On the 1st Day of the CNY

I woke up and saw messages on my handphone.   Some were on FB, some on whatsapp, some were via sms. Thank you for all the beautiful festive greetings.  It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

with (from left) Mary Victoria Dass, Loshini Priya and Mary's Mom

The Dass family were my first guests for the day and they brought along a pink dolphin as a gift.  That's so sweet.  I love my pink dolphin.

with Shella, MK Ong and Beryl Kua

In the evening, I went over to MK's house for a sumptuous home cooked meal. It was a family gathering but MK regards me and Beryl as part of the family.

Feeling so blessed ...

My CNY Reunion Dinner Dishes

Meatball soup

This dish was among the dishes for Chinese New Year reunion dinner.  It tasted nothing like the meatball soup that my late mother used to make.  Need to fine-tune the recipe.

The chicken cuts were blended and then mixed with corn flour, plain flour and an egg.

Here are the meatballs of an amateur cook.


The Chinese also love to eat fish during the Chinese New Year as it symbolises  年年有余 (Nian Nian You Yu) which translates to "Abundance Throughout The Year."

Garnishing and food presentation is very important.  However, I think I may have over presented.

Ahh... my favourite "jiu hu char".  But today's dish was seriously lacking in salt.  Nevermind, can repair later.  The ingredients include shredded cuttlefish, turnip, mushrooms, carrots and chicken.

 

This dish is a mystery to me.  I have no idea what it is.  A fusion maybe.   "Sotong sumbat", perhaps?  Definitely not a Chinese New Year traditional dish, but it's 2014.  Anything goes...

Remembering the Departed

Aren't these flowers beautiful?

They're for my late father, who departed on July 16, 2004; and my late mother, who departed on November 12, 2010.  I visited them at the Ngee Heng Crematorium in Johor Bahru this morning, where their cremains were kept.  

Tomorrow, being the eve of Chinese New Year, the Chinese community will be busy preparing for the big reunion dinner.  Some will be feasting at home, some will be eating out.

Me? I'll be eating at home.  Will start cutting the veggies in a little while, in preparation for tomorrow's feast.  It will be a special feast, prepared with love and mindfulness.

Among the traditional Nyonya dishes on the menu are "jiu hu char", "kiam chai" duck soup and my mother's favourite  chicken meatball soup which will have mushroom, sea cucumber, carrot and cabbage.

New Hair Colour, New Hope, New Blanket

Self Reflection

2014 looks like a good year for those in the advertising industry.  When the economy is good, less people will think of advertising.

This was what my friend in the advertising industry told me this evening at a pre-Chinese New Year gathering at the Grand Bayview Seafood Restaurant in Danga Bay, Johor Bahru.

"During the good times, our property developer clients would want to take out a newspaper ad for their property launch, but before the scheduled publication date, all their new shop or residential units would have been snapped up even before the property launch.  So, the client has no choice but to cancel the ad placement.

"But when there is a slowdown in the economy, orders to place an ad will start pouring in and the clients are probably not going to cancel," my friend said.

Prosperity Toss

The sumptuous eight-course meal which started at around 8pm came to an end at about 10.30pm.  We are certainly looking forward to a great year ahead.

A Windy Evening at Danga Bay

The Spring Festival in Malaysia this year is going to be colder than usual, I heard.  I need a new blanket to keep me warm.

Ajahn Siripanno

Ajahn Siripanno is the only son of Malaysian Tycoon, Tan Sri Ananda Krishnan, who is the second richest man in Malaysia, behind Robert Kuok.

When Ajahn Siripanno first arrived at Ajahn Chah's forest retreat, he wondered why a revered monk like Ajahn Chah also had to suffer sickness in his old age.  He shared his thoughts with a senior monk, who replied with a smile: “Why do you think he is suffering?”

Red Azaleas

Updated

Upon waking up, my first thought was of the 杜鵑花 (Azalea).  

The Azalea flower is associated with passion, femininity, womanhood.  The meaning of giving this flower to loved ones is to tell them to take care of themselves.

In Chinese culture, the azalea is also dubbed the "thinking of home bush".

The Red Azalea is also the title of a memoir by Anchee Min where she writes about her life during Communist China's Cultural Revolution, a campaign launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 to rid the Communist  Party of China (CPC) of its rivals, but which ended up destroying much of China's social fabric. On October 1, 1949 Mao had proclaimed the foundation of the People's Republic of China (PRC), a one-party socialist state controlled by the CPC.

Red Azaleas

The Spring Festival is approaching.  Come January 31, the Wood Horse gallops in as the Water Snake slithers away.

The nurseries are filled with beautiful blooms now as the Chinese community starts spring cleaning and adorning their homes with all things auspicious for the Lunar New Year, which lasts for 15 days.

Flowers symbolise rebirth and new growth. The azaleas is regarded as auspicious,  Roses, not so much, because of its thorns, if you believe in Fengshui.

There are a myriad of auspicious symbols for abundant prosperity and longevity.  Looking at these items also symbolises our intention.

But what is more important is to look at our deeds and thoughts.