Wednesday, February 23, 2011

CHINESE NEW YEAR 2011 (2)

Sunday, February 20, 2011

CHINESE NEW YEAR 2011

This Chinese New Year, with no exception, we had our family gathering at home and invited a Lion troupe to celebrate with us. Many believe that the "lions" are regarded as guardian creatures to scare away evil spirits and to summon good luck, fortune and prosperity at home. New Year greeting from the troupe consisting of a Golden and two Red lions. The Golden lion was to perform the the traditional custom of "cai ching" (採青), literally means "plucking the greens", which would usher good fortune and luck. We offered beer and oranges to the Golden lion to start the performance. The "joker" was inviting the "lion" to take the beer.
Going for the last can of beer!
We provided a tray of lettuce, oranges and a Pomelo to the lion as the final "cai ching" (採青) items. The lion was lying down to "work" on the "greens" Finally, this Golden lion returned the tray with the pomelo beautifully peeled and decorated with "gold" - symbolizing life and a new beginning.
and.... left four orange lucky numbers on the floor!
Our family gathering would never end without food. Dinner was ready after the Lions' performance.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

FLOWERS AND DINNER ON VALENTINE'S DAY

It was Roses and dinner for my wife on Valentine's day. I was one of the early birds at the florist shop ordering this bouquet of red roses.
I always like red roses and so does my wife.
Many people believed that red roses are the ultimate symbol of love and convey respect and love.
.
In the evening, we had dinner at the Nagisa Japanese restaurant in the Hyatt Regency.
We had sashimi, salad, tempura as our side dishes with the main course of "Unagi" and grilled "Tara".
Grilled "Tara"
Unagi
Mixed tempura

We finished off the dinner with Green tea ice cream (抹茶アイスクリーム, Matcha aisu kurīmu). It was a pleasant evening with good food ( a little too much though) and of-course, with very good and loving company!

Monday, February 14, 2011

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

14FEB is a day for people all over the world to celebrate the day with love, care, romance and peace.
I would like to wish everybody a happy Valentine's Day and enjoy the spirit of Valentine!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

YUSHENG (鱼生) FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR

Yusheng (鱼生) is a popular Chinese-style raw fish salad served during the Chinese New Year. This dish is served to raise "Good Luck". This dish usually consists of raw fish slices, like salmon, mixed with shredded vegetables and a variety of sauces and condiments.
Slices of salmon were added on.
The final touch with all ingredients on the plate.
.
During our family reunion dinner, we had this Yusheng (鱼生). My family members tossed the shredded ingredients into the air to mark the starting of a prosperous New year!.
Yusheng (鱼生) to the Chinese is considered a symbol of abundance, prosperity and vigor.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

GONG XI FA CAI !

In Malaysia, Chinese New Year falls on 03FEB 2011 - just one and a half hour away! According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2011 is the Year of the Golden Rabbit, which begins on February 3, 2011 and ends on January 22, 2012. People born in the Year of the Rabbit are friendly and enjoy the company of a group of good friends. They are good teachers, counselors and communicators, but also need their own space.
.
Wishing everyone a Happy and a prosperous Chinese New year!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

CHINESE NEW YEAR CARNIVAL AT GAYA STREET

We went over to check out the Chinese New Year carnival at Gaya street last night. The whole street was lighted up with red lanterns and crowded with people.
The entrance to Gaya Street.
Along the street, there were many stalls selling Chinese New year goodies and all kinds of stuff just like the 'Pasar Malam' (night market).
Temaki...Chinese style. A family shopping for Chinese New Year.
The highlight of the carnival was the stage performance which included traditional Chinese dances, arts and songs.
A talentime show was in progress when we arrived. We stayed for about about an hour enjoying a colourful evening.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

JAPAN 1 AUSTRALIA 0

Japan lifted the Asian Cup for a record fourth time when Tadanari scored in extra time during last night's final. "Congratulation" to all my Japanese friends! It was an exciting match. I expected Australia to beat Japan at least by 2 goals judging on the performance of their players in the first 30 minutes. The Australian were threatening the Japanese with crosses into the box, very effective but unfortunately could not find the net. They were unable to beat Kawashima, the Japanese keeper. To me, the Australian played well as they had dominated for much of the match. The Japanese on the other hand took their chances well. It was a bitter defeat for the Australian! What a beautiful goal! The cross found Tadanari completely unmarked near the penalty spot. He put the ball beyond the reach of the Australian goal keep with a first time volley.

Friday, January 28, 2011

CHINESE NEW YEAR DECORATIONS

Walking about at Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, It was amazing to see so many beautiful Chinese New Year decorations in and outside shopping malls especially at the Pavilion. Welcoming the Lunar New Year of the Rabbit. Two giant rabbits at the entrance to Pavilion shopping complex.
What a lovely piece of display - "Lion head + drums + lucky red flowers"A huge "Lion" head with many smaller ones guarding the Pavilion. It's red everywhere! Why red? The Chinese believe that red can bring happiness, good luck, good health and prosperity. That's why during Chinese New Year, Chinese like to hang red lanterns, wear red clothing and let off red fire-crackers.One of the symbols of Chinese Prosperity is the Mandarin Oranges.Pavilion Crystal Fountain, a new Kuala Lumpur landmark. It is the tallest Liuli Crystal Fountain in Malaysia. I believed this is the "Feng Shui bowl" of the Pavilion. Every few minutes, the colour of this fountain changes from red to green,then to blue and purple.

Rabbits at JW Marriot lobby.

Shopping was good at this time of the year as of all the shops and big department stores, like Parkson, Metrojaya, Isetan and Tangs, were offering attractive discounts.