佛缘：伦敦第一间佛寺 ！

Visited to the 1st Buddhist Temple in London !
今天，突然心血来潮，就答应了一位朋友的邀请到一间泰国佛寺去参观。这间佛寺的历史及创办可以在以下的叙述得知了解

佛寺看起来虽麻雀虽小，但五脏齐全。看起来来非常的庄严。




这就是佛寺里的小课室，专用来打坐，弘法，教佛课，及一切活动的进行场地。
最后，这就是师父们所居住的（Kuti）啦！很美吧！当然来佛寺可不能空手而来吧，所以就买了一些日常用品及一些干粮和米来供僧咯！！！

The Buddhapadipa Temple is situated at 14 Calonne Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 5HJ

Wat Buddhapadipa in London was the first Buddhist temple in the United Kingdom, established by the London Buddhist Temple Foundation with the objective of creating a centre for the dissemination of theoretical and practical Buddhist teachings in Europe.
This temple has been under the Royal Patronage since 1965 when it was originally located on Christ Church Road, Richmond. It was moved to its present site in Calonne Road, Wimbledon Parkside in 1976. With the support of the Royal Thai Government and the Thai people, the Foundation erected an "Ubosot", a Thai style building for monastic ceremonies. The celebration of monastic boundary, held on October 30, 1982, enabled Wat Buddhapadipa to become a formal temple according to Thai tradition: in fact, the only Thai temple ever built in Europe.
From the start,Wat Buddhapadipa has actively promoted theoretical and practical Buddhism in London as well as in other cities of the United Kingdom and in countries such as the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. It has thus become one of Europe's most important Buddhist training centres. In 1986, when the British Museum organized an exhibition "Buddhism : Art and Faith", a London newspaper even commented that there was no need to go far in order to understand Buddhism, since visits to the British Museum and Wat Buddhapadipa should suffice.
The grounds of the Temple cover a monastic area of approximately four acres in which the Uposatha Hall is situated on an ornamental lake, a small grove, flower garden and an orchard. The Temple consists of the House where the monks live and a cottage. On the ground floor of the House there is a Shrine room, a Dining room, A study, a Library, a Cloak room, an Office, a Kitchen and Telephone room. The rest of the House is the place for the monks. The Uposatha Hall or the Temple is constructed place for the traditional Thai style on the monastic area.

p/s : Sadhu... Sadhu... Sadhu...

My 1st Valentine's Day - 2009

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor's daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial — which probably occurred around 270 A.D — others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

Eventually, 14th Feb is a not unique in being unique day to me. It could be just as simple as a Monday, contrastly, it could be the most romantic moments for you and the one you love. Simple yet symbolic!!! I just celebrated my 1st Valentine's Day, and I perceive:

True Love doesn't come by

finding a perfect person;

but to see an imperfect person

as perfect !

p/s : Happy Valentine's Day to everyone ...

时事分析 ： Is sexual desire entering a recession?

Valentine's Day, by tradition, is an opportunity for declarations of love and lust. But will 2009 be different?

Given the economic downturn, is passion too in recession? Or will couples fling themselves into each other's arms to compensate for their inability to spend, spend, spend? Professor Helen Fisher, of Rutgers University, holds this latter theory. The sheer stress of money worries in general, and fear of redundancy in particular will, she argues, elevate levels of the chemical dopamine in the brain - and dopamine is associated with romantic love. "Times of stress can trigger feelings of attraction - quite simply, you're more susceptible," she said. Professor Fisher's theories are based on a classic 1974 study by Dutton and Aron - in which male subjects walking across a dangerous-seeming bridge were found to be more likely to fall for an attractive woman researcher. They are currently being reinforced by a flurry of less academic reports.

Website traffic
Dating websites eHarmony and Match.com both report major boosts in traffic of up to 20% over the past few months. A YouGov survey of 20,144 British adults in November 2008 found sex was the most popular low-cost activity. Sex toy shops as far apart as Amsterdam, New York and China are anecdotally reporting a boom in sales. And, according to Ken Herron, chief of marketing at gay dating site Manhunt, the site had its biggest membership sign-up on 29 September, the day the Dow Jones Index crashed. The logic here rings true, absolutely reflecting what I as an advice columnist am seeing in my postbag. Surely when people feel alone, they reach out for connection, seek out pleasure in the form of skin-on-skin contact?
Surely when people need relief from their financial worries they reach for the natural medication created by body contact, which releases the feel-good chemical oxytocin?

Negative impact
However, at a certain point, this logic breaks down - and the very opposite appears true.
Relate, the couples counselling organisation, is seeing in established couples a different picture from the sexfest Helen Fisher describes. Denise Knowles, Relate sex therapist, said: "Economic uncertainties can cause people to become more anxious - with the added dimension of people trying to get another job, or working longer hours to cover for a partner who has lost theirs.
"In the end, they are simply less likely to want sexual activity at the end of a long day."
In addition, the very anxiety that may be fuelling the initial desire to bond sexually may also sap the ability to experience pleasure. Self-esteem classically drops during recession, particularly for those who actively lose their jobs. Equally, respect drops for a partner who is economically less successful. Then, desire plummets along with the esteem and respect. And even if desire remains constant, ability to act on that desire may be compromised. A lack of self-confidence has often been cited as affecting male virility - the classic 'performance anxiety' - and a lack of emotional security during lovemaking as affecting female arousal.

Money and satisfaction
It is also arguable that economic reversal is affecting sexual completion too, at least for women. A recent study by Dr Thomas Pollet, of Newcastle University, suggesting that rich men give their partners more orgasms surely also implies that monetarily challenged men deliver fewer climaxes. According to Dr Pollet, money is one of the main factors determining female sexual satisfaction. Are these theories contradictory? Does the recession create lust - or sap it? Does a lack of money lead to a raising of desire - or a lowering of sexual action? One possible theory to square the circle is - to misquote the famous line from Macbeth - is that recession "provokes the desire but takes away the performance". Maybe economic woes bring us together but then make us unable to enjoy the fruits of that bonding. If so, what to do? Knowles advises clear communication: "If you are too tired for sex, tell your partner why. If you suddenly go off sex or can't perform, being open is the best policy." Communication will not solve everything, however: if the problems continue, it could be you need more specialist help. It could be then that, instead of roses and chocolates for Valentine's this year, we ought to be handing our beloved an appointment card for a therapy session. Just a thought.

离乡背井 ：下雪咯！！！

古人有一句话说：六月飞霜，冤枉

我呢却想这么说：一月飞霜，很爽

今天，伦敦终于下起雪来了！！！ 昨天，当我从Bristol回伦敦的途中，从半睡不醒的状况中向外一望，哦，怎么到处倒是白茫茫一片的？当我把眼睛睁开，哗，是雪勒，下雪了，下雪了，终于下雪了！！！哗，看见那犹如棉花般柔嫩，又白皙的雪，慢慢的凋落，那种情景，特别诗意，特别舒服。

当然回到房间后，先得洗个澡麻，谁知，一刚刚洗完澡，那不知情的fire alarm响起，所有人都得离开现场。那我只好，随便穿了衣服就往外逃之夭夭咯，保命要紧！哈哈...外面是下着雪的，那既来之，着安之... 就顺起那不懂什么“怪风”玩起雪来了！！！ 好玩，好玩！！！ 噢，原来刚才的fire alarm 是一场“假”的意外...但是，无所谓了，有的玩雪麻，所以一切都值得的！！！

由于，今天的天气太差了，雪下得太大了，所以今天所有的课都被取消了，爽！！！爽！！！ 所以现在不就有时间写部落格啦！！！ 哈哈。。。

新一代厨神 ：新年“鱼生”

农历初七，人日，当然少不了要吃“鱼生”啦！！！

可是问题就是，“鱼生”已经不被中国人重视了，至今还有捞生的中国人可说是少之又少啊。今天，只剩下马来西亚及新加坡的华裔子弟，龙的传人还有捞生熟习。

因为如此，在伦敦唐人街是吃不到“鱼生”的，要吃还得通过一间杂货店预先订购，然后从马来西亚运输包装好的“鱼生”到这里来。当然，价钱也一定（便宜）很多咯！坐飞机来到英国的“鱼生”当然比较（cheap)的啦...

还好呢，刚刚由一位年轻有为的厨师，人称少年厨神的他，刚刚从大马到英国来，所以当然是由他来做(鱼生）咯...

各位观众，为你们介绍，由我们新一代少年厨神 - 李顺伟，亲手料理的“鱼生”称名为：“人人有余”！！！

各位观众，若你们想试试由我们李师傅亲手料理的“鱼生”，那请预先在http://www.xiaoqingwadetiankong.blogspot.com/ 订购。谢谢。
再此，我也代表我们少年厨神，向各位拜个年，恭祝大家，人人有余，万事如意，新年快乐！！！





以下是一些吃“鱼生”的重要步骤及准备"鱼生”的材料，共各位参考。
Today, this dish is served as an appetizer to raise 'good luck' for the new year and is usually eaten on Renri, the seventh day of the Chinese New Year. In a celebration known as "lo hei" (Cantonese 撈起 or 捞起), families and friends gather around the table and, on cue, proceed to toss the shredded ingredients into the air with chopsticks while saying "吉祥话" (Jíxiáng Huà, auspicious wishes) out loud to mark the start of a prosperous new year and it's customary that the higher you toss, the greater your fortunes!
Typical ingredients include: fresh salmon, daikon (white radish), carrot, red pepper (capsicum), ginger, daun limau nipis (lime tree leaves), Chinese parsley, chopped peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, Chinese shrimp crackers (or fried dried shrimp), five spice powder. The dressing is made primarily from plum sauce.