Bit of luck
I bumped into this lucky bamboo pot yesterday when I was wandering around downtown. It immediately charmed its way into my heart after I had read the little instruction card -Much light, no direct sunlight - Water regularly - The soil must not dry up - Loves to be sprayed - Keep at room temperatureOnly water and indirect sunlight!!
When I asked the florist which one to choose, he talked up a storm in great enthusiasm. Put it in a nutshell, choose one with a bright green color and healthy leaves (no yellow or brown leaf tips). He also gave me a tip to water the lucky bamboo with dirty aquarium water. I bet the lucky bamboo must love the microscopic stuff that builds up in the water. Try it if you have goldfishes.
He's apparently a Fengshui fan as he started explaining to me why it is called "lucky bamboo" and how to "use" it. The lucky bamboo is a symbol of luck and success because of its rapid growth and amazing strength. When I told him that my mother-in-law actually killed two lucky bamboo arrangements already, he explained that the lucky bamboo had probably sacrificed itself to screen her from some bad luck. I don't know if it's really the case, but it's definitely an interesting perspective.
This reminded me of my backpacking trip in Thailand, when an old monk gave me a red string. It was an interesting experience, as I was wandering round the temple with my friend and was stopped by the monk. He gave me a red string (my friend even asked for one but the monk refused to give him one), tied it round my wrist and told me that it would protect me from bad luck. He also warned me not to re-tie the string if it was broken, as the string would be carrying the bad luck. The string was broken that night, so I followed the instruction (as I had heard so many mysterious stories about Thailand at the hostel, better be safe than sorry) and chucked the string. I still wonder if anything bad would have happened if I had kept the string instead.
Anyway, the florist also told me that different numbers of bamboo stalks symbolize different kinds of luck. 2 stalks for love, 3/6 for happiness, 5/7 for health, 8 for wealth, 9 for general good fortune, 21 for blessings. He said that since my arrangement had 18 stalks, it symbolized a "double good fortune". I may not believe in Fengshui, but I sure love the idea of having a double good fortune sitting at home. Maybe this lucky bamboo would bring me a good job, hahaa.
posted by Miss Bad Penny at
15:08
3 comment(s):
Great entry, this one. You couldn't talk about your adventures in Thailand too much, methinks :)
Also, "that the lucky bamboo had probably sacrificed itself to screen her from some bad luck..." That's hilarious. I'm probably too Dutch to believe in stuff like this. However, two of my Ikea plants-with-golden-buds just died off this morning. Can't help but wonder...
By
Lisa, at
4:25 PM, March 11, 2006
Lisa, maybe you should give lucky bamboo a try so your lucky bamboo could benefit from the nutritious dirty water from your goldfish tank.
By
Miss Bad Penny, at
8:32 PM, March 11, 2006
It's an interesting story you mentioned about the Thai experience. I think I do believe in what the monk said. I went to a temple outside Bangkok once with my Thai friends. We met a monk. He told about my fortune himself, and gave me a little pottery made Buddha. It's in square shape. He asked me to place on very top of somewhere in my house after I get back to HK. I did that, and placed it on very top corner inside my room. I don't know if the position is correct, but I did that. He said that little Buddha is a special one, and will always protect me.
By
Joyce, at
3:29 AM, June 26, 2006
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