Zhu Chong gave away his calf

Here is my simple translated version of the story contained in the Chinese Text Book of Virtues, Book one, Chapter on Shame. Please pardon my translation errors and let me know if you spot any errors.
During the Jin Dynasty, there was this man named Zhu Chong who love to read. He was very poor and farmed. One day, his neighbour lost a calf. He mistook Zhu Cong's calf as his lost one and brought it home. The lost calf was later found in the forest. The owner was ashamed of his impulsive deed and brought Zhu Chong's calf back to him. However, Zhu Chong declined to accept the calf.
On several occasions, an ox intruded into Zhu Chong's farm and stepped on his crops. Zhu Cong did not show any signs of anger and even brought out forage to feed the intruding ox. Knowing this, the ox's owner felt ashamed and from that time onwards, managed his ox well so that it would not intrude into other people's farm.
After some time, the court issued an order to summon Zhu Chong to be a court official. Zhu Chong declined on reason of illness and later escaped to the mountains. The remote mountains where he dwelt was near the border of another country. The people of that remote region regarded him as a lord.
Original Chinese story available HERE 《德育课本》,初集卷一,《二十四耻》, 编号 : dykb1-08, story number 12).

The veins of life

One day I came across a roadside tree whose leaves caught my attention. It is shaped like a heart or perhaps, like an apple. What I find most striking and beautiful are the veins, so subtlely well defined. Nature is simply marvellous.

An excerpt from William Blake's poem - "Auguries of Innocence" :

To see a world in a grain of sand
And heaven in a wild flower
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.

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What do you "see" in the veins of the leaves?

Li Zhong and the Earthquake

Here is my simple translated version of the story contained in the Chinese Text Book of Virtues, Book one, Chapter on Filial Piety. Please pardon my translation errors and let me know if you spot any errors.
During the Yuan Dynasty, there was a filial son by the name of Li Zhong who lived in the Jin Ning area. Li Zhong's father passed away when he was very young and he lived together with his mother. He was a very dutiful and filial son, taking good care of his mother. In the seventh year of 'Da De' at the month of August, a very big earthquake occurred. During the earthquake, a mountain moved and caused the collapse of many houses. The number of houses destroyed or buried numbered more than ten thousand and countless people died. Strangely, when the mountain moved to some distance near Li Zhong's house, it splitted into two and moved past the house, leaving the house intact. After moving a little distance away from Li Zhong's house, the splitted mountain merged again. In that region, only Li Zhong's house was not damaged by the earthquake.
Earthquake that resulted in the movement of mountain was a terrible calamity and the resulting affected area was huge. Only the house of one with utmost filial piety survived the quake with no damage. There are many other ancient stories of filial piety which showed filial sons and daughters surviving unharm from natural calamities and epidemic.
Original Chinese story available HERE 《德育课本》,初集卷一,《二十四孝》, 编号 : dykb1-01, story number 23).

Photos of the Southern Ridges

Dear all,

here are some photos of the Southern ridges :

http://picasaweb.google.com/bluesky003/Southridges20080519 (Henderson waves, Forest walk through the elevated walkways, Alexandra Arch)

http://picasaweb.google.com/bluesky003/Hortpark20080524 (Hortpark)

In Hortpark, there is this dancing plant which is located in the
Bougainvillea kingdom. Here are two videos showing the dancing plants in action :

http://www.crisp.nus.edu.sg/~albert/Hortpark20080524/plant1.html

http://www.crisp.nus.edu.sg/~albert/Hortpark20080524/plant2.html


If you want to find out more about this dancing plant including its purchase, check out the following sites :

http://www.banneechen.com.sg/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/979

http://www.banneechen.com.sg/catalog/index.php/cPath/3?osCsid=ff0892857419173d0bacc11ef2094068

Making a rainbow

I recalled that in my secondary school I came across a science book from the school library that demonstrated a simple method of producing a rainbow without the need of using a prism. I tested out the method at that time and it worked, much to my amazement and joy. After so many years, I again tested out this method and it still worked! The 'created' rainbow showed itself on my kitchen wall as shown in Image 1. The method is very simple, simply get a basin of water and a mirror. Partially submerge the mirror, tilted at an angle, in the basin of water under sunlight. As the sunlight gets reflected by the mirror, refracted by the water and travelled out of the water, it will make a rainbow as the seven colours of white light travel at different speeds in water. Here are more methods under wikiHow : http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Rainbow. You have heard of wikipedia but probably not wikiHow : http://www.wikihow.com/Main-Page.

Farm visit on 1 May 2008

Recently I visited a farm in Neo Tew Crescent (Near Kranji), it grows wheat grass, edible cactus, aloe vera, several types of mushrooms etc.
Here are some of the photos which I took :

http://picasaweb.google.com/bluesky003/Farmvisit20080501

At the bus stop outside Kranji MRT, there is this bus service known as Kranji Express which transports passengers to many farms at Kranji countryside (Neo Tew Road, Neo Tew Crescent etc). It operates from 9 am to 5 pm daily, including weekends and public holidays (it stops at the farm opposite Sungei Buloh Nature reserve as well)

Links :
http://www.kinyan.biz/index.html
http://www.kranjicountryside.com/template/contact.html
http://www.kranjicountryside.com/template/farmpreneurs.html
http://www.kranjicountryside.com/template/schedule.html

George Washington's Rules of Civility

George Washington was United States first President. During the early eighteenth century when he was young, he copied out 110 Rules of Civility into a notebook. He took the rules seriously and practised them diligently with great self-discipline.

From the rules, you will find courtesy, respect, humility, morality etc, qualities and hallmarks of great men.

Reference :

http://www.foundationsmag.com/civility.html