Italy - Milan pictures

If you want to plan a trip, please visit:

http://ehearttravel.blogspot.com/2009/11/little-info-about-italy-and-greece.html

Italy - Venice pictures

Steve said the gelato here is very good.


If you want to plan a trip, please visit:

http://ehearttravel.blogspot.com/2009/11/little-info-about-italy-and-greece.html

Italy, Florence with a side of Pisa

If you want to plan a trip, please visit:

http://ehearttravel.blogspot.com/2009/11/little-info-about-italy-and-greece.html

Italy, Rome pictures

Please ride the tour bus, have a little sightseeing in Rome….

請坐上遊覽車，看一看羅馬的景觀…

If you want to plan a trip, please visit:

http://ehearttravel.blogspot.com/2009/11/little-info-about-italy-and-greece.html

Sharing household jobs

Even though in this era both husband and wife tend to earn income for a family, there are still some people with the old perception – paternal domination. It means the household jobs and raising the kids are done by the female; husbands simply take a rest on the sofa with the newspaper or TV after work. Wives need to cook or clean the home, or take care of kids after worked. It seems like females bear more hardship selflessly, without complaining. If she has an understanding husband to help with some household jobs or raising the kids, the wife will feel glad and appreciative.
I married and moved to the USA with my husband. I stand to reason that I need to adjust the environment, took the chance and retired, and my dream came true – I don’t need to work hard for money. Steve takes his lunch (he buys a pack of around six chicken breasts, he uses seasoning and cooks all of them, then puts them in the freezer, and has one piece of chicken for one lunch) every working day. I am at home; I read some news and information from the internet. I cook my lunch and I often do cleaning. Our dinner is a small meal, and sometimes I cook both our favorite foods. Most times we have our individual favorite snacks. After dinner, while I wash dishes he touches and hugs my back a little. Previously, washing dishes was his job too, but I didn’t like the way he did it, so I took over this job. Now, he is only allowed to dry some of the clean dishes. If I vacuum carpets, he helps to move things around. He is in charge of our laundry once a week and I help him a little. He mows the yard, and I clean the garage or car. I am a housewife, but my husband spontaneously shares household jobs.
I guess I built up a lot of good karma in my past life, that I met a wonderful soul mate. I express my appreciation to him every night before we go to sleep.

Selfless or selfish volunteering?

One day, TLing was talking about volunteering to clean toilets in a temple, and I commented immediately, “I don’t like cleaning. I am okay doing other things, except cleaning. I don’t want to be a cleaning volunteer.” Ah…I really am a selfish volunteer; I choose work even though I volunteer.
My memory goes back to twenty years ago, a man (I guessed he often helped in a Taoist temple) came to my god-mother's family business (business in making fabric flags, etc) to buy something for the Taoist temple. After, he was chit-chatting with my god-mother. He said he went to the general (government) hospital that morning and saw an old man on the bed, covered with excrement. It seemed like nobody cared for that patient, so he carried that patient to a wheel chair and showered him in a bathroom. Then put him in clean clothes and changed the bed sheet. After that, he smelled stinky himself, so he rushed back home to get a shower. My god-mother praised him for what he did. I praised him from my heart too, he wasn’t a volunteer from any organization there, but he was selfless to help others. This was a story from over twenty years ago; somehow I remembered it.
Although I said I am a volunteer, I try to ask myself – am I willing to help and clean the excrement of someone who is not related to me?

有一天，TLing和我說起關於在佛寺當義工清潔廁所的事，我很快的冒出一句話，“我最不喜歡清潔工作，叫我做其它事都可以，我不要當清潔義工。” 啊…我真是個自私心的義工，做義工竟然要選擇工作。

我憶起廿年前，有位男中年人，我猜他是常到神廟帮忙的人，他來我契媽店家（在檳城，做布旗類的生意）買神廟用品，他與我契媽熟絡就閑聊一些事，他說早上他去政府醫院，看到一位男性老病人躺在床上有屎有尿，似乎没人理這病人，他就抱這病人坐上輪椅到沖涼房帮他清洗換衣，換床布給這病人，然後他整身臭臭趕回家沖涼。我契媽讚嘆他功德無量，我也心裡讚嘆，覺得他不是什麼團體的義工，但卻無私的助人。這故事是在廿年前，但我還能憶起。

雖然我美其名是當義工，但試問自己能自願帮非親非故的人清洗其污穢物嗎？

Grow healthy

Four of us together went to the Mid-America Buddhist Association, we wanted to enjoy the beautiful scenery, as one of us hadn’t been there before. A venerable there was so kind and said we could take home some vegetables and fruits grown there. She said they have more than they could eat. The USA has four seasons and our area can harvest once during summer if planting the vegetables yourself. Other times, the plants cannot grow.
After we cut some vegetables, then we plucked some blackberries. It was nice plucking and eating.
The lotuses on the pond, the sunflowers, and other kinds of flowers also bloom once a year. The lotuses, sunflowers and hibiscus are huge. I asked to have some roots of lotus and water lily… to plant them in dirt and water at home.
I was glad that I have a little bodhi tree. The venerable said this little one is cut from the bodhi tree in the temple, and that bodhi tree came from India. When I got back home, we re-planted the bodhi tree in a bigger pot. I need to move it inside the house during Winter here.I hope they grow healthy.

我们四位佛友约好一起来到美中佛教会，我们的目的是带其中一佛友参观（她从未到过美中佛教会）美景，但那里的其中一位法師很亲切要我们摘一些瓜菜果回去，她说太多了他们吃不完。美国有四季，我们的地区如自种的瓜菜果只有夏季才会有收成，其它时季就不能生长了。

我们摘了瓜菜又来摘黑莓，我们边摘边吃黑莓，很有趣。

水池的荷花，太阳花及其它花类也是一年一度才开一次花。荷花、太阳花、木瑾花开得特别大。我看上荷花及睡莲，向師父要了一些根…回家放在水泥生长。

我很高兴的我得到一棵小菩提树，師父说这小菩提树是从那置在寺内的菩提树取下一段栽长，那颗菩提树是原自印度。回家后将这棵菩提树移置大盆，冬天时一定要搬进家里面。

希望它们健康生长。

Demolish the children pureness?

When we visited Uros (the Floating Islands) in Peru, the tour guide introduced us to the people living on the islands. After that he told us not to give candy to the kids, as the dentist is far away on the shore and is expensive for the people there. I just realized that I had wrong thoughts before. We thought to give some candy to the children who live in the rural area when we visited poor countries; we thought it was bringing happiness to the children. Perhaps those children have a temporary happiness, but they might have to pay it back with tooth pain. Or, we bring something like pencils to the children, but it might further their greediness. I was met by kids who came toward me and asked for something. So, I have doubts, whether our things will make them happy or demolish their pureness?