On 9 October, the English Etiquette Class organised by BLIA (North Island) held its’ last lesson.Venerable Miao Yu and 11 members were invited to a formal English traditional meal at teacher Ann Batten’s house. The meal was personally cooked by Ann. English sub-chapter members Linda, Lesley,Hope and Veronica were present to assist. It was a three course meal with soup, main and dessert served accordingly. Initially, the air was filled with tension as this was a new experience for some of the members. It eased up after members started interacting with one another with Ann initiating lively conversations. Topics ranged from politics, Buddhism to daily encounters.
After dinner, Venerable Miao Yu led a sharing session. She posed questions such as : The person I respected most, things that interest me most, the most touching moments in Fo Guang Shan (North Island) etc. Everyone was open and shared their spiritual journey. Ann Batten shared her spiritual experiences as a Catholic and she is happy to be involved in Fo Guang Shan activities which signifies religious harmony.