This is my contribution to Karma’s When I Feel Like It Blog’s April Photo Hunt. This month’s hunt is to get to know us a little bit better, and she has two objectives in this month’s choice: 1) to give you a creative spark and 2) to find out more about you! Karen is asking us to photograph at least four (more than four are most welcome) of our favorite things. The deadline is Saturday April 28, 2012, you are welcome to join in the fun.
As most of you know that I’m a Buddhist, there are more than one hundred gestures of a Buddha statue but I chose this one for a reason. Those that are Buddhists know right away that this is a Monday Buddha statue. It is a statue stopping the relatives from fighting and overcoming disease. The Buddha is depicted as standing with his right hand in abhayamudra. The left arm falls to the side, gently touching the robe. Source. And yes, I was born on a Monday, and I’ve to say that I have been playing the role of stopping conflict throughout my life.
I’m Laotian and my favorite Lao food is Nam Kao or Laotian Crispy Rice Salad. I had to use a photo from my archive, I hope Karen doesn’t mind.
My favorite room in the house used to be this room until Max came along. The room has a bay window, and overlooks the garden, so it is a room with a view and Max loves it.
Now a place to sit back and relax is my living room. We have two 55 gallon fish aquariums for Bo’s Jack Dempsey Fry, and a 30 gallon tank for more Jack Dempsey Fry. Bo has successful bred 2 sets of Fry. Studies have shown that aquarium is a health benefit that can help to lower blood pressure, calm the mind, and help to alleviate anxiety. It is relaxing to sit in the living room and hear the sounds of the water, and not to mention seeing all the beautiful fish swimming around can be entertaining and mesmerizing at the same time.
These are a few of his first batch, and the Jack Dempsey Fry are now 8 month old.
I am an organic gardener and have been gardening for several years now.
I was fortunate to receive seeds from a fellow blogger, and the Spinach vine seeds finally came up.
My garden has an urban look, and might be because I was raised in New York City. I planted my vegetables in containers and raised beds to utilize the small space in my garden. This is my first year planting snow peas and I have to make teepee trellis for them to climb soon.
BONUS/CHALLENGE: How well do I think I know Karen? How much have I been reading over the last two years? I think Karen will like this photo because I know she is a gardener too. 🙂
All photos were taken with Canon T2i, and EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens.
Nye Noona 
Nye your gardens are marvelous! So Beautiful. Great Work! Cissy in Texas (you biggest fan!)
Thanks Cissy, everything is coming along nicely. We are fortunate to have had good rainfalls in the last week or so. 🙂
I love this post for many reasons, Nye! First, I adore learning about others’ cultures. I know almost nothing about Buddism, but it seems like a religion that is very much about being at peace with nature and with yourself. I find your fishtanks fascinating. I used to keep a 55 gallon tank and I loved the soothing effects; I gave it up when I tired of being the only member of the family willing to keep up with its maintenence. And your gardens of course! You were very right about your bonus shot. 🙂
Thanks Karen, I’m very fortunate that Bo loves fish and does the maintenance of the tanks inside and fishpond outside. For the bonus I also thought of going shopping using cloth bags, I know you use that and I do too. 🙂
I plan to add organic vegetable gardening to my list of enjoyments this season. Like those fancy fish:) Come take a look at my favorite things…http://wp.me/p1PaX2-pf
Hi diggingher, your photos are beautiful. I think you will love organic vegetable gardening, it looks like you have a green thumb. 🙂
Love your garden Nye! And your favorite room!
Thanks Dawn, I’m glad we didn’t have to travel very far for the hunt. 🙂
I am surprise to see some of your walls are empty, I thought all your walls would be filled up with your pictures. Your garden is coming along nicely.
Hi seeharhed, I didn’t hang any of my photos. I have so many and couldn’t pick one, and haven’t get around to hang photo except for the one that’s in the picture. The garden is beginning to look like an early Spring and Summer garden, a nice place to unwind at the end of the day. 🙂
Your garden is just as inviting as your living room. I love the fruit platter. Growing up, we would always have a bowl of fresh fruits in the dining room. So now I do that without even thinking about it.
And I do know of the different Buddha pose, but not so much the meaning. So thanks for the info. I was born on Tuesday, one with the reclining Buddha and my mom teases me about having it easy. 🙂
Btw, the climbing spinach looks good. I’ll have to grow a few plants in my mom’s backyard garden. The rest I will plant in containers.
Hi CN, the garden is an extension of my living area and only if I have more time to spend out there. I think the day that you are born said a lot about you, and you do have it easy. 🙂
The climbing spinach is not growing as fast as I thought, maybe when the weather gets hotter then it will take off. I will be making trellis for it soon.
[…] learning something new about Nye’s family’s culture each time I visit her site, and this month’s photo hunt was no exception. Nye was right on with her bonus shot too – she knew I’d love to […]
Whenever I see your garden I think it is a marvel of economy and beauty. I’ve also enjoyed learning from you about Buddhism and Laos and North Carolina and the ambiguities of culture. You always give me something of substance to think about. And sometimes something purely whimsical, too–levitating children and bouncy dogs are good for that!
Thanks Gerry for your kind words, I have learned so much from reading your blog also. Sometimes I wonder what my readers think of me when one of my co-workers would often say to me ‘you ain’t right!’ 🙂