3 chairs and a bench.  This will be one that we might consider and we would probably custom-made a glass top.

The only thing that we bought was a King-size Simmons Arlington Plush Non-Flip mattress.  We didn't know that there is Ackerman & Smith shop there.  Ackerman & Smith is an authorised Simmons dealer.

What is Arlington Plush Non-Flip mattress:

It is non-flip Beautyrest mattress uses the 2 inches independent action foam designed to reduce motion transfer and finish with a 1 and three quarters foam and beautyfil fibre and a tack and jump stitch.  There are 1122 innerspring coils for superior support.

Simmons Non-Flip Technology

The Simmons Non-Flip pocket coils:

Comfortability Surface - The tapered 45mm comfortability surface provides more precise contouring to the body.

Stability Base - the broad 64mm stability base provides greater support and stability while you sleep.

Comfort Contour - The spacing between the top of the pocket coils helps to ensure the highest degree of advanced conformability.

A non-flip means never having to flip or turn the mattress again. - A great feature that I like!

We had a good buy.  Comparing to Robinsons and Takashimaya weekend Simmons mattress sale, we managed to haggle for much lower price, plus few throw-in freebies.  We had a 20 percent plus another 15 percent loyalty discounts [a total of $975] with the following freebies:

01.  One Simmons Mattress Protector
02.  Two Napure Ions Memory Foam Pillows
03.  Two bolsters

The good thing is they are able to store the mattress and to deliver it to us in September.

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Going Hi-Tech .. and getting plain lazy Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Saturday, May 24, 2008

A Mr Nice Guy introduced me to an iRobot that, according to its website - www.irobot.com, makes a difference in people's lives.  What these robots do is to provide innovative solutions to everyday needs from vacuuming, floor washing, gutter cleaning and virtual visiting.

I am very tempted to get the Roomba and Scooba.  It will, definitely, change the way I go about cleaning the house.  Going by the reviews, I would have a lot of free time.  These robots will be an alternative 'maid' - they are 'hired' strictly to clean the floors all around the house. 

Cleaning the whole house can be tiring and time consuming and, perhaps, having them will ease my aching body.  Hmm, it is definitely a good-to-have companion for old age!

The Roomba:

Roomba 580

The Scooba:

IRobot Scooba

Scooba 380

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The Significance of Cleanliness Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Friday, May 23, 2008

I always believe that one of the many reasons why we always feel that we have a relaxed holiday, it has to do with the clean ambience of the hotel. 

The tidiness of the room, the daily clean bed sheets, the vacuumed carpet and the nicely arranged of toiletries and towels provide the sense of comfort and tranquility.  Likewise, when a home is clean and everything is spick and spank, it brings clarity to our mind and soul.

The significance of a clean and tidy environment generates a subtle sacred space.  Most people are not fully aware how much a clean, tidy and unclustered space can affect them, in a good way.  A disorganized and clustered environment affect you in different ways:

01.  It makes you feel tired and lethargic
02.  It keeps you in the past
03.  It congests your mind and body
04.  It brings confusion
05.  It affects the way other people treat you
06.  It stagnates your energy and into procrastination
07.  It causes disharmony
08.  It brings shame
09.  It puts your life on hold
10.  It can depress you
11.  It can create excess emotional baggage
12.  It dulls your sensitivity and enjoyment of life
13.  It makes you feel disorganised
14.  It triggers undesirable symbology
15.  It hinders abundance
16.  It distracts you from important things
17.  It increases financial costs

All it takes is a little awareness and to give a thought to each one of them.

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Obsessive Cleanliness Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Thursday, May 22, 2008

I grew up with four other siblings in a small house and we shared one room.  We didn't have our own sacred place to keep our personal things. 

We shared one toilet, one wardrobe, slept close to each other on mattresses. Yet, at that time, it was a perfect situation.  Guess, in such a limited space, we learned to take care of each other. 

Importantly, it instilled the value to respect one's privacy - that, in a confined small area, we needed to provide the sacred place and not to cross each other's boundaries.

My (late) mother organized the room well for us.  She taught us to be tidy.  Cleanliness, to her, was the essence for healthy soul and mind.  She often said 'a clean house invites good house guardian, the guardian of habitation'. 

To her, a house must be treated like a heaven.  Though I knew little of what she meant then, I would tidy and clean the house obediently everyday.  It became a daily house chore - everyday, when I got back from school, I would sweep and mop the house. 

I did the same thing even when I started to work.  Everything got its own places in the house.  It just made me feel good after that.

Perhaps, cos it had been a daily routine for many years, that I become obsessive with everything clean naturally.  A clean and tidy house makes me feel safe and lifts my soul.  It brings comfort mentally and emotionally.

For the past few days, we have started buying new things for the new house.  These things are being 'thrown' all over the house now.  Though, I keep telling myself that the mess is going to be temporary, it has actually affected me in a subtle way.  I feel disorganized.  I feel unsettled.

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Good Buys Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Sunday, May 18, 2008

Yesterday, we went to an art gallery warehouse and bought these paintings at a very good bargain.  We are pretty happy with them.

As mentioned in the Company's slogan, "Affordable Art Paintings are what we strive to offer ! Art pieces should never be a luxury commodity for the privileged few but something for all to enjoy. We source directly from painters in the region without going through third party dealers hence keeping our pricing affordable."

Painting A:

This piece will be hunged just behind the bed in MBR.

E1114

Where it should be:

3D Bed n Painting

Painting B:
Will probably be at the MBR entrance, next to the Walk-in Wardrobe.  We also plan to have a big pot of indoor plant here.

E1120

Where it should be:

3D MBR Entrance

Painting C:

At Dining Area, near to Kitchen entrance.

E1163

Where it should be:

3D Kitchen Entrance from Dining

Painting D:

I resonate well with this painting.  It reminds me of a drawing I did
many years ago - It's an Explosion of Joy.  Will be for the Living Room.

E1171

Where it should be:

3D Living Room

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Wood, wood and more wood Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Sunday, May 18, 2008

*Mirror, mirror on the wall,
let the beauty speak
let it adorn .. "

Day after day, we have been looking at the woods sample and still we can't decide the right one.  As Chiauw suggested, we moist the wood to give it near to its varnished finish.

Wanna help me out?

The wood area in the house:

2D Wood Area

Wood01

Wood02

Wood03

Wood04

Wood05

Wood06

Wood07

Wood08

Wood09

Wood10

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Coming Home Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Sunday, May 18, 2008

I'm coming home.

My late parents lived in Jurong East [JE].  They were the early JE generation 25 years ago when HBD developed that area. 

I remembered complaining that it was far.  Far to town, far to my workplace.  Far for my youthful rendezvous. There was no MRT then.  It was considered an ulu place to live in.  There was no direct bus to town - we needed to take the feeder bus to Clementi Bus Interchange, about 20 minutes away.

I moved out of JE at the age of 27 to settle in Hertford - considered the central part of Singapore.  It was also the beginning of freedom.  However, with it, it came with heavy financial responsibilities.  Nevertheless, it was the beginning of many new opportunities.  And many life lessons too.

The space, the freedom and the independence lead me to experience many things in life.  It enriches the way I see things.  It raises me.  I learn about parental love, about family value, about loneliness, about joy, about friendship, about relationship .. above all, I learn the value of gratitude. 

Circle in the sand, life goes round and round - guess, that's the mystic of life.  Where we come, we end it there too.  From the mountain where I have left many years ago, to the mountain where I am today, and I am coming home.  I am back to Jurong East where my life has started.

Few days ago, I was having a conversation with a friend.  Teasing to this friend, "where have you been all these while?", the reply was a voice of wisdom, "hiding in the mountain waiting for your return'. 

Conversation with God? - perhaps so.

When I first view the new Reiki Sanctuary, I feel peaceful.  It has a calming tender energy.  Instantly, I feel it is home.  I know that I will spend a lot of time in the house.  It will be the mountain back to where I seek my refuge.  It will be a heavenly place of solace.  It will be a place to reflect.  It will be an epitome to peace to connect with the best, the magnificient, the abundance.

From The Mountain

The Stylistics

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A "Thank You" Note Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Thursday, May 15, 2008

This was written for a friend to his friend sometime in 2006.  Somehow, it is still imprinted in my mind.

"Love" - a beautiful four-letter word that opens human emotions to a wealth of feelings, states and attitudes.  However, within human complexities, love becomes unusually difficult to encompass.

When love has become only a memory, let me cry just for a little while.

It's not about anger nor blame; hate nor indifference - but honouring that my heart is broken.

My emotions are shattered. My life comes to a standstill. What'll remain is i am missing you dearly.

Love brought us together and love left us towards our next destiny. I thank you for coming into my life. It uplifted my spirit and empowered my soul. The simplicity of things is recognising your presence in my life, and the blessings that we allowed love to bind us together.

But today, i am letting you go. My love is allowing you to walk into your new life and my well wishes for your new beginning with someone whom you, at your highest consciousness, feel is a better companion.

Love is, and will, set us free.

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.. to the Drawing Board 5 Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Thursday, May 15, 2008

Chiauw left for Shanghai this morning - to liaise with her business counterparts for the hotel project.  She will be away for a week.  There'll be no discussion nor shopping for us this week.

She has handed us the quotations for the Toto sanitary ware and Rinnai Kitchen hob.

Items that will go into the MBR Toilet:

2D MBR Toilet

Items for MBR Toilet

Items for MBR Toilet 2

We are yet to source for the rain shower.  Also, we still cannot decide what tiles to use here.

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My Spirit Flies To You Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Wednesday, May 14, 2008

The sky cried this morning - that was how I felt it. 

It has been quite a while that it rains so heavily.  Drove and drove of your friends came to pay your last respect.  Just looking, probably, at hundreds of them, I am sure you are being missed.

I can't help it that I am feeling a little sad just looking out from my window.  We never really talked. Often, we would just make the eye contact and smile to acknowledge each other. 

As you left in that hearse, the rain stopped too.  And I am praying, may you rest in peace.

My Spirit Flies To You

Monjes Budistas Sakya Tashi Ling

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Now, It's Official Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Ah, decided to check the resale status online and saw this good news:

HDB Sale Approval

Now, we are hoping that the 2nd Appointment - which, I think is the day for the collection of keys, can be on the 1st week of June.  We really hope that the seller can move out by 1st July. 

Geez, just can't wait to get things started.

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Tibetan Geomancy Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Whenever I am invited to a house, it is always easy to sum up the vibrational energy within the household.  The basic layout of a house can reveal a specific aspect of the owner and the family.  The placement of objects, the play with colours, the clustered areas - these are elements that will shape and influence within the sacred place , the soul of the house and, ultimately, to our personality, attitudes, characters, behaviour. 

What is there in the house - the life that we give to each scared place, is the total sum to our psychological appearance.

Our lives and the place we occupy [be it a room, an office building, a home] are inseparable.  Therefore, it is wise that we should be more selective about what we keep, or place, in that area in order to bring greater ease and harmony to that aspect of our life.  Storing out-and-out junk in the prosperity area, for example, can create financial problems.

Tibetan Geomancy is about dividing the area into nine sacred squares.  Each square resonates with specific sacred element and energy.  In Tibetan Geomancy, the sacred elements are:

01.  Prosperity/Wealth/Abundace
02.  Elders/Family/Community
03.  Knowledge/Wisdom/Self-Improvement
04.  Fame/Reputation/Illumination
05.  Health/Unity
06.  Career/Life Path/The Journey
07.  Relationship/Love/Marriage
08.  Creativity/Offspring/Projects
09.  Helpful friends/Compassion/Travel

I was a sceptic when I first started with Tibetan Geomancy.  However, after months of observation and self validation, and removing or cluttering a scared square, the results can be very alarming. 

At the end of the day, I believe that every house, every room, every building - anywhere we occupy, there's a soul to it.

What we need to do is to de-cluster and amplified with an object to resonate with the soul in each sacred squares.

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Living with Indigo Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Monday, May 12, 2008

I am blessed to meet, and work, with the new breed of Indigo Children generation.  This group of indigo children/adults is also known as 'human angels'.  They provide me with deeper understanding towards life and, at the same time, helping me to reach out to higher emotional and psychological grounds.

Call it synchronicity - The Law of Attraction and Manifestation, where I am today at Hertford, there is an Indigo neighbour (who is also a dear friend).  And when I move to the new place, I am blessed with another Indigo neighbour.  Yay! I am glad that they are all around me, and living so close to me.  With their gifts, it is always good just to hear their wisdom.

I am truly grateful, and happy, with the little abundance being poured upon me.  It is a joy being constantly surrounded with these human angels.

And to these two angels, may you have a successful life.  Thank you for letting me to be a part of your life.

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Shopping - Headache no. 4 Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Sunday, May 11, 2008

The sample of woods that Chiauw wants us to 'feel' and choose.  We are surprised with the many choices of light coloured wood.  Chiauw didn't want to pass us the dark wood samples as not to confuse us further.

Each has different depth.

Wood Not Vanished

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Shopping - Headache no. 3 Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Sunday, May 11, 2008

Since we are still indecisive about the right black tile for the kitchen and toilets floor, Chiauw brought us to another big shop somewhere in Jurong. 

From our past experiences in other tile shops, we didn't want to waste our time to go through the whole of the warehouse this time round.  Specifically, we only look for the black and white section.  We also get the assistant from the sales person to ease the selection process.

We feel there are more black and white tiles here, made from various part of the world.  This could be the place that we might get the tiles for our place.

Black Tiles

SBH Black 1A

Left to Right:

01.  Shiny - Elegant n nice but can be slippery
02.  Wavy -  Matte finished - practical
03.  Matte - Can be slippery

White Tiles

SBH White 1A

Left To Right:

01.  Shiny white with 'rounded' edge
02.  Shiny milky white -  It is a nice colour but not a dusk colour.  It will look sombre during dusk and, psychologically, it may pull down one's mood.
03.  Shiny white with 'sharp' edge

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Shopping - Headache No. 2 Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Sunday, May 11, 2008

When we were in Jalan Besar, Chiauw brought us to an electrical switch shop.  You'll be surprised that a cheap switch can cost about a dollar plus while the high end can be as high as $30 plus!  Though we like the mid-range silver coated electrical switches, Chiauw warned us that it could be easily peeled-off.

Next we went to Toto showroom to look into sanitary ware.  We shortlisted few items:

A Wall Hung Sanitary

Hanging Sanitary

With its Wall Flushing System:

Wall Flush

And probably install it with an Eco Washer:

Eco Washer Mechanism

What is an eco-washer?

Eco Washer Instruction

Counter Sink:

We are not sure whether to have two counter sinks in the MBR toilet.  Chiauw says it is possible.

MBR Sink 1

I like the clean cut of this basin.  With its nice deep depth, it can be a little 'too tall' for two sinks on a vanity top.

MBR Sink 2

This is another nice piece with the right height and nice curve inward.  The only thing that I dislike is the extra tap area.

MBR Sink 3

Will probably get this one.

And this one is for the Guest Toilet:

Guest Sink

And here is the BIGGEST headache!  We thought that we have finalised with the Kitchen sink and shall not be discussing about it anymore, so that we can focus on other areas.  Argh! we are wrong!  It makes us wonder if we are going to be fickled with more shoppings ahead?

Love at first sight:

Toto Aluminium Kitchen Sink A

Toto Aluminium Kitchen Sink B

The aluminium grade is good.  Hence, it makes the sink elegant.  The only thing, if we are to get it, it must be under-mounted - I prefer it that way.  Chiauw will have to construct extra detail for it.


It is going to be a 'thinking' week for us.

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