My First Vegetarian Lunch

 

Food and fellowship always great when we are with people we are comfortable with!
With Pat (in red blouse) and K.C. Lim, (next to Pat) and their 4 handsome sons, Kelvin, Clarence, Steven and Leon, Amu, Sally and Jasmin.

 

The young people doing a song item.

 

Some of the lunch crowd hosts and guests

 

Sharing of joy: Mother's Day Celebrataion. Sharing of pain: Fund raising for the Cyclone victims

I was pleasantly surprised when Patricia Chew, my upline for the Quantum Science Products, invited me to the lunch organised by her Buddhist Fellowship, Singapore. It was a joint Mothers' Day cum Vesak Gratitude Lunch where all the nett proceeds will be used to help the cyclone victims in Myanmar.

Patricia and her husband, K.C. have generously bought 30 tickets and she asked me to bring along some friends too. I invited Amu, Jasmin Patel and Sally Tan along. All of us have never been to the Grand Court Vegetarian Restaurant and hence are quite curious.

The ten course lunch was quite sumptuous. It is amazing how the vegetarian dishes are created to appear and taste almost like meat! What great culinary skills! Sally commented that this is one of the best vegetarian restaurants she has been to.

There was some entertainment during the 2 hour lunch. A Norwegian monk, Ajahn Bramali, gave an interesting talk. He now resides in Mohiyana Monastery, Perth. The President of the Fellowship, Angie Monksfield, a Senior IT Professional, who is also the Vice President of Singapore Computer Society, gave an interesting and challenging address. Throughout lunch, the word "gratitude" seemed to surface many times. Gratitude to one's parents for having brought us up; gratitude to God for His blessings of prosperity and safety. I had mentioned in my earlier articles that when we have gratitude towards God and fellowmen, it will put us in the right perspectives of life.

During the Auction Period, a few items were auctioned and garnered generous support. In no time, over $20,000 was raised from the auction. Donation bags were passed around and the Association hopes to raise some $80,000 for the victims.

In one lunch gathering alone, it has enabled me to perceive and understand my Buddhist friends in clearer light. A picture tells a thousand words. It is by social interaction that we can observe, analyse and empathise with the people around us. It is pointless for any one of us to sit in our ivory tower and think we know......when we can actually know better just by being there amongst the people.

Gan Chau