Another semester of university has come and gone. Tomorrow, I will be returning to Singapore to spend my summer holidays. In the days leading up to my departure, I ate out a lot, and met up with many friends. Eating out is one of my favourite activities to do in Brisbane, though I don't do it often because eating out in Brisbane is generally more expensive than doing so in Singapore. For the past few days, I checked out a few new eateries and revisited many favourite spots, eating the dishes I enjoy before I head back home. Brisbane has a pretty diverse and good food scene and I have sampled a great many cuisines here. Next semester, I'll blog more about my favourite eateries in Brisbane! I also caught up with many friends over the past few days. A few of my friends will be graduating and leaving Brisbane, and though we will certainly keep in touch via social media, it is uncertain if we will ever see each other again.
This time of the semester is always the most bittersweet part. You realize that the people in your life come and go, and you yourself will eventually move on to embark on a new stage of life. You fix that by setting aside time to meet up or to do something, and enjoy yourself. Yet, you think to yourself if only you had spent just a bit more time with so-and-so or doing so-and-so during the semester.
Oh well. I will still be in Brisbane a little longer (and am intending to stay on longer after that), and I will definitely make the best out of my time in Australia. For now, though, it's bye bye Brisbane, for I am homeward bound!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
My spirituality
I went for my second Baha'i gathering today.
The gathering I attended is run by an Iranian Baha'i lady at her home. Anyone, from any religious background or nationality, is welcome. At the gathering, people sit in a circle and discuss a topic of the week for about 2 hours. The first time I came the topic was "Happiness", today's topic is "Spititual Freedom". The discussion is a casual, friendly one in which everyone takes turns to air their views. After discussing, everyone indulges in a delicious potluck dinner.
I'm not Baha'i. Actually, I don't have a religion. However, I'm not an atheist either. I'd say that I'm a spiritual but not religious person (if only census forms come with that option when it comes to filling that section on one's religious affiliation!). It's not easy for me to explain the spiritual side of myself, because it was only very recently that I got in touch with it. My spirtual journey first began with taking an introductory course in world religions at my university. It's an enlightening, comprehensive course that really broadened my mind, particularly the assignment that required students to visit three places of worship. I chose to visit a Pentecostal Christian Church, a Tibetan Buddhist Centre and the above-mentioned Baha'i gathering. All visits were wonderful experiences where I met many lovely people. It was also eye-opening to actually attend a religious worship session, instead of merely popping in at the house of worship. Now that the assignment has been submitted, I don't have to go for any more religious gatherings, but somehow today I decided to attend another Baha'i gathering. It seems to me that once I had started on my spiritual journey by taking the world religions course, I didn't want to just abandon it even after the course has been completed. No, I'm actually keen to take my spiritual exploration further and see where it leads me.
I decided to come again for the Baha'i gathering because this one left the deepest impression on me. I like how the Baha'i faith embraces diversity and does not teach that there is only one correct path (thus implying that all others are invalid). I like the atmosphere of the gathering: the warmth and kindness of the lady host, the attendees who are of diverse nationalities yet get along like a family as well as the casualness and friendliness. I like the potluck dinner at the end of the session, where everyone bonds over the dinner that was created from the home-made contributions of each attendee. I enjoy the sessions so far, and am interested to come for more such Baha'i activites in the future.
Much as I like what I've particpated in so far, I don't know if I'll be a Baha'i in the future (the other religion I'm particularly interested in is Buddhism). Maybe, in the end, I will be contented to remain spiritual but not religious. But like I said, now that I've begun my spiritual journey, I don't want to end it just yet. This is my quest for the meaning of life, and whatever the outcome, I'm sure I'll gain a deeper understanding of myself and the world.
The gathering I attended is run by an Iranian Baha'i lady at her home. Anyone, from any religious background or nationality, is welcome. At the gathering, people sit in a circle and discuss a topic of the week for about 2 hours. The first time I came the topic was "Happiness", today's topic is "Spititual Freedom". The discussion is a casual, friendly one in which everyone takes turns to air their views. After discussing, everyone indulges in a delicious potluck dinner.
I'm not Baha'i. Actually, I don't have a religion. However, I'm not an atheist either. I'd say that I'm a spiritual but not religious person (if only census forms come with that option when it comes to filling that section on one's religious affiliation!). It's not easy for me to explain the spiritual side of myself, because it was only very recently that I got in touch with it. My spirtual journey first began with taking an introductory course in world religions at my university. It's an enlightening, comprehensive course that really broadened my mind, particularly the assignment that required students to visit three places of worship. I chose to visit a Pentecostal Christian Church, a Tibetan Buddhist Centre and the above-mentioned Baha'i gathering. All visits were wonderful experiences where I met many lovely people. It was also eye-opening to actually attend a religious worship session, instead of merely popping in at the house of worship. Now that the assignment has been submitted, I don't have to go for any more religious gatherings, but somehow today I decided to attend another Baha'i gathering. It seems to me that once I had started on my spiritual journey by taking the world religions course, I didn't want to just abandon it even after the course has been completed. No, I'm actually keen to take my spiritual exploration further and see where it leads me.
I decided to come again for the Baha'i gathering because this one left the deepest impression on me. I like how the Baha'i faith embraces diversity and does not teach that there is only one correct path (thus implying that all others are invalid). I like the atmosphere of the gathering: the warmth and kindness of the lady host, the attendees who are of diverse nationalities yet get along like a family as well as the casualness and friendliness. I like the potluck dinner at the end of the session, where everyone bonds over the dinner that was created from the home-made contributions of each attendee. I enjoy the sessions so far, and am interested to come for more such Baha'i activites in the future.
Much as I like what I've particpated in so far, I don't know if I'll be a Baha'i in the future (the other religion I'm particularly interested in is Buddhism). Maybe, in the end, I will be contented to remain spiritual but not religious. But like I said, now that I've begun my spiritual journey, I don't want to end it just yet. This is my quest for the meaning of life, and whatever the outcome, I'm sure I'll gain a deeper understanding of myself and the world.
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