The Ohtanis and Sita - Ready for Tennis
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Losing A Nephew to Cancer
He was just fifty, considered by many as still young. He was at the peak of his career. He was energetic and full of enthusiasm in whatever he does. He worked for a well known computer company and was well regarded by his superiors, peers and subordinates alike. He was a good magician too and entertained friends, relatives and young children whenever he can and when called upon. He has a friendly disposition, easily approachable and is humble. But now he is gone. He had cancer and succumbed. Some say the Almighty loves him more and hence take him away from us and yet some say that he still has more to offer to those around him. The fact remains that he is gone and will not come back. Cancer has again taken its toll.
He was Ram’s nephew, the youngest offspring of Ram’s late eldest brother.
Just over a year ago Ram lost a niece, the eldest daughter of her late elder sister, to cancer too. In between there were others, friends and relatives who succumbed to the same disease.
Statistics shows that cancer is the second highest cause of deaths in most countries while it is now already the highest in the US and UK. It is estimated to be the highest killer in most countries by the year 2020, and that is not too far away. It is sad really and what’s even sadder is the fact that our modern lifestyles are, to a certain extent, a major contributor to the increased statistics.
Cancer is usually known or discovered when it is too late. Chemotherapy has traditionally been the only way to treat cancer. While chemotherapy does eliminate cancer cells to some extent, I was told, it also eliminates good cells as well.
Ram’s nephew started complaining of stomach pains some six months ago that did not go away on regular treatments. On close examination he was found to have cancer of the colon. He was scheduled for an operation to remove the cancerous portion of the colon but on opening up the surgeon found that it had spread to other parts and organs. It later spread to the liver, all within three months. He continued medical treatment but his condition continued to deteriorate until his passing a couple of weeks ago.
All the time he was in high spirits, at least he showed it to us when we were around him. He was very weak the last few weeks. It was also too late for us to get him to try qi gong, which we learnt can help cancer patients, and also too late for him to try other types of treatment that others suggested.
We had just returned from Bintulu when we heard of the passing of this nephew. We rushed to JB to attend his funeral and joined the family in prayers for him. All his siblings were there, including his sister who had just married off her daughter at a wedding ceremony held in Kuching, Sarawak where they now reside, a couple of days earlier. This wedding was the main reason for us being in Bintulu, as we had attended the wedding together with son Shaffik and Mini. It was only a 50 minutes flight from Kuching to Bintulu.
The last time we were in JB was for the Eidil Fitri celebration hence we took this opportunity to stay on in JB for a couple of days and spent time with mum as well. She is in good health but we notice that her memory is slowly fading. She is beginning to forget her routines, the prayer times and so on. Otherwise she is ok. At 85 years of age she has no complaints and that is a lot ok. May the Almighty bestow upon her continued good health so that she can continue her prayers and supplication to Him as she often does. Amin……….
MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya
He was Ram’s nephew, the youngest offspring of Ram’s late eldest brother.
Just over a year ago Ram lost a niece, the eldest daughter of her late elder sister, to cancer too. In between there were others, friends and relatives who succumbed to the same disease.
Statistics shows that cancer is the second highest cause of deaths in most countries while it is now already the highest in the US and UK. It is estimated to be the highest killer in most countries by the year 2020, and that is not too far away. It is sad really and what’s even sadder is the fact that our modern lifestyles are, to a certain extent, a major contributor to the increased statistics.
Cancer is usually known or discovered when it is too late. Chemotherapy has traditionally been the only way to treat cancer. While chemotherapy does eliminate cancer cells to some extent, I was told, it also eliminates good cells as well.
Ram’s nephew started complaining of stomach pains some six months ago that did not go away on regular treatments. On close examination he was found to have cancer of the colon. He was scheduled for an operation to remove the cancerous portion of the colon but on opening up the surgeon found that it had spread to other parts and organs. It later spread to the liver, all within three months. He continued medical treatment but his condition continued to deteriorate until his passing a couple of weeks ago.
All the time he was in high spirits, at least he showed it to us when we were around him. He was very weak the last few weeks. It was also too late for us to get him to try qi gong, which we learnt can help cancer patients, and also too late for him to try other types of treatment that others suggested.
We had just returned from Bintulu when we heard of the passing of this nephew. We rushed to JB to attend his funeral and joined the family in prayers for him. All his siblings were there, including his sister who had just married off her daughter at a wedding ceremony held in Kuching, Sarawak where they now reside, a couple of days earlier. This wedding was the main reason for us being in Bintulu, as we had attended the wedding together with son Shaffik and Mini. It was only a 50 minutes flight from Kuching to Bintulu.
The last time we were in JB was for the Eidil Fitri celebration hence we took this opportunity to stay on in JB for a couple of days and spent time with mum as well. She is in good health but we notice that her memory is slowly fading. She is beginning to forget her routines, the prayer times and so on. Otherwise she is ok. At 85 years of age she has no complaints and that is a lot ok. May the Almighty bestow upon her continued good health so that she can continue her prayers and supplication to Him as she often does. Amin……….
MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Qi Gong – The Art of Exercise and Healing
We attended a two day practical session of Qi Gong (pronounced Chi Gong) conducted by a renowned local ‘Master’ or ‘Seifu’ who is by profession a gynecologist. He has been practicing holistic medicine for more than 15 years. We had previously attended a full day Health Seminar and this two days practical session was a follow up of the previous health lecture session.
Arrangements for these Health Seminar and practical session was triggered at a tea talk organized by my Retirees Club more than a year ago. The talk, “the benefits of Qi Gong” was given by the Qi Gong Master, and members who attended the tea talk requested for a full session on health and Qi Gong. But the Seifu had his calendar full and it took us more than a year to get him. It was many thanks too to my previous employer, who made all the arrangements and picked up the tab on all expenses for the three days session.
The one day health seminar highlighted to us the advantages of eating right, and the benefits of exercises. We commonly hear of people talking about ‘eating right’, ‘eating a balanced diet’, ‘working out what we take in’, etc. But do we follow it? Do we know what they mean? How to balance our diet? Its all wishy washy and at the end of the day we keep gaining weight and with it all the risks associated with overweight and obesity. According to the Seifu when we are hungry our bodies actually are asking for nutrients. But what do we do when we are hungry. We feed on calories instead of nutrients. On a scale of 1 to 10 we usually take 6 to 7 calories (sometime more) and only 3 to 4 nutrients (sometime less) when our bodies actually need the reverse of that. We continue to do this every time we are hungry and then we wonder why we put on weight. Present day food, wet or dry, and those that we get off the supermarket, are mostly processed or grown artificially or chemically fertilized, such that their nutrient contents are much reduced. Hence calories content are high and nutrients low. If our body gets high nutrients we will get hungry much later.
On exercise the Seifu suggests we harness the elements of mind, body and life forces (qi or chi) within us. We may shed sweat from our body but we are really shedding water and not much calories. Harnessing the elements of mind, body and life forces do help in shedding the calories as well. There is also the benefit of keeping all the health risks at bay. The structured exercises, like yoga, tai chi, karate, tae kuan do, falun gong, salambam (I stand corrected on the spelling for this Indian art), qi gong and others help to lessen the health risks as these exercises do demand a lot of concentration in the mind and movement of the body and exciting life forces within the body. However, qi gong does more. It not only do these but also generate higher life forces or qi around us. It not only prevents sickness and diseases associated with modern living but also help reduce it from our body. One clear example of the benefit of qi gong, when done regularly, is the keeping at bay and also elimination of cancer cells from our body. Medical science has not acknowledged this but the examples of this benefit is numerous worldwide. Medical practitioners know the advantages, while some of them recognize the benefits but science, being what it is, to get proper medical findings and proofs to substantiate its benefits is difficult and reliance simply on the results achieved is not a usual scientific methodology of acknowledgement. We can call it an ‘act of God’ but science needs more than that!! Many cancer patients who practice qi gong have proven to survive for many years beyond the short life-span predicted by their Oncologists on discovering cancer cells in their bodies. In deed many have the cancer cells reduced and eliminated ultimately. It was this fact that influenced the Seifu to take up qi gong, studying under the close tutelage of the ‘Grand Master’ in China some twenty years ago. Thanks to his teachings too many of his patients diagnosed with cancer have since benefited from practicing qi gong.
We learnt breathing techniques in the two days session along with lots of practices in 18 ‘Super Qi Gong’ movements and four ways of ‘Qi Gong Walk’ which we were told are beneficial for keeping cancer cells at bay or eliminating them even, and also for keeping our hearts in good shape. We were also shown techniques for generating or exciting the qi and concentrating on it.
Breathing was to be stomach breathing through the nose, and the breath cycles deep and long. Ideally we should breathe about 10 breaths or less per minute (normal breathing are 17 to 24 cycles per minute). Lowering our breathing cycles has a lowering effect on blood pressure. I have tried it, doing slow breathing cycles for about 20 minutes to half an hour each time once or twice a day and regularly over a period of a few weeks and it did lower my blood pressure quite significantly. I tried this after reading something on the ‘net about controlled and slow breathing having an effect on blood pressure. I cannot remember what website it was but it was one that was selling some gadgets to assist in the slow breathing. Slow breathing relaxes the body, muscles, nerves and blood vessels and prolonged or repeated slow breathing, over an extended period of time, has its benefits on blood pressure and also heartbeats. Notice how your heart races when you are under stress, or when your adrenaline flow your heartbeat gets faster and faster, your breaths gets faster too and so will your blood pressure. It will only get higher. Hence the reverse is also true. When you get stressed its best that you practice slow breathing and relax your muscles to eliminate the stress. It can be therapeutic.
The super qi gong is slow, relaxed, movements of the body each of which has effects on specific parts and internal organs of the body, and the slow movements follow the rate of breathing and vice versa. So also the qi gong walk, the steps and movements are purposely accentuated which demands concentration and regulated breathing. Thus all the elements combined make for a healthy body.
For those interested to know more on qi gong can do a search in the ‘net by using qi gong as the key word or visit the following site: http://www.superqigong.com/ But reading about them only is not enough. Practice it and gain its benefits. Better still, join a group near you where you can have guided practice and do the movements correctly. Even if you do not get or excite the life forces or the qi in you, you get to exercise regularly and in a structured manner. Good luck and God Bless ……………….
MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya
Arrangements for these Health Seminar and practical session was triggered at a tea talk organized by my Retirees Club more than a year ago. The talk, “the benefits of Qi Gong” was given by the Qi Gong Master, and members who attended the tea talk requested for a full session on health and Qi Gong. But the Seifu had his calendar full and it took us more than a year to get him. It was many thanks too to my previous employer, who made all the arrangements and picked up the tab on all expenses for the three days session.
The one day health seminar highlighted to us the advantages of eating right, and the benefits of exercises. We commonly hear of people talking about ‘eating right’, ‘eating a balanced diet’, ‘working out what we take in’, etc. But do we follow it? Do we know what they mean? How to balance our diet? Its all wishy washy and at the end of the day we keep gaining weight and with it all the risks associated with overweight and obesity. According to the Seifu when we are hungry our bodies actually are asking for nutrients. But what do we do when we are hungry. We feed on calories instead of nutrients. On a scale of 1 to 10 we usually take 6 to 7 calories (sometime more) and only 3 to 4 nutrients (sometime less) when our bodies actually need the reverse of that. We continue to do this every time we are hungry and then we wonder why we put on weight. Present day food, wet or dry, and those that we get off the supermarket, are mostly processed or grown artificially or chemically fertilized, such that their nutrient contents are much reduced. Hence calories content are high and nutrients low. If our body gets high nutrients we will get hungry much later.
On exercise the Seifu suggests we harness the elements of mind, body and life forces (qi or chi) within us. We may shed sweat from our body but we are really shedding water and not much calories. Harnessing the elements of mind, body and life forces do help in shedding the calories as well. There is also the benefit of keeping all the health risks at bay. The structured exercises, like yoga, tai chi, karate, tae kuan do, falun gong, salambam (I stand corrected on the spelling for this Indian art), qi gong and others help to lessen the health risks as these exercises do demand a lot of concentration in the mind and movement of the body and exciting life forces within the body. However, qi gong does more. It not only do these but also generate higher life forces or qi around us. It not only prevents sickness and diseases associated with modern living but also help reduce it from our body. One clear example of the benefit of qi gong, when done regularly, is the keeping at bay and also elimination of cancer cells from our body. Medical science has not acknowledged this but the examples of this benefit is numerous worldwide. Medical practitioners know the advantages, while some of them recognize the benefits but science, being what it is, to get proper medical findings and proofs to substantiate its benefits is difficult and reliance simply on the results achieved is not a usual scientific methodology of acknowledgement. We can call it an ‘act of God’ but science needs more than that!! Many cancer patients who practice qi gong have proven to survive for many years beyond the short life-span predicted by their Oncologists on discovering cancer cells in their bodies. In deed many have the cancer cells reduced and eliminated ultimately. It was this fact that influenced the Seifu to take up qi gong, studying under the close tutelage of the ‘Grand Master’ in China some twenty years ago. Thanks to his teachings too many of his patients diagnosed with cancer have since benefited from practicing qi gong.
We learnt breathing techniques in the two days session along with lots of practices in 18 ‘Super Qi Gong’ movements and four ways of ‘Qi Gong Walk’ which we were told are beneficial for keeping cancer cells at bay or eliminating them even, and also for keeping our hearts in good shape. We were also shown techniques for generating or exciting the qi and concentrating on it.
Breathing was to be stomach breathing through the nose, and the breath cycles deep and long. Ideally we should breathe about 10 breaths or less per minute (normal breathing are 17 to 24 cycles per minute). Lowering our breathing cycles has a lowering effect on blood pressure. I have tried it, doing slow breathing cycles for about 20 minutes to half an hour each time once or twice a day and regularly over a period of a few weeks and it did lower my blood pressure quite significantly. I tried this after reading something on the ‘net about controlled and slow breathing having an effect on blood pressure. I cannot remember what website it was but it was one that was selling some gadgets to assist in the slow breathing. Slow breathing relaxes the body, muscles, nerves and blood vessels and prolonged or repeated slow breathing, over an extended period of time, has its benefits on blood pressure and also heartbeats. Notice how your heart races when you are under stress, or when your adrenaline flow your heartbeat gets faster and faster, your breaths gets faster too and so will your blood pressure. It will only get higher. Hence the reverse is also true. When you get stressed its best that you practice slow breathing and relax your muscles to eliminate the stress. It can be therapeutic.
The super qi gong is slow, relaxed, movements of the body each of which has effects on specific parts and internal organs of the body, and the slow movements follow the rate of breathing and vice versa. So also the qi gong walk, the steps and movements are purposely accentuated which demands concentration and regulated breathing. Thus all the elements combined make for a healthy body.
For those interested to know more on qi gong can do a search in the ‘net by using qi gong as the key word or visit the following site: http://www.superqigong.com/ But reading about them only is not enough. Practice it and gain its benefits. Better still, join a group near you where you can have guided practice and do the movements correctly. Even if you do not get or excite the life forces or the qi in you, you get to exercise regularly and in a structured manner. Good luck and God Bless ……………….
MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Family Gathering 2006
Family tradition was maintained. All my siblings, all ten of us and our families have, for the past 24 years, 
gathered for dinner on the third day of Shawal at a hall or a restaurant big enough to hold all of us. Over the years the big family has expanded, and there are now four generations of us with my mum, of course, as the ‘head honcho’ or ‘le Pedron” or Big Chief!! We have to set 12 round dinner tables of 10 to accommodate everyone. It’s a big do and everyone, especially the kids, look forward to the occasion.
Apart from dinner, the kids will perform for the crowd whatever stage performance they fancy and play games amongst themselves with presents as the attraction. In the early days, organization of the gatherings were coordinated by one of my siblings, taking turn amongst ourselves annually, but since some years ago the third generation has taken over organizing the gathering, and they too rotate amongst themselves. They form organizing committees to take care of the details such that the activities for the night went on smoothly. 24 years of organizing and event management experience have proven useful for the young ones. I noticed that the elders of the fourth generation are already ‘learning’ from their uncles and granduncles the ‘ropes’ in organizing the event. Looks like in one or two years time my siblings and I can just sit back and allow our grand nephews and nieces (the fourth generation) to take over guided by our own children. We certainly have a succession process and it is working well.
The last gathering went well. It was held on the third day of Shawal as usual, in a large restaurant where the upper dining floor was dedicated solely for our use that night. Attendance that night however was not 100% as one niece and her family is in the UK doing her doctorate and another in Japan doing her first degree. We had a group photograph taken, an introductory address by this year’s organizing host, an advisory address by le Pedron (she is 85 and still going strong) before savoring dinner. Ram and I were fasting during the day and hence when dinner was served it was something we really looked forward to!! There were also awards to those who excelled in school and also recognition of outstanding achievements of family members. 
One sibling obtained his doctorate recently, another was awarded high achievements in the national girl-guides’ movement and yet another who headed a school that obtained the best results nationwide. Hopefully these achievements will spur the others and the younger ones to work harder in their own undertakings.
Mum’s speech, advisory one as her speeches often were, was this year a little lopsided I thought. A number of my siblings also had the same thoughts. She had concentrated only on one family and also just one family issue and had no mention of others at all. I asked her what happened when I met her again the next day and she said she had not prepared her speech and that it was impromptu. She was just feeling overwhelmed. She just said what came to her mind just as she stood on stage. It was unlike her.
She had always been forceful and so determined that her speech this night was just not hers. Maybe she had mellowed, or maybe she was tired as she looked so that night. As part of tradition and by default, being the eldest, I had to give a closing speech followed by prayers and supplications to the Almighty. So, to make up and to make an impact on the young minds in our family I laced my speech that night with motivational and inspirational matters and topics apart from reminding everyone on their personal obligations to the big family. 
Talking to some of my elder siblings later we agreed that from now on we should guide mum well before the occasion on the topics that she should address. By doing so, she can at least attune her mind to relevant issues and address them at the gathering.
This year there was an extension to the gathering. On the next day a bowling game was held for the whole family. 10 lanes were reserved for our use. Everyone had fun. Ram and I did not bowl but I was there to join in the fun. The younger ones of course enjoyed the most.
My mum is happy that the family is ‘together’ and integrated. All night she was just smiling and watching the antics of her grandchildren and great grandchildren on and off the stage. I was observing her and I wondered what went on in her mind. She did not concentrate on us, me and my siblings, but more on the third and fourth generation. I am sure she has all of us in her daily prayers, and I am sure too that she is satisfied and pleased that the Almighty has in some ways answered her prayers. May the Almighty be pleased and may He bestow upon her and also to all of us good health and livelihood, long life, and peace of mind to carry on our obligations to Him. Amin ya Rabbul Al’Amin….
MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya
gathered for dinner on the third day of Shawal at a hall or a restaurant big enough to hold all of us. Over the years the big family has expanded, and there are now four generations of us with my mum, of course, as the ‘head honcho’ or ‘le Pedron” or Big Chief!! We have to set 12 round dinner tables of 10 to accommodate everyone. It’s a big do and everyone, especially the kids, look forward to the occasion. Apart from dinner, the kids will perform for the crowd whatever stage performance they fancy and play games amongst themselves with presents as the attraction. In the early days, organization of the gatherings were coordinated by one of my siblings, taking turn amongst ourselves annually, but since some years ago the third generation has taken over organizing the gathering, and they too rotate amongst themselves. They form organizing committees to take care of the details such that the activities for the night went on smoothly. 24 years of organizing and event management experience have proven useful for the young ones. I noticed that the elders of the fourth generation are already ‘learning’ from their uncles and granduncles the ‘ropes’ in organizing the event. Looks like in one or two years time my siblings and I can just sit back and allow our grand nephews and nieces (the fourth generation) to take over guided by our own children. We certainly have a succession process and it is working well.
The last gathering went well. It was held on the third day of Shawal as usual, in a large restaurant where the upper dining floor was dedicated solely for our use that night. Attendance that night however was not 100% as one niece and her family is in the UK doing her doctorate and another in Japan doing her first degree. We had a group photograph taken, an introductory address by this year’s organizing host, an advisory address by le Pedron (she is 85 and still going strong) before savoring dinner. Ram and I were fasting during the day and hence when dinner was served it was something we really looked forward to!! There were also awards to those who excelled in school and also recognition of outstanding achievements of family members. 
One sibling obtained his doctorate recently, another was awarded high achievements in the national girl-guides’ movement and yet another who headed a school that obtained the best results nationwide. Hopefully these achievements will spur the others and the younger ones to work harder in their own undertakings. Mum’s speech, advisory one as her speeches often were, was this year a little lopsided I thought. A number of my siblings also had the same thoughts. She had concentrated only on one family and also just one family issue and had no mention of others at all. I asked her what happened when I met her again the next day and she said she had not prepared her speech and that it was impromptu. She was just feeling overwhelmed. She just said what came to her mind just as she stood on stage. It was unlike her.
She had always been forceful and so determined that her speech this night was just not hers. Maybe she had mellowed, or maybe she was tired as she looked so that night. As part of tradition and by default, being the eldest, I had to give a closing speech followed by prayers and supplications to the Almighty. So, to make up and to make an impact on the young minds in our family I laced my speech that night with motivational and inspirational matters and topics apart from reminding everyone on their personal obligations to the big family. 
Talking to some of my elder siblings later we agreed that from now on we should guide mum well before the occasion on the topics that she should address. By doing so, she can at least attune her mind to relevant issues and address them at the gathering. This year there was an extension to the gathering. On the next day a bowling game was held for the whole family. 10 lanes were reserved for our use. Everyone had fun. Ram and I did not bowl but I was there to join in the fun. The younger ones of course enjoyed the most.
My mum is happy that the family is ‘together’ and integrated. All night she was just smiling and watching the antics of her grandchildren and great grandchildren on and off the stage. I was observing her and I wondered what went on in her mind. She did not concentrate on us, me and my siblings, but more on the third and fourth generation. I am sure she has all of us in her daily prayers, and I am sure too that she is satisfied and pleased that the Almighty has in some ways answered her prayers. May the Almighty be pleased and may He bestow upon her and also to all of us good health and livelihood, long life, and peace of mind to carry on our obligations to Him. Amin ya Rabbul Al’Amin….MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya
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