In Dunedin, we met 2 cool people: Chris and Val. Coincidentally, they live in Singapore, and we met them on Saturday.
They invited us to go on a tour of Singapore. We walked into a very old temple dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea. There were a few people offering things, praying and burning incense. I also learned that it was a landmark of Singapore. A few minutes of walking around it and we came out. Then we walked next to the Fullerton Hotel, a very old hotel. In the past it was not a hotel, it was a post office. It is a very grand and old building. After that we went across the bridge and went to the Asian Civilizations Museum, a big museum that tells about how people lived in Asia. We learned the difference between a Buddha and a Bodhisattva. The Buddha is the person on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. A Bodhisattva is the Sanskrit term for anyone who wishes to be just like Buddha for the benefit of all living things.
They often look alike, so here is a question.
How can you tell the difference between a Buddha and a Bodhisattva, if you see a statue or a painting?
a. facial hair
b. jewellery
c. all of the above
(Answer in the next story)
The next day we went to the Singapore Botanical Gardens. It is VERY big, with lots of cool trees. There is an Orchid garden and a lot of surprises. For example, when we were walking to the orchid garden, we saw what was probably a monitor lizard crawling around! Everyone was shocked!
When we came to the orchid garden we first went to the misthouse. It contained the most rare flowers and hybrids in the orchid garden. Some flowers had traps and the misthouse also had a sample of the national plant of Singapore. It’s a special orchid called Vanda Miss Joaquim. It was named after the person who first grew it. I also learned that some scenes in a James Bond movie were filmed in this orchid garden (as well as in the Marina Bay Sands Hotel that we could see from our window!). Bond loves Singapore. So do I.
(answer for the Buddha question is c. all of the above: both the jewellery and facial hair!)
Comments (7)
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Monika Bertling December 19, 2016
Hi Emilian! Very interesting story ! You are really a great writer . Happy birthday to you ⛱ Enjoy your day !
Monika Bertling December 19, 2016
Very interesting! You are a great writer :-) With best wishes and happy birthday dear Emilian Monika &Baldur
Jeffrey Smith December 19, 2016
Hi Emilian! Happy Birthday! I just left you a long message, but I'm not sure it got posted. I'll give it some time, and if it isn't there, I'll re-write it (or something like it). Best, Jeff
Jeffrey Smith December 19, 2016
OK, I can see it didn't get posted. So, I'm hoping you have a great day and that eight is a great year for you! It was my favorite birthday and favorite year (and since I'm 66 now, I've had a lot of years to compare it to). When I was a young man (ask Evan), you couldn't do stuff until you were eight. So I got to join Cub Scouts and play Little League baseball when I turned eight. I also got a Kodak camera for my birthday, which I loved! It used film and flashbulbs (ask your grandfather). You had to take it to the pharmacy to get the film developed and the pictures back. And you only got 8 shots in a roll, and as an eight year old, I didn't exactly have a lot of money, so I had to be very careful. Now I have a phone that will take as many pictures as I want instantly. But you know what? I'm about to buy another camera! I love cameras. So, you have a great day and a great eighth year! Chewy, Doc, Ollie, Teddy, Willow, and Lisa are all wishing you a wonderful day! Best wishes, Your mate, Jeff
Emilian Andrew Lipnevich December 19, 2016
I loved reading your comments. It was such a great story! I read it out loud to everyone. Thank you for the wishes and please say hi to everyone from us! We miss you!
Jeff Smith January 9, 2017
Emilian, you should continue your blog! It's great to read about what you're doing and it will continue to develop your already amazing writing skills! Best, Jeff
Jeffrey Smith December 19, 2016
Happy Birthday, Emilian! Hope it's a great one and that eight is a great year for you! Eight was my favorite birthday as I go to join Cub Scouts and play Little League baseball for the first time at age eight! Also, I got a camera for my birthday. It used film and you had to put in a flash bulb each time you wanted to take a picture. Eight shots on a roll, and then you had to pay to have it developed. Took forever (it seemed to me). And then, sometimes, your shots came out really poor! You wouldn't know until you go them back. So have a great day and start to a great year! The boys, Willow, and Lisa all say Hi!