Simple Living:

How to live the simple life
without leaving home.

© 2004 Arleen M. Kaptur

The trend of today for many people is to live the "simple life." However, what exactly is the simple life?

There are as many answers to this question as there are individuals looking to find the peace and contentment that seems so evasive. Yet, in their hearts there is a void, an empty spot that modern consumption just cannot fill.

So, people sit there pondering what they can do to live the simple life, while the television's volume is on high and the voice mail fills up with messages. After all this thinking, hunger comes into play. A quick trip to McDonald's or Burger King and then back home to an evening of station- broadcast news and opinions, and then the comedies of late-night shows. You know, the no-holds-barred laughter at everything and anything, and nothing is beyond being the butt of jokes.

The Simple Life is right there in your heart and in your home. It just needs a little dusting off, or perhaps you can move some of your possessions to the side to make room for Simple Life to breathe some fresh air and come into play in your life.

Whoa! how can a person have the simple life right there when real simple life is living in the woods with the bears and the deer and hunting and fishing for your food. Yes, there are some that find this type of life very satisfying, and then there are those that do not.

Who is correct? Both are indeed correct. The Simple Life is not letting your possessions control you, it is living within your means and not worrying about mounting debt, and it is laughter, quiet, and learning and evaluating all that goes around you.

It is not accepting what you see on television or the internet as written in stone; for in fact, it is someone's opinion or view of a situation and it may or may not be yours.

It is not joining every group, committee, or cause, so that there is no time for family, friends, and individualism.

In a few words, it is getting the most from your particular life, by doing away with what is not necessary and concentrating on what is important and life- sustaining. Life - whether physical, spiritual, or social - it is having the time for those you love and for those you would like to know and love.

It is stepping outside to a sky filled with stars and to find peace in the patter of rain- drops on your window.

It is taking a deep breath and clearing your mind, and it is the aroma of a good meal, the sound of children laughing, and the touch of a person who loves you.

The Simple Life - you can live in the woods or on an island, you can fish all day or garden, you can read and learn, or write a song.

It is enjoying every minute of every day in the way that brings peace and tranquility into your life, keeps you out of debt, and that old belief of "keeping up with the neighbors" is put to rest.

It is being yourself but more importantly, being true to yourself.

It is having the peace of mind to open your mind and it is setting no limits or boundaries to what you can imagine and also to what you can accomplish.

It is having the joy of a morning sunrise and the tranquility of a sunset.

It is knowing that Nature cannot be ravaged but must be kept for future generations to enjoy and it is having the wisdom that money does not buy friends or happiness but good will does.

Enjoy!

Arleen has written books and articles on simple rustic living. Go to www.arleenssite.com for a free newsletter and some tips and ideas.

Nasi Dagang is one of my favourite when I am still staying in Sg Lembing and Kuantan. You dont find it easily available in Klang Valley.

Ming Tien Food Court at Taman Megah has a nice and comfy environment for dining. It also has six VIP rooms for those who seek privacy.

It is half-open and half sheltered. There are an estimated of about 60 food stalls here. Nobody has any excuse about not finding his own choice of food item.

More than 100 types of food -- local, fusion, western, etc.

All of the stalls were selected after the food has been tasted by the management.

This Curry Mee stall @ Ming Tien Food Court serve good Curry Mee and Ipoh Dry Curry Mee.
I have not yet tried their Ipoh Hor Fun. There are newspaper cuttings on review done by The Star and Oriental Post pasted on the stall.

For lunch today, I took Ricky to tried it. The Laksa come with generous amount of ingredient (Char Siew, Siew York and Chicken). The different between the wet and dry laksa is that the Dry one have more lemak.

Your Luck and lucky symbols for the year of the Fire Boar 2007

Rat

The coming year will not be an easy one for the Rat . There are indications of poor luck in love, problems with health, and monetary loss through being cheated. You will find obstacles of all sorts disrupting projects and tasks you undertake. The good news is that there is money and success luck in store if you take a proactive and aggressive stance and stay focused on the task at hand. Although success will not come easily, victory will be sweet, as you will need to work very hard for it. You can improve your luck if you carry the necessary amulets for the year and take steps to control the conflicting stars in your chart. Carry a Rhinoceros key chain or amulet with you to keep cheats away. It is recommended you either wear the Chundi medallion or display the Chundi Mirror such that the mirrored side faces the entrance to your home as this will protect your home and bring good luck. To enhance for wealth, display symbols such as a 6 bulbs of Golden Garlic or the Pak Choi in your living room. Protect your money by sleeping with a Lock Coin underneath your pillow. To improve your relationships, wear the 2-eye Dzi and carry the 2007 Ally Coin Amulet with you. Stay healthy by placing the Brass 8 Immortal Wu Luo with the 8 Trigrams in the center of your living room.


Ox

2007 will be very difficult for the Ox . The stars of the year are not in harmony with your chart and will bring serious afflictions in the form of mishaps, accidents, and major obstacles, as well as misfortunes of every kind. You will not know when bad luck may strike, so it is important that you take the necessary steps to control the unlucky stars first and enhance for good luck second. There is some good luck in your chart. However, because the energies are not in balance, you may see opportunities coming into your life yet fail to actualize your luck. The main affliction of the year is of earth energy, so you need to wear plenty of metal jewelry such as the Gold Mantra Ring , or the Chundi Medallion in order to neutralize the bad earth energy. Illness is another affliction that will affect you, thus you should hang the Whirling Wu Luo in the center of your home or alternatively you may display 2 pieces of the 5-element Pagoda filled with earth to control the illness-bringing energies. To enhance for wealth luck, wear the 8 Eyes Dzi for luck from the 8 directions and display the 3 Emperor’s Luck Figurines in the West corner of your living room to bring powerful mentors into your life. Transform any residual bad energy into good energy by placing the Luck Transforming Windmill beside your bed, and make sure you spin the fan clockwise 3 times each day. You should also protect your home by placing a pair of Fu Dogs Seated Beside The Mountain such that it faces the main entrance to your home.

Tiger

Things will not go smoothly for Tiger this year as your chart is afflicted with unlucky stars. However, the intrinsic energies of your astrological animal will help in controlling the amount of bad luck that affects you. It is possible for you to overcome the bad luck as so long as you take a positive and assertive stance. Be confident and stay on your decided course of action. Do not allow yourself to be led astray by others. The secret to banishing bad luck this year is to surround yourself with more metal energy by wearing the Gold Mystical Knot Pendant , or a Gold Mantra Ring . Nothing will come easily this year, so watch out for what appears to be freebies; as people with ulterior motives will surround you. Attract genuine mentors and helpful people by carrying the 2007 Ally Coin Amulet with you at all times. Beware of people born in the year of the Dog this year, as there are indications of confrontations leading to bad results. Wear the 1-Eye Dzi to overcome all obstacles or the Heaven & Earth Dzi , to balance the conflicting energies in your chart. Display the Flying Pi Xie in the Northwest corner of your home, to avoid incuring the wrath of the God of the Year. Hang the Medicine Mandala in the central wall of your home to control illness luck that comes yourway. To bring wealth luck, display the 6-tier waterfall of wealth accompanied by an aventurine dragon figurine and place this in the Northeast corner of your living room.

Rabbit

This will be a very energetic year for the Rabbit , as you will face a host of life decisions. Most of your thoughts will be focused on what you wish to do with your future. The energies surrounding you is charged with fire energy so there is a risk of emotional or physical breakdown if you do not get sufficient rest. Older Rabbits may experience excessive stress, which can lead to hypertension. This is an excellent year to take time off work to rest and recharge. The highlight of this year is friendship and you will be wise to take the opportunity to widen your network of friends and find new mentors. Carry the 2007 Ally Coin to ensure you make friends with the right kinds of people. Water energy will rejuvenate your intrinsic energy, so display a Rolling Ball Water Feature in the East corner of your home. Display the Deer Straddled With Ingots , to help cultivate strong friendship bonds and invite in good luck. Wear the 12-Eye Dzi on your left wrist to bring positive energy. It is very important that you start off the year correctly by growing Lucky Bamboo or sprouting Narcissus bulbs in the Southeast corner of your living room before the start of the Chinese New Year to create strong growth energy in your home. Make it more auspicious by attaching 8 sets of 3 Dynasty Coins that have been tied with red thread to the plants. Invite new wealth luck into your home by placing the 3-Legged Pi Kan in your living room. You may also display eight 3-Legged Toads dragging in ten generations of money to bring monetary income from the 8 directions.

Dragon

This year, Dragon will be luckier than last year as new opportunities present themselves. You will have the luxury of choosing which path to take. It is a transformational year; one where you can expect major changes in your life, with possible changes in lifestyle and direction. Therefore, it is a good year to undertake new studies and improve oneself. Investment luck is promising, but you should be discerning over how you invest your money as funds locked in one place may turn out to be opportunity lost elsewhere. To enhance your career, or to improve promotion luck, you should display the Dragon Tortoise holding the Ru Yi or, alternatively, display the Chi Lin stepping on the education implements . Young Dragons should enhance their study luck by placing the Baby Straddling a Chinese Brush as this brings excellent teachers and mentors. Wear the 7-Eye Dzi to enhance the seven kinds of good luck. Carry the Education Amulet with you for positive luck. This is a year for you to complete projects started in past years, so you should place a Lin Zhi Ru Yi on your work desk for help. You should also call on your secret friend the Rooster by placing a figurine of the Hen Laying Eggs to assist in realizing your goals. For those who prefer to invest their money in speculative investments such as shares, or trust funds, display the “Mah Shiong Fong Hao Yeng Horse ” on your work desk. If you run your own business, display the Camel Sitting on Ingots behind you while at work to ensure excellent financial returns for 2007.

Snake

The Snake is in direct conflict with the Grand Duke Jupiter this year, thus you will need to be extra careful and avoid offending others otherwise the backlash can be quite severe. They need to be careful with who they trust as they may have anonymous adversaries with a hidden agenda. Do not give in to impulsive decisions this year but let your natural tendency for caution guide you to avoid getting cheated. Your wealth luck is better than last year, in order to boost your own luck, you need to display a Snake figurine made from brass on your work desk. The snake is the natural enemy of the Boar, and together, they create a “self-clash” penalty. Your lucky pendant for the year is the Gold Mantra Ring , inscribed with powerful mantras to dispel bad luck and create good luck. The
Snake is in direct conflict with the Grand Duke Jupiter, thus needs to display a Flying Pi Xie in the Northwest corner of their homes to appease the God of the Year. To boost their inherent good luck, people born in the year of the Snake should wear the 10-eye Dzi . More than in other years, 2007 will be a year when the Snake needs the help and support of their allies, and the easiest method to do this is to carry the 2007 Ally amulet with them at all times. The Snake will find their energy levels improved over 2006, but their general health still needs to be protected with the 8 Immortals Wu Luo with the 8 Trigrams placed in the center of their home. 2007 is also a good year for them to improve knowledge and skills, by displaying the Qi Lin with the 4 Education Implements , or by carrying the Education amulet with them.

Horse

The horse will enjoy plenty of opportunities and wealth luck this year. Prospects for increasing their income is good with many opportunities coming their way. They should accept promotions and increased responsibilities without asking too many questions and not worry about how they are going to cope, as the year will bring many helpful people into their lives. To further enhance for excellent mentors, the Horse should display the Kuan Kung Sitting on a Horse in the Northwest corner of their home or office. There is strong leadership luck this year and what you need to do to bring easy victory is to display the Pair of Horses Standing on Swallows in the South corner of the living room. It is also a good year to join a political party if you have not already done so, as your allies and friends are supporting you. Tap into heaven’s luck by displaying figurines of the 3 Emperors in the living room. To ensure relationship luck is at its peak, activate the mountain star #8 in your home with a Yang Mountain Painting . Make your deepest wishes come true with the Wish Fulfilling Jewel or the Wish Fulfilling Wheel filled with 8,888 copies of your wishes. The second half of the year will prove very lucky for you. Make the most of your good luck this year, as you will be confronting the Grand Duke Jupiter in 2008. Increase the number of sources of income with eight 3-Legged Toads bringing income from the 8 direction of the compass. Place the toads underneath the sofa, or tucked under the furniture to bring plenty of secret wealth.

Sheep

The Sheep is truly blessed this year. They are singularly the luckiest of all zodiac animals in 2007. Good luck will shine on you this year with much good fortune and happiness coming you way. There are signs of possible inc eases in income and wealth provided you contain the ill energies of the year. The elements of the year have an excessive amount of earth energy, which may lead to lost opportunities for the Sheep. To avoid this from happening, the Sheep should wear the Gold Mantra Ring inscribed with mystical symbols for removing all obstacles and making you wishes come true. To enhance for wealth luck, the Sheep will need to display a 6-Tier Waterfall with either a Green Aventurine Dragon or the 5 Jambalas of wealth in the Southwest of their living room. For those who have their own business, wear an Abacus Pendant made from gold to bring plenty of business. Your luck knows no bounds this year, so you can make your deepest wishes come true with the 21-Eye Dzi . The elements of the year are in disharmony, thus you good luck may attract the attention of bad people. Protect your home from ill-intentioned people by placing a pair of Fu Dogs Sitting Beside The Mountain near the main entrance of your home. Carry the 2007 Ally Amulet to ensure you have the luck of powerful friends. For those in positions of authority, display a Ru Yi on your work desk for genuine promotions and good career luck.

Monkey

A fruitful and successful year awaits the Monkey , with health, wealth and plenty of good fortune. The elements in your chart indicate plenty of wealth-making opportunities while fueling you with the energy necessary to take advantage of these opportunities. There is also an indication that older Monkeys will be drawn to some forms of spiritual pursuits. There is windfall luck, which is the kind that brings income from investment, speculation and lottery winnings. To bring good opportunities into your life, display 8 Auspicious Birds in your garden or living room. Unfortunately the Monkey is also in side conflict with the God of the Year, which means they may encounter some obstacles or problems. They will need to display the Flying Pi Xie or a pair of Pi Yao in the Northwest to appease the Grand Duke Jupiter. Wear a Fabulous Bird Dzi to bring recognition and fame luck. On the career front, there is good luck to be had and you can further enhance promotion luck by placing the Monkey sitting on a Horse , or alternatively the “Mah Shiong Fong Hao Yeng Horse ”, on your work desk. To invite excellent wealth opportunities, display the 3-Legged Pi Kan facing the front door. Relationship luck is also good this year as your Peach Blossom Luck blossoms. You may expect increased intergenerational social interaction. As there is a possibility of legal issues, you should display figurines of the 4 Celestial Kings in your living room. The prescribed yearly amulet for you is the Chundi Amulet, to protect you from all kinds of unforeseeable misfortune.

Rooster

The Rooster fares better this year with lucky stars flying into their chart. There is wealth luck indicated, but most of this luck will be tied to connections you make over the course of the year. This is a period of renewal for the Rooster, who emerges after a rocky year stronger and readier then ever to make good things that had to be put on hold for whatever reason. It’s like you have been stuck at the red traffic lights for too long, and will be ready to go ahead once the lights turn green. Roosters should carry the 2007 Ally Amulet or display a set of their Ally and Friend Figurines on their work desk to enhance networking luck. To avoid petty arguments and quarrels spoiling their luck for the year, they should place the Ksitigarbha Staff in the Northwest corner of their living room. Married Roosters should also wear the Double Happiness Pendant to protect their marriage. Single Roosters should wear the 2-Eye Dzi . The Rooster is afflicted by the annual 3 killings, thus they should place the 3 Divine Guardians in the West corner of their home or living room. To enhance health luck, Roosters should hang the Medicine Mandala in the center of their home. 2007 is a great year forthe Rooster to improve their skills by learning new things. Thus this is a good year for you to go back to school for that additional qualification you have been always wanting to do. To enhance for good education luck, display the Dragon Tortoise holding the Ru Yi in the Northeast.

Dog

The Dog will encounter a mediocre year in 2007. On average, there will be good months as well as months where luck will be rather poor. Problems arising from petty squabbles will be common throughout the year. While people born in the year of the Dog are normally mild mannered and patient, 2007 will unveil a dark side to the Dog’s personality. You could suffer from severe stress and as a result, you may feel physically very tired. Your energy is generally afflicted this year and what you need to do to curb this argumentative energy is to display the Ksitigarbha Staff in the Northwest of your bedroom. Matured Dogs should consider wearing the “Hum” syllable in gold as an amulet for the year to ward off ill health due to stress. Protect your home with a pair of Fu Dogs sitting Beside the Mountain , placed such that they face the main entrance to you home. As petty quarrels may lead to large problems with relationships, it will be wise of the Dog to carry the 2007 Ally Coin with them at all times. To bring good luck in the form of increased income, they must wear the Gold Mantra Ring as this will help remove obstacles and bring good luck. Because their intrinsic element is earth, this will make the Dog more susceptible to the illness that afflicts the year. Thus they should place 3 pieces of 5-Element Pagoda in the center of their home to neutralize the bad energy. For enterprising Dog, display a Camel Sitting On A Pile of Ingots behind their office desk to ensure they will remain financially strong.


Boar

The Boar is afflicted by the stars of the year as the Grand Duke Jupiter flies into their sector. In addition, this is a year where the elements of the year are in conflict, thus the Boar is considered to be in “self-conflict” which leads to the Grand Duke creating all sorts of problems. To appease the Grand Duke, place a pair of the Flying Pi Xie or the Pi Yao in the Northwest corner of the home. The yearly stars also bring lots of hostile energy and this means the Boar will be very touchy and irritable throughout 2007. To subdue the hostile energy, place a Ksitigarbha Staff in the Northwest of your bedroom. It will be a good idea for those born in the year of the Boar to carry the “Wor Peng” Amulet to keep their lives peaceful. They should also carry the Ling Zhi Amulet , as this will assist them in overcoming the bad luck of the year. There is a measure of wealth luck in your chart where financial gains will come in the nick of time. In order to ensure that income remains constant, place the pair of 3-Legged Pi Kan in the living room. You should also display a 6-Tier Waterfall with either a Green Aventurine Dragon or the 5 Jambalas of wealth in the Southwest corner of your living room. There is a strong chance that you may lose some money towards the middle of the year, so it will be wise to carry a Double Horn Rhinoceros with you.