A Visit to Nandaka Vihara Meditation Society Bukit Mertajam

A day before Ah Lek’s departure for Sweden he, accompanied by Pauline, Irene and yours truly paid a visit to the Nandaka Vihara Meditation Society which is situated on a 4.5-acre piece of land, near the Cherok Tokun Recreational Forest. Pauline doubled up as tour guide and she did a fairly good job with it too. Her detailed narration and nuggets of background info pertaining to this place reveals that it wasn’t her first visit there. One important fact she pointed out made us proud to be ex-BMHS boys and girls. Apparently, one of our ex-schoolmates by the name of Lau Chi Chang played an active role in setting up the monastery together with five other philanthropists.

I was pleasantly surprised by its location as I had many a time gone for a walk at the nearby recreational park but been ignorant of its existence thus far. Information sourced from their website explains that the monastery is set up for meditation practice not only for monastics but also for lay-men and lay-women. Surrounded by orchards and forest reserve land, the quiet environment makes it suitable for the practice of meditation. Furthermore, the location is secluded, yet not far from Bukit Mertajam town and off the Bukit Mertajam-Kulim trunk road which is only a few minutes' drive away.

Cash and building materials were donated generously while architects, engineers, workmen, carpenters and landscape artists designed and constructed the buildings scattered around the complex for free. Although the primary purpose is for meditation practice, all are welcome to participate in other activities such as the regular Dhamma talks, Dana, Dhamma discussions and chanting sessions. To pique the interest of those not into these things, there are always the scenic walks and a large silo shaped wooden building nestled on the hillside where some historical Buddhist relics are displayed. In addition, the cool, peaceful and beautifully landscaped surroundings is simply perfect for everyone to relax and take the pressures off their daily lives.

The monastery is currently seeking more cash donations to help them acquire a neighbouring piece of land to further their expansion and I am posting this write up as a small contribution on my part. More information about the monastery can be obtained by following the link below:

Nandaka Vihara Meditation Society Bukit Mertajam

BMCS & BMHS Gathering 10 July 2011

A bevy of 'beauties' and a handful of 'lau chek's had a small lunch gathering at Lily's Vegetarian Restaurant, Madras Lane, Penang on 10 July 2011. Despite the low turnout, everyone had a smashing time reminiscing the old school days while the guys being outnumbered by the gals, gallantly put up with their teasing. Incidentally, the restaurant is a family-owned establishment. Guess who the owner is. Clue: a former classmate. On your part, you can show your support for her business by dropping by for a healthy meal once in a while.

The food was fabulous and they do cater for the office crowd with their version of fast food service modelled after a very popular ‘kopitiam’ restaurant chain but serving strictly vegetarian fare.

The only complaint was the poor attendance, especially in the guys department. This was quite a let down for Ah Lek who has come back from Sweden for a holiday and it was his wish to see as many of his old schoolmates as possible. Come on, it’s not every day that we get to meet up with the gals and our old ‘crushes’ who have shown a remarkable ability in staying youthful. This is definitely not an exaggeration as the video below will attest to that.

After having filled our stomachs (my goodness, these gals can really eat) and exchanging contact numbers/e-mail addresses, the affair ended with a promise to keep in touch and a hope for a bigger gathering the next time we meet. So guys, the ball is in your court.