Amongst people I know, I stand heads and shoulders above everyone ... in the Lousy Housekeeping department.
A flaw that used to rack me but now I accept as part of my less-developed aspects :) However Feng Shui can make a difference to keeping the house clean. "Of couse", you say, "that is just common sense. Duh!"
However that is not quite what I mean. I mean Thinking Feng Shui Makes Cleaning Easy /Easier.
Before, whenever I had to clean up (usually after a much protracted bout of well-developed procrastination or when infrequent visitors "insisted" on coming by), it was a CHORE!
Cleaning I guess, in comparison to so many other things we have to do in life, is a walk in the park. It ain't that hard and does not require a huge amount of smarts nor ingenuity. So why is just keeping the house clean and tidy such a hard thing to do?
Well, for one thing, it is BORING! But for me, I think the biggest hurdle and largest dis-incentive is my brain is chuffing at the chains, wanting to go on and do all the other things that are so much fun - like new projects, or photos to list, or things to make, or ideas to percolate. So being stuck for hours at a time (or even minutes that seem like hours) cleaning house is just so much pain.
Yeah, yeah .. but when does the Feng Shui bit come in?
For a myriad of connected but overly subtle reasons, a light e-book on Feng Shui happened to fall onto my lap at the start of this year as Peter and I were flying home to Sydney. And my ever hopeful brain thought that it was about time we created some good Feng Shui in our places of living and work. So I "promised" myself that I would try and keep a cleaner, neater house so that better Feng Shui would come visit.
On the 23 Jan 2013, a dear friend from the misty shores of bygone Uni days informed us he and his partner had landed in Sydney. Thai then promptly went about setting up a meeting. Through a number of to-ings and fro-ings, I ended up asking them to come over for BBQ on Sunday, 27th January (a day after Australia Day).
Now let me just say (again, if I have already said it elsewhere), I don't often invite people over. It is a "condition" I have. I love people but I just lack the sociable gene. Big time!
So then, after my foolish fingers had issued the invitation - I knew that my body would insist I do cleaning. With me, after cleaning, the house never looks pristine. But if you could see the before and after shots, you would surely appreciate the difference; pristine or not!
It took me from morn to morn (2am!) before I finished up cleaning. This was just the day before the BBQ. BUT, the cleaning process was not a chore! (Shock! Horror! What?!)
It really is all in the mind. I had somehow successfully placated myself that this abnormal invitation from me was the Universe's way of coming to make my goals materialize. My good intentions of keeping a clean house would have fallen into The Road to Nothing-Happening is Paved with Good Intentions, as has ever been the case in the past. Something had to happen to "force" me to do some good Feng Shui-ing via cleaning. Once my invite was issued, there was no going back.
So instead of begrudging ever speck of dirt that had to be attended to, I instead viewed it as the Universe coming to materialize my goal: every dirt that got swiped, every box that had to be carted out of the way, every piece of junk that had to be recognized and trashed - for each and everyone of them, I told myself that was another bit of good Feng Shui coming in. And so it was .....
I/We had a bloody good time come BBQ day. Thai and Giovanni had also brought along their good friends from Bali: Paul (Faith) & JJ (Janet Nguyen). They are the nicest, NICEST people. A delight and joy! See - good Feng Shui works!!!! :D
But good time, though (hopefully) had by all, was still not the full package that Feng Shui brought in. I had the absolute pleasure of meeting this gorgeous little lady.
This little parcel of goodness sitting next to me is Janet Nguyen (aka JJ). The reason you see me giddily clutching onto the cookbook "Songs of Sapa
" (by Luke Nguyen) is because I had just been informed that they are cousins! And truly, it is the shameless (like yours truly) who are happy to clutch onto reflected glory no matter how tenuous! :D
But really, it is not just that JJ is Luke's cousin that I seem so extra giddy with joy. (OK, there is a bit of alcohol in that mix as well!) JJ actually fell in love with one of my pieces when she kindly asked to see some of the things that I make.
After being inspired by the wondrous colors of Ayala Bar, this piece had been my first foray into colour fantasy with mix media. And JJ loved it! That was decidedly one of my squeeze-myself-grinning-insanely-with-glee moments of the day.
And a few days later, JJ is cruising resplendently with the necklace, like a sumptuous gem on the oceans of Sydney.
However all that, sinfully but joyfully superficial as it was, was not all that Feng Shui brought in for me that day. Paul, JJ's partner, was an absolute sweetheart but I didn't get to really chat to him at any length other than to be left with a lingering urge to squeeze him coz he seems so laid back and sweet. Nor was it just that it was wondrously, deliciously crazy & fun to catch up with Thai and Giovanni after so long. Nor that some of our good friends were there to add to the spice of the BBQ day: Brett Morrison, Brett Asmus, Maz Smith. Nor even that Pete kindly did just about all the cooking and roasting and BBQ-ing.
One of the best delights of the day was getting to know JJ a bit more. It is not everyday that one is fortunate enough to meet someone, at first brush, who makes one feel as if it is like meeting long lost friends again. It is not everyday that one meets a stranger who seems more friend than chance acquaintance. So I felt over-the-moon lucky that That & Giovanni (or G&T as I call them as they are associated deeply in my psyche with "good times" - just like Gin & Tonic!!!) brought Paul & JJ into our lives.
Hey, Pete and I even got an invite to their beautiful, romantic, hide-away villa in Bali (Villa Biru-Biru)! Now it is only a matter of persuading Pete to want to go to Bali. (Yes, some people are loveable but strange!)
And just to show you how tempting their Villa Biru-Biru is (not to mention that you also get an hour in-villa massage!!! WooHoo!), here are some thumbnail shots of the villa:
Note: you can also find out more about Villa Biru-Biru at http://www.privatehomesandvillas.com/phv/villadetail.aspx?strID=BiruBiru.
As per usual, I have been absolutely long-winded. But I hope you get the core of the Feng Shui-ing message: Cleaning ain't Heavy when you have Feng Shui to come! And how lucky, fortunate, and Delighted I am to have Feng Shui sweep into our lives - beloved old friends and happy-fying new ones!
A flaw that used to rack me but now I accept as part of my less-developed aspects :) However Feng Shui can make a difference to keeping the house clean. "Of couse", you say, "that is just common sense. Duh!"
However that is not quite what I mean. I mean Thinking Feng Shui Makes Cleaning Easy /Easier.
 |
| Our House - the way it USED TO look |
Before, whenever I had to clean up (usually after a much protracted bout of well-developed procrastination or when infrequent visitors "insisted" on coming by), it was a CHORE!
Cleaning I guess, in comparison to so many other things we have to do in life, is a walk in the park. It ain't that hard and does not require a huge amount of smarts nor ingenuity. So why is just keeping the house clean and tidy such a hard thing to do?
Well, for one thing, it is BORING! But for me, I think the biggest hurdle and largest dis-incentive is my brain is chuffing at the chains, wanting to go on and do all the other things that are so much fun - like new projects, or photos to list, or things to make, or ideas to percolate. So being stuck for hours at a time (or even minutes that seem like hours) cleaning house is just so much pain.
Yeah, yeah .. but when does the Feng Shui bit come in?
For a myriad of connected but overly subtle reasons, a light e-book on Feng Shui happened to fall onto my lap at the start of this year as Peter and I were flying home to Sydney. And my ever hopeful brain thought that it was about time we created some good Feng Shui in our places of living and work. So I "promised" myself that I would try and keep a cleaner, neater house so that better Feng Shui would come visit.
 |
| Thai Ping Wong and I |
So then, after my foolish fingers had issued the invitation - I knew that my body would insist I do cleaning. With me, after cleaning, the house never looks pristine. But if you could see the before and after shots, you would surely appreciate the difference; pristine or not!
It took me from morn to morn (2am!) before I finished up cleaning. This was just the day before the BBQ. BUT, the cleaning process was not a chore! (Shock! Horror! What?!)
It really is all in the mind. I had somehow successfully placated myself that this abnormal invitation from me was the Universe's way of coming to make my goals materialize. My good intentions of keeping a clean house would have fallen into The Road to Nothing-Happening is Paved with Good Intentions, as has ever been the case in the past. Something had to happen to "force" me to do some good Feng Shui-ing via cleaning. Once my invite was issued, there was no going back.
So instead of begrudging ever speck of dirt that had to be attended to, I instead viewed it as the Universe coming to materialize my goal: every dirt that got swiped, every box that had to be carted out of the way, every piece of junk that had to be recognized and trashed - for each and everyone of them, I told myself that was another bit of good Feng Shui coming in. And so it was .....
I/We had a bloody good time come BBQ day. Thai and Giovanni had also brought along their good friends from Bali: Paul (Faith) & JJ (Janet Nguyen). They are the nicest, NICEST people. A delight and joy! See - good Feng Shui works!!!! :D
But good time, though (hopefully) had by all, was still not the full package that Feng Shui brought in. I had the absolute pleasure of meeting this gorgeous little lady.
 |
| with Janet Nguyen |
This little parcel of goodness sitting next to me is Janet Nguyen (aka JJ). The reason you see me giddily clutching onto the cookbook "Songs of Sapa" (by Luke Nguyen) is because I had just been informed that they are cousins! And truly, it is the shameless (like yours truly) who are happy to clutch onto reflected glory no matter how tenuous! :DBut really, it is not just that JJ is Luke's cousin that I seem so extra giddy with joy. (OK, there is a bit of alcohol in that mix as well!) JJ actually fell in love with one of my pieces when she kindly asked to see some of the things that I make.
 |
| Mixed Media Color Fantasy I (CH0199) |
And a few days later, JJ is cruising resplendently with the necklace, like a sumptuous gem on the oceans of Sydney.
 |
| Thai Ping, Paul, Janet Nguyen, Giovanni |
However all that, sinfully but joyfully superficial as it was, was not all that Feng Shui brought in for me that day. Paul, JJ's partner, was an absolute sweetheart but I didn't get to really chat to him at any length other than to be left with a lingering urge to squeeze him coz he seems so laid back and sweet. Nor was it just that it was wondrously, deliciously crazy & fun to catch up with Thai and Giovanni after so long. Nor that some of our good friends were there to add to the spice of the BBQ day: Brett Morrison, Brett Asmus, Maz Smith. Nor even that Pete kindly did just about all the cooking and roasting and BBQ-ing.
One of the best delights of the day was getting to know JJ a bit more. It is not everyday that one is fortunate enough to meet someone, at first brush, who makes one feel as if it is like meeting long lost friends again. It is not everyday that one meets a stranger who seems more friend than chance acquaintance. So I felt over-the-moon lucky that That & Giovanni (or G&T as I call them as they are associated deeply in my psyche with "good times" - just like Gin & Tonic!!!) brought Paul & JJ into our lives.
Hey, Pete and I even got an invite to their beautiful, romantic, hide-away villa in Bali (Villa Biru-Biru)! Now it is only a matter of persuading Pete to want to go to Bali. (Yes, some people are loveable but strange!)
 |
| Villa Biru-Biru - Private Romance at Night |
 |
| click Villa Biru-Biru to see more |
Note: you can also find out more about Villa Biru-Biru at http://www.privatehomesandvillas.com/phv/villadetail.aspx?strID=BiruBiru.
As per usual, I have been absolutely long-winded. But I hope you get the core of the Feng Shui-ing message: Cleaning ain't Heavy when you have Feng Shui to come! And how lucky, fortunate, and Delighted I am to have Feng Shui sweep into our lives - beloved old friends and happy-fying new ones!
