Feng Shui 2011 According To Joey Yap (Part 2)

Continued from Part 1

WARNING: This is a very long post. Please take your time to read and digest the information provided here. If you are not free to read at this time, do bookmark it and return at a more convenient time. However, you may want to scroll down to take note of the dates and times of activation before it is too late. Thank you!

There were just too many things that Joey Yap taught in his seminar which I could not share here as I did not manage to write them all down! So I will just stick to the most important stuffs that you need to know.

Firstly, these are the two extremely bad sectors that you need to avoid in 2011.

EAST SECTOR - This is the most negative sector of the year. The dreaded Five Yellow flies into this sector causing all types of bad luck, misfortune, loss of wealth and health hazards. If your bedroom is in the East sector of your home, move out!

Does this mean you can ask your maid to move into the room in this sector? By all means, no! If your maid suffers misfortune, don't you think you will be more or less affected by it as well?

The Grand Duke (Tai Sui) also reside in the East sector (more exact is East 2) this year and as such, it is even more important to avoid staying or spending too much time here. Absolutely no renovation, drilling, nailing and ground breaking in this area or face the consequences!

By the way, you don't have to believe anything written here. Feng shui does not need one to believe for it to work. Just do the exact opposite of what is advised in this post and test it out for yourself! Go ahead and do a huge renovation in the East sector of your home this year (anytime from Feb 4th 2011 till Feb 3rd 2012) and let me know what happens in your life.

WEST SECTOR - This sector is afflicted by the Three Killings which will cause accidents, robberies, health problems and other complications! Avoid renovation or ground breaking at this area at all costs!

This West sector (more accurately West 2 sector) is also afflicted by the Year Breaker which effects can be worse than that brought about by The Grand Duke! If possible, move out if your bedroom is located in this sector.

Talking about the Grand Duke (Tai Sui), it is important that you do not face the East when working or negotiating with others. Yes, please carry your compass or iPhone (which contains a compass - how nice!) around so you know you are not facing East when doing negotiations or you will surely lose!

Instead, putting your back to the Grand Duke (ie. facing West) will help you have greater support and let the other party face East instead. In this way, you almost surely have the upper hand! Haha!

As for the Three Killings, it is important to face it head on, in other words, face West! Never allow the Three Killings to be behind you (ie. you facing East) or you will suffer the consequences! All the more important that everyone must take note to face West and not East this year!

Now, since East is the worst sector this year, what would you do if your front door is in this sector? Or worse, your front door faces East? Well, Joey Yap advised that you should manipulate the space in the front door area by having a partition or wall to block the incoming energy so that when you enter the door, you either have to turn right to SouthEast sector or turn left to NorthEast sector. This is how you can turn bad energy into good energy!


Flying Star Chart 2011 courtesy of wofs.com

So what are the good sectors in 2011? They are as follows:

NORTHWEST - Auspicious wealth luck and good prospects for career advancement reside here! If your main door faces the NorthWest, you will have good fortune in 2011! Having your bedroom or study room in this sector is also very good.

To activate the good energy in the Northwest, simply use this sector as often as you can! If there are windows and doors here, open them to let the good energy in!

Now here's a joke from Joey Yap that kept us in stitches! What happens if your maid's bedroom is in this sector? Your maid will get all the good luck instead of you! So how? Well, you have two choices - either you get your maid to move out of the room or you move in with the maid! Haha!!

Since NorthWest is such an auspicious sector, what happens if you have a toilet here? According to feng shui master Lillian Too, this will be very unfortunate as all your wealth will flush away! However, Joey Yap has a different opinion. This is what he said - if the toilet is in the wealth sector, use it more often to activate the energy there!! Haha!

Nowadays, a lot of houses are not built in a rectangular form. Some houses (example L shape houses as shown below) have missing corners. So what happens if your house's NorthWest sector is missing?


Image courtesy of Dream Green Homes

According to Joey Yap, this is not good and you cannot rectify it by placing mirrors on the outside walls like what some other feng shui masters recommend. The only option you can try is to activate other good sectors instead.

So here's a very important tip for house buyers - always buy houses without missing corners. During the years where the bad sector is located at the missing corner, it is good for you, but during those years when the wealth sector is at the missing corner, then you will be missing all the wealth!

If you have a retail store, placing your cashier in the NorthWest sector will help your business a lot!

Likewise, if you are working for someone, it is good to work in the NorthWest sector of your office or workplace.

SOUTHEAST - Staying in the SouthEast sector will increase your capabilities, and attract more income to you! Those who want to move up the corporate ladder, increase support from bosses and improve your network of helpful work acquaintances should spend more time in this sector. You can also activate this sector using water element. Joey Yap advised that the water must be substantial in size, and exposed, not covered.

NORTHEAST - Activating this sector will attract noble, helpful people into your life. For people without goals in life, activating this sector will actually bring noble people to inspire you! Having a study room or bedroom or even dining room in the NorthEast is excellent this year!

By the way, if you activate both the NorthEast and SouthEast sectors, you will get recognition in your career!

SOUTHWEST - This is the peach blossom sector, so activating this area will increase your chances of finding a good life partner! However, it also increases your likeability, so for people in marketing, activating your SouthWest sector will be good for you!


Now, here's a summary of what to expect in 2011, the year of the Metal Rabbit.

Water element industries such as transportation, tourism, sales and fast moving consumer goods will fare well in this year.

Fire element industries such as IT and telecommunication, petrochemicals, airlines and mass media will also do favorably well and can expect a stable outlook this year. Oil prices is expected to rise slowly and steadily.

The property industry, being an Earth element, can expect the market to slow down a little this year. Therefore, it is advisable to be a little conservative when it comes to property investment. Invest for the long term and not for short monetary gains. For equity, cash out as soon as you gain. In currency investment, do not invest in yuan (China currency).

Public spending and consumption is expected to increase this year.


2011 Bazi Chart courtesy of BaziBuzz

With Metal chopping Wood as seen in the 2011 Bazi Chart above, this seems to signify medical malpractices and operation gone wrong. Surely not a good year to go for operation!

There will be an increase in abortion cases. Adultery cases will also be on the rise.

In the political scene, there will be betrayal and lots of problems and annoying issues brewing.

China will curb the increase in real estate prices and prevent a recession, which is actually good news. However, USA and China will not be having a very good year in terms of relationship with each other.

Japan and Taiwan are deemed two very good countries to invest in as they both have wealth elements in the charts.

Other interesting things that may happen in 2011 according to Joey Yap are as follows - bird flu will make a comeback, there will be an increase of cases where people kill their new born children, and homosexuality news will increase (perhaps more people will be coming out of their closets!)


Now we come to the most important part of this post, that is the dates and times to activate the good stars! Before that, you have to make sure you know the exact location in your house to activate the stars.

Follow this step-by-step way to find out the exact location and sectors ....

1. Stand in the middle of your house. Use your house plan to roughly pinpoint the centre location.

2. Using a compass positioned in front of you at waist level, find out the North direction.

3. Print out this diagram below and superimpose it onto your house plan, taking care where is the exact North direction. (Notice that each direction is subdivided into 3 sectors eg. North direction has North1, North2 and North3. The exact North is 0 degrees, which is at the middle of North 2)



4. Mark in your house plan the exact locations where you need to activate (refer to the notes given below) and activate them at the time recommended. That's it!

So how do you activate the sectors? You can move large furnitures around, drill the wall and hang paintings, repaint the room, play loud music, renovate or if you are religious, do chanting.

Take note that several dates are given in case you miss the earlier dates. However, some dates are better than others and it will be mentioned as BEST DATE or BEST TIME.

Certain animal signs in your Bazi Chart may not benefit and they will be mentioned under EXCEPT. That means if Rooster is mentioned, and you have a Rooster in your Bazi Chart, you cannot activate on that particular date. Choose an alternative date.

To know your Bazi Chart, click HERE. (For info on Bazi Chart, read Part 1)

RECEIVING GOD OF WEALTH (activating Star Of Wealth)
Date: February 3rd, 2011
Time: 3am - 4.59am (BEST TIME)
Sector: South

Alternative Time: 12.30am and 6am


NOBILITY (attract helpful people)
Date: February 3rd, 2011
Time: 3am - 4.59am
Sector: SouthWest

HAPPINESS (inspire feeling of happiness)
Date: February 3rd, 2011
Time: 3am - 4.59am
Sector: NorthEast

Note: If you want to attract wealth, noble people and happiness into your life, might as well activate all 3 sectors ie. South, SouthWest and NorthEast at the same time between 3am - 4.59am!

WEALTH ACTIVATION
*3 dates provided

Date: February 20th, 2011
Time: 11am - 12.59pm or 3pm - 4.59pm
Sector: NorthWest 1 or SouthEast 1
Except: Rat

Date: March 21st, 2011
Time: 11pm - 12.59am
Sector: NorthWest 1 or SouthEast 1
Except: Snake

Date: July 10th, 2011
Time: 1pm - 2.59pm
Sector: NorthWest 1, SourthEast 1 or South 2
Except: Monkey


RELATIONSHIP & MARRIAGE
*2 dates provided

Date: April 2nd, 2011
Time: 9am - 10.59am
Sector: SouthWest 2
Except: Snake

Date: July 23rd, 2011
Time: 11am 12.59pm
Sector: SouthWest 2
Except: Rooster


RESOLVING PROBLEMS
*2 dates provided

Date: March 18th, 2011
Time: 9am - 10.59am
Sector: South 2
Except: Tiger

Date: May 2nd, 2011
Time: 11am - 12.59pm
Sector: South 2
Except: Pig

Note for pigs: Avoid commencing any activities on 2nd May 2011 as it is inauspicious. However, this rule is an exception for those who want to begin their diet (to lose weight) on that same date!


SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT
Date: April 12th, 2011
Time: 9am - 10.59am
Sector: NorthWest 1, SouthEast 1 or South 2

Note: Do ritual prayers at any one of the sectors.


START WORK AFTER CHINESE NEW YEAR
Date: February 8th, 2011 (Best Date & Time)
Time: 5am - 6.59am
Except: Rat

Date: February 8th, 2011
Time: 1pm - 2.59pm
Except: Rat

Date: February 11th, 2011
Time: 11am - 12.59pm
Except: Rabbit

Date: February 14th, 2011
Time: 3am - 4.59am
Except: Horse

Avoid starting work on February 7th, 2011 (5th day of Chinese New Year) as it is a bad day.

WORST DATES OF THE YEAR (must avoid doing anything important or starting any new venture!!)

Date: March 7th, 2011
Time: 5am - 7am

Date: June 26th, 2011
Time: 7pm - 9pm

Note: These dates are however suitable for those who are already having a year of bad luck and they want to end all their bad luck and restart anew.

FIRST COMMENTER

Feng Shui 2011 According To Joey Yap (Part 1)

This is going to be a very long post so I have decided to split it into 2 parts. Part 1 will talk more about Bazi Profiling whereas Part 2 will reveal what 2011 holds for you plus valuable info on good date selection.

I attended both Lillian Too and Joey Yap's Feng Shui talks this year. But really, I am not obsessed with feng shui. I simply find this very subject of wind and water very, very interesting!

If you are not into feng shui, you really have to ask yourself why. Because feng shui works regardless of your beliefs. It is powerful and I do know that people who understand feng shui and practise it do indeed have the upper hand compared to those who don't.

I have already blogged about Lillian Too's Feng Shui Extravaganza 2011, so it's time for Joey Yap's Feng Shui & Astrology 2011!



Take note that all the information provided on this post will take effect from February 4th 2011. That day is the starting of spring or Li Chun according to the Chinese Solar Calendar. Incidentally, this year's Chinese New Year, which is really the first day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, is on February 3rd, just one day before Li Chun.

As today is just a few more days to February 4th, you can see why I need to rush this post out to benefit all my readers!



I attended Joey's English seminar entitled "Empowering Your Destiny" on January 23rd 2011 at Plenary Hall, KL Convention Centre. He had a similar seminar in Cantonese just the day before.

Compared to Lillian Too, I must say Joey's seminar was done in a much more professional way! He even had a celebrity in the form of Stephanie Chai as emcee or host for the seminar!



Besides talking about feng shui, Joey also touched on the art of face reading which somehow made his talk all the more interesting! Below is a photo of Stephanie Chai getting a "face reading" from Joey.


Photo courtesy of Joey Yap's Facebook

Before attending the seminar, I had on the night before printed out my personal Bazi Profiling Chart. This is very important if you wish to attend his talk as you would need to look at your Bazi Chart to get the most out of his seminar.

If you did not print out your Bazi Chart, you can also get it printed out at the seminar but you would need to fork out RM35 for it! So yes, be smart and get it printed out at home. You can get get your own Bazi Chart simply by clicking HERE. Try it now! (You are required to register first if this is your first time)

To know your Bazi Chart, you have to provide your date of birth and time of birth. The time of birth is crucial as a person who is born on the same day as you but at a different time will not have the same Bazi Chart as you. So what happens if one's time of birth is not accurately recorded? Sorry to say that such a person will not be able to know his or her exact Bazi Chart and therefore will have difficulty using feng shui to solve his or her problems.

To help you understand better, Bazi also known as Chinese Astrology is akin to diagnosis whereas feng shui is akin to prescription. With your Bazi Chart, you know exactly what are your strengths and weaknesses and you can then use feng shui to enhance your strengths and lessen your weaknesses.

This is an example of how your Bazi Chart will look like if you are born on October 4th, 1975 at 10.25am. (Please click on the chart for an enlarged version)


From the Chart, you can see your Day Master (box in green). In the example above, Mr ABC's Day Master is Gui (Yin Water).

There are altogether 10 different Day Masters or basic personality profiles. Your Day Master is basically who you are. It tells about your inborn personality, character, strengths and weaknesses.

From there, you will also discover your Structure and Profile. (Click image below for enlarged version)



The Structure is your behavior and attitude in other words, how you use your personality. The structure reveals your natural behavior in life. There are altogether 5 different structures - you can be a Controller, Creator, Supporter, Thinker or Connector. Each of the Ten Day Masters express themselves differently through the five different structures.

From the image above, you can see that Mr ABC is primarily a Thinker.

The Profile reveals your unique abilities and skills, the masks that you consciously and unconsciously "put on" as you approach and navigate the world. Your Profile speaks of your ROLES in life. There are altogether TEN roles or Ten Bazi Profiles. Everyone plays a different role.

From the image above, Mr ABC's profile is the Philosopher.

Now how does knowing about your Day Master, your Structure and your Profile help you? Well, by knowing your strengths and weaknesses, by identifying the talents you never knew you have, by being aware of your character and personality, you can then assess your situation and design a path of least resistance to your success and a better future.

By knowing your potential and your limits, you will know what type of career most likely to lead you to success and what type of person you will enjoy a successful relationship and marriage. You will no longer have to waste time doing things that are not likely to give you the results you are looking for. In other words, this will help you to find the "shortest way" to your goals!

If you are interested to know more, you can attend Joey Yap's Design Your Destiny Seminar. Click HERE for more info. The price of course does not come cheap.

Or for a much cheaper price, you can order a detailed report on your Bazi Profile HERE.

Or you can just get his 3 books about Day Master, Structure and Profile respectively. But since there are 10 different Day Masters, 5 different Structures and 10 different Profiles (in other words, altogether 25 books to choose from!) you just got to know what is your Day Master, your Structure and your Profile in order to buy the right books!

In Part 2 I will share with you Joey Yap's outlook for 2011, the good and bad sectors in your home and a set of important dates and times to activate your wealth, romance and nobility luck! So stay tuned!

This Is Fashion People -- BE ORIGINAL!

Many of you know by now that IFB founder and author of The Coveted (the original!), Jennine Jacob, is dealing with a situation!  It's a ridiculous situation that doesn't even come with a six pack (that was just for you, Jersey Shore fans)!  I won't attempt to explain the entire legal situation (Jennine clarifies it in her post on January 27th), but apparently somebody else coveted the name "The Coveted" and acquired it to launch their own fashion blog.  Now, if they were smart they would have started with a search from the get-go to see whether or not that name was already occupied (hyphen or no hyphen) -- at least in the same type of category.  And if they were aware of fashion blogging at all, I dare say they should have been aware of Jacobs' The Coveted and IFB.  Shame on them if they were "not in the know."  I mean, IFB is one of the main reasons fashion bloggers even have a voice/platform today.  So, it seems as though these "new coveted" or "faux coveted" mean girls are not only ungrateful, but they are taking advantage of the foundation that Jacobs' laid and benefiting from all of her hard work.  Not cool.  Sign the petition to support Jennine and the ORIGINAL Coveted.  Also, WendyB started fundraising efforts to help out.  Wendy is offering to donate to the cause, a generous amount from every sale made on her fun 'swear rings', OMG, LOL and NYC rings!! There is also the option to contribute monetarily without making a purchase.  So, come on fashion bloggers, let's unite.  Fight the fight!  We all owe a lot to Jennine.

To attend IFB's amazing Fashion Blogger Conference during New York Fashion Week, click here to get your ticket now... they are going fast!!

Shine Brightly!

Snow is not my friend.  We do not like each other.  I am a warm weather girl, but I cannot imagine actually living anywhere other than New York City, so I suck it up and take the bad with the good.  I have, on occasion, contemplated Los Angeles, but every time I visit I feel a bit alien and am anxious to return home to my city.  I have been accused of being an elitist New Yorker (granted, it was by my parent's neighbor in FL who had to ask what a fig was when I described how I had stuffed them with blue cheese and wrapped them in prosciutto for an appetizer).  But, I digress...

So, I just took the long way around or the scenic route to simply say that I hate snow, but love New York!  Suffice it to say that it takes a very special occasion to get me out of my sweatpants and warm, dry apartment and into sub-freezing temperatures, wicked winds and slushy puddles.  Well, yesterday was one of those very special occasions.  I risked the tundra and nearly got 'taxi splashed' all over my charmeuse to attend the Fashion Group International's Rising Star Awards.  My very dear friend and talented jewelry designer, Wendy Brandes, was among the five finalists in the fine jewelry category.  BRAVO!

Center: Rising Star finalist in the fine jewelry category, Wendy Brandes

Left to Right: me, BarbaraB, Christine, WendyB, Alyssa, Tina

Tensions were high in Cipriani's grand ballroom, but Team Wendy was confident.  FGI President, Margaret Hayes, introduced host, Jamie Pallot of Conde Nast who cleverly joked, "Snow is the new black."  Keynote speaker, Norma Kamali gave an inspiring speech and commended all of the finalists for achieving what only the most elite in the industry have.  And that is not an understatement.  Although WendyB may not have won (this time!), it was an extremely close race and she could just as easily have taken home the award yesterday.  Congratulations Wendy!!! 

Feng Shui 2011 According To Lillian Too

Warning: This is a very long post. But if you want to know what 2011 holds for you and how feng shui can help you, then take your time to read this. Thank you for reading!

Last year, I wrote a post on Lillian Too's Feng Shui Extravaganza 2010 and it became my Top 10 Most Popular Posts of all time!

So this year, I am going to write again on her yearly Feng Shui Extravaganza which was held at Plenary Hall, KL Convention Centre on January 9th, 2011. While last year's attendance was not that good (only three quarter of the hall filled), this year was slightly better.



However, I wasn't too happy with this year's talk. Although the Extravaganza was supposed to be held from 10am till 5pm, it actually ended earlier than 5pm. Lillian herself seemed easily tired and her presentation on the stage was cut short to a mere 4 hours! The rest of the time were spent on an overly long lunch time and frequent long breaks. Perhaps age was catching up on her - she is after all 65 years old this year.

By the way, here's a short trivia. Lillian Too said 11 is her lucky number. Her house number is 11. Even though she is a Rooster and Roosters do not have it so good this year, she may still have a great year. The reason? She is 65 years old.

6 + 5 = 11. See? That's her lucky number! Besides, her birthday is on 11.1.11 (Jan 11th, 2011). Interesting yes?

Lillian Too started off the Extravaganza calling up her old friend and feng shui mentor, Yap Cheng Hai on stage.



After that, she launched into the good news and bad news forecast for 2011. Her marketing tactic is pretty simple. She would scare you with the bad news forecast and then proceed to offer you solutions and cures by placing the right objects at the correct location.

It might be a tad commercialized but highly effective at that, judging by the huge crowds of people queuing up outside the hall to buy her feng shui products! Of course, the products were all sold at discounted prices on that day and it would be silly not to buy them if you have already decided to buy.

Anyway, here's a short summary of what to expect in 2011.



According to the Ruling Stars of the 24 Mountain Directions in 2011, the East will be afflicted with the Five Yellow and since the rabbit is located in the East this year, and this is the Year of the Rabbit, it means 2011 will not be good year.

You may click the above picture for clearer and bigger image.

The Rooster which is located opposite the Rabbit is sitting on the Natural Disaster Star and also facing the Tai Sui (Grand Duke Jupiter) therefore people born in the year of the Rooster will have lots of challenges this year.

Notice that the number 7 star, which is also associated with violence is located in the middle. This means there will be violence, and probably wars. Expect more earthquakes, volcano eruptions, floods and other natural disasters that had plagued the world in 2010. By the way, Lillian Too correctly predicted about the earthquakes last year so I think we better take heed of her warning this year!

According to Lillian, people born in the year of the Snake will have good luck in 2011. And since our Malaysian Prime Minister is a Snake, perhaps it is a good year to call for election!

Now let's take a look at the Flying Star Chart of 2011.


Image courtesy of wofs.com

For the uninitiated, Flying Stars are nine numbers placed on a Lo Shu square. Each of the numbers represents different things and they rotate and change location with time. This is really the time aspects of feng shui, which means that feng shui is never static, and changes with the passage of time.

Remember that the effects of these stars will only start on the 4th of February 2011. That is because feng shui is based on the Chinese Solar Calendar, and not the Lunar Calendar.

According to the Lunar Calendar, the first day of the new year which is celebrated as the Chinese New Year is on February 3rd 2011. But in the Solar Calandar, February 4th marks the starting of spring called Li Chun.

OK back to the chart. Notice the number 2 is at the South? This number 2 is known as the illness star and this year, it will affect mainly the heart and the eyes. Senior citizens and pregnant ladies who have their bedrooms located on the South sector of their houses must move to another bedroom to prevent sickness.

Quarrelsome star number 3 moves to the North this year. Spouses staying in a bedroom in the North sector of their house will end up quarreling all the time.

The dreaded 5 Yellow is at the East sector. This poses a grave danger especially to the eldest son of the family. It is best not to stay in a bedroom in this sector, and it is very important that you do not renovate this area of the house.

The violent and burglary star number 7 resides in the centre which means there will be higher chances of getting robbed.

So far, I have mentioned all the bad stars and numbers. Lillian Too of course, offered cures to these problem areas. If you are interested to know what objects to place at these affected areas, do check out her remedies HERE.

Now let's focus on the good numbers!

Number 8, also known as the Wealth star flies into the NorthWest this year. Make sure you spend more time in the NorthWest sector of your home to activate the good energy here and to increase your wealth! You can also activate the good stars with water features placed at the NorthWest sector of your home.

The Multiplying Star number 9 is located at the West and this brings good fortune to everyone staying in the West sector. Activating this star will bring long term prosperity! However, the West is also plagued by the Three Killings, so Lillian Too advised those staying in the West sector to place the 3 celestial guardians. Want to know what are the 3 celestial guardians? Check it out HERE.

Divine Star number 6 flies into the SouthEast this year. If you have door or windows at this sector, do open them often for divine luck! Installing bright lights and making lots of noises in the SouthEast will bring windfall and good gambling luck!

Also, since Malaysia is located in the SouthEast region, Lillian Too said that Malaysia will experience good fortune for the next few years! This is good news indeed!

Lucky White Star number 1 brings good fortune to the NorthEast sector. For people born in the year of Ox and Tiger, activating this sector will bring about lots of opportunities in career and business! In addition, homes with main door facing NorthEast are excellent in the year 2011.

Finally we have the Romance Star number 4 which flies into the SouthWest. You may want to activate the romance energy in the SouthWest sector of your house if you are looking for a partner! By the way, Lillian Too mentioned that the year 2011 is a good year to get married especially if you are born in the year of the Monkey and Sheep. And especially for the Monkeys, do nothing but study and get married this year!

There are many ways to activate the good stars. Simply spending lots of time at the good sectors will naturally activate the stars. Or you might be interested in Lillian Too's activating tools HERE.

Now we all know that feng shui masters are not fortune tellers. They can predict the outcome of the year simply by analyzing the Flying Star Chart and also the Bazi Chart. You can too if you know how!

So let's take a look at Lillian Too's analysis of the 2011 Bazi Chart, shall we?

This is the Bazi Chart for 2011.


Image courtesy of BaziBuzz

For the uninitiated, a Bazi Chart is made up of 4 pillars (from left to right : Hour, Day, Month, Year) which contain 8 characters. The top row is known as Heavenly Stems, and the second row is Earthly Branches. Below these two rows are what we called Hidden Stems.

In Chinese metaphysics, the world is made up of five elements namely, Earth, Metal, Water, Wood and Fire. You must understand the relationships between all the five elements before you can truly read the Bazi Chart. For Cycle Of Elements 101, please read HERE.

Looking at the 2011 Bazi Chart above, you can see that all the 4 pillars are clashing! In the first (hour) pillar, water destroys fire. In the other three pillars, metal destroys wood! These are all direct clashes and have to be a record of some kind! This indicates quarrels and hostilities will dominate the year. Not good at all!

Besides, there are presence of 2 tigers in the chart, indicating a year of violence and fierce conflicts! I really hope the situation in North and South Korea will not escalate into an actual war this year but the Chart does not look good on this one. Whatever it is, to be safe, I am not visiting Korea this year!

The dominance of Metal and Wood elements in the chart indicates strong competition, disharmony and more international conflicts. The Bazi chart was clashing too last year (read my last year's post) but it was even more so this year! As such, it can be safely concluded that whatever problems plaguing the world last year will continue this year with even more intensity.

The presence of three Metals in the chart indicates competitive pressures, but the strength of the Metals cannot be sustained because of the lack of Earth. This means competitive pressures cannot be sustained and it is best to think out of the box instead of the fighting the competition!

Notice the yin metal clashing with the yin wood in the year pillar? This suggests an increase in accidents especially those involving the neck and spine. Also the presence of metal elements suggest an increase in accidents involving metals. Does this mean an increase in car, train and plane crash? Surely not a good year to travel unnecessarily!

Yin metal signifies small weapons such as guns. Combine this with the violence star no 7 in the centre of the Flying Star chart, this may suggest assassination and terrorism. High profile personalities may be in danger this year and they better have some amulets or protection at hand.

Hidden Fire in the Tiger pillars suggest high incidence of fire related disasters, most likely forest fires and also serious volcano eruptions.

The lack of water element (just like last year) again indicates that water is vital this year. Therefore water element industries will be good this year. Those in banking, shipping, transportation, hotels, alcohol and fishing can take calculated risks in 2011.

Fire element industries look bright this year. There will be plenty of opportunities and wealth for those in restaurant, entertainment, oil and lighting businesses.

By the way, the stock market will be good this year. Equity market is active and rising. Buying opportunities abound. According to Lillian Too, the summer months of June and July are the best months for the stock market. It will slow down around the month of August and you must get out of the market before October!

The presence of 3 direct wood elements and 3 hidden wood elements suggest that there are plenty of wealth luck in 2011. Serious wealth will be created but the bad news is distribution will be uneven. This means the rich will get richer and the poor gets poorer.

Lillian Too advised that we must make sure we don't get caught on a downward spiral or it would be difficult to get back up. Take charge and make sure we stay positive throughout the year to overcome all the challenges ahead.

Earth element industries look good this year. It is especially an excellent year for real estate, so it is actually good to invest in real estates.

Both metal and wood industries are not encouraging and may need to diversify in order to survive.

Metal destroying Wood in the Bazi Chart also indicates problems on the health front especially related to the liver, neck and respiratory system.

Besides that, Lillian Too also mentioned that 2011 will be a year of sex-related scandals. So expect lots of celebrity affairs to hog the news this year! Since this is the year of the Peach Blossom, married couples will be under strain due to a third party, but singles and newlyweds will be in for a good time!

In the career department, lots of politics and backstabbing will occur in the workplace but it's not a good year to change jobs.

By the way, if you must know, the lucky colour for 2011 according to Lillian Too is mustard yellow! Yes, for the ladies, maybe you want to go out dressed in yellow, with yellow shoes and yellow handbags to match. Haha!!

Here are some interesting advice given by Lillian during the talk. She said in order to activate the good stars, make lots of noise in that area which contains the stars. One way is to play Lady Gaga's music! LOL!

She also touches on mind programming. She said that saving money for a rainy day is bad programming. She called it "poverty programming". You will never be wealthy saving money!

To attract more money into your life, she recommends that we practise "prosperity programming". How does this prosperity programming work? Well, you need to buy and spend more than what you need! In other words, don't be too stingy trying to save your money. Spend it! The action of spending your money will create a flow that attracts more money to come to you!

She does have her point you know, but I could not help thinking she was saying this so we would buy more of her products! Haha!!

Before the talk ended, Lillian Too introduced us to a new dimension in feng shui that I was not aware of before. It was just a short introduction to this subject which she would elaborate more in next year's Feng Shui Extravaganza. Something to make us return next year perhaps? Hmmm....

Anyway, she told us there is actually 3 dimensions to feng shui.

The first is the space dimension. This comprises the art of living in harmony with natural landforms and make full use of compass directions to enhance the good energy and lessen the effects of bad energy.

The second is the time dimension. This involves Flying Star feng shui where time is taken into account as feng shui changes with time. A place with good feng shui will not forever has good feng shui because energy moves in cycles.

The third which is new to me, is spiritual dimension. This involves the self and energies generated by mankind. It has to do with the mind and meditation. Lillian Too mentioned that while writing for her new book on spiritual feng shui, she was being disturbed by unknown forces from the spiritual world. Now this is interesting!

To benefit from the total feng shui, you need to use the collective power of all 3 dimensions!

So would I be back for next year's Feng Shui Extravaganza to learn more? Very likely! : )

On a side note, this year, Lillian Too gave special amulets to everyone who attended the Extravaganza! It appears that the amulets were handmade and were consecrated by a very high lama. They were made according to each of the animal signs. These rare amulets are not available for sale anywhere in the world and I am glad I received my free powerful amulet! All thanks to Lillian Too!

Coming up next : Feng Shui 2011 According To Joey Yap

Winter Blues

Ever since NYC had the blizzard in December that grounded planes for days (including MINE!), New Yorkers have been hit hard.  Again and again.  In fact, it is snowing as I'm writing this post.  Enough!  I tend to get the winter blues every year because I am effected so much by the weather and definitely fall victim to SAD.  A few years ago, I invested in one of those light machines that helps to stimulate your retina which triggers the brain to produce serotonin.  It works.  Most offices and inside lighting don't measure much above 300 lux (three times less than an overcast day) while light boxes put out 10,000 lux or the equivalent to actual daylight (direct sunlight is over 30,000 lux).

denim overload!

But, it's not just the grey and gloomy weather that has got me fed up, it's the fact that I cannot find a properly fitting pair of jeans to slip into on these wintry days when I want to be casual, comfy and still somewhat stylish.  Many women struggle with this issue, I know I'm not alone, but it is completely frustrating.  Now, I know all too well how hard it is to make a decent fitting pair of pants and I'm sure my comrade in construction, K-Line will concur.  But, why is every pair of jeans too big on my waist, yet too tight on my legs?  Okay, I am a bit athletic and that causes problems, but still I shouldn't have this much trouble.

 

"Denim Dont's"  NEVER do this!! 

(I don't know why stupid Blogger will not let me import this image vertically -- the way it is actually saved!)

Wouldn't it be great if we could all just customize our jeans?  There have been (and still are) other places who custom make denim trousers, but they come with a hefty price tag.  Well, I recently came across a site called "Make Your Own Jeans."  Um... that pretty much says it all!  Make Your Own Jeans claims to tailor a pair perfect for your shape starting as low as $49.  Pretty great, wouldn't you say?  Levi's offers a similar deal with their Curve ID.  So, I'm giving up on overpriced, ill-fitting brands and giving this a shot.  Well, in all honestly, I will probably just suffer with what I've got already for the rest of the season because I'm being extra frugal these days, but when I'm ready for new jeans I will most definitely go about it a new way.

The Four Faced Buddha Of Erawan Shrine

Have you ever visited the famous Four Faced Buddha of Erawan Shrine in Bangkok?

This is one of the most famous tourist spots in Bangkok and is always filled with visitors from all over the world! This was my second time here, the first time being many, many years ago.

After spending some time shopping at MBK Shopping Mall and Siam Paragon, my friend and I decided to visit Erawan Shrine by walking instead of sitting the Skytrain.



It was about 5pm and the traffic was getting heavy. Hmmm, I noticed that taxis in Bangkok were mostly Toyota Camry models!



After a short 15 minutes walk, we reached the Erawan Shrine, also known as San Phra Phrom. It is actually located at the heart of Bangkok, next to the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, at the Ratchaprasong intersection of Ratchadamri Road and Sukhumvit Road.



It is also very near to Skytrain's Chitlom Station which has an elevated walkway overlooking the shrine (as can been seen from the photo above).

Directly opposite is Gaysorn Shopping Mall, which houses some of the world's best brands and within walking distance is CentralWorld Shopping Mall.



In the middle of the shrine is the Four Faced Buddha, which is not really a Buddha but actually the Hindu creation God, Brahma. I wonder why they called it the Four Faced Buddha!

Anyway, when we were there, we could see lots of people, both locals and foreigners, seeking blessing from the Four Faced Buddha.


Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Each of the four faces of the deity are said to represent different elements. In a clockwise direction starting from the entrance, the first face represents the Face of Peace and Health, followed by the Face of Good Fortune, the Face of Good Relationships and the Face of Protection Against Evils.

So did I pray while I was there? Of course I did since I was already there right? The only problem was I did not know the correct way of praying. I knew that I had to pray to all four directions but from which direction should I start first? And do I go clockwise or anti clockwise?



Firstly, what we did was buy the candles, joss sticks and flowers from the stall inside the shrine. These were required offerings to be made to the Four Faced Buddha.

Then we lit up our candles and joss sticks (like what the lady in the photo above did).

After that we prayed to the Four Faced Buddha, one side at a time until we covered all four sides. On each side, we placed the joss sticks and flowers as offerings.



So did we do it right? I honestly do not know!

Some people said you can start from anywhere and can go clockwise or anti-clockwise, it does not really matter. Well, I chose anti-clockwise for no reason whatsoever.

Also, you must pray on one specific thing at each direction. For example, you might want to pray for good health at one direction, money and wealth at another direction, good relationships at the third direction and perhaps protection from evil people and evil forces at the fourth direction.

When I came back home to Malaysia, a friend told me that the proper procedure is to state your name, birth date and where you come from before saying your wishes. Also, you must promise to return and give thanks and pay respect if your wishes were to come true.



According to my friend, most of his friends who went to pray there had their wishes fulfilled and they were so grateful that they return to the Erawan Shrine year after year to give thanks!

Whether you believe in this or not, I still think it is a good place to visit if you ever go to Bangkok.

Besides, you can get to see performances by the resident Thai dance troupes! Yes, these are dancers paid by worshippers in return for having their prayers answered.



There seems to be an interesting story behind the creation of Erawan Shrine, how it came into being, why it was built and how the original statue deity was destroyed by a demented man and quickly rebuilt. Read more HERE.

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Threads Of Color

Anyone who loves and appreciates fashion, especially American design, should check out a wonderful organization called Threads Of Color.  A non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the global diversity of American Fashion Designers as well as raising scholarship funds for fashion students, TOC is doing its part to save the garment center.  And we love them!

the artistic invitation

I was lucky enough to be invited by my dear friend and TOC co-executive director, Mitria di Giacomo, (CEO and President, Nexusplexus) to a fashionable fundraiser last week called "Salute to America."  Excited and proud to be involved, I purchased a ticket and showed up... fashionably late.  Typical.  Well, in my defense it was completely across town and there was a blizzard!

at the event, staying warm and dry!

Photo: Richard Renda

Inside Bernstein Displays Showroom, mannequins (and a few live models) were decked out in red, white and blue ensembles by Tommy Hilfiger, Lafayette 148 and Elieen Fisher as well as some of the scholarship winners. Guests mingled, studied the displays and devoured the snacks and drinks.  To read more about the event, click here.

venue

Photo: Richard Renda

With designers/members including; Carmen Marc Valvo, Stephen Burrows and Tracy Reese, the organization is growing and is sure to be an integral part of sustaining fashion in New York City (a.k.a. the fashion capital of the world!  Maybe I'm just biased.)  Please take a look at their website and support their mission by making a donation.  

Massage And Welcome Drink At Dusit Thani

When I first checked in to Dusit Thani Hotel in Bangkok, I was given this piece of paper.



It was a notice to inform me about the Welcome Drink that I and my friend would be getting for staying in the hotel.

We had actually forgotten all about it until I saw this piece of paper lying by my bedside on the morning of our third day in Bangkok.

We had planned to go for a massage at the hotel that day but decided to go enjoy our Welcome Drinks first. For that, we needed to go to the hotel's rooftop D'Sens Bar and Restaurant.



The D'Sens Bar and Restaurant which serves French cuisine was indeed a nice place, overlooking Bangkok's panoramic city skyline. The views would probably be even more breathtaking at night!



D'Sens boasts a well-stocked wine cellar featuring many of the world's finest wines!

Oh! What a funny design. They have an aquarium in the bar!



I spent some time looking at the fishes swimming in the aquarium. LOL!



And then we were given our Welcome Drinks!



Ooh, I love the drink! I think we were given the French Kiss cocktail. Or maybe not - I was not too sure. Got to ask my friend about this!



The French Kiss is a mixture of vodka, raspberry, coconut and pineapple juice - I sure could taste the coconut and the pineapple!



After that, we went for our massage at Dusit Thani's Devarana Spa. This is the staircase leading up to the spa.



The entrance to Devarana Spa looks grand, don't you agree?



Once inside the Main Reception Area, I was in awe of the sparkling water pond and vibrant colours of the interior.



Devarana is a Thai-Sanskrit word, meaning 'Garden In Heaven'. What a nice name!

We chose the cheapest and basic package and went for a one hour massage.



I was not allowed to take pictures of the massage room so these were the only pictures I managed to take of the spa.

It was indeed a very rejuvenating massage and I thoroughly enjoyed it.



Coming Up Next : The Four Faced Buddha Of Erawan Shrine

An Ending And A Beginning

Today marks the end of my fundraising efforts on the Kickstarter website.  As most of you know, I did, in fact, meet my goal and therefore the project will be financed.  Yay!  Again, thank you to everyone who contributed.

While one project is ending, another is just beginning.  The funds have been raised and I am now able to move on to "phase II."  I'm anxious to get going with my Fall 2011 Collection!  This time, the theme is the French Resistance.  That's all I'm giving away!  My sponsors on Kickstarter will be privy to behind the scenes updates, but you will all have to be patient and wait to see the final product.

Let's make a great collection!



Food I Ate During My Bangkok Trip

I had just came back from my wonderful Manila trip and I wanted so much to blog about it, but I think I had better finish blogging about my Bangkok trip first. Not to forget I still have not started blogging about my Cambodia trip last year! Gosh!!

You have probably read about the sticky rice with durians and the Jeffer steaks I ate in Bangkok. If not, do click on the links and read them. If you ever go Bangkok, you must try these wonderful food!

Today, I will blog about the rest of the food I ate in Bangkok. I shall start with the buffet breakfast I had in Dusit Thani Hotel where I stayed.

I did not take many photos actually (too lazy!) so I would just show some of them.


Clockwise from top : Pancake with maple syrup, hashbrown, egg benedict and grilled tomatoes.

I like the egg benedict! It is actually made up of bread, ham and eggs with yolk running. Delicious!


Sushi, tamago, dim sum, bao.


Assorted fruits with cereals


Fresh fruits

OK, there were many more food but I just did not bother to take pictures of them! I would say the breakfast at Dusit Thani was just OK. Not too impressive but I was quite happy with it.

I had tom yam goong at Black Canyon Coffee, a popular restaurant in Bangkok. It was delicious!



The prawns were fresh and the taste superb! And it was not that spicy which I liked.

OK, I even had some Korean food in Bangkok.



Not sure what is the name for this set but I totally enjoyed it!

Remember the Food Court in MBK Shopping Centre where I ate the delicious sticky rice with durians? Well, there were many more stalls there selling all types of food!

One of the food I tried there were the famous Thai food called som tum.



It's a spicy salad made from unripened papaya, mixed with lime, chili, nuts, beans, tomatoes, garlic, shrimp and fish sauce.

This one which I ordered was really spicy and I had to down a bottle of cold water after eating it!

There was a stall in the food court selling shark's fin.



It's called F-1 Shark's Fin. The shark's fin dish was selling at 150 baht (RM15) which I thought was quite cheap!



Look at this big piece of shark's fin! OK I know I am not supposed to be eating shark's fin but I just wanted to see how the 150 baht dish turned out.



It was actually not too bad!

By the way, I noticed that the food court had boiling water next to the utensils for you to disinfect the spoons and forks.



I wonder why our food courts here in Malaysia do not have similar facilities? Or do we have them and I am not aware of it?

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