2.0.1.0

I'm now in Melbourne. Sorry for the lack of update recently. I will do the countdown and watching the fireworks at Federation Square at Melbourne tonight. Hopefully 2010 will be a better and more promising year. Happy New Year 2010. :)

Bak Chang

It's the time of the year again. Just in case if you "catch no ball", I'm talking about Bak Chang Festival or Duan Wu Jie (端午节) or Dragon Boat Festival. Today is the 5th day of the 5th month in Chinese Lunar Calendar. Actually hoh, I just realised Bak Chang festival was today two days back, after I take a look at the Chinese Lunar Calendar on my iPod Touch. :P

Which one do you prefer?

The healthier mini kee chang or kan sui (alkaline) chung?

Or the bigger bak chang or ham yuk chung?

Regardless which ever chang u like, home made chang is still the BEST. :)

Happy 4th Blogiversary

Although I didn't blog much for the last few months, but I haven't abandon this space of mine yet. Today (25.4.2009) marks my weblog's 4th birthday. Time really flies. I have get to know many of you all out there throughout the year, and quite a number has become my friends in real life, not only virtual acquaintances. Although quite a majority of people that i know of via blogging have stopped blogging as time goes, but I think I won't join their bandwagon yet. With this 4th blogiversary, I'm planning to revive this weblog again.

Happy 4th Blogiversary to http://chen22.blogspot.com aka A Journey Called Life... Should i give it a new home? I meant getting a new domain?

And last but not least, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for spending your valuable time on this little humble space of mine. Terima Kasih Banyak-Banyak :)

Thaipusam 2009

I'm kinda lazy lately, hence the delay in posting. The following are photos taken during the recent Thaipusam Festival (earlier this month, on 8 February 2009) at Waterfall Road, on the way to Botanical Garden in Penang. I have taken a total of 600++ photos but I will only post a few here due to space constraint.

A group of Hindu devotees assemble in front of Waterfall Temple.

Devotee carrying pot filled with milk as offerings.

Devotee receiving blessing as well as a dab of ash onto the forehead, by the Hindu priest.

Milk overflowing..

Small kid drinking milk while the adult devotee carrying pot of milk as offering. :)

Parents carrying a small boy/or girl to the temple using sugar canes.

"People mountain people sea" aka human traffic jam, definitely not for those with crowd phobia.

A young kavadi bearer, I wonder how old is this little boy?

A group of devotee coming out from the Hindu temple. What u notice in this photo? Besides the body piercing and the colourful Hindu God statues on top of the milk pot, the second guy in the picture walked with closed/covered eyes.

Extreme body and face piercing with mini pots hooked to curved needles.

Oucchhhh...

Piercing the cheek with skewer.

Close up shot of the back piercing.

Huge hooks with the gigantic heavy weight pot..

I can feel the pain by just looking at the gigantic hooks piercing the skin and muscle, but it leave no pain to the person in trance.

Chinese devotee. Not for the faint-hearted.

*Gulp* I can't help but to think of... Will it leave behind a big hole on the cheek when the skewer was removed subsequently?

Devotees along Waterfall Road.

Till we meet again next year :)

Chap Goh Mei

So fast time flies, today is Chap Goh Mei, aka the last day of Chinese New Year. Have you had enough lokam or tangerines? I haven't have enough yet. Since today is also the Chinese Valentine, anyone throw any lokam into the river/lake/sea? If u have any extra lokam or tangerines, don't waste it by throwing into the river but pass it to me. But NOT the rotten one, please ... the edible one, of coz. LOL

Arrowhead

I had read about chinese arrowhead (also known as nga ku or chi ku in Cantonese) but never get to taste this little bugger waterchestnut-like thingy in the past as it's not available in my hometown. Poor me.

Finally I get to eat the thick arrowhead chips this year. My goodness.. It's so yummy and addictive. Chomp... chomp... chomp... and within minutes it's all gone. Forget about my favourite potato chips. :P

Too bad.... Arrowhead chips is only available during Chinese New Year period. Sigh.. :(

Happy "Niu" Year

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a blessed and prosperous Chinese New Year, and enjoy your gathering together with family members, relatives and friends, either physically or virtually.

祝新年快乐，万事如意，身体健康，恭喜发财.
Gong Xi Fa Cai

MOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...
Mooooooooolaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

2.0.0.9

Ah Boy & I wish everyone Happy New 牛 Year 2009.

p/s: Ah Boy wants siew pai kuat :)

Winter Solstice

I have totally forgotten that tomorrow is Winter Solstice @ Dong Zhi (冬至/过冬) till I visited Air Itam market this evening (for few bowls a bowl of pipping hot mouth watering delicious air itam longkang laksa) and saw several road side stalls selling the colourful GRB (glutinous rice ball) or tang yuen next to the market. Time really flies. It's the time of the year again...

I haven't made any fish ball tang yuen yet. Will only do so tomorrow (I still have half a packet of glutinous rice flour). The above glutinous rice ball or tang yuen photo was taken during my brother's wedding end of last month, and yeah, I made those tang yuen. ;)

Related Entries :
* GRB Attack
* Klang klang ball
* Sweet Potato Tang Yuen
* tang yuan/汤圆 or glutinous rice balls

Congrats Brother

Moon & Mooncake Festival

This year, I was in Penang during Mid Autumn Festival or Mooncake Festival (which falls on Sunday, 15/9/2008), but I didn't really celebrate it.. In fact, most of the time I was outside Penang during Mid Autumn Festival

2001: can't remember where was I..
2002: Kelantan, Malaysia
2003: Germany
2004: Jingzhou, China (taking the Yangtze River Cruise)
2005: Penang , Malaysia
2006: Brunei Darussalam
2007: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (had dinner at Thai Restaurant in MVM together with Angeles)
2008: Penang, Malaysia

When I looked out of the window, I saw the full moon.. Just as I started shooting, the cloud started blocking the view.

Within few minutes, the cloud blocked the view of the full moon.. Such a gloomy Mooncake Festival in Penang island. How's the weather elsewhere?

On This Day...

Lately I'm lazy to write post. Hence I curi-ed the Moo birthday greetings from Angeles Moo , Misti Moo and Doreen Moo. (psss.. I've Moo-ified Angeles and Doreen btw :P)

Thanks Angeles Moo

Thanks Misti Moo

Thanks Doreen Moo

Thanks everyone for the birthday greetings and wishes on my Cow One aka 牛一. So many Moo-s, sure lotsa Moolahs liao. Kkekekekek... Btw, anyone has any idea why in Cantonese, birthday is also known as 牛一 (Cow One)? They murder one Moo Moo for the birthday celebration ah? o.O Hopefully not.. Actually hoh Gua tak tau the reason behind it... :)

9th Anniversary

Many thanks to BabeKL for the advanced Anniversary Greetings posted in her blog few days back. If not I would have totally forgotten my wedding anniversary liao this year. Thanks BabeKL once again. BabeKL and her hubby also celebrated their 10th Wedding Anniversary recently, on 4th July aka US Independence Day :)

Yeah, today (7th July) marks the 9th Wedding Anniversary for me and my hubby. No celebration lah. After so many years, we don't really celebrate birthdays or anniversaries (till i almost forgotten about it this year :P), as long as we love each other and have each other inside our hearts every single day.

Just now, I kaypoh went and read back what I wrote in the past, and noticed the sampat Winn suggested me to celebread by eating bread during my wedding anniversary 2 years back. And the equally sampat Carcar suggested me to cele-bread by eating celery + bread. And since I malas nak tangkap gambar today, so I will use back the same wedding ring photo I posted last year :P ٩(●̮̮̃•̃)۶ ٩(●̮̮̃•̃)۶ ٩(●̮̮̃•̃)۶ ٩(●̮̮̃•̃)۶ ٩(●̮̮̃•̃)۶

And nope, I didn't eat celery nor bread today :P

Related Entries :
* 2007's 070707
* 2006's 777

Happy Birthday Angeles

From Angel to Angeles and now Rainbow Angeles,
I really treasure and cherish your friendship...
Glad knowing such a wonderful person via blogsphere,
Although I have only get to know u for 2 years plus,
but it seems like knowing u for ages already ;)
I still remember the first time we met up on 6/8/06 @ LCCT..
and the rest are histories ;)

Muacks & Hugs & Kisses...
to a beautiful gal with a sincere, kind and gentle heart

Happy Birthday Angeles

♫ ♪ 生日快乐 ♫ ♪

**Ooops, super paiseh..
Cos I still haven't send out your birthday card yet..
Too tired mah..
Sleep early yesterday night and forgotten to send the card...
Must find a hole to hide liao....
I will send the card tomorrow morning..
If not I will piak myself :P

Happie Cow One, May

Oops, Ah Boy naughty...
He curi makan Ah May's Birthday Egg Tart
*No Eye See*
Should I piak him for licking the egg tart? :P

Happy Birthday Maymay
One year younger liao..
forever young,
forever pretty,
forever sexy.
and forever MayMay :)

8.3.2008

8th March 2008
~ 3.8 (sampat) Day
~ International Women's Day
~ Malaysia's 12th General Election Polling Day
~ LB's Birthday
~ Sami Vellu's Birthday?

Last year, the talking dim sum took the limelight...
This year the Talking Sotong steal the show :P

Happy Birthday Albie
爱尔比, 祝你生日快乐

Hope u have a fabulous birthday celebration on this 3-8 aka sampat day
Errr... What happened to the 48 Concubines Series?

p/s: Let's vote for a better MALAYSIA this coming General Election 2008. Vote for those who will stand up for the TRUTH, RIGHTEOUSNESS, HUMAN RIGHTS etc. Vote wisely.

Happy Birthday Misti

Happy Birthday Misti
Have A Happie Mappie Purplish Moooo-Day
Happie Cow One
Got Milk? ;)

pssss... Angeles, Does the Sexy Moo looks familiar? ;)

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Hamster wanna give u a ticklish Hug
Have A Prosperous Mousey And Ratty Year 2008
Hope this Mousey Year won't bring more Rats to the house :P

祝新年快乐, 万事如意
身体健康, 恭喜发财

GONG XI FA CAI

p/s: This photo was taken 4 years ago (end of 2003). All my hamsters had R.I.P. are now enjoying themselves in hamster heaven with endless supplies of fresh kuaci :)

CNY cupcakes

Today I received some CNY goodies. Thanks Kat for the lovely CNY cupcakes.

9 lovely CNY cupcakes. So cute, so adorable, so ong, so bling-bling, so CNY... I have to grab my camera and take few shots :)

Gold Tortoise for longevity

Gold Pineapple aka Ong Lai. This will be a ONG and prosperous year :)

Gold Bucket of Money/Ingots. What to buy leh with those money?

Gold Fish. Year year got fish liao. Will have everything in abundance.

Coins and Ingots = Wealth. Money come, Moolah come :P

Lokam. Kam = Gold.

Kat, terima kasih banyak-banyak for the lovely CNY Cupcakes. 谢谢. Ah Boy was looking from afar with great interest (and salivating) when I took the photos of the cupcakes ;)