Expatriate Communities and Their Cultural Influences in the Philippines

[highlander]

Condo units with a view
Posted 06:20am (Mla time) Mar 12, 2005
By Dianne M. Villafuerte
Inquirer News Service

ONE of the come-ons of apartments, or what is more commonly known to us as condominiums, is the view. Being greeted by a nice view upon waking up each morning and before retiring at night gives us a feeling of well-being and inspiration, creates a sense of peace among neighbors and generates beneficial chi (energy) within the apartment itself.

Feng shui masters and consultants also believe that an expansive view provides the apartment some "space to breathe."

In feng shui theory, a poor view not only prevents sufficient sunlight but also restrains auspicious chi which in turn encourages anxiousness and depression.

Zaihong Shen, feng shui practitioner and writer, gives us several tips on how to tell if that apartment or condominium we are planning to move into has a "bad view.

Too much of good thing

Our elders often tell us that even too much of a good thing is bad-and this is often proven true, even in feng shui. A window that is too expansive and large, can be likened to a front door that is radically large for your home.

This window may be giving you a good, uninterrupted view of the horizon, but it is also letting your apartment's beneficial energy escape from your home. The solution: place a small mirror on the inside of the window to reflect the energy back into your apartment.

Not always good luck

Where it is believed to be good luck to have your home looking out onto a church, temple or anther religious building in many western cultures, it is the other way around in China. Having a church or a temple in view from your apartment engulfs your home with spiritual chi, which in turn constrains other auspicious energy needed for health, luck, romance, children and wealth.

For feng shui practitioners, hanging sheer curtains on the windows overlooking a religious building will prevent the spiritual energy from drowning your apartment while still allowing sunlight into the room.

Several of our condominiums nowadays are in clusters or in close distance to each other. Add to that the office or commercial buildings built nearby.

Counter negative influence

It is most likely that a building or two is blocking natural light and fresh air from our own apartment which in effect hinders the circulation of healthy chi. To counter the negative influence of an opposing and blocking building, sheer curtains should be installed to still allow light to enter the apartment.

Shen also encourages condominium dwellers to have walls and furniture in light, warm colors to create an illusion of a sunlit room and to promote the entry of beneficial chi.

E-mail your comments at fengshui.inquirer@gmail.com.

[Lili]

Thanks for posting this article, Highlander. Feng shui is also becoming huge in the US.

[highlander]

You're welcome! I hope we can get more of these useful tips.

If anybody knows of any Feng Shui expert in Manila, please post their name and contact number/address here. I would like to have my condo units looked at.

[highlander]

By Dianne M. Villafuerte
Inquirer News Service

"Psychiatry's chief contribution to philosophy is the discovery that the toilet is the seat of the soul."--Alexander Chase, (1924-1975) US writer

BUT seat of the soul or not, toilets -- and bathrooms -- are considered by practitioners a feng shui liability. According to Zaihong Shen, author of "Feng Shui, Harmonizing Your Inner and Outer Space," the bathroom contains the most yin energy. This is because the bathroom or toilet has the most number of water sources-the toilet bowl, sink and shower or bathtub. Tile and porcelain, the materials most commonly used in building bathrooms and toilets, likewise give off yin energy.

Maintaining balance

Things or objects that inspire yang energy such as candles, throw rugs and plush towels should be added to the bathroom or toilet. Not only will these give your bathrooms an esthetic feel, but more important, these will maintain balance in the bathroom and toilet.

Merlina Merton, in her book "Feng Shui for Better Living," also suggests placing live plants in the bathroom and making sure that the room is kept clean and dry to play down the yin energy. Homeowners may also place a small dish of salt under the toilet bowl, but make sure that this is flushed away and replaced every week.

Many of us do not know this but each flush of that toilet bowl makes chi go down the drain-literally. This is not to say that we should save flushing and wait until that bowl brims with all those, er, nauseous objects! (Eww!) Feng shui experts advise to always put the toilet lid down before flushing and also every time the toilet is not in use. It is also more preferable to keep the toilet and bathroom door shut.

Unlucky spots

Inauspicious locations for bathrooms and toilets are near the house's front door, the kitchen area and the center of the home. Since toilets and bathrooms host the water element, it is most ideal if these are not situated in the area of the kitchen so to avoid probability of clashing with the fire element. A bathroom or toilet located on the second floor directly above the kitchen is also unfavorable because, according to Stephanie Roberts, author of "Fast Feng Shui," this will also extinguish the fire energy coming from the kitchen.

A toilet or bathroom should not be next to, opposite or above the front door because it will swallow up the entering chi before it can even circulate and flood the home's main entrance with negative energy.

Merton, however, has solutions for bathrooms which open directly to the kitchen or cooking area. One may place a live plant inside the bathroom or toilet or outside the door. Again, always keep the door to the toilet or bathroom closed. For toilets near the main door of the house, the occupants should place a screen between the front door and the toilet door, affix an automatic closer on the toilet door to keep it shut at all times.

For bathrooms or toilets built in the center of the house, homeowners may paint the walls red, decorate the corners of the bathroom with a large crystal, a stone or any object of ceramic material to balance the energy. Installing a full-length mirror on the outside of the door is also advisable for bathrooms and toilets with unfavorable locations in the house.

Unlucky spot or not, this writer thinks that what makes a favorable bathroom or toilet is the state that it is in-clean, hygienic, unstained, immaculate. A toilet may be in the least inauspicious area but if it is neglected and filthy, then the same negative energy will circulate around it and eventually, into the home. As in other rooms of the house, provide your toilets and bathrooms a pleasing and refreshing atmosphere.

[KulasKusgan]

dapat mas higher ang elevation ng ground floor kesa kalsada.
dapat ang lot area ay hindi dati sementeryo or killing field.
dapat walang cliff sa likod.
ang ceiling dapat walang kakaibang beams esp sharp objects.
ang altar di dapat sa ilalim ng hagdan.
ang pinto ay di dapat nakatapat sa ibang pinto o bintana.

[highlander]

Posted 02:56am (Mla time) April 16, 2005
By Dianne M. Villafuerte
Inquirer News Service

THE FIRST thing that usually strikes us upon entering an office for the first time is its layout. Normally, desks and workstations are arranged in such a way to maximize the office's space, especially if there is no choice but to squeeze an entire department of nearly 50 people into one floor.

Zaihong Shen, feng shui practitioner and writer, gives us some insights on positive and unlucky office layouts.

A desk that is positioned in such a way that the person occupying that desk has his or her back against the wall is considered favorable. The desk is said to benefit from high exposure to the positive chi (energy) that circulates inside the room. At the same time, the wall serves as protection for the person using the desk.

Feng shui theory regards natural sunlight as bringers of good and helpful chi and because windows let in natural light, it is considered ideal to place a desk facing a window.

Plants
Shen also encourages placing a plant in the southeast corner of one's office. In feng shui theory, plants symbolize growth while the southeast represents wealth so a plant in the southeast portion of your room may help encourage financial growth.

One should of course make sure that the plant is kept healthy and suitable to the office's environment.

Exposed ceiling beams
Shen advises against placing a desk under an exposed ceiling beam. Exposed ceiling beams represent oppressive energy which may inhibit a person and make him or her less productive.

Beams are also believed by feng shui practitioners as obstacles to wealth. This can, however, be remedied by hanging a windchime from the beam in order to draw positive energy.

Desk arrangement
Feng shui consultants discourage arranging desks in such a way that the occupants of these desks have their backs against a window or a mirror.

This is considered unfavorable because it intimidates the persons' feelings of security and disturbs their energies.

Causing pressure
Having a light hanging directly over the head is believed to cause pressure on the person's head and shoulders. (Think of that common action movie scene where the bad guys are endlessly tormenting the good guy in a cold and grey bodega [storeroom], our hero sitting on a stool under a solitary light bulb swaying menacingly over the protagonist's head.)

Shen suggests putting a lamp at least two feet in front of you, on the side of your nondominant hand.

A desk in a conference room or other communal area is also considered inauspicious. A busy and noisy space definitely makes it hard for the employee occupying that desk to concentrate on his or her work.

If there is no other area where the employee can be relocated, the employer should at least be considerate enough to place a screen or a cubicle around the desk to give the poor guy a sense of privacy.

Email comments at fengshui.inquirer@gmail.com .

[Æsahættr]

Supposedly, Manila has one of the largest Chinatowns in the world. I'm suprised we don't have a thread about it already.

Pictures, News, Events, U/C's?

[bagel]

Well, there's Chinatown in Binondo and I guess this is the "official" Chinatown. But I think it's actually rather small. There's also the so-called "dragon" areas of Metro Manila where the bulk of the Tsinoy population lives (so called dragon because on a map, the whole connected area looks like a dragon-- but nobody's shown this to me yet). And this includes parts of Quezon City (along the Banawe area) and San Juan (Greenhills area) and the traditionally Chinese Binondo.

[xDieselJockx]

looks like nobody is too interested with any China Town activities. Is this not considered as a historical landmark in Manila area?

[Dvorak]

they're not only in Manila.. sa Laguna.. ang dami ring chinese.. in our place sa Sta. Cruz.. halos lahat nang stall owners sa palengke.. mga chinese...

[bagel]

Can someone confirm this dragon thing that I'm talking about? Or am I going crazy that I heard people talk about it?

[diz]

<img src=http://www.tropicalisland.de/MNL_Manila_Chinatown%20and%20Filipino-Chinese%20friendship%20arch_b.jpg>
Chinese-Filipino Friendship Arch

<img src=http://www.tropicalisland.de/MNL_Manila_Chinese_garden_in_Rizal_Park_b.jpg>
Chinese Gardens in Rizal Park

<img src=http://www.aec.msu.edu/agecon/sa/philippines/images/chinatown.jpg> another view of the Arch

I juss thought it wud be cool to post deez pix

[kiretoce]

Thanks for sharing them dizflip!

[Sinjin P.]

Last Summer, I visited Binondo and decided not to go back since traffic is really congested in that area. I just don't know why.

[slerz]

I think Cebu City is the biggest China Town as the whole City looks like China town...LoL

[driftwood]

Nice pics. I went to school near Binondo and the impression I've always had of Binondo (and Ongpin) is that it's really crowded. Whenever we went there, I couldn't wait to go home or be somewhere else less crowded.

[Lili]

Nice shots @dizflip. Cool and colorful.

[ryanr]

Yes, nice pics Can someone post pics of Cebu's Chinatown, then...?

[marites4]

yup and some parts of china town binondo is really dirty and stinky

[c0kelitr0]

Originally Posted by GreyX

Yes, nice pics Can someone post pics of Cebu's Chinatown, then...?

what he means is that cebu as a whole is a chinatown due to the very large chinese population there. and with many japanese and korean tourists, you'd think cebu is somewhere in east asia hehe