Q&A
The Sun Property Plus - 6th January 2006

Q.		MY master bedroom faces NW and I have a leak which needs fixing. This has been going on for a long time as it is difficult to get a contractor to do a small job like this. The leak is in the NW corner and the contractor suspects it is due to poor water proofing of the wall. The work will involve re-water-proofing/cementing the affected area “externally”, changing the affected wooden flooring (a small area) in the room and some repainting. I understand that for every year, there are certain areas one should avoid doing renovations in. What are the directions that one should avoid? If the area falls under the forbidden direction and one urgently needs to renovate there, are there any ways to circumvent the negative chi?
A.		Yes, every year there are some directions that one should avoid activating. Activating means nailing, drilling or excavating; so renovations and extensions are not recommended. For the year 2005, the directions to avoid activating are the NW, W and E. Do not renovate unnecessarily in these areas. That does not mean one cannot renovate altogether. Just be cautious and if in the case of an emergency, like the roof is leaking severely during the rainy season, for instance, then one can proceed with repairs by starting in the right place and the right time. In your case, why not wait till after the Chinese lunar year ends, which is on Feb 4, 2006. If you cannot wait, then I would suggest that you start doing something in the NE and work your way around to the NW where you have your problem, and finish back in the NE.
Q.		My dream home will be launched soon and I have some queries. Do we select the house based on the house gua number or my personal gua? My gua number is 9 Fire and my husband’s is 3 Wood. What about our ba zhi element, which is metal? Also, the neighbouring houses are not on the same level, as the house on the right is higher than the one on the left. Is it a problem if there is a lamp post in front of the right or left corner of the house? What if I place my altar in an inauspicious location but facing an auspicious direction?
A.		Based on the application of the house gua, ming gua and ba zhi, E gua persons can only use a N-S axis house while the W gua person can only use a SW-NE axis house. On top of that, if you are metal from your ba zhi, then you should not stay in a N-S axis house as either fire or water is bad for your ba zhi. This does not leave you much of a choice in selecting a house. I would suggest you stick to your ming gua based on the 50 over years of experience of Grand Master Yap Cheng Hai. Houses can be higher on either side. Whether it is good or bad would depend on factors ranging from the relationship of the surrounding mountains to the actual orientation of your house. This would be the same for the lamp post. Again when you say auspicious and inauspicious, what is your underlying theorem? There are many ways to define auspicious and some of them are in conflict with each other. The final decision would also depend on the total overall picture as well as the experience of the feng shui practitioner.

Master Yap Boh Chu is the son of Grand Master Yap Cheng Hai. He co-founded the Yap Cheng Hai Academy to propagate the proper teaching and practice of classical feng shui and qi gong.

Yap Cheng Hai Academy Sdn Bhd
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Disclaimer: Yap Cheng Hai Academy Sdn Bhd does not, and cannot, in any way whatsoever or howsoever represent, warrant or guarantee that the recommendations given in this column mean that the happiness and good fortune of the person(s) who put these recommendations into practice will naturally or necessarily follow