Bliss.



I am happy. Blissful even.=)

Love,
Steph ♥



The Choice.

Have you ever had two or more opportunities that looked equally great and yet you needed to evaluate them and choose one over the other ?

Life is full of tricky choices.

Making a choice between two options is not as easy as it looks, especially when they are both good.

Love,
Steph ♥

Fate.

People always say " everything happens for a reason ".... so does that mean they believe in fate and that things have already been written? Do things happen by chance? Are some people luckier than others? Is " luck " the right word? hmm, let's see where I'm coming from ! I was reading an article last time about a celebrity who was discovered randomly while she was walking on the road. Was she lucky? Or was it meant to happen that her manager meets her on that day, at that particular moment?

Who would have thought it was gonna be the last time PCD were gonna perform in Canada? Is the heart connected to the soul of the universe? It knows what it's doing ! Yet, most of the time we are confused. Do we have to listen to our heart or to our mind? The heart is wild. It doesn't respect anything, it just feels. The mind, on the other hand, has been trained to believe in certain things. It has been trained by what was believed to be right and wrong. But I've been told that nothing is 100% wrong. " Nothing in the world is ever completely wrong....Even a stopped clock is right twice a day." - CoelhoThe people who come into your life are part of fate. Each individual came into your life for a reason. Whether they left early, or stayed for a long time doesn't matter. What matter is that they have taught you something. Although you have been hurt, although your life has changed ( in a bad or good way ), there is a lesson to every single thing. You might not understand the " Why "s, but why waste your time understanding something that will never be answered? All you can do is move on.

After reading Coelho's book, I understood more about that soul mate issue. Call me naive or fool, I will always believe that each person has one or many soul mates because the population on this planet is HUGE. That person might be miles away from you and you might never meet him/her.

I am a girl living in my own bubble. Many bubbles were formed, many were destroyed. Why were they formed? Because i have faith and believe in fate. Why were they destroyed? Because everything on this earth always comes to an end.

Love,
Steph♥

Temple Life.

Taroko Gorge is one of the most awe-inspiring places I've ever visited. One can literally feel the past and experience magic within its tunnels, waterways, walkways, and temples.

My mom sent me and my sis to HuaLien Taroko Gorge Temple which is located on the east coast of Taiwan in majestic HuaLien county, Fushih Village during our winter and summer break. It was a 6 days trip and we stay 3 nights in the temple. I would say it was an amazing experience for us. =)

Taroko Gorge Temple located at the top of a mountain and it is apparently famous throughout the world and was to be our home for the next three nights while we learned about Buddhism and meditation. It was our first experience of temple life and it was a chance to brush up on our mind clearing and leg- crossing skills.

By the time we had reached the bottom of the mountain it was late evening. We were confronted with a very imposing set of stairs up to the huge temple at the top. Yet another Kill Bill moment ! We wearily climbed the steps and were met by a very friendly and positively beaming monk who welcomed us in.

The basic principles that we were taught were about how you are supposed to clear your mind and concentrate only on your breathing. There was no walking meditation, only sitting.The lifestyle of the monks and nuns also appeared to be stricter.This was most evident when we retired to our rooms at the end of the lesson for some well needed sleep every noon and night. We settled down and tried to get some sleep at 9.30pm every night before the wake up call at 4.30am every morning. Yes, 4.30am. In the morning. =( And no, I didn't know there was a 4.30am in the morning either.

Breakkie was preceded by a lot of chanting and the food was YUMMY ! Afterwards we met with the monk for a more in depth discussion on all things Buddhist and meditative. Also with a Dhamma Talk where the head monk teaches us lessons and tells us stories to best illustrate her ideas. Along with the broad themes of happiness and sadness, also speaks of the challenges of meditation versus the challenges of every day life. We were given some health talk, investment talk and lots more from some famous teachers as well. From the moment the talk finishes, the day seems to be full of distractions. I am usually less aware of how much my mind wanders; however, this facr becomes overly apparent as I practice the meditation techniques I was taught the day before.

I quickly learn that meditation is like an endurance sport. Concentration, discomfort, practice, and most importantly, desire are all components of finding success.

I love the place. It's so cool to be in a place that looks like heaven and having fresh foods with fresh air! It is good to experience a blank state of mind once in a while.

Love,
Steph ♥





Winter Break for Me ; Summer Break for Sister.

I loved my sister. I really did. But we two were totally different person.

Usually, we take separate vacation since we were 17. We have far different interests and personalities.

Don't get me wrong. We loved each other heaps. =)

For some reason, I have to go on vacation with her.

So yeah; I hope this Taiwan trip turns out to be fun !

Love,

Steph ♥