Compulsory Visits to Business Centres in China Tours

Compulsory visits to factories in China

I fully agree with Mr. Hon, Mr. OT Lau and the rest who wrote in their e-mails to me and to the rest.

I have been to China many times already, and they always bring us to the factories, department stores, tea houses to drink various types of tea, Chinese medicine shops, foot massage, jade, silk, knives, group photography session(s), handcrafts, shopping malls, etc, etc…you name it – they are all part of their (not our) itinerary.

It is not just in China, but even when I brought my family to Europe and the British Isles, the same thing happened. But I don’t blame them. This is where every country gets their money from foreign tourists. The same thing when foreign tourists come into our country. They too are all brought to batik factories, Selangor Pewter and to buy art and paintings, curios, and handicrafts from vendors in Batu Caves, Tean Hou Temple, wood carvings and Malay paintings of kampong houses from designated tourists centre, etc.

But for China, I was told these ‘shopping itinerary’ are compulsory visits imposed by the Chinese Government to bring in revenue from the tourists industry to China. The tourist guide must complete this part of the tour – so I was told. I suppose this is the same for every country, including Europe and even in Australia where I was.

I think this is a world wide industry, not just in China. But I think China is the worse with at least 5-6 visits to these ‘commercial and business visits’ for a 10-day tour.

As for the extra income for the tour guide, I think this come from their optional tours, and not from the compulsory tours to the factories and adjourning department stores (after the demonstration and completing the factory tours).

But I always refrain from buying, or buying only the minimum. During my last visit to Beijing and surrounding cities, I brought along an equivalent of RM 3000 extra (for emergency use only), but we only spend about RM 1300 (RMB 2500) in actual buying in China.

In fact I spend over RM 6000 buying 3 specialized GPS devices just to record the flight data during my 6 hour flight to Beijing. These special devices alone cost me more than the cost of my entire 10 day trip to Beijing and back with my wife. I invested in these 3 sets of sophisticated GPS for aviation use, as I was more interested in my flight than the actual tour to China.

This was not counting another RM 3,200 investing on the latest compact camera. All these were bought in Malaysia before going to Beijing.

Because of my previous bad experiences buying unnecessary things each time I go on a trip, I now make it a point to fill my two luggage half empty before leaving just in case my wife cannot hold on the temptation of buying things.

In my previous trip to China a year ago, I went with two luggages, but I ended up buying an extra large luggage in Guangzhou just to hold my wife’s shopping stuff on the return trip. All this to me is really unnecessary. As far as I am concerned I can’t be carrying all these extra stuff. I go on an overseas trip to enjoying sightseeing, and not carry a shopping list of stuff. They spoil my enjoyment.

Even during my student’s days studying in England in the 1960’s, I have already learnt my lesson – to buy absolutely nothing, but just carry a camera to record all I saw abroad. The camera film – rolls and rolls of them were my best and only shopping item, and nothing else – except some clothes to keep me warm of course.

But at last! After getting married, my wife dragged me back to the Stone Age of Want and Hunger to acquire unnecessary things. So now each time we go on a trip, I always give her a strong warning and lecture.

At last! It was not effective. Not only my lecture fell on deaf ears, but my purse also became empty. Additionally, I have to drag along her extra luggage home. That extra huge luggage was never there before when I left Malaysia.

The best thing to do in all future trips, is to leave all our wives at home, and go singly only with married males or with bachelors. Go on our own – free and easy without all these travel agents and tour guides. Chose our own itinerary.

That way we only see the things we want to see without having to buy porcelain, silk, jade, knives, and carpets.

lim ju boo

The Mathematics, Physics and Biology of Simple Harmonic Motion

Dear Tan and all of you ‘crack net pots’ out there,

A thousand thanks.

The mathematical equation governing a simple harmonic motion was one of my pet subjects in physics when I studied A Level Physics at the Singapore Polytechnic in 1958 – 1960 after I completed my Senior Cambridge in Johore. I was really fascinated by this harmonic motion in dynamics.

It was then just pure physics and mathematics which happened to be my favourite subjects, and nothing more.

A few years later I read for a degree in human physiology, but without the harmonic motion as part of the physiology syllabus.

Never have I dreamt that, years later into the future - just 5 minutes ago on Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 6:34 p.m. when I opened this mail, I found what I studied previously were incomplete and obsolete.

I now have to deal with the understanding of the biophysics of a harmonic motion as well. The Internet and chain e-mails are absolutely amazing.

Thanks anyway. I shall pass this new syllabus round to the professors, physicists, engineers, medical doctors, biophysicists, mathematicians, bio-physiologists, planetary scientists on the dynamics of motions, medical students, etc for them to crack their heads on how to harmonize this equation

Amazing Bio-Physics! Fascinating!

jbl

A patient currently with vertigo and tinnitus

-------------------
On Sun, Oct 17, 2010 at 4:20 AM, P Tan wrote:

Dear Dr Lim,

Humble apology

I must sincerely apologise for forwarding to you such infectious SHM videos that causes some distress, vertigo plus tinnitus without giving a pre warning statement that viewing those videos with no proper parental guidance can seriously affect your health.

But rest assured, the underlying principles and formulae of SHM is still the same, yesterday , today and tommorrow. The only difference is the presentations and illustrations of SHM are by videos clips whereas in our time, it was shown by a physic teacher using a lead plumb bob attached to the end of a string. Nothing exciting. Simple and harmonic. Lads these days are luckier with these exciting videos.

Of Impulse and Newton's Law of Motion

Your IMmediate reaction and write up of SHM was in deed extremely IMPULSIVE (I) and must have used up a lot of brain Force (F) within split Seconds (t). That immediate reaction subconsciously reflects and verify Newton's Third Law of Motion which simply states that :For ever action, there is an equal but opposite reaction.

Your close scrutiny and deep focusing on the SHM video clips attached must have indeed, become a cause of alarm, and the resulting effect, can be easily diagnosed as cause by the sensitivity of both your iris synchronising with the SHM of the breasts shown even though your body was completely at rest albeit yr fingers and brains. The visual signals your retina detected and received were transmitted to your brains which resonanced an immediate response that is equal and opposite in reactions (Newton's 3rd Law). Hence giving rise to your both your middle ears suffering an imbalance caused by the SHM vibrations which is the actual cause of your Vertigo and to some extend, Tinnitus.

It is very rare for a person viewing those videos which has circumnavigated the internet world, to suffer both acute Vertigo and Tinnitus. As such, it only implies that , Dr Lim, you are highly sensitive to SHM related to female joggers especially where the breast is concerned--- thus following Newton's second law of motion: A body exists in a state of rest unless an external force is apply to it. At the instance of viewing the videos, your body was at rest and the external force must be where the breasts are concerned!

Normally, some medications like Niacin, paracetemol and antibiotics will help to relieve partial symptoms of vertigo and tinnitus caused by ear infection. But in yr case, the vertigo and tinnitus were caused by video effects therefore no medications will help. Minyak Angin Cap Kapak may help to relieve. Beware of side effects cause by western medication.

If the symptoms persist, the only obvious solution, is click the delete button and the symptoms will go away in a few days. Do not retrieve from the recycle bin as second attack will lead to further damages that may eventually affect the Central Nervous System.

Extreme caution :REPEATED viewing of those SMH videos may lead to more severe vertigo and tinnitus. The prognosis of vertigo and tinnitus depends on the amount of damage done to the CNS. Vertigo caused by a brain lesion may need emergency evaluation, in which case, please refer yourself to a neurologist and/or neurosurgeon for further diagnosis and management.

Further talking point: Simple Harmonic Motion is not Simple anymore. Its no more a simple case of swinging the pendulum bob where the periodic Time can be measured by a simple lab experiment in HSBP=High School Batu Pahat.

It has penetrated and diversed into many fields such as management, politics, and even how to make a woman happy.

A quick glance at my handfone shows that it is oredi 420 am, 17 October, 2010 and i shall pen no more.. I have spent so much time pening in the wee hours of the night and i hope to get an acknowlegment from you.

thank you.

wiseniteowl
"sound advice: 99% sound, 1 % advice"

------------

My dear Engineer Perry and junior school-mate at Batu Pahat High School,

My profession in the art and science of healing, the relief of pain and human suffering, in health care, nutrition, a scientist in the pharmaceutical industry, and in medical research is entirely the opposite yours. Your profession is highly mechanical, stiff and rigid, mathematical with no room for compassion for human life in the event of mistakes.

Difficult to understand:

Therefore it is very difficult for me to understand the logic of your response to my simple comment on Simple Harmonic Motion which I learnt when I was studying physics (mechanics and dynamics) for my A Level General Certificate of Education at the Singapore Polytechnic towards the end of 1950s. The A Level was much higher standard than the current Certificate of Higher Education of Malaysia (STPM) of this country.

Just my simple interest on anything that moves:

All I said was, I was extremely fascinated by the mathematics of SHM which can mathematically generate what is called a ‘sine wave’. I was fascinated by this oscillating wave because mathematics and physic was my pet and most favourite subject among all the disciplines of sciences including medicine.

Anything that moves:

I am interested in anything that moves, the faster the better, like the speed of light, the flow of electrons through a wire, radio signals, the flash of lightning, etc.

I am particularly interested in aerodynamics and planes that can fly me at near 1000 kph from one point on Earth to another point on Earth within hours. That’s why I have great fascination for my friend, Captain KH Lim website:

http://www.askcaptainlim.com/

http://www.askcaptainlim.com/index.php?

option=com_content&view=category&id=48&Itemid=68

I have also contributed some articles in Captain Lim’s website:

http://www.askcaptainlim.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=74&Itemid=89

Captain Lim was a Senior Pilot with MAS and now with AirAsia.

Astronomy, my hobby:

I took up astronomy as a hobby even when I was actively engaged in conducting medical research as a paid profession purely because of my immense love for dynamics, logic, analysis, critical thinking, and problem solving presented in physical sciences.

In Singapore:

At the Singapore Polytechnic where I did my A Level, one of the physics lectures was on Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM). I was fascinated by the dynamics of simple harmonic motion for the oscillation in a single dimension which gave me an opportunity to combine my understanding of Newton’s second law (F = m d2x/dt2) and Hooke's law (F = −kx,) to give the second-order linear differential equation in calculus:

m. d2x/dt2 = - kx

Where, m is the mass of the body, x is its displacement from the mean position, and k is a constant.
The solutions to this differential equation are sinusoidal; one solution is:

x(t) = A cos (ωt + ф) f,

where A, ω, and ф are constants. A is the amplitude, f is the frequency, and ф is the phase.

Thankfully these symbols are available for direct insertion from Microsoft. This is the best I can do to type mathematical symbols on my home PC.

I would like to elaborate, but I am sorry my Microsoft word does not allow me to write many equations in calculus and mathematical formulae. This is the best I can type using Microsoft word. So I have to cut it short. But since you are an engineer, you know what I am trying to mathematically express to you.

The Physics of SHM:

In physics, simple harmonic motion (SHM) is the motion of a simple harmonic oscillator, a periodic motion that is neither driven nor damped. A body in simple harmonic motion experiences a single force which is given by Hooke's law; that is, the force is directly proportional to the displacement x and points in the opposite direction.

The motion is periodic: the body oscillates about an equilibrium position in a sinusoidal pattern. Each oscillation is identical, and thus the period, frequency, and amplitude of the motion are constant. If the equilibrium position is taken to be zero, the displacement x of the body at any time t is given by:

(I am sorry. I have difficulty in typing out the equation)

The frequency of the motion is determined by the intrinsic properties of the system (often the mass of the body and a force constant), while the amplitude and phase are determined by the initial conditions (displacement and velocity) of the system. The kinetic and potential energies of the system are also determined by these properties and conditions.

Graphic Illustration of Simple Harmonic Motion (above)

In the above graph, the vertical axis represents the coordinate of the particle (x in the equation), and the horizontal axis represents time (t).
Simple harmonic motion can serve as a mathematical model of a variety of motions, such as the oscillation of a spring. Other phenomena can be approximated by simple harmonic motion, including the motion of a pendulum and molecular vibration.

Simple harmonic motion provides the basis of the characterization of more complicated motions through the techniques of Fourier analysis.

It’s Kinetosis for me:

With the illustration and explanation I give above, you can understand why SHM fascinates me in school physics. The graph above illustrates the up and down motion generating a sine wave by a particle moving in a circle. Isn’t this similar to someone streaming along in a boat with waves bobbling up and down? The boat is generating a kinetosis (motion sickness) for my poor vestibular balance.

If you were in such a boat with waves dipping up and down, would you get sea-sick (motion sickness). Because you are an engineer and not a doctor or a physiologist, you may have little understanding me why I have vertigo and tinnitus (ring in the ear) when I looked at those graphics e-mailed to me. This was primarily caused by motion (sickness), and imbalances of the fluid within the labyrinth of the inner ear

Vestibular Balance Disorders:

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common form of vertigo and is characterized by the sensation of motion initiated by sudden head movements or moving the head in a certain direction. It also occurs frequently in people riding in a boat bobbling up and down in strong waves causing the fluid with the semi-circular canals in the inner ears (labyrinth) to lose balance.

Of course, vertigo may also be caused by inflammation within the inner ear (labyrinthitis or vestibular neuritis). I did not say my vertigo was caused by labyrinthitis from a viral or bacterial inner ear infection, but merely following the Biological Simple Harmonic Motion (BSHM – new term) of a breast up and down. That graphic gave me a headache. It was very hard for me to follow their complicated motions at my age.

Triad Combination:

I had vertigo and ringing in the ears trying to follow a biological SHM, where I have to combine an understanding of physics and mathematics (bi-combination) I learnt in school with biology and medicine currently (a new triad combination) after retirement. This odd combination of physical and biological sciences make it very complicated for me to understand and grasp.

This was why I suffered from vertigo and tinnitus because the SHM I studied in school was only a simple one that generated a sine or a sinusoidal wave (sinusoid). But this SHM has now become a CHM (Complex Harmonic Motions) after I received it on retirement.

How do you combine mathematics, physics, biology and medicine together at my age? They are all strange bed-fellows. They give people who want to rest nightmares and insomnia, and vertigo at the same time. That was what I meant when I signed my name off as a vertigo patient.

The vibrations in a musical instrument:

I play the violin as a hobby. Each time I play a piece on the violin, I already get headaches trying to understand the mathematics of the vibrating strings of my violin. They generated highly, highly complicated mixtures of sine waves on the GDAE strings even though I play the violin just for leisure and pastime.

They produce various combinations of notes, frequencies, harmonics (natural, and artificial), timbre (tone quality), trills, double stops, octaves, grace notes, vibrations of the strings in a chromatic, melodic, major and minor harmonic, diatonic scales, flats, sharps, accidentals, and glissando, causing far more damage to my understanding, made even more complicated using various techniques of bowing over the 4 strings (GDAE) of the violin.

The vibrations of the strings were all different using special bowing techniques, example: Tremolo, Slurs, Largo, Pizzicato, Ties, Staccato, Spiccato, Saltando, Detache, Legato, Bariolage, Martele, etc, etc…and made even worse still by a bowing technique called ‘Paganini’ bowing to produce various sounds, notes, harmonics and frequencies on my violin.

Only a Supercomputer can calculate:

They require an extremely powerful and very fast supercomputer to analyze the mathematical complexities of the various motions, mixtures and over lapping sine waves when the strings or air column of any musical instruments are plucked, bowed, per cussed or blown on. They are beyond me to understand as mine was just a SHM. Thank God mine was just playing the violin for fun at parties and functions.

Finally:

And, pleased do not get this confused with Meniere's disease which is also a triad of symptoms including episodes of vertigo, and ringing in the ear(tinnitus).

Maybe we should combine our opposite training to understand our thoughts better. Unfortunately, I do not understand your logic and explanation on the diagnosis and the treatment of vertigo. I may have to do a post-doctoral training to understand your diagnosis and treatment for vertigo.

But I hope you understand my logic and my explanation on SHM. It took me a long time to write this reply due to difficulty of typing out mathematics and calculus using Microsoft Word. I do not have the software on typing out mathematical symbols and equations. But as an engineer who is competent in mathematics, you know what I am trying to tell you.

jb lim

A sinusoid writer, not a sinister

My skill with the violin

Dear SK, and all,

Please do not give the impression to others that I am an expert violinist. I am NOT. The violin dubbed as the King of Instruments is exceedingly difficult to play. You need to start learning it at a tender age of 4-6 years old, and continue with it until you are a teenager and older. You need to put many hours of practice into it before you can handle classical concert pieces.

I am not. I picked up the violin not at a age of 6, but at 60 and I am still learning it with many bowing techniques where I am still yet to master. It is very difficult at my age. I need to read the notes and practice on the difficult passages repeatedly first before playing the full score.

I can play almost all light classical pieces without much difficulty but not those violin concertos which are far too difficult for me. These are normally handled by celebrated professional concert violinists where they learn from young for another 10 -15 years.

Playing the violin is a life-long learning, and I am not suited for that since I took it up as a hobby 5 yerars after my retirement.

There is much for me to learn

jb lim

On Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 11:44 PM, Tan Seng Khoon ++ wrote:


Dear JB,

I admire your great talent and interest in music and also your expertise in playing the violin.

I am a music moron. But I can play the guitar a little. Also a bit of the drum. Hope to pick up more next year.

Rgds,
Khoon.


----- Original Message -----
From: Ir T O Lau
To: JB Lim
Cc: Tan Seng Khoon ; Pastor David ; Magdalene Lim ; Josephine Wong ; Joseph Ng Moo Eng ; Hon Too Fang ; C K Cheong
Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2010 10:22 PM
Subject: Toselli's Serenade -- Soothing Music


Dear Dr JB,

Thanks so much for the enlightenment about the music.....this goes to prove your extraordinary versatility, i.e. an artist and a scientist at the same time (that I knew it already after reading many of your emails in the past).

I'm only too privileged and delighted to be a friend of yours whom you would unselfishly pass on your invaluable knowledge!

The youtube music played by Andre Rieu is really very nice and soothing to the mind and soul. Totally enjoyed it.

Cheers,

T O Lau

P/s: I notice that you didn't copy your mail to other e-buddies. Hope you wouldn't mind my doing so to let them know about the music.

A Poem for Moon-cake Festival (一个月饼节的诗) ：

Dear Dr Lim,

You are so wonderful, so full of talent, Nothing seem to be
difficult to you. How I wish I could be just 10% of your capability...


Thank you & Warmest regards
C K Cheong


On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 8:53 PM, JB Lim wrote:

Dear friends,

I have penned a Mid-Autumn Festival poem for you and your family.

I hope you like it. Just click below to open

Best wishes for Moon-cake Festival & regards

http://scientificlogic.blogspot.com/2010/09/poem-for-moon-cake-festival.html

jb lim

Toselli's Serenade

Ir T O Lau to me, Tan, Pastor, Magdalene, Josephine, Joseph, Hon, C
show details 10:22 PM (1 hour ago)

Dear Dr JB,

Thanks so much for the enlightenment about the music.....this goes to prove your extraordinary versatility, i.e. an artist and a scientist at the same time (that I knew it already after reading many of your emails in the past).

I'm only too privileged and delighted to be a friend of yours whom you would unselfishly pass on your invaluable knowledge!

The youtube music played by Andre Rieu is really very nice and soothing to the mind and soul. Totally enjoyed it.

Cheers,

T O Lau

P/s: I notice that you didn't copy your mail to other e-buddies. Hope you wouldn't mind my doing so to let them know about the music.

----- Original Message -----
From: JB Lim
Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2010 8:21 PM
Subject: Fwd: JUST TOO BEAUTIFUL NOT TO SHARE


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: JB Lim
Date: Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 7:50 PM
Subject: Fwd: JUST TOO BEAUTIFUL NOT TO SHARE
To: Tai Onn Lau


Dear Ir. Lau,

Thanks for those lovely slides of roses and the beautiful accompanying music. I enjoyed it.

This is to let you know that the actual name of that music composition is called Toselli’s Serenade and not Nightingale Serenade as given in the first slide. It was probably mistaken as a nightingale serenade because of a nightingale chipping beautifully in the background. That’s wrong. We need to give credit to the name of the actual composer.

This piece was composed by Italian pianist and composer Enrico Toselli who was born and died in Florence, Italy (March 13, 1883 Florence-January 15, 1926). Although Toselli studied the piano with Giovanni Sgambati and composition with Giuseppe Martucci and Reginaldo Grazzini he started on a brilliant career as a concert pianist at an early age in Italy.

Toselli also composed many works for the violin, one of which is this Enrico Toselli serenata which is probably the most well-known. Technically, for us who study music, this composition is actually called Serenata 'Rimpianto' Op.6 No.1

Toselli also wrote two operettas, La cattiva Francesca in 1912, and La principessa bizzarra in 1913.

Serenata Rimpianto is one of my favourite classical pieces which I knew every since a child. Even today, I still play this piece on my violin now and then on request from friends and at functions as a solist, accompanied on a piano. I have also played it with an orchestra. It requires a lot of expression and feelings especially with the bowing when played on a violin
You may listen to this piece played once again by Andre Rieu, a Dutch violinist, conductor, and composer best known for his the waltz-playing "Johann Strauss Orchestra".
Click below. Happy listening
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkguCwO5i-M


jb lim
Music Student (violin)



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tai Onn Lau
Date: Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 11:10 AM
Subject: JUST TOO BEAUTIFUL
To:








JUST TOO BEAUTIFUL NOT TO SHARE WITH YOU............



https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/12b3c92805fc0c4a

A Poem for Moon-cake Festival (一个月饼节的诗) ：

A Poem for Moon-cake Festival:
一个月饼节的诗：

A Mid-Autumn Dream
一个中秋梦

Think of an ancient village
想想一古村落

On a lonely night
在一个孤独的夜晚

In bygone days of early China
在早期中国往日

Nestled in a valley among hills
坐落在一个山谷之间的丘陵

As Mother Nature has it
正如大自然有它

A lonely river through the village
一个孤独的河穿过村庄

Avenue with weeping willow tress
大街上垂柳枝条

Running crystal clear waters in moonlight
运行在月光清澈

Meandering its course down
蜿蜒的课程下来

The hills and valleys below
以下的丘陵和山谷

In moonlight and in tranquility
在月光下与安宁

On a mid autumn night
在一个中秋夜

Conjure up the bright Full Moon above
想起了上面的明亮的圆月

On a mid autumn night
在一个中秋夜

Her cool radiance shines
她的寒光闪耀

Over mountains and valleys
在高山和峡谷

The village and placid streams
平静的村庄和溪流

In the stillness of the night
在寂静的夜晚

On a breezy mid autumn night
在一个凉风习习中秋夜

Crystal clear, bright, solitary her light
清澈，明亮，孤独的她的光芒

Dreamy and romantic
梦幻和浪漫

Small children gazing at the Moon
在赏月小的孩子

Red lanterns, moon cakes they carry
大红灯笼，他们携带月饼

Through the village in solitude
通过在村庄孤独

Come, Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
来吧，中秋中秋

Enchanting and captivating
迷人魅力

How placid and tranquil life would be
如何平静和安宁的生活会

Prescribed in Chinese traditions
在中国传统的订明

Ordained by ancient customs and cultures
晋铎的古老的习俗和文化

This vision I cherish
我珍惜这一设想

In dreams by night
夜间在梦中

A thousand years be a night
一千年是一个夜晚

Blissful and enthralling
德佑和迷人

In quietude I surmise
在宁静我猜测

Come autumn be my bride
秋天来成为我的新娘

On a mid-autumn night
在一个中秋夜

Be betrothed in romance
许配浪漫

A Moon a-shining in glory
月亮照在荣耀

The moon cake awaiting
月饼等待

I yearn to gaze and eat
我渴望的目光和吃

By a river in moonlight
由一个在月光河

In an ancient village
在一个古老的村庄

Pretty lanterns and willow trees
漂亮的灯笼和柳树

Boulevard the waters
大道水域

Romantic and enchanting
浪漫和迷人

At last, vision is but a vapor
最后，视觉只不过是水蒸气

That vanishes by the break of the day
这消失的一天休息

Yet, this dream, my hope
然而，这个梦，我的希望

My desire, my wish
我的愿望，我的愿望

A Joyful Moon Cake Festival
欢乐的月饼节

Before moonset for another day
另一天月落之前

This, is my earnest wish for you
这是我对你的殷切希望

- lim ju boo 林 如 武 (Lin Ru Wu)

A Poem for Moon-cake Festival

Dear friends,

I have penned a Mid-Autumn Festival poem for you and your family. I thought since Moon-cake Festival is a Chinese festival seeped in tradition, it would best for me to write them in Chinese instead of in English. So I decided to translate my poem into Chinese which is just below each English verse.

But since some Chinese are English educated like myself, they may not know how to read Chinese characters, I have also translated the characters into Romanized Chinese (pinyin) so that even English educated friends can read the Romanized version.

Unfortunately, Chinese is a tonal language, and with Mandarin Chinese, it is based on 4 tones, plus a neutral tone. But I am unable to type these 4 tonal strokes to indicate how they should be pronounced (the pitch) since Microsoft word does not support pinyin. So you need to guess a bit, especially if you have not studied Chinese language (Mandarin) before.

I hope I have translated my poem originally composed in English correctly into Chinese. Having done that, I have to translate them again into pinyin to indicate how they should sound (pronounced) in English. Thus it was quite a task for me since I was English educated, and have never studied Chinese before.

I am not fluent in Chinese language myself having only learnt Mandarin only at the age of 69 (I am now 71) which I taught myself entirely without a teacher. This was long after my retirement from Civil Service in 1994. It was just two years ago (2008) that I decided to learn Mandarin as part of my life-long education.

This is the same position when I started to learn to play the violin at the age of 67 while others start to learn it at the age 6. But now I can play almost all classical composition for the violin except violin concertos. But it can be done. It is a matter of putting 6-10 hours a day in violin practice for another 6 months. It is a matter of determination, and willingness to learn no matter what age.

Having given the reasons above, you need to excuse me if I make mistakes with my Mandarin translation.

I hope you like my poem.

Best wishes for Moon-cake Festival & regards

jb lim

A Poem for Moon-cake Festival:
一个月饼节的诗：
yi ge yue bing de shi

A Mid-Autumn Dream
一个中秋梦
yi ge zhong qiu jie

In an ancient village
在一个古老的村庄
zai yi ge gu lao de chun zhuang

On a lonely night
在一个孤独的夜晚
zai yi ge gu du de ye wan

In bygone days of early China
在早期中国往日
zai zao qi zhong guo wang ri

Nestled in a valley among hills
坐落在一个山谷之间的丘陵
zhuo luo zai yi ge shan gu zhi jian de qiu ling

As Mother Nature has it
正如大自然有它
zhen ru da zhi ran you da

A lonely river through the village
一个孤独的河穿过村庄
yi ge gu du de he chuan guo chun zhuang

Avenue with weeping willow tress
大街上垂柳枝条
Da jie shang chui liu zhi tiao

Running crystal clear waters in moonlight
运行在月光清澈
Yun xing zai yue guang qing che

Meandering its course down
蜿蜒的课程下来
Wan yan de ke xhen xia lai

The hills and valleys below
以下的丘陵和山谷
Yi xia de qiu ling ge shan gu

In moonlight and in tranquility
在月光下与安宁
Zai yue guang xia yu an ning

On a mid autumn night
在一个中秋夜
Zai yi ge zhong qiu ye

Conjure up the bright Full Moon above
想起了上面的明亮的圆月
Xiang qi le shang mian de ming guang de yuan yue

On a mid autumn night
在一个中秋夜
Zai yi ge zhong qiu ye

Her cool radiance shines
她的寒光闪耀
Ta de han guang shan yao

Over mountains and valleys
在高山和峡谷
Zai gao shan he xia gu

The village and placid streams
平静的村庄和溪流
Ping jing de chun zhuang he xi liu

In the stillness of the night
在寂静的夜晚
Zai ji jing de ye wan

On a breezy mid autumn night
在一个凉风习习中秋夜
Zai yi ge liang feng xi xi zhong qiu ye

Crystal clear, bright, solitary her light
清澈，明亮，孤独的她的光芒
Qing che, ming liang, gu du de ta de guang mang

Dreamy and romantic
梦幻和浪漫
Meng huan he lang man

Small children gazing at the Moon
在赏月的小孩子
Zai shang yue de xiao hai zi

Red lanterns, moon cakes they carry
大红灯笼，他们携带月饼
Da hong deng long, ta men xie tai yue bing

Through the village in solitude
通过在村庄孤独
Tong guo de chun zhuang gu du

Come, Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
来吧，中秋中秋
Lai ba, zhong qiu zhong qiu

Enchanting and captivating
迷人魅力
Mi ren mei li

How placid and tranquil life would be
如何平静和安宁的生活会
Ru he ping jing he an ning de shen huo hui

Prescribed in Chinese traditions
在中国传统的订明
Zai zhong guo chuan tong de ding ming

Ordained by ancient customs and cultures
晋铎的古老的习俗和文化
Jin duo de gu lao de xi su he wen hua

This vision I cherish
我珍惜这一设想
Wo zhen xi zhe yi she xiang

In dreams by night
夜间在梦中
Ye jian de meng zhong

A thousand years be a night
一千年是一个夜晚
Yi qian nian shi yi ge ye wan

Blissful and enthralling
德佑和迷人
De you he mi ren

In quietude I surmise
在宁静我猜测
Zai ning jing wo cai che

Come autumn be my bride
秋天来成为我的新娘
Qiu tian laic hen wei wo de xin liang

On a mid-autumn night
在一个中秋夜
Zai yi ge zhong qiu ye

Be betrothed in romance
许配浪漫
Xu pei lang man

A Moon a-shining in glory
月亮荣耀的照映
Yue guang rong yao de zhao ying

The moon cake awaiting
月饼等待
Yue bing den dai

I yearn to gaze and eat
我渴望的目光和吃
Wo ke wang de mu guang he chi

By a river in moonlight
由一个在月光河
You yi ge zai yue guang he

In an ancient village
在一个古老的村庄
Zai yi ge gu lao de chun zhuang

Pretty lanterns and willow trees
漂亮的灯笼和柳树
Piau liang de deng long he liu shu

Boulevard the waters
大道水域
Da dao shui yu

Romantic and enchanting
浪漫和迷人
Lang man he mi ren

At last, vision is but a vapor
最后，视觉只不过是水蒸气
Zui hou, shi jue zhi bu guo shi shui zhen qi

That vanishes by the break of the day
这消失的一天休息
Zhe xiao shi de yi tian xiu xi

Yet, this dream, my hope
然而，这个梦，我的希望
Ran er, zhe ge meng, wo de xi wang,

My desire, my wish
我的愿望，我的愿望
Wo de yuan wang, wo de yuan wang

A Joyful Moon Cake Festival
欢乐的月饼节
Huan le de yue bing jie

Before moonset for another day
另一天月落之前
Ling yi tian yue luo zhi qian

This, is my earnest wish for you
这是我对你的殷切希望
Zhe shi wo dui ni de yin qie xi wang

- lim ju boo 林 如 武 (Lin Ru Wu)

Jesus First Miracle: A Hind Thought on Life

Jesus First Miracle: Water into wine:

This article was written in tribute to Lord Jesus Christ, the Giver of Life. It was penned in remembrance of His birth. Almost all celebrate Christmas by assuming it was Christ date of birth, but I prefer to honour and worship Him differently.

Even His first miracle over 2,000 years ago was already very awesome, and has already far, far surpassed our ability in Science and Technology in this 21st Century

Following my previous thoughts I then wrote this about on Jesus Christ and His miracle… and so on. I compared the chemical composition of the human body with that of wine. It was the first miracle Jesus performed by converting six waterpots of stone of water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee (John 2: 1-11).

Water is the most important precursor of life, and in the human body of an adult, there are about 6 litres of vital blood like wine flowing through the body. Wine has a very close chemical composition to that of a human blood.

To make my feelings about this even more frightening than ever, I took the trouble to compare the composition of a human body from one of my text-books on Human Nutrition, and another book on Food Analysis. I then lumped up all the fine details together, and grouped them under water, organic matter and minerals. And here is the result:

Composition: Man, Wine

Water (percent): 62, 73
Organic matter (percent): 12, 26
Minerals (percent): 06, 01

Water & Life:

Obviously the most compound associated with life is water. Water is a simple inorganic chemical compound consisting of 2 hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom in its molecule. It is the most important and the most abundant substance covering 3/4 of the Earth's surface. Without water, no life can ever exist. It is the most abundant composition in the make up of any living organism for it to support life.

From the analysis of a human body, water makes up 62 % of our body composition. Even in wine, a fermentation product of grapes, its minimum composition of water is 70 percent, and may be up to 90 percent in some poorer grades of wine. However in the first miracle of Jesus at the wedding in Cana in Galilee the wine was the best ever, but was kept last.

"And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now" (John 2:10). KJV.

However, water does not contain any carbon atom in which all living things must share this second most important denominator. It is the carbon atoms that makes their organic constituents. Carbon compounds are the second most important substances for which life is made up of. Neither water alone without the carbon (organic) constituents, can life come into existence. Similarly, nether carbon compounds alone without water, can bring forth the existence of life on Earth as we know it. Both are important with water coming first, then the carbon or organic compounds coming second place.

Thus it is not surprising to my mind that Jesus need to convert 6 "very large stone water-jars" on the floor, each holding twenty gallons (120 gallons all in) of inorganic water (100 %) into a mixture of inorganic water (73 %) and organic matter (26 %) to make up wine which was a product of two living things (grapes and yeast). All living things, including humans, yeast or grapes need at least another 1 % of minerals for electrical energy to be conducted, and chemical reactions to come into order for its cellular activities.

This chemical differences between something which was non-living into something which originally was living (grapes and yeast) until they were sacrificed to turn into wine is something very uncanny about it. I have never even thought of this chemical and biological relationship when I started writing this article. It just pass over my mind as I typed out the last paragraph. It is an uncanny food for thought for me.

The wine later symbolized the blood of Jesus and the bread His broken body in His last supper with His disciples. It means the change of the substance of bread and wine into the substance of the Body and Blood (respectively).

"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."

In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."

(1 Corinthians 11:23-26. New International Version)

Giver of Life:

Jesus, to the Christians is the Author of Life who came from Heaven. He has already told Pilate this very clearly: ‘My kingdom is not of this world’ (John 18:36), meaning He came from another world in the Universe which is called heaven by the Jews. The miracles He performed on our Earth indicated He must have come from a world where Science and Technology even over 2000 years ago must have far, far, far, exceeded ours in the 21st Century.

I wonder if the Jews during Jesus time realized the paramount scientific meaning of Jesus first miracle when John recoded this event.

Unprcedented:

I wonder too if alchemists ever thought about these themselves when they tried so very hard to change ‘base metals’ into gold with “philosopher’s stone”. If they have not, I don’t blame them, because I wonder even our own scientists in this 21st Century with all their immense knowledge in Nuclear Science and Technology, some of them Christians too, who may have preached this miracle over and over again, have ever thought about this linking of His first miracle with life itself? If they have not, I have now lit up this first torch for them to relay this profound scientific significance of this miracle to others if they wish.

Composition of wine and life:

Wine is a mixture of an inorganic lifeless compound called water which is made of two molecules of hydrogen, and a molecule of oxygen. Hydrogen is the most common and most abundant element in the entire Universe, while oxygen is absolutely essential for all aerobic (air breathing) organisms like Man on Earth. Wine contains around 70 % water, and the rest ethyl alcohol, an organic compound for which all life on Earth as we know it is made up of. The ethyl alcohol (ethanol) in wine comes entirely from grapes, a living fruit called grapes through fermentation by another living organisms called yeast.

In the process of changing grapes into ethanol, many other organic compounds like ethyl acids, organic acids like tartaric acid, and 20 other organic acids, proline, one of the α-amino acids (one of the twenty DNA-encoded amino acids). It also contains polyols like glycols which gives wine a sweet taste. All these life-giving substances are found in wine and are being transmuted from a compound to another compound; all of them were from living sources.

Minerals of electricity:

Wine also contains special minerals; the most important are potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, sulphates, phosphorus, all of which are necessary to cover our daily nutritional and electrolytes needs of human beings for electrical conduction in the body. Life energy is somewhat like electricity. It may be described as some kind of transmittable energy that can flow through the body, and passed on to the next living body.

Organic compounds:

Wine also contains a small amount of azoted substances as well as 20 amineted acids among which is proline as already mentioned. What was surprising to me was that the concentration of amineted acid in wine is very close to that of human blood! I felt very weird and uneasy when I thought of the chemical composition of wine similar to human blood. I felt uneasy to think how Jesus Christ waited for the right moment to convert 6 jars of inorganic water to a mixture of inorganic and organic compounds as in wine.

Why, why?

Why did Jesus waited for this moment to perform His first miracle to mimic the composition of blood and life - from an inorganic compound (water), the most important compound which is the precursor to life and for the continued existence of all life on Earth? Next He changed this water of life into wine, which contains organic substances which are what all life as we know it, is made up from.

Why did Jesus chose water, and why did He convert it into organic compounds with water in it, exactly as the composition of a human body, especially human blood?

This seems very weird, supernatural and frightening to me to have all this done at the right moment in a wedding feast in Cana over 2000 years ago. Even today no scientist can do this transmutation of elements from one form to another without a powerful nuclear reactor, and even than only a very small amount can be transmuted at a very, very high price using horrendously large amounts of energy from a nuclear reactor to do this.

Six jars of water into wine:

But Jesus did all that, all six water jars of water into wine as His first miracle at the right moment. What kind of Divine intervention and Power was that, I failed to understand even for us - 21st Century research scientists? It is frightening and spine chilling for me to think of this even now. Weird, weird, and very weird, indeed! Only a Divine Power can intervene and pumped that Power into Jesus. Glory! Glory! to Him.

Wine and the Blood of Jesus:

I have already written about the biology of bread and life.

But during the last days of Jesus life during the Passover supper, Jesus took the bread, which took on a symbolic meaning, representing His body and how it will be broken. He took the wine, which also took on a symbolic meaning, representing His blood that would be shed for the remission of sins. For without shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins (Heb 9:22).

v. 22 And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.
v. 23 And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.
v. 24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.
v. 25 Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God. (Mk 14:22-25)

Vitamins and antioxidants too:

Wine also contains vitamins of the group B, and, above all vitamin P which reinforces the cell-wall of capillary vessels, lessening the risks of hemorrhage and oedema, as well as free radical quenchers and antioxidants called resveratrol which we know to be cardio-protective, health-giving, and prolongs life. It also contains phenolic compounds, phenolic acids that give wine the fragrance and aroma, besides anthocyanes and tannins all of which are health-protective and prolongs life span.

Link between life, water and organic wine:

Why of all substances, Jesus chose water into wine? Was He trying to tell us future scientists something our blinded and clouded eyes could not see? Satan has kept us all in the dark, including the intellectual and learned scientists. We are all blind folded in darkness. I strongly need to express this out now even though I kept this thought for myself in weird and fear many decades ago as a young man then. This was only Jesus first miracle. It is very spine chilling even though it was His first and very ‘simple’ miracle.

Much More complex miracles:

Later, He performed much more complex miracles like instantaneously healing the sick, blind and lame on the spot, and plumped the ‘force of life’ back into the dead like in Lazarus (John 11:1-45), then in the only son of a widow from Nain (Luke 7:11-14), and the daughter of the religious leader Jairus (Mark 5:22-43).

It was a very lengthy 48 pages article on Jesus, and some of the mysteries of life I penned in 1981. This is just a very short summary of what I wrote and published

The pre-era of computers:

Unfortunately 1981 was a pre-computer era, and we have a secretary by the name of Miss Tan Cheng Sim in the Astronomical Society of Malaysia (ASM) helping me typed it out on a type-writer. She is a professional Secretary with a Company. Now I intend to transfer all my articles into a computer so that they can all go online. But the article was so long that it would take me many days to retype it on a Microsoft word.

I shall try to upload those very lengthy thoughts once I can get it re-typed into a computer.

If I can find someone who can do this for me I will pay him / her and my thoughts and writings will be accessible to all tying to define and understand exactly what is this entity called ‘life’ that can only exist when we are alive, and yet ‘disappear’ when we are physically dead?

Need help with typing:

Miss Gewen who sent me the attached article had earlier told me that Microsoft has software that automatically transfers typed written copies into soft copies. I did search the Internet but it was too much trouble to do this as I am not too good with computer software.

But a former Professor of Zoology and Genetics from the University of Malaya and Academician of the Malaysian Academy of Sciences, Professor Emeritus Dr Yong Hoi Sen suggested to me during the judging of the inventions among the Malaysian universities that I can scan all my previous articles into the computer to make them available online. But I thought if I do this, I will not be able to edit it.

I shall try to upload those very lengthy original thoughts once I can get it re-typed into a computer. If I can find someone who can do this for me I will pay him / her. My thoughts and writings will be accessible to all tying to share in defining and explaining exactly what is this entity called ‘life’ that can only exist when we are alive, and ‘disappear’ when we are physically dead?

Unsolved despites volumes of published papers:

Until then we can only describe the characteristics of life, publish volumes of books and journals on comparative anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry to fill up entire National Libraries of all nations and give detailed descriptions on Zoology, Origin of Species as Charles Darwin did.

Scientists attempted to create life:

Scientists can publish volumes upon volumes on taxonomy, DNA, molecular biology, chemistry of nucleic acids, proteins, amino acids. They have done all that. They can even synthesize amino acids in the laboratory as Stanley Miller and Harold Urev did in their laboratory at the University of Chicago in 1952, and published their results in 1953, and even on synthetic life.

But the first step is for them to define life, and tell us exactly what it is? But they have not done that till this day. They are just avoiding this issue and question despite their vast learned knowledge on Science and Technology.

Molecular biology and Biotechnology:

We can even make use of our understanding of DNA to branch out into molecular biology, molecular medicine, biotechnology, recombinant DNA technology, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), DNA sequencing and genome identification to build up a data base, and yet…?

Useless knowledge:

We also understand the mechanisms of cellular signaling, phosphorylation, and so on, and …on. I am very familiar with all these having undergone a post-doctoral training in molecular medicine together with other medical scientists, research medical doctors and senior biomedical scientists when we were selected from ASEAN countries. Despite our intensive training, as far as I am concerned, I am still very ignorant and in the dark on the definition or explanation of what this vital force?

Where did it come from, and where did it go when life ends. All our textbooks knowledge on biochemistries (of life) and other life sciences tell us nothing on this.

Not that simple: Might as well buy a piece of meat:

Miller’s experiment in creating amino acids at the University of Chicago does not mean he has created life. He only created a very small part of the chemical composition that made up what life was.

If that was what Miller intended to deceive the rest of us in the scientific community, I might as well buy a piece of beef from the local market, and call it ‘life’ That piece of lifeless beef would have far better life chemicals inside it. It would have the entire profile of DNA, the correct composition of amino acids, well designed muscle protein structures, sugars, biological fluids, electrolytes, vitamins, minerals than what Miller was able to demonstrate to us. His was just a flask of amino-acids and other lifeless organic substances, and nothing more. That’s not life. That’s not the music of life? They are just as collection of non-living chemicals.

Beef is dead and lifeless:

But where is that life in that piece of beef I bought? Where was that ‘life’ or ‘vital force’ that once dwelled in it and where has it vanished when the butcher slaughtered that cow?

Synthetic Life:

They have even created synthetic life or artificial life from abiotic (non-living) substances in a laboratory, but those synthetic cell-like substances. I am very aware of scientific discoveries, innovations and inventions in the literatures as I am been an International Judge in the Annual ITEX Exhibition among inventors and researchers from all the public universities in Malaysia over the last 10 years. But they are not the same as those creatures that crept over the surface of Earth that God created as described in Genesis

Apologies:

Sorry for any mistakes – spellings, grammar, omission, repetition, unintentional confusion, etc I typed this reply for Miss Gwen as fast as my thoughts dictated my fingers. I have not run through or edited it yet. I know there are lots and lots of typo errors in this hurried reply. I did not read it through.

Blood sugar running low:

The reason is, I need the Bread of Life (dinner) right now to sustain my life. My sugar (oil in the lamp) is running low and needs to be topped up.

Gift of Life:

Scientists and nutritionists called this ‘essential daily nutrition’ I thank God for this daily free Gift of Life. Without food we will all surely die. This is what Christians call ‘giving thanks and grace’ at all meals. The sacrifice of a life (food) in order to pass this vital force to another to keep him alive is a free Gift from God. It cannot be bought with money, wealth and any power on Earth. Only God can give us this very vital provision. So we need to thank God (give grace) for every meal we get daily.

Regards

jb lim

A Thought on Life Mysteries

The Mystery of Life: An Unmeasurable Vital Force

Mysteries of Life:

An unmeasurable Vital Force

Dear Ms Gewen,

Mysteries of Life

“Hype over Craig Venter's latest achievement outstrips the actual greatness of it (Scientific American): From GenomeWeb”

Thank you for the above article you e-mailed to me on life and what was mentioned in that web. I decided to reply to your attachment and your letter, and put my own personal thoughts on this subject as my reply to you. It is below in my blog.

First published on Wednesday, September 8, 2010

My view:

What exactly is this thing called ‘life’ is a horrendous puzzle scientists can never be answered. They need to look to God for the answer. Only God can tell us.

Tons of books, but no definition:

The scientists can write tons and tons of books on biology, zoology, botany and all disciplines of biological and biomedical sciences that could fill up entire national libraries, and even into the Internet, but not a single one of them so far has define what life is, let alone tell us exactly what life is, least of all, measure it?

Is it a vital force, an energy or what?

Is it a force, a form of energy, a vitalism (vital force), a power, a spirit, a soul, a kind of un-measurable invisible entity that resides inside a physical body that is able to control the pathways of thousands of biochemical reactions in a living body until it leaves the body when we die, leaving only the empty skeletal shell behind it once lived in? 

When that happens all, every single chemical and biochemical reaction MUST come to and instant stop and return to the soil where they once belong because there is no more 'vital force' to control them anymore.

As a graduate in chemistry I am very familiar with the laws that govern chemical reactions. Some chemical reactions like like hydrogen and oxygen into water by burning, and water back into hydrogen and oxygen by electrolysis are reversible, but many chemical reactions like the living chemistry of life into the chemistry of death are totally irreversible. 

We understand this from our knowledge in biochemistry, physiology, chemical pathology and in medicine we learn forward and backwards and forward again many times over and have taken hundreds of examinations on these in the universities all our life 

Characteristics of Life, but not Life itself:

When I was in school, we were asked in our science class what is life? We would rattle off things like ‘life response to stimulus, it feeds, it reproduces, it respires, it has locomotion…and so on. We were taught that way.

But these are characteristics of life, but not life itself. The question is ‘what exactly is life’? No scientist so far has ever answered this, not as far as I have read. They don’t even know how to define it, let alone describe or measure it.

Chemical footprints only:

Neither is life, DNA, nucleic acid, protein or an infective prion, sugars, electrolytes, salts that conduct bio-electricity, and so on life itself. 

All these are just non-living organic nitrogen molecular fragments such as sugars, amino acids and minerals, but they are all non-living. They cannot have all the characteristics of life without a living host.

DNA for instance is just a chemical footprint of the existence of life, but DNA itself is not living. Neither are nano-fragments of a protein-like substance called prion. They cannot thrive without a living host. It has to enter a living body to reside and multiply there.

A Life for a Life! Cannot be Substituted:

A life can only give or transfer this ‘vital force’ to another life. Life cannot evolve from non-life objects like stones, cement metals and plastics. 

A life has to be sacrificed to give life to another life just as Jesus did. Similarly, all of us, including the animals have to sacrifice its life as food to give another life, since food was once thriving with life till it was sacrificed to support another life – The Bread of Life.

Scientists correctly call this the carbon food chain till it returns to the earth on death to sprout out as plants life to provide food for other animals to consume as food. This chain in cycles goes on and on. We cannot eat bricks, mud, soil or another thing that does not have life in them.

Chemicals of Life:

 In the 19th century it was found that microorganisms such as yeast and fungi were responsible for biochemical reactions such as in fermentation. 

This gave rise to questions whether or not such biochemical activities were an indication that some kind of life force that existed only in living matter were responsible for the chemistry of living things.

 However, in 1897 Eduard Buchner discovered that yeast extract in the absence of non-living yeast or micro fungi can form alcohol from a sugar solution.  

Scientists then  concluded that biochemical activity  do not necessarily require the presence of living cells, but can be driven by special chemical substances, called enzymes found in the cells.

 Although this may be true, we still are not able to dismiss the fact that all enzymes originally are formed in the living cells, but they can be extracted out in a laboratory to drive a biochemical reaction outside a cell. This means that enzymes have a living origin.  We can’t escape that! So we are back to square one. 

Life for Life:

It requires a life to support another life and yet another life. I suppose that is why Christians give grace and thanks for every meal they eat no matter how rich they are. 

They can buy many other things – property, land, luxury cars, etc. etc. but  they cannot eat them as they are all non-living. 

They cannot create or buy  life, or change a non-living substance into a living thing. That power belongs absolute, and solely to God and God only. 

A rich man cannot create life and use it for his daily food to keep him alive. He has to buy, grow, bargain, or beg for food which once has life in it, sacrifice it, and transfer that force into his body to keep him alive.

This was the life that was sacrificed and he must thank God for his daily meals / bread as all Christian rich or poor must realized. 

Even kings, presidents and prime ministers do not have that power. All must thank God for a life God created to give life to another. Jesus did just that. Most of us do not realize this? Be thankful as  I write my on thoughts that all food once have life on them till we 'kill' it as food 

The Gift of God:

It is the free gift of God to all living things. Life itself cannot be bought with our physical wealth. I believe most Christian do not understand this spiritual knowledge yet scientific and logical enough for us to accept. Most Christians merely were told to give grace for their daily living (literally) bread, but actually they do not know the reason 

The Goldilocks Zone:

When astronomers, particularly astrobiologists attempts to look for life as we know it in an exoplanet of another stellar system he would be searching for a planet within a habitable zone called the Goldilocks Zone around a star where the temperature is just right, namely it must not be too hot or too cold for liquid water to exist.

We know that all biological life requires water to exist, without which no life is possible But that is true to my understanding if the existence of physical life is incorporated together with an unknown life force such as a soul residing inside a physical body that may not require water to exist.

 Let bring us to the question if a soul exists? Briefly explained,  the existence of life whether here on Earth or elsewhere in the immensity of this Universe may require two ingredients – the chemicals of life such as DNA, amino acids, sugars, salts or electrolytes , water plus a soul or some kind of “vital energy” yet to be clearly and specifically defined. 

In short, life = chemicals of life plus a "living force" 

As many as 123 definitions of life have been attempted and complied since the ancient Greeks and but none till today is satisfactory.  

One definition seems to be favored by NASA: “a self-sustaining chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution. 

Definition of Life:

The normal definition of life  is one that has cellular organization, ability to grow, respire,  involves in metabolism and homeostasis, feeds and excretes, ability to reproduce itself, respond to stimuli and undergo evolution

One of the easiest ways to remember the definition of a living organism is the use of an acronym called MRS GREN to mean Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion and Nutrition.

However, this definition like all other over 100 definitions attempted till today still does not specifically and accurately define life itself. 

All only describe the characteristic or properties of a living organism, but not life itself. So what is it?

No satisfactory answer can be given without bringing in some un-measurable force or entities residing inside that makes the chemistry of life ticks as we know it.

Does Soul Exist?

 Besides water that is indispensable for the existence of all life, can other forms of life exist without water? 

Water  is essential in order for most chemical reactions to take place.

This is especially true as water is  needed as a media to carry the countless metabolic pathways in a living body. 

But  is there something else, such a spirit or a soul that thrive inside a living body that can live forever without  water  and yet is able to control all the thousands of  chemical reactions taking place in a living body? 

In order to answer that, let’s look at what the Bible has to say before God created Adam.

^“And every plant of the field BEFORE it was in the earth, and every herb of the field BEFORE it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to RAIN upon the earth, and there was NOT a man to till the ground.

 But there went up A MIST (water) from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul”

(Genesis 2:5-7)

I am unsure how other interpret these 3 verses, but to me it is so crystal clear that water was needed first before the Lord God took the dust from the ground to create Adam.

But Adam was still not living UNTIL the Lord God blew into his nostrils God’s own breath and Adam became a LIVING SOUL.

Please note these two words “living” plus “soul”

If we put them together Adam was still NOT living, not until God blew His  “life force” inside his body. 

This 'breath of life' into Adam's lifeless body is  yet to be defined by Science till today. 

 Dead Body + God Breath of Life (Life Force or Soul) = A Living Soul

 Does that ring the bell to most of us that a dead physical body needs a soul to be alive, and it is  this soul / spirit / life force whatever way we like to describe it inside a living body that controls all the thousands chemistries of life till it dies and returns to the soil from where it first came.

In other words, this life force control all the laws of chemistry we learn in our chemistry and biochemistry of  in a living body we learn in our undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses 

When this 'living force' leaves the physical body, the body dies, and all the chemistry of life break down and return lifeless back into the soil, because there is no longer any higher force to control the laws of chemistry anymore 

Does that make scientific sense to most of us reading this? It is very uncanny to learn or hear  this the first time 

We are made of Star Dusts:

If we have studied astronomy as I did at Oxford, we will understand we were all made from star dusts as a result of a supernova explosion somewhere among the massive stars millions or billions of light years away whose dusts landed here on Earth just about the same time Earth was created some 4.5 billion years ago.

We may have all originated from another world somewhere among the countless billions of trillions of trillion of stars first before we were all sent here to begin a new life in another world called Earth in another  stellar (solar) system after the other world ended its life violently in a supernova explosion? However we shall not go into this subject further as it is beyond the scope of this essay.

The Bible teaches us, without most Christians realizing this:

‘in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou returnest to the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. ... (Genesis 3:19).

This is what scientists called the carbon food chain. Absolutely how true and logical

‘Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God ....’ (Ecclesiastes 12:7).

Again, absolutely how true as we have reasoned it above, that when life chemistries end in our body, this thing called ‘life’ leaves the empty shell (body) and returns to the Giver of that ‘vital force’? 

We can see this scientific logic now – something I have wondered since a child.

 Spiritual Life:

 In Revelation 21:1 it gives us a hint that a new spiritual life in a new heaven when the present one ends, life there does not require water anymore for its eternal existence because our souls is not made of water when it leave our physical body (that requires water).

Water is not required when our soul enters into a new spiritual heaven:

“Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”

Life is A Lamp of Life:

Consider my thoughts that life can only be transfer from life-to-life. Consider a series of unlit lamps. The lamps are our bodies, what I consider as just the physical shell of the body. It has no life in it. They all have oils and wicks in them. 

These only represent all the physical structures and all the chemicals found in the body. These are the skeleton (wick), and all the glucose, DNA, amino acids, proteins, fats, minerals, biological fluids, etc. 

These ingredients represent the oils and fuel in the body. But where is the flame which to me is the life itself. I call this The Flame of Life. 

The oils and wicks in them are just the non-living chemicals in a body. They are all unlit and un-burnt.

 In biochemistry and nutrition we call this metabolism. But what sets off this metabolism? Definitely it is not the chemicals inside. The oils and wick cannot mysterious burn by themselves.

The Lamp and Soul of Life:

In other words, the  unlit lamp  represents the whole physical body, the wick within are the systems, organs, tissues and cells that draws the oils of the lamp for its nourishment, but it is the flame that is the soul of the lamp that kept the entire lamp warm, bright and burning 

They must be lighted in the first place. Someone must carry the first torch – the flame (life) itself to light up the first lamp. 

Only then the first lamp will be lighted. Only then can this flame be transferred from one lamp to the next lamp. This was God who blew the flame into the nostrils of Adam to light up the first human life on Earth.

The Chain of Life called Evolution:

Only then can the Flame of Life be transferred from one person to another or from one living organism to another up the carbon chain as scientists call it.

Charles Robert Darwin FRS (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) the English Naturalist from the University of Cambridge during his almost 5 years sea voyage in the HMS Beaqle all along the coasts of Africa to South America and to Australia collected vast specimen of life along the route, and published his world renown ‘The Origin of Spices’ was actually describing this flame of life spreading all over Earth which we call it Evolution of Life. 

To my mind today, it was just the flame being transferred from lamp to lamp. To my mind, Darwin did not contradict the Bible’s Genesis how life was created.

The Potter and the Clay: 

The creation of life is liken to the poitter and the clay. He take the clay from the soil to design and mould his potteries and fingurines. 

Even after the potter has moulded his wares, they are still not the finished products. The clay potteries, figurines are still soft, limp, “lifeless” so to speak, and unfinished. In order for his wares to be useful to withstand the pressures of the environment, they need to change and adapt to very harsh environmental fluctuations to harden them.  They need to be fired in a furnace to toughen them.

 

That fire is the lamp of life firing its energy into the clay to harden them for their survival over a certain lifespan.  That’s where the breath of life of God unseen and unmeasurable was pumped into every life till today even for each child or offspring born to a mother for them to survive environmental changes.

 

It is not necessary that the mother must give or pass on life to the child on birth.  The child can still be stillborn and dead when born. On a living birth we are all different

 

Similarly with the potteries of the potter.  Each of his wares are different from each other even for the same design and model of his wares, as much are cups, saucers, bowls, vases all different in the hands of a potter using exactly the clay and soil from the earth where all life and clay porcelain must begin. It is up to the potter how and what he wants to do with the clay from the soil. But all the potteries and figurines are unfinished products and must be being brought to the fire of a furnace to “pump life into them” figuratively translated    

 

As much as we, and all life created on earth are either slightly genetically different from each other or, as an entirely different species of life

 

All zoologists and evolutionary biologists know no life on earth is precisely the same or were they evolved from one species seamlessly to the next without a single missing link. A tiger is entirely different from a lion, cheetah, puma, jaguar, leopard, lynx, and a domestic cat., although they are all cats of the same family.

 

So are all the different species of fishes in the oceans as much as all the different birds in the air. They are all entirely different species of life as much as cups, saucers, bowls, plates and all porcelain products are different in the hands of the potter. They may be the same products, but they are still subtle differences. They are not exactly the same as all human races are different although we are all the human species as much as not all dogs, wolves and dingos are the same in the hands of God their Creator.

 

As scientists we are familiar with the classification of animals and into domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, suborder, families, genus and species, as much as we are familiar with genetics, and evolutionary biology, but we cannot explain why all life and animals seemed to be evolved so separately at different times since 3.7 billion years ago. The question we ask ourselves is, were they created separately which is quite different from being evolved very slowly through the eons of tens of millions of years for each species as given in the list here through the corridors of millions of years.  

 

The question we also ask is, why are they so different if the changes are so infinitesimally minute due to tiny, tiny mutagenic changes over such a long period of time. In such a slow evolutionary process their anatomy, morphology and other features including their adaptability to the environment ought to be almost seamless or almost the same? But why are they so different and adapt so differently?  

 

We do not know the answer using our understanding of minute mutagenic  changes of their genes and why there are large differences in the nucleotide sequence of their DNA, at least my understanding on zoology, genetics and in evolutionary biology does not permit me.   

 

But who are you, O man, to answer back to God?  Will what is moulded say to its moulder, “Why have you made me like this? Does the potter have no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honourable use and another for dishonourable use?  (Romans 9:20–21)

 

 “Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots!

Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’

or ‘Your work has no handles?”  (Isaiah 45:9)

 

“Then the Lord said to him, '' Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?”

 (Exodus 4:11)

Time is Relative:

Time with the Lord a day is like a thousand years (to humans) and a thousand years are like a day (to God). (2 Peter 3:8).

A million years in evolution of life on Earth is just a day in Creation for God. He created everything in 7 Days, and one can imagine how long in epoch and geological time scale this was for a human.

Again what yardstick did  scientists use to  measure time? Was it Earth’s time based on Solar time of 24 hour / day, Solar Year of 365.25 Solar Days, or was it on a Galactic Year which is 226 millions of years over a radius of about 26 thousand light-years through which a galaxy spins?

God Eternal Time Cannot be Measured:

This is like conducting an medical experiment on rats and measuring time using a rat’s life span as the yardstick. Why not we use our life span or our clock as we normally do when we measure time as the measurement of time.

When scientists conduct an experiment on rats in a laboratory  it is like God conducting an experiment on us using God's time and not our time similar to us using rat's time. We don't do that. We use time as given on our human clock as much as God measure time according to His yardstick of measurements which is eternity 

 Most scientists  believe Creation of Life on Earth was not in a day, but in millions of years through  evolution. 

But most Christians were misled by Satan to interpret the time literally given in Genesis 

Satan even managed to effectively blinded the highly eminent Cambridge scientist Charles  Darwin FRS into believing the creation and evolution of life could not have taken Day 1, Day 2 ...Day 6.

If Satan could blind such a scientific intellectual, we can see how effectively Satan has blinded billions of humans over the centauries.

In Bondage and in Darkness:

All these argumentative and quarrelsome scientists are very effectively and heavily blinded by Satan so that they cannot escape. 

Satan is very cleaver Devil who came in disguise to permanently blind and deceive people including the learned scientists and religious people, the believers and the disbelievers to keep all of them into eternal bondage of darkness by using their scientific knowledge to clash with spiritual wisdom God actually gave them. 

But the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.’

From Lamp-to-Lamp:

It is only a flame (of life) can be transferred from one unlit lamp to the next unlit lamp. If not for this vital force (life or energy), all the lamps will remain unlit throughout all eternity. This mysterious vital force can only given by God Himself. 

No other person has this gift and power. So we ask ourselves where this flame came from. Was it originally brought to Earth from outer-space and seeded onto Earth as some scientists like Astrophysicist Sir Fred Hoyle (1915–2001) of Cambridge and Chandra Wickramasinghe (1939 - ) in their panspermia theory believed?

Life seeded from Outer Space?

Even if life was seeded by comets in the Black Orts Clouds in the Kuiper belt at the fridges of the Solar System, where and how were those viruses created. They couldn’t just be present without an origin in the cosmic Black Cloud? 

Even if they were exogenous sources of life, viruses still cannot multiply without a living host on Earth. So how did life began on Earth? Where did that flame come from?

My answer is it must only come from a non-material Being, a Creator, a Programmer, and an Intelligent Designer we respectfully called God. 

But I am not sure about Allah which the Muslims do not allow the Christians to use in Malaysia, but not in all other Islamic countries since Allah is just an Arabic name for God to my understanding 

But  I am also unsure about the names of gods of other religions.

Only One Nameless God I know:

I only know the God of the Christians, the God of the Jews, and the same God of Israel that protected them from the Palestine to this day as written in the Bible (Deuteronomy 7:6, Deuteronomy 11:12). This is the only living God the Christians know. 

I do not think God ever gave a name for Himself? He is Spiritual Being. He does not require a name for Himself and He requires no earthy mortals to call him by a certain name? That’s my inner thought, that still small voice speaking to me. I do not know about others.

The Christians acknowledge Him as their Heavenly Father just as all children on Earth respectfully call their parents as ‘father, daddy, dad, papa, mama, mummy, mum, etc.

No children will disrespectfully address their parents by their surnames or any other names such as Mr. so and so, or Mrs. so, and so! How rude for children to do this. We just call our parents "papa or mama" 

Now my gentle readers can read my thoughts, just a glimpse of it what I thought as a boy, and penned it down all 48 pages of them on January 1981.

My Small Thought:

I have since as a small child  thought about this mystery for a long time.

In the January of 1981 I decided to write about this, and had my thoughts ‘The Mystery of Life’ published in the Newsletter of the Astronomical Society of Malaysia (ASM). It was a lengthy article expressing my thoughts, my views on the biochemistry in the body before and after death.

I then described what happens to this vital force residing inside the body once it leaves the body as an empty shell.

jb lim