佛向性中作 莫向身外求

你拜的是佛还是自己的执念？ 很多人觉得佛学是求保佑， 可金刚经说：凡所有相皆是虚妄。 佛像不是你跪的偶像 而是照见自心的镜子。佛陀从不说要你拜我，只说人人皆可成佛。你不必执着于烧香磕头的形式。若能在起心动念处觉察，在待人接物中慈悲，便是拜自己本具的佛性。修行从不是向外索取庇佑而是向内唤醒觉悟。

WINTER HAS ARRIVED IN SINGAPORE

Today I feel as if I am back in Taipei.  The temperature has dipped to 21 degrees C.  I want to bring out my PUFFTECH Parka!

A photo of plum blossom taken recently in Taipei

有梅无雪不精神 有雪无诗俗了人

日暮诗成天又雪 与梅并分十分春

宋.卢梅坡

雪梅二首.其二

'TWAS THE WEEK BEFORE CNY

Eunice commissioned me to make rock cakes, and I got to charge her $18 for a bottle (about 12 pieces in a bottle).  Hee hee hee!

Wed 11 Feb.  My mum was out for physio therapy with our helper in tow.  I roasted some chicken wings for lunch.

Thu 12 Feb.  Had a small CNY reunion lunch.  All the usual suspects were there - my mum, my aunt, Eugene, our helper, and I.  Back at the old-fashioned Cantonese Lai Wah Restaurant.  All the dishes were fantastic, except for the fish which was one great big disappointment.

In the previous years, I'd go for a CNY Set Menu but there was always way too much food.  This time, I opted for just five dishes from the ala carte menu.  Yusheng is a must.  Then a vegetable dish, a yam ring, a fish, and finally a yifu noodle.  We still appeared to have over-ordered. :)

Creative cooking - half steamed, half deep-fried.  The entire fish was overdone and tasteless.  

Hugely disappointing.

悦己

人的一生除了发自内心的幸福和盗不走的健康 没有什么是值得炫耀的 。

经历得越多越会明白 幸福是养自己的心 而非养别人的眼。 

做人要 cool 一点 凡事先讨好自己 至于别人 ... 看心情 分交情。

TAIPEI - HUASHAN 1914 CREATIVE PARK

Monday 2 February 2026. Spent a few hours in the Huashan 1914 Creative Park.  From 1914 to 1987 the site was used for winemaking and camphor manufacturing.  It is now a cultural events platform.

Who knew Snoopy has a brother?  His name is Olaf.

We came across these extremely intricate art works by Johan Cheng. Please take the time to explore her website.  She creates more than just postcards.The paper sculptures are breathtaking and more creative than you can ever imagine.  

Photo by Mayz

Mayz and the artist herself.  Gosh!

I bought two little postcards and Johan signed one for me.  "Why the bunny?" I asked Johan.  Turns out that her Chinese horoscope is the rabbit.

Met a heron

We had joined a Day Tour in the beginning of the week.  Our guide, Raymond, went on and on about how Chun Shui Tang 春水堂 invented the world's first bubble tea (pearl milk tea 珍珠奶茶) in the 1980s.  There is now a teahouse inside the creative park.  (The original location is in Taichung.)

Yes, we did go in for a drink.

Next year, I'd like to pay a visit to the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park.  It was once a tobacco factory.