We have been enjoying some lovely sunny days in June and I noticed that we have already moved into July! This morning it was hot and close and by afternoon the dark clouds burst forth with a cooling shower. In the evening as I looked out of my office window whilst chatting to a dear friend on the phone I noticed a rainbow form and fade. If only I had my camera to hand! I love rainbows and it was amazing to watch the colours on this one brighten in the evening sky.  That flicker of colours in an arc of a rainbow in the summer sky symbolised a brighter place and time, bringing a touch of optimism to our current atmosphere of the credit crunch, falling property prices and rising food and fuel prices.  What clues are there as to how each of us will fare in these times when the dreaded 'r' word for recession is about to make the headlines in the media? How about looking in the mirror? Mirror? I hear you ask, the one on the bathroom wall or the paper version on the newstand. I mean your own reflection in the mirror because your face can reveal a lot about your future.

For some basics on face reading, take a look at this article based on an interview I did for Radio 86 http://www.radio86.co.uk/node/6929/. 

It's been a couple of days since the I first heard the bad news about the earthquake in Sichuan province in China and with every news broadcast the rescue work continues and the death toll is rising. My heart goes out to those who are suffering from the devastation. China has a lot of world attention this year and the earthquake on 12th May occurred 88 days before the start of the Olympic Games in Beijing. Is there any significance in a natural disaster such as this one or the cyclone in Burma?

In ancient times, it was thought that heaven would send a natural disaster to warn the Emperor if he was mis-using his power or had made some wrong decision that adversely affected others. A natural disaster would be considered a consequence of bad leadership and a signal to the ruler to watch out for forces greater than himself. So today, what sort of warning message is being sent to the modern day rulers and will they see the signs and change direction?

Finally, I am getting round to update my blog, time has really flown by since the start of the year of the rat. The arrival of a new wireless laptop was supposed to mean I could wander around anywhere in the house and still do work on the computer, but it hasn't quite worked out like that and it has been months since I've updated my blog.

What's my excuse? Oh, just running around after my precious little daughter Lily and dealing with a small crisis. I got a phone call from my parents who are currently in Guangzhou, having arrived there via Hong Kong on Oasis airlines (budget flights from Gatwick to HK). Oasis has gone bankrupt and their return ticket is no more.  Another flight has been booked for them to return on British Airways, but it was mild panic for a few days. 

Oasis, like many businesses in Hong Kong was started by HK tycoons who are feng shui-ed in to the hilt in their offices and homes. So why did it go horribly wrong? Was the feng shui bad? The tycoons concerned have other businesses that continue to do well. My answer would be that feng shui can support you in maximising opportunities but it is not subsitute for an effective business model. Oasis had lots of legroom for a budget airline or another way of putting it is that they didn't pack enough seats into the space and could easily fill their economy cabins, but had lots of empty seats in business class.   

My parents are in China because it is a Chinese custom to pay respects to our ancestors by visiting graves at Qing Ming on the 5th April. I was hoping to go with them, but we decided that the pollution levels in China would not have benefited toddler Lily's developing lungs. China doesn't do 'green' - at the moment and there is plenty of room for improvement in the air quality.

Last month I did a radio for a Nordic radio website and my voice was dubbed over. There is an English write up of the interview which contains lots of general feng shui tips, so I hope this makes up for both March's tips and April's tips. Click on the link below..

http://www.radio86.co.uk/explore-learn/culture/5491/feng-shui-tips-for-the-modern-home

 and enjoy!