Chinese New Year Activities

Well, this lunar new year is the lamest I ever have. But there were a few happenings which I'd like to share.

CNY Eve

After reunion dinner of steamboat at our own home, dad gave each of us (four siblings and my mum) an ang pao, more precisely 'ya sui qian' 压岁钱 in Mandarin. The steamboat was still as great as every year, there were clams, abalones, big prawns, big silver pomfrets, sea cucumbers, fishballs, veges, etc. There were few more but I do not know the name in English. No crabs this year though.

Then I went to meet my friends up at the temple near by my house. We later went to another temple as my friends wanted to pray there. It's kind of a norm for Chinese (Tao) to pray at the temples when the clock strikes 12am right at the first moment of the first day of lunar new year. For those superstitious ones, they are even eager to have their joss sticks to be the first placed in the censers in order to have the greatest luck, fortune, etc presented by the Gods (statues in my view) they pray. But being a free thinker who only trusts myself at this point (still couldn't find a religion I could embrace), I just stood there to watch throngs of people to pray.

Between 11.30 to 12 am, fireworks were played
like they was given free.

This temple is kind of famous in my hometown

Unexpectedly I bumped into my former classmates in high school, almost half class of it. We then went to have a chat in a coffee shop nearby until the shop closed. Some of them then headed to Phei Ping's house (my former classmate) to gamble (chor dee). I didn't join them as I would have to go my uncle's house the next morning. I also found out that more and more of my friends have a partner to cling on already. :) May God bless the sweet couples.

First day of CNY

Woke up after being shaken by my sis. Took a bath and got myself into new pants and blouse, new lingerie too. My mum said everything must be new from top to bottom, from in to out =.=

Cramped into my dad's car and made our way to my uncle's house. Ate non-stop like idiot there. My uncle sort like holding an open house every lunar new year. He is a boss of a paddy farm and a seafood supplier too. Many Malays work for him, so he uses this chance to sort of appreciating them and to make the house even merrier though many relatives gather in his house already. Bear in mind, I use the word 'open house', it is because those who do not work for him, but just same kampung to one of my uncle's worker will come to eat, drink and get ang pao too. =.=

One satay hawker was hired to bbq satays for the comers. 2000 sticks of satay were gobbled down by the visitors in just an hour. I tried my best to eat as many as I could too. But was stopped by my mum, she said I couldn't eat too many, must leave for the Malay comers. =.= I just managed to eat around 15 sticks of satay. The satay and the kuah (sauce) was indeed very delicious, way better than KL and PJ ones.

At 4pm, there was a 'lion dance perfomance' held in my uncle's house. The lion actually made the word of "fa" 发 using Mandarin orange slices. And those aunties and cousins thought it was a 4D, one of my cousin even snapped the picture of the orange slices to have a better study of the 4D later on. =.= No pictures taken as I was too shamed to take out my V3xx mobile phone with 1.3 MPs camera attached. My cousins' camera are too sophisticate!!

At 5pm, my dad was tired and bored, and so we went back to our own house without having dinner with my uncle, auntie and cousins.

Another thing which made me happy was I get a RM1000 ang pao from my uncle. Perhaps it's little for most of the people, but for me, it's definitely a lot.

Second day of CNY

Awaken by the blaring of TV, my parents were watching the feng shui guru to elaborate the luck of the 12 Chinese horoscope throughout the year of Rat.

Then right before we were about to go to my maternal grandma's place, my paternal third uncle paid us a visit. He chatted trivial things with my parents and asked about our studies progress and performance. Before he left, he handed on thick ang paos to four of us. Another RM1000 =)

We then went to my grandma's house. Chatted with my cousins and ate laksa. I ate two big bowls of laska. My auntie's laksa is way better than any laksa that we can get outside.

Later we went to pray in a temple in Kuala Gula, a place near my grandma's house. We fitted ourselves in 4 cars! Sort like making a parade to the temple. The temple was founded decades ago and is very famous. It is also well-known for its heaven and hell landmark.

The main entrance of the temple

Climb up the staircase to see the human-made hill of Gods
(Gods stay in that hill)

The huge Kuan Yin statue stands
beside the hill of Gods

Later together with my cousins, we visited the heaven and hell while my mum and aunties were resting at a pavilion. No pictures taken, as I was forbid by my mum to do so. We were even warned not to say something bad, keep our mouth shut for the best. =.= This is normal in Chinese families (Tao) to not irritate those Gods and Ghosts.

Breathtaking scenery taken from the heaven place

After dinner, I went back while my mum stayed overnight at my grandma's place. I left as I wanted to study for test and to do homework. But at the end, I was watching HK series diligently. =.= My dad was speechless of my behavior.

Fourth day of CNY

Made my way back to PJ by train at night (will blog about it in the coming post). My friend, Gin Hwa who is good in bakery gave me some cakes. They were mouth-watering!!!

The cocoa cake (positioned at the middle)
is made without using flour

I never expected I could write this long, at first I was thinking of letting the pictures do the talking but ended up crapping so much. Anyway though I didn't have anything excited during the CNY, I was still happy as I could gather with my family and relatives again to cherish the most important festive season.