[ 芬享感受In NeverLand ] - With Peter Pan & 多啦A梦

Monday, February 26, 2007

CHINGAY 2007 @ Orchard Road

Hubby brought me to Chingay on 24 Feb, insisting that it's an event not to be missed. And I was truly impressed.

The atmosphere was great and I felt really proud to be a Singaporean. Who says Singaporeans are a boring bunch of profit-driven people? We are a vibrant city capable of artistic expressions too!

I enjoyed myself thoroughly during the post Chingay party as well in the "Retro section" mambo-ing away. There was the Hip Hop section and the Gallery section.

PS:
- My "brother" Royston happens to be the IC for the NUS Kent Ridge Hall float as well.
- Hubby & I got featured in the 11pm Channel U news as interviewees of the Chingay! =)

History
The Chingay Parade traces its origins to a float decorating competition held in Penang in 1905. This practice of float decoration spread to the rest of Malaya by the 1960s, and eventually became associated with the Chinese New Year.
On 4 Feb 1973, the first Chingay parade was held in Singapore, partly as a result of the ban on firecrackers a year earlier in 1972 as a result of fire hazards. This ban was viewed unfavourably despite the safety issues involved. Some people felt that the ban would result in a much dampened festival mood for the CNY period. To address this issue, the People's Association and the Singapore National Pugilistic Association jointly organised a street parade from Jalan Besar to Outram Park featuring the signature floats, acrobatic acts, lion and dragon dances, stilt walkers, and the like, to bring back some cheer to the general public.
The largely Chinese parade became a multi-cultural one from 1977 when Malay and Indian groups started joining in the performances, which was to mark a major precedent in the overall flavour of the parade into one which has become largely multi-cultural in character, despite the continued presence of traditional Chinese acts such as lion dances and stilt walkers till this day.
In 1985, the parade marched down Orchard Road for the first time, a move which was to prevail for much of the parade's subsequent history. Although the change could be attributed to the desire of organisers in bringing it closer to tourists along the major tourist belt and for ease of organisation on a relatively long and straight stretch of road, it also further signified the increasingly desinicized character of the parade. This is further evidenced when in 1987, an international flavour was added to the parade when a group from Japan participated for the first time with their float sponsored by The Straits Times.
The Chingay Parade became an evening-to-night parade in 1990, changing the overall feel of the parade towards one in which lights and pyrotechnics dominate. In 2000, the parade was shifted out of Orchard Road to the Civic District centering at City Hall, an area steep in Singaporean history and culture. Construction works at the City Hall area resulted in the parade marching through the streets of the Chinatown for the first time. Faced with limited space for spectator stands and a much more complicated and winding route in these locations, however, the parade moved back to Orchard Road in 2004 along with an effort to introduce audience participation and involvement in the traditionally passive parade. Post-parade street parties have been held since 2004.

Ate Apple Pie@ Monday, February 26, 2007

~Happy Lunar New Year~
Part 3

Nian Chu 2 ; Second Day of the New Year

The second day of the Chinese New Year is for married daughters to visit their birth parents. Traditionally, daughters who have been married may not have the opportunity to visit their birth families frequently.

So every Nian Chu 2, I would visit my maternal grandparents. It feels different ever since they moved to Sengkang and even more so after my grandma's demise. I still prefer the days back at the old Toa Payoh flat. My cousins and I were so much younger then and we would have so much fun playing with those "masak masak" aka cheap toys which were passed down the generations. All the toys were kept in this big plastic tub underneath my aunt's bed and I would rushed to pull it out and start the "toy party" with my cousins.

This year's Chu 2 was a little quieter compared to the last year with two of my younger cousins sick, one with fever and the other with chicken pox so my aunts couldn't come. Nonetheless, the most giggly one came and was having lots offun by herself. There is also the recent addition of my new cousin who is only two-month old. This little bundle of joy belongs to my 4th uncle's and is the first paternal grandchild of my maternal grandpa.

Naturally, she was the star of the show. Little Amril loves to have people talking to her and responds with her "ah-eh-ooh-erh" baby talk. She's probably wondering why this strange lady (me) keeps taking pictures of her and talking in a language she cannot fathom. She fell asleep real fast though despite the crowd and noise.

My First Encounter with Hubby's Folks

I went Hubby's place after dinner and was welcomed by the open door with many pairs of shoes. It was crowded with with his paternal family members watching VCD and playing Blackjack. I had fun with his little cousins too.

They're a rowdy bunch with lots of laughter which means they seem easy to get along with. It was a friendly experience without much "interrogation" as they were busy entertaining themselves. All in all, it was good since I managed to collect extra hongbaos from his amicable relatives with my sincere smile and well-wishes. Hee~

Do you know?

Fireworks
Bamboo stems filled with gunpowder that were burnt to create small explosions were once used in ancient China to drive away evil spirits. In modern times, this method has eventually evolved into the use of firecrackers during the festive season. Firecrackers are usually strung on a long fused string so it can be hung down. Each firecracker is rolled up in red papers, as red is auspicious, with gunpowders in its core. Once ignited, the firecracker lets out a loud popping noise and as they are usually strung together by the hundreds, the firecrackers are known for its deafening explosions that it is thought to scare away evil spirits. The lighting of firecrackers also signifies a joyous occasion and has become an integral aspect of Chinese New Year celebrations.

In Singapore, a partial ban on firecrackers was imposed in 1970 after a fire killed six people and injured 68. This was extended to a total ban in 1972, soon after a fatal explosion killing two that year. However, in 2003, the government allowed firecrackers to be let off during the festive season. At the Chinese New Year light up in Chinatown, at the stroke of midnight on the first day of the Lunar New Year, firecrackers are let-off under controlled conditions by the Singapore Tourism Board. Other occasions where firecrackers are allowed to be let off are determined by the tourism board or other government organizations. However, they are not allowed to be commercially sold.

Ate Apple Pie@ Monday, February 26, 2007

~Happy Lunar New Year~
Part Two

Nian Chu Yi ; First Day of the Chinese New Year

The first day is for the welcoming of the deities of the heavens and earth. Many people, especially Buddhists, abstain from meat consumption on the first day because it is believed that this will ensure longevity for them. Some consider lighting fires to be bad luck on New Year's Day, so all food to be consumed is cooked the day before.
Most importantly, the first day of Chinese New Year is a time where families will pay a visit to their oldest and most senior member of their extended family, usually their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents.
Some families may invite a Lion dance troupe as a symbolic ritual to usher in the Lunar New Year as well as to evict bad spirits from the premises.

Every year, I will visit my paternal grandmother on this day along with all my aunts and uncles. And every year, without fail, Ah Ma will say, "Ji Kor si siang? Orh! Ah Fen ah! Ani dua han liao ah! Zou gang liao buay? Ti si ai gao yin?" (Who is this? Orh! Ah Fen ah! Grow so big liao ah? Working already? When getting married?)
And mother will say, "Gao si mi yin? Ba lu zou gang nia, ah buay tan lui buay sai gao yin! (What married? Just started work only, haven't earn enough money cannot get married!)
Then my relatives will start laughing and start commenting and how much I've changed physically over the year and ask me how's work etc. I really wonder if they're genuinely concerned or just creating conversation.

Anyway, as usual, there will be good food here followed by Blackjack and then to my 4th uncle's house with steamboat dinner and Mahjong + Blackjack.

There will be two mahjong cliques, those above 40, and those below, which I fall in. So the cousins and I, aka the amateur mahjong players will "open" our own table and play mahjong S-L-O-W-L-Y. But still, the money went into my pocket so it still makes me a happy rat in this piggy year!

Do you know?

Good Luck

Opening windows and/or doors is considered to 'bring in' the good luck of the new year.
Switching on the lights for the night is considered good luck to 'scare away' ghosts and spirits of misfortune that may compromise the luck and fortune of the new year.
Candy is eaten to ensure the consumer a "sweet" year.
It is important to have the house completely clean from top to bottom before New Year's Day for good luck in the coming year. (however, as explained below, cleaning the house after New Year's Day is frowned upon)
Some believe that what happens on the first day of the new year reflects the rest of the year to come. Asians will often gamble at the beginning of the year, hoping to get luck and prosperity.
Wearing a new pair of slippers that is bought before the new year, because it means to step on the people who gossip about you.

Bad Luck

Buying a pair of shoes is considered bad luck amongst some Chinese. The word "shoes" is a homophone for the word for "rough" in Cantonese.
A hair-cut is considered bad luck. The word "hair" is a homophone for the word for "prosperity". Thus "cutting hair" could be perceived as "cutting away your prosperity" in Cantonese.

Washing of your hair is also considered to be washing away one's own luck (although mostly hygenic concerns take precedence over this tradition)

Sweeping the floor is usually forbidden on the first day, as it will sweep away the good fortune and luck for the new year.

Talking about death is inappropriate for the first few days of Chinese New Year, as it is considered inauspicious as well.

Buying books is bad luck because the word for "book" is a homonym to the word "lose"

Buying a pair of pants is considered bad luck. The word "pants" is a homophone for the word for "bitter" in Cantonese. (Although some perceive it to be positive, as the word 'pants' in Cantonese is also a homophone for the word for "wealth".)

Ate Apple Pie@ Monday, February 26, 2007

Sunday, February 25, 2007

~Happy Lunar New Year~
Part 1

The Reunion Dinner on Chu Xi Ye

At Chinese New Year, a reunion dinner is held on New Year's Eve (Chu Xi Ye) where members of the family, near and far, get together for celebration. The New Year's Eve dinner is very large and traditionally includes chicken. Fish (魚, yú) is included, but not eaten up completely (and the remaining stored overnight), as the Chinese phrase 年年有魚/餘; (nián nián yǒu yú, or "every year there is fish/leftover") is a homophone for phrases which could mean "be blessed every year" or "have profit every year", since "yú" is also the pronunciation for "profit". A type of black hair-like algae, pronounced "fat choy" in Cantonese, is also featured in many dishes since its name sounds similar to "prosperity". The Hakka dialect group will serve "kiu nyuk" 扣肉 and "ngiong tiu fu" 釀豆腐. Because the things sound alike, the belief is that having one will lead to the other, like the old child's aphorism "step on a crack, break your mother's back".Buddha's Delight ( 罗汉斋 ;luohan zhai), an elaborate vegetatian dish traditionally comprising 18 ingredients, is sometimes served by Chinese families on the eve and the first day of the New Year. Most Northerners serve dumplings as the main dish in this festive season and many Chinese around the world do the same. It is believed that dumplings (餃子; jiaozi) resemble ancient Chinese gold ingots ( 金元寶; jin yuan bao)

For some families such as mine, this sumptous feast is the combined effort of "women power". My mum and aunts would start preparing at late afternoon and take about three hours to complete the cooking before dinner is served.

Of course, many families these days also choose the more convenient option of dining at restaurants.

Do you know?

1. Red packets for the immediate family are sometimes distributed during the reunion dinner. These packets often contain money in certain numbers that reflect good luck and honorability. Traditionally, red packets (Cantonese: lai shi or lai see) (利是, 利市 or 利事); (Mandarin: 'hóng bāo' (紅包); Hokkien: 'ang pow' ;Hakka: 'fung bao'; are passed out during the Chinese New Year's celebrations, from married couples or the elderly to unmarried juniors. It is common for adults to give red packets to children. Red packets are also known as 压岁钱 (Ya Sui Qian, which was evolved from 压祟钱, literally, the money used to suppress or put down the evil spirit ) during this period.
The red envelopes always contain money, usually varying from a couple of dollars to several hundred. The amount of money in the red packets should be of even numbers, as odd numbers are associated with cash given during funerals (白金 : Bai Jin). Since the number 4 is considered bad luck because the word for four is a homophone for death, money in the red envelopes never adds up to $4. However, the number 8 is considered lucky, and $8 is commonly found in the red envelopes.
Note: in this situation, odd and even numbers are determined by the first digit, rather than the last. Thirty and fifty, for example, are odd numbers, and are thus appropriate as funeral cash gifts. Having said that, it is also rather common and quite acceptable to have cash gifts in a red packet using a single bank note - e.g. ten or fifty dollar bills are being used frequently.
The act of requesting for red packets is normally called (Mandarin): 討紅包, 要利是. (Cantonese):逗利是. A married person could not turn down such request as it means that this person would be "out of luck" in the new year (無利是)

2. Shou Sui
守岁;Shou Sui is when members of the family gather around throughout the night after the reunion dinner and reminisce about the year that has passed while welcoming the year that has arrived. Some believe that children who 守岁 (Shou Sui) will increase the longevity of the parents.
“一夜连双岁，五更分二年” means that the night of New Year's eve (which is also the morning of the first day of the New Year) is a night that links 2 years. 五更 (Wu Geng - a time period in Chinese time keeping roughly equivalent to 0300 - 0500 hrs) is the time that separates 2 years.

Ate Apple Pie@ Sunday, February 25, 2007

Saturday, February 17, 2007

St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.
According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

Valentine's Day 07: Kelly & Lester

Ate Apple Pie@ Saturday, February 17, 2007

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

~In the Mood for CNY~

I was at Chinatown again today and I spent almost an hour walking around just to capture all these CNY scenes. It's really enjoyable despite the crowd. In fact, its the crowd that makes it so interesting. I can hear the new year songs everywhere. I feel like a child anxiously looking forward to the celebrations, so fascinated by these sights all over again. I miss this feeling and I'm savouring every moment of it, so much so I can almost taste the CNY.

Ate Apple Pie@ Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Monday, February 12, 2007

Pre-Chinese New Year

It's that time of the year again, the time that I enjoy and yet dread going to Chinatown. I like to soak up that CNY atmosphere because it really makes me feel so "Chinese" , so "Oriental".

So in the spirit of CNY, Hubby & I went around Chinatown and Clarke Quay and feasted our eyes on the new year scenes. We checked out the horoscopes and it seems like I'm in luck this year. Rats are of good fortune this year and I seriously hope my finances will improve as predicted.

Clarke Quay was quite a sight to behold. The night life was bustling with activites related to chinese culture. Once again, it is proven that Chinese are good with acrobatics as I stared in awe of the stunts the artists performed. There was also another artist who made human mud sculptures. It looked as real as those wax figurines in Madam Tussad's wax museum, just that it was made of mud.

In the meantime, Valentine's Day is on its way too and I'm really glad to receive my first V-day gift 2007 from my beloved sister.

To my dearest sisters Weini and Xiaoting: I thank you girls for being with me through the years, through my ups and downs and tolerating with my nonsense. Thank you for last night especially, for being so understanding towards me. I truly appreciate it! *MUACKS*

Ate Apple Pie@ Monday, February 12, 2007

Sunday, February 04, 2007

Festivals & Traditions

Perhaps some of you may already know that I am a true blue Oriental/Chinese girl at heart. I've always been fascinated by the Chinese culture and perpetually grew up in a Chi-na environment. As my parents were both illiterate in English, they taught me Chinese poems,idioms and stories. From a tender age, I was in touch with many Chinese myths and legends of how Chinese festivals, traditions and practices came about. I was learning the "San Zi Jing" before I could read my ABCs!

"San Zi Jing" by the way, is a long scroll of different chinese morals written in syallables of threes, the most famous being its first two lines: Ren Zhi Chu, Xing Ben Shan. It is a Confucian teaching of his belief that humans are kind by nature.

I am glad that I still continue my pursuit of learning the Chinese culture till today. Reading Chinese literature works remains a passion of mine, much of which is influenced by the fact that I spent my secondary school and junior college days studying Chinese literature, a subject which I took with great interest. I still find reading Chinese newspapers as interesting as reading TODAY.

Sadly in today's urban society, much of the rich Chinese culture is lost in local Chinese youths. Most of us are not enriched with the knowledge of our rich heritage, some can't even speak proper Chinese, a fact which saddens me.

Nonetheless, I still take great joy is watching and participating in anything related to my rich heritage, especially when it comes to celebrations. Celebrating Chinese festivals was a grand affair when I was young, all my aunts, uncles and cousins would gather together at my grandmother's house to do the necessary preparations.

My office happens to be situated opposite a Chinese temple and I was pleasantly shocked to see the commotion when I headed to work one day. It seems that the temple is celebrating its birthday and devotees are busy thanking the gods. Such an event naturally calls for elaborate celebrations and I spent some time exploring the sights of the temple. Here are some for you to enjoy.

Looking forward to CNY,
Proud to be a Chinese Girl

Ate Apple Pie@ Sunday, February 04, 2007