Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year or Spring Festival (春节) is one of the most important traditional Chinese holidays. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month (正月; pinyin: zhēng yuè)(Jan 26th,2009) in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th, which is called Lantern Festival(Feb 9th ). Chinese New Year's Eve is known as 除夕 Chúxī.

Chinese New Year is a major holiday for the Chinese in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and other countries or regions with significant Han(汉) Chinese populations, Chinese New Year is also celebrated, and has became part of the traditional culture of these countries.
The most important event of Chinese New Year's Eve is the dinner every family will have. (团圆饭). A dish consisting of raw fish（鱼生） in Malaysia will normally appear on the tables of Chinese families。

The ninth day of the New Year is a day for Chinese to offer prayers to the Jade Emperor of Heaven (天公) in the Taoist Pantheon. The ninth day is traditionally the birthday of the Jade Emperor. This day is especially important to Fujian and Teochews (Min Nan speakers闽南人). Come midnight of the eighth day of the New Year, Fujian will offer thanks giving prayers to the Emperor of Heaven. Offerings will include sugarcane as pronunciation of sugarcane in Fujian dialect (Kam Jia甘蔗) sound like “thank you”(kam xia 感谢) Another saying is that Fujian people were hiding in Sugarcane plantation and survived from certain extermination generations ago.

The fifteenth day of the New Year is celebrated as Yuán xiāo jié (元宵节), otherwise known as Chap Goh Mei in Fujian dialect. This day is celebrated as the Lantern Festival in China and Taiwan, and families are decorated with lighted lanterns. This day often marks the end of the Chinese New Year festivities. There is an interesting fun activity in Penang, Malaysia that takes place includes the throwing of oranges into the sea/river/lake by the maidens in the hope to find their life partner or to make a wish. People believe that by throwing the oranges, it signifies that they are available for marriage, and if someone picks up the floating oranges, the singles who threw it will be able to find a good partner. Though the modern generation youngsters do not believe on this, they are still practicing this as a fun event.

I like to wish all a prosperous Ox year, though it looks like a tough year ahead, as the Chinese saying 年年难过年年过 which mean “Every year looks tough, however we can go through without difficulty”

Something About Me

I was born in a very small village call Kota Tampan in Lenggong, Perak in Malaysia during the Japanese occupation. Few months after I was born, the second world ended. I did not enjoy much good living when I was a small boy. Because of the poor living condition during the wartime, many infants died. My mother was too worried about the survival of this young boy, and listen to some superstitious people that it is easier to bring this child up if he was to be treated like a girl. So she put one ear ring on me, and demanded that I should wear until 16 years. Because of this, I was always teased by my schoolmate that I am a girl. In fact I was unlucky to be born then, if this thing happens today, people will admire me as their idol. The ear ring did not handicap me as a boy. I am still climbing trees in the jungle, fishing and swimming in the River. I finished my primary school in Kota Tampan, but there are no secondary schools in that area. My parent sent me to Taiping, a historical town some 80 KM from my home for my secondary education.
It was a total new environment for this Kampong (Village) boy, and many of my classmates again laugh at me on my attire. Worst of it all, I have to study every subject in English where I only study few English lessons in my primary school. I was totally lost during the first year but manage to catch up the second year on all other subjects except English. I have a phobia in English, until the later part of my life when I finished my secondary school education. I decide to take the Senior Cambridge School examination as a private student (Cambridge School Certificate is a must if you want to find a decent job during that decade). I succeeded during the second tries.

My father died of cancer immediately after I passed out from my secondary school. I started to work in a transport company as a clerk. I met my lovely wife few years after and get married. Towards my past years, I work as a private tutor, clerk, salesman, Dispenser in the Pharmacy in the University Hospital and finally start my own business.

I am now actively involved in community services. As I have suffered hardship when I was a young boy, I understand the painfulness of those poor young children. I pledge to myself that I must t help them in whatever way I can. I join a global organization, Kiwanis Club of Kuala Lumpur in 1985. Because of my sincerity and passion, I climb the leadership ladder from members to club president and finally to became one of the international trustees. This organization helps me on acquiring new knowledge and also provides me with a platform to serve globally. I have a colorful lifestyle and have friends all over the world.

I fully understand the statement “to give is always happier than to receive”. I wish everyone who read my blog a happy Chinese New Year, and I invite you to join my team on serving the children of the world. Want to know more about it, click here http://www.kiwanis.org/