Wise Words?

 

Return of the Patriotic Poet

 

The festival was last Friday, 19th June.  Here's a video which tells the story behind this festival.  Hope you enjoyed your dumplings!

Happy Wesak Day 2026

 

Wishing everyone a peaceful and blessed Wesak Day!

Wise Words?

 When the moon is full, it begins to wane; when water is full, it overflows.

(This Chinese proverb teaches that nothing stays at its peak forever and that balance must be maintained.)

Happy Birthday Everyone!

 

The 7th day of Chinese New Year, commonly referred to as Renri or "Human Days" is celebrated on the seventh day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar.  This significant day honours humanity and is believed to mark the creation of humans by the goddess, Nuwa, who molded people from yellow clay.

It symbolizes a fresh start, unity and the importance of life.  Customs include eating special dishes like Yusheng (prosperity salad) or a seven-vegetable soup for health ad prosperity.

This year, the 7th day falls on Monday, 23rd February.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EVERYONE!

Time for Reunion Again!

How quickly the months go by and it was time again for our Reunion Dinner!  My aunt, now 88, was the host and we were a table of 12 at the CRC Restaurant last Sunday evening.  It was good to catch up with my cousins, most of whom I only meet once a year as they don't live in Penang!  Everybody still looks the same despite another year added on, I guess our family has good genes, even my aunt looks more like in her 70's than in the 80's!  Here are some pictures from the dinner - my aunt asked me to photograph every dish for her future reference!

Yee Sang - the first dish for the new year

My aunt (left) leading the Loh Hei ("Prosperity Toss")

Roast Suckling Pig

A combination of mushrooms, sea cucumber, vegetables

Steamed prawns with chilly sauce

Steamed Grouper

Seafood noodles

Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of the dessert which was sesame balls served with warm sweet lotus seed soup.  It was a good dinner though I must say I always feel rather guilty when the roast suckling pig is served.  It seems rather cruel to enjoy a baby pig which has given up its life for us, so I usually eat a small piece (and only one) to please my host.  

I have still not managed to get a copy of the group photo we took before dinner.  Hope my aunt remembers to send it to me.

Yay!  Here's the group photo!

May I take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous Year of the Horse.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Happy Chinese New Year!

 

17 & 18 February 2026

Wishing you a joyful and prosperous Year of the Horse!

Good luck, Good Health, Abundance!

Royal Send-off

 

Are you sending off the Kitchen God tomorrow (11th February)? My relatives and I are probably the few left who observe this traditional ritual.  

It is believed that the Kitchen God is sent to report to the Jade Emperor annually on the household's behaviour, so to ensure a favourable report, sweet offerings are made such as ti kuih, oranges and sweetmeats.  Some say that these offerings are actually a "bribe" to keep the God's mouth shut!

The send-off is usually about a week before Chinese New Year with the deity's return expected on the 4th day of the lunar new year.

So here's hoping we get good marks for our report and that we are blessed with a good, happy and abundant new year!

CNY Flowers

 

I was at the nursery this morning to get new flowers for my garden.  As I entered the lush spacious compound of the nursery, I was surrounded by a sea of flowers of different colours and shapes, all breathtakingly beautiful!  It was very difficult to decide what to choose but knowing I don't have green fingers, I finally settled for a couple of bougainvillea plants (with light purple and deep red blossoms).  They're the safest and easiest to manage!

There were also large pineapple plants in "gold" pots.  Pineapples symbolize wealth, prosperity and good fortune, so for the Chinese New Year, they are very suitable for your home!

Incidentally, I saw two cute "babies" in one corner of the grounds - the nursery owner's pet cats!  They were sleeping in hammocks like little babies - they're probably very spoilt and lead a lazy, easy life!

It was very difficult to tear myself away from all those beautiful blooms - and the cats - perhaps another visit another day!

CNY Cookies are Back!

 

L to R: Cashew nut cookies, Potato crisps, Pineapple Tarts,
Butter cookies

Shelves and shelves of goodies (courtesy of Oloiya)

  Chinese New Year cookies are here again!  CNY cookies are essentials for the new year as they are symbolic treats of prosperity, unity and good fortune.  The popular choices are pineapple tarts, peanut cookies, almond cookies, kuih bangkit and of course kuih kapit ("love letters"), all of which are mouth watering and hard to resist!  

As we welcome the festive season, enjoy the celebrations but keep an eye on those sweet temptations!  I don't mean to be a wet blanket but you can enjoy without the sugar crash -  opt for high protein snacks or oven baked vege and fresh fruits.  

Wishing everyone a joyful, balanced and healthy Chinese New Year!

Wise Words?

 

Happy New Year 2026