Wise Words?

Happy Chap Goh Meh

 

Today marks the end of the 15 days of the Chinese New Year, so let's give it a sweet ending with Pengat or Bubur Cha Cha as it is today popularly known!

May the joys of the festive season remain with us and may all be blessed with an abundance of Health, Happiness and Good Fortune throughout the year!

HAPPY CHAP GOH MEH!

(24th February 2024)

Wise Words?

 

Happy Renri!

Do you know it's your birthday today (16th February)?  According to Chinese culture, the 7th day of the Chinese New Year is the day that mankind was created.  "Renri means "day of man" or "day of humanity".  So that means it's everyone's birthday!  

To celebrate this occasion, the "lucky" foods to eat are raw fish (representing success) and noodles (representing longevity).  Another dish is a seven vegetable soup or congee.  

I remember when Mum was alive, she used to make a raw fish salad which I dreaded to take and still do.  So I would bury one or two slices of the fish under a mountain of rice, pour some soya sauce over it and swallow the whole lot!

I found this Tik Tok video which explains "Human Day".  My relatives in the US were very fascinated by the information.  They had stayed in the west for so long that they are submerged in the Western Hemisphere and have forgotten their roots!

Happy Birthday everyone!

Gong Xi Fa Cai

 

May the Year of the Dragon bring  wealth, health and joy for you and your family!

GONG XI FA CAI

(10-11 February 2024)

Escape!

Everybody by now knows that we suffered a water disruption on our little island during the second week of January which had everyone rushing to buy pails and buckets to store water for drinking and bathing.  However, many used this setback to escape and go on holiday somewhere - and I was one of them!  I originally had no intention of going anywhere but was persuaded by friends to join them on a trip to the Cameron Highlands, where I hadn't been for over 20 years!

So on the morning of the 11th, five of us set off in a sleek black MPV driven by a friendly young driver whose motto seemed to be "Let's go!".  And go we did to several tourist attractions - the Hobbiton Village which was lovely, the Cameron Valley and Boh Tea Plantations, the morning and night markets, the Lavender Garden, Cactus Point and Cameron Centrum shopping complex.  We missed a few other places due to time constraint.  My friends had great fun posing for photos here and there, I must say they're naturals before the camera.

I was looking forward to buying some roses but to my disappointment, there was none in sight at the markets.  Not the season maybe? But strawberries, sweet potatoes and jagung were aplenty and of course we couldn't resist buying them.

Here are some photos of our trip.

At Hobbiton Village

Tea at Ye Olde Smokehouse

 

Steamboat lunch - look at that
long funnel!

Lovely flowers

Beautiful sunrise 

A view of the tea plantations

On the way back, we made a short stop in Ipoh where we sampled their famous hor fan, bean sprouts, tau foo fah and caramel custard, not forgetting a walk down Concubine Lane, which was terribly crowded.

All in all, a fantastic holiday and if we sit down and think about it, it's not so much the food or the sightseeing but the company we travel with that makes a holiday enjoyable.  Agree?

Wishing you many more holidays to come (without any water woes, that is)!

 

Wise Words?

 

Blessed New Year

HELLO 2024 GOODBYE 2023

Life is made up of moments.

Small and big moments, here and there.

Moments that pass on,

whether we are aware or not.

Moments that may make or break one's life.

Live in the moment.

Here and now, not there and then.

Be fully present in the present.

We cannot live in the past or future.

May we treasure the years apportioned to us.

Spending it wisely and fruitfully.

Without sighs and groans of regrets.

Turning priceless moments of life now, into sweet and savoury memories.

 We bid farewell to this present year and usher in the new year.

These are the precious few days to spend wisely and not otherwise.

A time for spiritual examen of one's life.

To review, reimagine, renew, reorganise and reorientate.

Hello 2024 Goodbye 2023.

Wishing you and loved ones,

bountiful blessings.

May this new year be grace-filled and 'grace-full' for you.

With renewed faith, hope and love!

HAVE A BLESSED NEW YEAR 2024

                   

Merry Christmas!

 

Winter Solstice Again!

 

My"tang yuan" for this special day (22nd Dec)

It's winter solstice again and we're

one year older, one year wiser!

Here's to making the most of every moment 

on the shortest day of the year!

Have a blessed Dong Zhi Festival!

     

Christmas Hallelujah!

 

Wise Words?