31 August 2008
15 March 2008
Geomancy in Singapore
Over the Chinese New Year, my good old friends and I had our usual gatherings and this story came up about our Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s staunch belief about Geomancy and how he incorporated a lot of it in his urban planning of our little island state.
The story brings us back to the 70s, when the then PM Lee Kuan Yew embarked on the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) project, which involves an extensive underground network of stations and rails to compliment Singapore’s public transport system and make up for our lack of land and roads. Eventually, as we know, the project was approved and construction commenced, seemingly uneventfully… However, shortly afterwards, Singapore’s economy dipped into a recession albeit heavy spending by the government on the project. PM Lee Kuan Yew, concerned with the recession, sought a monk’s advice about the cause of the recession and ways to remedy it. Rumors has it that it is a monk by the name of Reverend Hong Chuan, an expert at feng shui, but this a rumor and not a fact.
The Reverend advised the then PM Lee that the recession was caused by the SMRT project. His explanation is that there are 8 Dragon Veins in Singapore, which apparently is defined by 8 major roads, and by digging and placing of the metal elements in these 8 dragon veins, we have awoken the dragon spirits which are wreaking havoc in Singapore or something along that line. The Reverend further advised: in order to continue with the project in peace, every person in Singapore must carry with them a “Chinese Bagua”, so as to neutralize the negative elements brought about by the SMRT project. A Bagua is an eight sided mirror which is shaped like a perfect octagon and is used to reflect/neutralize negative energy or evil spirits and is commonly used in Chinese geomancy.
Thus, PM Lee was faced with a major problem: how do you make every person in Singapore carry a Chinese bagua, given that not everyone in Singapore believes in geomancy? Eventually, the problem was ingeniously solved with elegance and subtlety: The Singapore Dollar Coin.
The Singapore dollar coin was incorporated in 1987, 3 years after the construction of the MRT project first began. If you examine the coin, you will realise that there is an octagon inscribed on both sides of the coin. By inscribing a Bagua into each and every dollar coin, PM Lee has successfully made every Singaporean regardless of race and religion carry a Bagua.
Thus begs the question: did this eventually work to Singapore’s advantage? No one can tell for sure, but the Singapore economy experienced healthy growth from 1988 – 1996. Apparently, the Singapore Dollar Coin was not the only place where the octagon was implemented. If you would examine the new Singapore dollar notes, you will realize that there is a silver octagon on the front side of the notes. Additionally, the Singapore Road Tax decal was changed from circular to octagonal shape at some point in time. At this you might be tempted to think that during the Asian Economic Crisis in 1997, they went beserk and decided that the dollar coin bagua was not enough! Are all these coincidences, someone up there has an obsession with octagons?
Apparently, our SM Lee Kuan Yew was not the only person who believes in Geomancy. There are several other examples in Singapore where there is a geomancy element incorporated into the architecture of buildings. A famous example, and this was openly made known to the public, is Suntec City; which apparently is the centre of the Dragon Vein network and one of the most if not the most auspicious piece of land in Singapore. It is shaped like a palm with 5 fingers (Suntec City Towers 1 – 5) with the Fountain of Wealth in the centre.
Other not so well known buildings include the Conrad Hotel, which has a giant number “13” at the front façade. In Cantonese, “13” is pronounced “Sap Sam” which means “sure to rise/prosper”. Another is the Ritz Carlton, which was instructed to have octagonal windows facing the mouth of the Singapore River, which apparently is not so good geomancy for Singapore. To further neutralize/drive away the bad elements at the mouth of the Singapore River, the merlion was shifted to face in its direction. Rumor also has it that our Orchard Road is the vein of the “Earth Dragon” and observably, all the shopping malls that have a water feature (water being compatible with the Earth element) have apparently all done considerably better than the others.
On the topic of Orchard Road, did you know that the Takashimaya Shopping Centre is built over a chinese cemetery site? And that is why if you look at Takashimaya Shopping Centre from the front, it resembles a large chinese tomb stone with it’s two main pillars resembling chinese candle offerings. According to geomancy, by shaping the shopping centre this way, it keeps the spirits happy so that they will not disrupt the prosperity of your business.
Also, precincts/new towns which were once cemeteries have prospered really well in terms of their property prices and the small businesses situated there. Some examples are Yishun/Chong Pang/Bishan.
Are these stories true or simply stories created by someone who is seeing the world through Chinese geomancy lenses? I guess no one can verify them but these stories are a great topic during the Lunar New Year and have given me new found flavor to Chinese Geomancy; and now I can’t help but look upon the Ritz, the dollar coin and the SMRT with an aura of geomancy mystery.
08 November 2007
This is really bad English... wonder who wrote it
九种东西吃多会死人! （小知识）
Nine things eat too much could be killing us! (Knowledge)
1)皮蛋：一般制造商在制作皮蛋时，常添加定量的铅，我们若经常食用，会引起铅中 毒。同时，还会造成身体内钙质的流失。
Preserved egg: When manufacturer preserved eggs, often increases the quota, if we eat frequently, can cause of poisoning. At the same time, calcareous could drain in the body.
(2)臭豆腐：臭豆腐在发酵过程中，极易被微生物污染，同时又会挥发大量盐基氮
Strong-smelling fermented beancurd: The strong-smelling fermented beancurd in the fermentative process, extremely easily by the microbial contamination, simultaneously can volatilize the massive salt base nitrogen.
(3)味精：每人每日对味精的摄取量，以不超过六公克为原则，多则有害无益。
Monosodium glutamate: Each person absorbs the quantity every day to the monosodium glutamate, take does not surpass six male grams as the principle, eat much is harmful and unhealthy.
4)菠菜：菠菜营养丰富，但因含有草酸，致食物中宝贵的元素锌与钙之结合，而被排出体外，而引起人体锌与钙的缺乏。（男人缺锌，会无法抬头作人，恐怖啊！） ，以及硫化氢等；这些都是蛋白质分解的腐败物质，对人体有害。
Spinach: The spinach nutrition is rich, but because includes the oxalic acid, sends in food the precious element zinc and the calcium union, but is discharged in vitro, but causes the human body zinc and calcium lacking. (Man lacks zinc, can be unable to gain ground cultivates the behavior, terror!) As well as hydrogen sulfide and so on; These all are the corrupt matter which the protein decomposes, is harmful to the human body.
5)猪肝：一公斤的猪肝，其含胆固醇高达四百毫克以上，而一个人若摄固醇，会导致动脉硬化。
Pig liver: Kilogram pig liver, it contains the cholesterol to reach as high as above 400 milligrams, but a person if absorbs the sterol, can cause the arteriosclerosis.
(6)烤肉：由于烤肉在熏烤过程中，会产生如「苯」等有害物质，是诱发癌的因子。
Barbecue: Because barbecue in smokes roasts in the process, can produce like "the benzene" and so on the deleterious substance, is induces the cancer the factor.
(7)腌菜：腌菜若制作不得法，含致癌物，并含硝酸胺，久吃因而致病。
Pickles: The pickles if manufactures does not get the knack of, contains the carcinogen, and contains the nitric acid amine, can cause of sick with long time eats..
(8)油条：油条中的明矾，是含铝的无机物，不可经常食用。
Cruller: In the cruller potassium alum, is contains the aluminum the inorganic substance, may not frequently edible.
(9)馒头：吃多了也会撑死人滴，哈哈哈哈！
Steamed bun: Ate many has also been able to support the deceased person to drop, ha ha ha ha!
07 June 2007
1 Harbourfront Walk #02-156
Singapre 098585
Tel : 65 6376 9740 / 41
Operating Hours 11.00 am - 10.00 pm Daily
Ambience : Stylish All Black Decor
Serves : Cantonese and Shanghainese cuisine
Recommended : Xiaolongbao, Soup dumplings in lobster bisque
We paid : S$36 for 2 pax (Dim Sum & La Mien)
Food : Excellent
Ambience : Excellent
Service : Bad - Waitress not well trained, All booth seats with Reserved Sign (bluff one)
Value : Good, except for the 4 picese of cucumber & fried stick which cost $3.60
03 June 2007
2 Tampines St 41 #01-03
Tampines North CC
Singapre 529204
Tel : 65 6789 3982
Operating Hours 6.00am - 1am Daily
Ambience : Simple Cafe Style
Recommended : Black Pepper Steak, Pork Chop Baked rice in Portuguese sauce
We paid : S$39 for 3 pax (All Western set meals, 1 Salad, 3 mini Egg tarts, 4 beverages)
Food : Excellent
Ambience : Fair
Service : Good
Value : Excellent
****** Sorry no photo for now. Next time ok *********
20 May 2007
04 April 2007
Traffice Fine
Speed Exceeding 1 - 20km/h = $130 + 4 demerit points.
Speed Exceeding 21 - 30km/h = $150 + 6 demerit points.
Speed Exceeding 31 - 40km/h = $180 + 8 demerit points.
Speed Exceeding 41 - 50km/h = $200 + 12 demerit points + Court.
Speed Exceeding 51 - 60km/h = $200 + 18 demerit points + Court.
Speed Exceeding 61km/h = $200 + 24 demerit points + Court.
Careless driving = $150 + 6 demerit Points.
Inconsiderate driving = $170 + 9 Demerit Points + Court.
Dangerous driving = $200 + 24 Demerit Points + Court + Vehicle Compounded.
Illegal Racing = $200 + Vehicle Confiscate + Court.
Failure to use Seat Belt = $120 + 3 demerit points.
Phone & Drive = $200 + 12 demerit points + Phone Confiscated
Drink driving 1st time = Up to $5000 Fine And, or jail Term + License Suspended + Court.
Drink driving 2nd time = Jail term + Fine + Court
Illegal U Turn = $70
No Number Plate = $70
Obstructed Number Plate = $70
Obscured Number Plate = $70
Unapproved Number Plate = $70
Crossing Double White lines = $130 + 4 points
Failure to Signal when lane change = $70
Driving at night without headlights or taillights switch on after 7pm = $30.
Demerit Point system:
Let ' s say you have 0 points on 1st January 2005, and you committed the offence of Failing to Put on Seat Belt. So now, you will have 3 demerit points and this will last for 1 Year. If during this 1 year you have no demerit points offence at all, your 3 demerit points will be gone on 1/1/2006. But, if during this one year, From 1/1/2005 - 1/1/2006, you committed another offence with demerit points, your very first offence will be extended for another year until 1/1/2007.
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