SPRING IS NEARLY THERE - JAPAN

During the last 2 weeks or so, Japan recorded the lowest-ever temperatures in the north and coastal areas this Winter. The coldest morning was minus 32.6 C in Hokkaido. With the extraordinary heavy snow fall, many parts of the country were paralyzed. 

 Heavy snow in Saitama.

The severe weather is coming to an end as the apricot or plum flowers have started to bloom few days ago, indicating that the Spring is nearly there.

Miura san informed me that worst (the extreme winter condition) the first, in almost a few decades, was over.

Japanese have started to celebrate the apricot or plum blossoms festival to mark the beginning of Spring season.

Like cherry trees, plum trees come in many varieties, many of which were cultivated by people over the centuries.

Most plum blossoms have five petals and range in colour from white to dark pink.

These pictures were taken by Miura san at Omiya Park (大宮公園). The next round will be cherry blossoms in a month's time.

FLOOD IN THE INTERIOR OF SABAH

The non-stop heavy rain in the interior a week ago has caused the Padas river to burst it's banks flooding Tenom, Beaufort and many areas. The severe flood has affected more than 50,000 people. 

The Beaufort town

With more rainwater gushing into the low-lying districts, the train service between Beaufort and Tenom has been suspended since. To day, many roads are still impassable to traffic in Sipitang, Papar, Tenom and Beaufort.

Even though the rain had stopped yesterday, the Padas river still breached the 10m mark, its highest recorded level in more than 30 years.

 The worst hit area in Tenom.

The Sabah state government has so far opened 25 relief centres in Tenom and 22 in Beaufort to accommodate thousands of people evacuated from the flooded area. The flood has so far claimed 3 lives.

LED LION DANCE

It's my first time to see a "LED" Lion dance at our sister-in-law house. Perhaps, it was the first "Lion" troupe in Kota Kinabalu to do such a performance.

What a  beauty ! The "Lion" glowed luminously with the advance technology of LED lights.

 Lighted up to brighten the celebration.

 

We had a great evening with the fantastic performance and a delicious dinner. 

CHINESE NEW YEAR GATHERING

On the second day of the Chinese new Year, we hosted a "Lion" dance and a dinner in our residence.

While waiting for the "Lions" to arrive, we posed for a picture to remember this day.

 Greeting from the "Lions"

 The laughing buddhas ( 笑佛) with the children.

The highlight of the evening was "plucking the greens" (採青) by the a "Lion"...a pomelo, lettuces, 8 oranges, 8 cans of beer and angpows were prepared for the show. 

Ready ..let's start!       

 The "Lion" first went for the beers followed by the oranges.

 After 30 minutes or so, it went for the greens and the pomelo.

 A good luck scroll for the family.

 Saying good bye.

It was a very happy evening! Another Chinese New Year to remember. Let's hope that the year of the "Horse" would bring us good health, happiness, and prosperity throughout the year!   
 

GONG XI FA CAI - 新年快樂

Chinese New Year is the biggest and most important annual festival for Chinese communities worldwide. Prior to the celebrations, homes are cleaned and decorated. Come this Friday, 31January, it's Chinese new year!  

In new year mood - red lanterns above Foh Sang's shops. 

It's red everywhere.

Many shops are opened late into the night to accommodate the shoppers.

Popular cookies for the New Year celebration.

Tons of mandarin oranges.

New Year cakes.

Waxed duck's thighs and Chinese sausages are traditional food and a must buy for the occasion.  

 

  Citrus trees with fruits symbolize good fortune. 

The pomelo are symbolic of family unity and prosperity.

 

One of Chinese New Year traditions is to clean yourself up before the New year. It is believed that taking a bath with pomelo leaves can wash away all the dirt and cast away the evil spirit. 

Many believe pineapples will bring good luck and fortune to all in the family.

May the year of the "Horse" bring us the best of luck, good fortune, good health and prosperity throughout 2014!

"Gong Xi Fa Cai" to every one!

  

A GARDEN TO APPRECIATE

We have a reasonable size garden in our home. I must give credit to my wife for all the hard work she has put in to making our garden a place to enjoy.  

 View of the greenery.

 

Occasionally, I could see sun birds like this one feeding on the flower nectar.

 Another regular visitor.

 
The orchid shade.

Mango in season.

A pair of olive back sun birds feeding on one of the fruits.

The yellow vented bulbul is another mango lover.

 A black squirrel in our backyard. 

Our 3 dogs relaxing in the late afternoon. 

My garden is a good place to sit back, relax and enjoy it after a hard day's work. I am sure my wife can make our garden even more of a haven than it already is.