Ushering the Water Dragon 2012

It’s 22^nd Jan 2012. Today is the eve of Chinese New Year (CNY). We’ll send off Bunny tonighyand usher the energetic Water Dragon tonight. I wasn’t here in my hometown for CNY last year but this year, yea, I’m back… haha… I’ve been back for a week from Australia. Ever since then, mum and I have been running around town doing some last minutes shopping and preparation to welcome the new lunar year. It’s been tiring week but it’s fun. Doing shopping with mum enables me to know more about our root and family history, and of course, the latest happening (or should I say gossips) within our extended family members. Honestly, there’s no better way to chat mum than running errands with her.

I was shopping with mum in town and I came across this in an old shop. It’s the head of a dragon and it’s meant for dragon dance. The dragon head looks gorgeous, with its facial expression meticulously accentuated by the craftsmaster. Such art is hard to come by nowadays, not to mention the time and effort taken finish of this beautiful master piece. By the way, did I tell you that it’s hand-made? Dragon is an auspicious mytical creature in Chinese culture and dragon dance is performed during CNY or any other major celebrations in Chinese society.

Talking about CNY, how can one ever forget cookies? There are wide selections of cookies served in every house during CNY. From peanut cookie,love letter to pineapple tart, these are the must-have for the occasions and they happen to be my favourites too. So, these are some of the cookies we made this year.

We went to the wet market to get some food for reunion dinner tonight this morning. Man, the market was filled with heaps of people. While some may say walking in a wet market can be disgusting, with unbearable filthy air and fishy smell running into our nostrils, it revoked my childhood memories.

I’ve spent a decent amount of years growing up with the market and it sort of gave me sentiment nostalgia the moment I stepped into the market. From dry groceries to poultry products, you can find anything easily under the same roof. I remember the aunty who sells vegetables, the grandpa who sells pork, the uncle who sells fish, and not to forget the lovely grandma who sells Chinese pastries. It was like travelling back in time when I saw them. Well, of course, I see more wrinkles on their faces now.

Of all the things in Chinese culture, reunion dinner is something we treasure most in our heart. Regardless of where you are or what you do, reunion dinner is one thing not to be missed. It symbolises unity and union, and most importantly, it strengthens the family bond. It’s a gift having to eat with all the family members at the same table. Imagine how often we eat with all our family members? Perhaps not in the modern society when everyone is busy with their work. We work hard, we earn money in order to enjoy a better life but very often, we forget the very basic need of working: filling our stomach. Isn’t that what we are working for? For Chinese, a bowl of rice? While western society associates bread and butter with work, Chinese associates rice bowl with work. We eat rice, and that’s our staple diet. In fact, reunion dinner is a loose term as the exact translation should be Reunion Rice (Tuan Nian Fan). After working for a year, it’s time to sit and enjoy the fruit of our labour, the rice. And who would be the better person to share this fruit of labour with if not our family?

To my dear friends, I wish you a happy Chinese new year. May the water dragon bring you good health, success and happiness throughout the year. I’m hoping this to be a successful year for me. And my ultimate wish? I hope to see everyone dear to me healthy and happy always… Best wishes to my family…

Gong Xi Fah Chai

Ching Ming Festival 2010

Damansara Chinese Cemetery, Subang

Chinese all over the world are observing Ching Ming this week. It's a tomb sweeping day. Ching Ming literally means Pure and Brightness is a celebration of filial piety, a day or the Chinese to show their respect to their ancestors by cleaning the tombs and offering them food and paper paraphernalia. It usually falls in the 3rd month according to the Chinese Lunar calender, which is between March-April according to the Gregorian calendar.

My 5th Pak's (5th uncle) tomb

This event has been an annual family affair but nowadays, younger generation begin to shy away from this event, thinking that it's only another ritual and rites that seemed outdated. This is indeed sad as younger generation no longer appreciate their culture and the living legacy of Chinese civilisation.

Bro and my aunts

They failed to see the significance of such celebration. If we look beyond superstitious perspective, Ching Ming is actually a time for family gathering, a time for family reunion after a hard day work. It's a time to share with family members. In the olden days,the family members will gather at their ancestor's tomb and clean it together.

Mum and dad offering joss stick and candles

5th Pak's altar

The spirit of togetherness, helping each other with the sweeping chores is what strengthening the bond with each family member. We foster closer relationship, we work and we laugh together. After the mass prayer is the time everyone has been waiting for since morning: Food!!!

My ah koo (aunt) from Ipoh

Myself posing with 5th Pak, haha

Everyone will savour the offerings made to their deceased family members. Chicken, duck, roasted pig, chinese cakes, cookies, fruits, and even rice: Each of them will grab their favourite snack (I think this term is a more suitable as we'll take a little bit of everything). It's a tradition to eat a little as it's believed that the ancestor will bless their family members good health and prosperity. I think it's just a way to get everyone eating, as it's a courtesy to eat a little when food is served by the host, not to waste any food.

Treasure chest for 5th Pak, with his name on the yellow seal

This was how we delivered the treasure chest to him, the fastest and most reliable delivery service, Royal Hell Post

Mum, bro and aunt idling while delivering the chest to uncle

Another reason is because eating is the way to get everyone together and chat, no matter where you are or who you are. After all, we love food, don't we, ^^?

Bro, 5th Pak Leong (5th aunt), 5th Pak Leong's sis and I

Chinese is an ethnic group who treasures family ties, so much so that they are group themselves according to clan and place of origin. As such, festive season is the time to foster closer relationship, catching up with the relatives who have not been in contact for long time.If we study the Chinese festivals, one thing you could point out out is family reunion.

Mum, dad, Ah Koo, 5th Pak Leong, and her sis

Listed here are the major festivals and the get-together activities

1st month: Chinese New Year; reunion dinner.
3rd month: Ching Ming; tomb sweeping day.
5th month: Dragon Boat festival; dumpling-making activity.
7th month: Zhong Yuan Festival aka Hungry Ghost Festival; mass prayer to the King of Hades and wandering spirits.
8th month: Mid-Autumn Festival; prayer to the Moon Goddess Chang Er and Moon-observing.
10th month: Winter Solstice Festival; tangyuan-making and reunion dinner

Understanding the significance of these traditional chinese festivals gives us a clearer picture of the roots of Chinese culture and thus helps us to appreciate what makes the Chinese a unique race throughout their long history and civilisation.

Thean Hou Temple

Main Entrance of Thean Hou Temple, KL

It has been a long time since I last visited Thean Hou Temple in Seputeh, KL. When Mun Li decided to ask me to be a KL guide for her German friend, I thought it was a good idea to revisit this popular Chinese temple. But honestly, I'm not a good KL guide. If you ask me anything about KL, probably I would tell you KL is the capital of Malaysia, that's all.

Pavilion
(courtesy of Mun Li and her Canon zai)

Anyway, talking about Thean Hou Temple, a quick browse on the internet reveled that the temple was built in 1987. It was actually relocated from Jalan Sultan, KL. This temple belongs to Selangor and Federal Hainan Association. I guess it functions like a clan house, just like those clan houses cum temples you can find in Penang. By looking at the temple you can tell that the architecture is of Hokkien influence, with multiple-tier roof, decorated with 2 most auspicious mythical creatures in Chinese culture, Dragon and Phoenix.

Multiple-tier roofs with ornaments
(courtesy of Mun Li and her Canon zai)

Dragon
(courtesy of Mun Li and her Canon zai)

Phoenix
(courtesy of Mun Li and her Canon zai)

Other mythical creatures
(courtesy of Mun Li and her Canon zai)

The patron deity in this temple is Thean Hou Goddess. She is well-known by another name, Mazu. She is the patron deity of the sea, overseeing the well-being of fisherman in the ocean. Before going out to fish in the ocean, fishermen would pray to her, seeking for protection and a smooth sailing fishing trip in the ocean. Mazu is believed to have lived in the early Northen Song Dynasty, in year 960. Her real name was Lin Moniang.

Thean Hou Goddess aka Mazu

In the early days, Hainan people were mostly fisherman. Thus, they brought together the practice of worshipping Mazu to Malaysia when they came to Nanyang (southern sea, referring to Malaysia and Singapore). Today,the practice of worshiping Mazu is still popular in Taiwan, Fujian China, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Goddess of Mercy, Kuan Yin

Dog, my zodiac animal according to the Chinese lunar calendar

Yuet Lao, the match maker deity

Lotus candle, symbolises purity and enlightenment

Every year, Thean Hou Temple would be festooned with red lantern during the Chinese New Year. If you come by night, you can enjoy the beauty of Thean Hou Temple glittering like stars with the yellow neon bulbs lining the edge of the roofs. Coupled with the colourful bright lanterns, this temple resembles a shining diamond as night falls.

Prosperity, Fu

Chinese New Year (CNY) or the Lunar New Year is the most celebrated Chinese festival. In the course of history it has been known by other names such as First Morning of the Year (Yuan Dan) or Spring Festival (Chun Jie). The arrival of new year is considered an important event as it signifies the beginning of the lunar calendar. Therefore, Chinese pays lots of attention to this event.

The word Prosperity (Fu) is the most favourable word use during CNY. Prosperity does not mean loaded with cash alone. In the chinese culture, prosperity encompasses reunion with family, having lots of children, with enough food to eat, having shelter to seek comfort and a place to call home, with good health and positive mind, having friends to share, and most importantly, having a good life. Thus, Fu is usually seen in many CNY decorations.

Here are some of the Fu decoration I came across, some of which are from my house.

Dad brought this Fu from the night market.

These 2 Fu are for doors

Fu from Beijing, China

This Fu was brought from Beijing. It is an imprint art, a kind of art from China. The original character was written by the Late Emperor Qian Loong of the Qing Dynasty.

My big brother brought this Fu from Fusan, China

Ngan Yin Peanut, Pasir Pinji Market

This Fu decoration takes the form of a kid wishing someone. It was actually peanut packing for Ngan Yin Peanut.

Chinese New Year snacks

Chinese New Year is always the time to savour all sorts of delicacies, raging from cookies to drinks. As usual, mum has never failed to bake cookies for this occasion. Early in the morning, she traveled from Menglembu to Pasir Putih, heading to my small Aunt's house to begin her baking routine with my aunt, sort of join venture between Wong and Chan Family, hahaha....

And so, here are some of her creation to usher the Tiger.

Some of mum's creations

Almond London

Fried crab filament (left) & fried seaweed with popiah role (right)

From the left: chocolate cornflakes, pineapple tart, peanut cookie

I was not in Ipoh so didn't help much (makan of course, haha, I don't know how to bake). Anyway, I did some in KL just in time to celebrate the arrival of Spring, hehe... And what i did? haha... peanut cookies, my favourite ^^

Green pea cookie (left) & peanut cookie (right)