Thanks Kar Huey and Apple for sharing a nice article with me! Waldorf School was mentioned or appeared twice today. One of my friends who is attending an organic conference in east Malaysia called me and said he would like to introduce a new friend who runs a Waldorf School in Penang to me. After a few hours, I opened my email inbox and saw the article sitting there for me. Waldorf again! It's no coincidence; it is Law of Attraction. And I believe everything happens for a reason; it just sometimes we don't know what it is.

Six months ago, I first learned about Law of Attraction. Initially, I don't understand and believe it fully. However, many things occurred in my life later and I cannot deny the power of Law of Attraction. Well, enjoy reading this article. Prof Lei Jiu Nan is one of the persons whom I would like to meet in the near future. She is simply amazing!

談兒童身心靈整體的人性教育
雷久南

人自稱為「萬物之靈」，與動物的獸性所不同的是人的靈性。這兩百年來，在物質主義的思想下，人對自己的靈性所知極為模糊，有些人甚至於與動物認同， 在物質主義的思想下，受害最明顯是教育和醫學，當然，農業和一切與人有關的也都受影響。每一個時代的危機也必然出現解救的人。在教育方面，當今已有世界性 貢獻的是三十六個國家的沃道夫(Waldorf)學校創始人魯道夫．史丹勒(Rudolf Steiner)博士。他於一八六一年出生於奧地利，一九二五年離世，是位科學家，他以靈性科學為基礎，對教育、農業、醫學、建築、文學、藝術、殘障教 育、哲學、佛教、基督教提供了很多新知識和方向，他所開創的人類智慧學(Anthroposophy)目前在世界各地都有分會和學校。

在教育方面，他所提出的方向是，根據細細觀察人從幼年到成年的每一個階段所需，而提出給予學生在課堂上協助成長所需的一切。人是一個能思考、有情感和意志活動的個體，因此，教育是頭、心、手的結合。

從一九一九年第一所沃道夫學校成立到今日的一千多個學校，這近八十年中，他的教育原則已普遍得到西方教育、家長、老師和學生們的熱烈推薦，很多畢業 生在各國都考進最好的大學，一九八一年，德國教育廳統計發現，沃道夫學校雖注重整體教育、加強藝術創造想像力的表達，但他們的畢業生於全國性的 ABITUR考試，考取率是公立學校的三倍，完全上完十二年的沃道夫畢業生，考取率幾乎是六倍，美國的教育家Joseph Chilton Pearce（《Magical Child》和《Crack in the Cosmic Egg》作者）對沃道夫教育的評論是，「一、在最好的時刻，此教育是對孩子和社會最理想的，在當今面臨童年危機和教育崩潰時，史丹勒傑出的教育方法是迫切需要且深深切題的」。

史丹勒博士對教育的看法是「我們最高的努力是教育一個人能給予自己的生命意義和方向，因此，教育的中樞神經需有三股力量，即想像力、真理感和責任 感」、「教育的真正目標是喚醒對生活中的觀察和判斷力，經由如此覺醒才能達到真正的自由」。據史丹勒博士的觀察，人從出生到成年須經過三個教育階段，每一 個階段大概是七年。

第一個階段是出生到換乳牙，學習特色是模仿，此時要提供溫暖和諧的環境，父母親和兒童身邊的人的身教重於言教，讓兒童五官感受到的真善美，「孟母三 遷」即說明環境的重要。此時是肉體成長快速的時段，所有的生命力都用在建設一個健全的肉體，因此不能提早教導文字、數學等，如果過早教育會剝奪人、後半生 的生命力，造成未老先衰，身體提早硬化、老化，這世紀初即有天才兒童早夭的例子，由於過早教育，十六歲即哈佛大學畢業，三十五歲後身體即開始硬化，四十初 即死亡。童年期如果見到太多痛苦與悲哀會使成年期多病。

第二個階段是七歲到青春期，此時兒童需要權威性的榜樣，因此老師扮演重要角色，藉著童話、寓言、歷史、偉人故事讓兒童學習道德和崇敬之心，同時，這 段時間提供由四肢動作配合頭、情感、教導加減乘除，所教的都從整體觀開始，並和身邊的有直接關連。例如，地理是從自己房間畫起，再延伸到住屋、城市、國 家、世界，教科書由兒童們自己創作圖文，頭八年沒有成績單，只有個別老師觀察兒童成長的評語，除了語文、音樂課，其他八年同一個老師，這樣老師對學生才能 深入了解，建立信賴。

第三個階段是青春期到二十一歲，是個人判斷力形成的時候，也是尋求外在世界和自我真理的時候。總結來說，對一個孩子而言，他所需要的，第一階段世界 是有道德的，第二階段世界是美的，第三階段世界是有真理的。他強調尊重每一個孩子所帶來的特色，而不是一張空白的紙張，由母親那兒可觀看他的才能，從父親 那兒可觀看到他的興趣，由此觀察可協助一個孩子選擇一個輕鬆能勝任的志願。

沃道夫多年的教育思想在亞洲已在日本和印度生根，各國都有教師的專業訓練，總中心在瑞士。美國東、西岸都有教師訓練和師範大學，北加州的Rudolf Steiner College的地址：Rudolf Steiner College, 9200 Fair Oaks Blvd, Fair Oaks, CA95628；電話：(916) 961-8727；傳真：(916) 961-8731。 參考書籍：《The Foundation of Human Experience》、《Education of the Child》、《Kingdom of Childhood》（史丹勒的著作為德文，但已翻成英文，可向下列出版社索取目錄。Ahthroposophic Press, 3390 Route 9, Hudson, NY 12534-9420）

An Inspiring Advertisement - The Robot Boy

All our children will become robots in the future if we continue to raise and educate our children as we are practicing now. Disagree? Let's examine our current practices.

1. Do your children play freely nowadays? I look around the learning and play opportunities that we provide for our children, there are all structured learning and play (including the sports). Everything has defined boundaries, rules and structures based on adults' standard. It is not hard to imagine that the future generations will lose the ability to imagine and create given our current practice - everything has a right-and-wrong answer, clear beginning and finish, and fixed sets of rules to follow.

2. Do your children spend at least 3 hours watching TV programs, working/playing computers and video games everyday? If yes, watch out for that! Spending too much time with the "machines" will lead to poor social skills with others. The reason behind it is quite straight forward as the time that is spent with another individual is now spending with the entertaining devices.

3. When was the last time your children and you go into woods? Never or a few years back?! A child without experience with nature is missing out tremendously. Not only physical health can be improved in outdoor play, but also enhance the children's mental, psychological and spiritual aspects. Take your kids for a walk in the park today!

Click on this link to watch an inspiring advertisement about the importance of outdoor play http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VndRdVjOjRU A television commercial in which a robot becomes a boy when it ventures outdoors.

Bee Farm Visit

A Group of us went to experience bees keeping at the corn and pineapple fields last week. The green plants, blue sky and the yellow bees were indeed beautiful and inspiring! Observing the bees at a closed distance, no fear was arose. Do you know that bees rub their hind legs, so the pollens will be attached to them due to statics? Things on this planet are so well planned and designed. Life is amazing and mysterious!

Farm Trip

We organized a 2-day-1-night farm camping for a few families with adorable children lately. Before the children left the farm, they told us that they want to stay for a few more hours and even visit us again. It was so encouraging and touching! Although it was a short trip, kids had so much fun learning to sail a bamboo raft on their own in the big lake, observe the water lilies in the closed distance, play water polo in teams, catch bugs with homemade tool in the vegetables garden, walk the country path at night, listen to the noises produced by different types of insects and animals, build their own tent, walk in the woods to experience the nature, etc. Prior to the trip, I was concerned that adults might not want to have so much physical activities and prefer to sit and enjoy the view of the farm. To my surprise, these parents are extremely active and inspiring parents. It is really lucky to be their children. They participated in all the activities with full energy and shared knowledge with each other at all time. They had taught me new knowledge and skills.

I noticed that how these children behaved could be traced back to their family practices. It was interesting to watch and fun to take note of. I start to imagine how my children will look like and behave for having a mum like me.

My Garden - Updates

First bub from my melon Plant

First Flower from Melon Plant

Life is so beautiful and miracles take place every day! Live it and Feel it!

Tree House

Have you imagined yourself living in a tree house? You will see the leaves, branches, birds, insects and more when you pull open your window. You can listen to the interesting sounds from the nature during the night. Isn't it cool or sort of creepy?

I always want to experience to live in a tree house since young. Someday in the future, I want to find a big tree to build a tree house and invite all of you to join me. May dream come true!

I knew there are a group of Japanese whose job is to design and build tree house in Japan. It is so awesome! They are simply amazing because they do their best to protect the trees meanwhile making good use of the space between branches to build the house. I applause for them indeed!

A friend of mine share with me there is different between a wooden and a concrete house. According to her, a wooden house is cooler and airy. She believes that a wooden house has better energy flows compared to concrete house. For many of us who have been staying in the 4 concrete walls, maybe it is time to find a wooden house and experience it.

Heart versus Brain

Be present! I heard about this phrase in one of my entrepreneurial courses that I took a year ago. I didn't get the essence of this phrase until lately. At that point in time, I understood it literally.

I started to generate a different understanding after I participated in one of my study group sessions in town. The facilitator drew a simple chart on the whiteboard. It looks something like this. Past ----------->Now------------>Future To be able to be present is when we let go of the past and forget about the future desired outcomes. First thought came to my mind was how can I let of go of my past because all the big and small decisions are based on my past experiences? If I disregard my previous experiences, what should I rely on to live my life? Second thought was "What!? You ask me not to set goals for myself? Then how should I know where to go and what to do next?" Tons of doubts and defenses against it when I started to reveal the true meaning of be present.

Something that I read lately has stunned me indeed. My dear brain represents my past! The reason is our brain is full of memories, and all those memories are moments that we experienced in the past. My brain and I have been living for 30 years and I always pay high respect to it. For a person who believes in logics and science, it is really shocking to learn that my beloved brain might not as important as I used to think.

Then if not brain, what is it? If not past and future, how am I going to make my daily or life decision? I became panic when I started to THINK. I love Peaceful Warrior so much simply because it illustrates this concept so well. "Dan, where are you?" I am HERE. "What time is it?" NOW. Let me use this example to illustrate further. Dan who was the gymnast in the movie cannot perform to his highest potential because he lived with his past glories and worries (his past) and was aiming for his Olympic gold medal (his future) whenever he practiced or even lived his life. He had never lived a single moment at the present until he met Socrates at the gas station. The key thing here is that he had not enjoy himself truly when he did all the movements on the rings. His mind was full of garbage of the past and the future. You probably heard people said this before; it is the process and not the results. Every single moments during the process should be enjoyable! In real life, how many of us has really live in the moment.

Follow your heart! This is the answer. Your heart is the future. The voice from our heart will guide us to where we suppose to go. Making any decision that is based on your heart will lead us to happiness and fulfillment although there might be challenges on the way. It is not easy to follow our heart because we are so used to use our brain to think and analyze. Once I said "follow your heart", what pops up in your head? ".....ya, but......" Our brain is an interesting machine; it constantly generates a lot of fear in us when we want to try something that has not happened in the past or are uncertain. This is simply because our brain is full of past experience. Things that are out of its control, it makes us feel our nerve.

Be present and follow your heart Today!

Change Climate Workshop

My sister and I traveled to KL at 5:30a.m. to attend the Change Climate Workshop on 9th of August (Saturday). We made such an effort to this event because we believe that the world will be better if each of us can contribute in our own ways by taking small steps. We were the first few who attended earlier. To our surprise, the attendees were not as many as we expected. Maybe they would come on the following day as it went on for two days.

The workshop was insightful and full of useful information that we can apply to our daily routine. The main objective of the workshop was to educate public to take small steps to start from home to prevent global warming. Dr. Joanne Wun gave an inspiring talk about garbage enzyme and how it can save our rivers. I was very touched by what she has done and is planning to do. She shared that her team has been making a lot of garbage enzyme these few years. She can easily give away all the garbage enzyme to the public; however, she refuses to do so. Her reason is all those who receive her free garbage enzyme will pour it to the river with the intention to clean our rivers. After everyone has finished pouring the garbage enzyme in the drains and rivers, the water is going to stay clean for only a short period of time. How about the following months and years? In addition, our rivers wouldn't be clean and healthy because every household is still using detergents for washing dishes and clothes on the daily basis. Thus, our rivers are still polluted. After years of hard work, she has come to a conclusion is to educate public to make garbage enzyme on their own for household cleaning. If more and more people are taking the same actions, our environment will be free of pollution!

For your information, garbage enzyme is made of kitchen vegetable leftovers and fruit peels with brown sugar and water. After 3 months, it will be fermented into garbage enzyme that can be used for dish, floor and clothes washing, natural fertilizers for plants and flowers, insects repellents and so on. By using the garbage enzyme, all the chemicals used will be greatly reduced and in turn to protect our environment from pollution. Garbage enzyme can save each household money, reduce the release of methane that is the culprit of global warming from our kitchen leftovers, decompose the pollutants in our rivers, etc.

Besides the garbage enzyme, they had shown two fantastic documentaries that were An Inconvenient Truth and The 11th Hour. If you have not watched them, please take some time to view them. It is alarming for us to take actions now!

The other nice things about this workshop was I obtained many related information about energy saving, education, simple ways of living, vegetarian and more.