Back in Pearl Island, Once More.

Saturday 23 February 2013, 14th day (十四) of Lunar New Year.

Left on a jetplane on a fine morning from my home heading back to Pearl Island that I had came to love, loathe and fear.  Staying overseas (literally across South China Sea) these years means that flying has become less exciting and more drudging or even dreadful (especially when flying on cattle class namely AirAsia. It's not even that cheap these days and all the things they want to make money out of their cattle.). Perhaps it is the reality as a whole that I had came to love, loathe and fear and has became less exciting and drudging or even dreadful. (Just to lighten things up for ya with a trivia: thanks (or no thanks if you are the 1Malaysia sycophant) to THAT historical event on 16/9/1963, Malaysian Bornean has reserved special provision in managing own immigration affair hence immigration checkpoint whenever you leave Sarawak/Sabah, even if it's only to Peninsula. Contrary to popular misconception however,  it's not necessary but still usable for Malaysian to use passport when travelling between Peninsula and Sarawak/Sabah as IC is recognized as proper travel document. As a replacement for that however, the immigration will issue non-Sarawakian/Sabahan a landing permit that allows you stay in Sarawak/Sabah up to three months.)

Lunar New Year in transition: mandarin oranges that I brought over from home and angpow that I receive from my (new to fatherhood! Baby Gabriel~~) cousin that stayed back in Penang for this CNY.

In an attempt to knock off some of the lingering ennui and excess adrenaline after being forced by my younger brother to sort out my life and room (now my room as extra 20% space as a result.) immediately after settling down in Penang, I headed straight to downtown Georgetown just to spot the latest wave of caricature steel sculptures that has been installed. Thanks to extensive coverage by Penang Travel Tips and aided by great weather, I've plot out the route when I was back at home. Not without snag though as I got lost at one point trying to find the Gedung Rumput sculpture, initially thought it was located at Lebuh Gereja/Church Street as shown on PTT's Google Map. Good thing I brought along my laptop as well that I got to rest (at Old Town White Coffee at Whiteaway Arch) and double check the location again. Turns out it's located at Lebuh China/Lebuh Queen's junction. The rest however were spotted as plan so there you go, the latest 12 installations around Georgetown Heritage Core. (Clique ici for extra bits!).

Sunday 24 February 2013, 15th day of Lunar New Year also known as Yuan Xiao Jie 元宵节 or Chap Goh Meh 十五暝.

Got to spent time with Tate and his gang of pals at Padang Kota's Chap Goh Meh Carnival. Apparently it's an amalgamation of three different events complete with three different locations around Padang Kota with Penang State Level Chap Goh Meh Celebration (top row left and center) taking the center field with Lantern riddle (猜灯谜), some Pasar Malam street fest featuring Nyonya Gangnam Style Action (Oh those sporting Sayang-Sayang aunties! Top row, right.) and Mandarin Orange Throwing (捞柑) fundraising by the seaside from Penang Lion Dancing Association. Meanwhile, the city were lit appropriately for the night. Too bad we had to leave before the firework starts at 11pm as we have to catch the bus to go back USM or otherwise risk being marooned in downtown.

About THAT university that I steadfastly overstayed its welcome despite growing into love and loathe and fear:

MOAR handouts in the form of RM250 worth of book vouchers complete with a packet plastered with that overused monstrosity namely 1Malaysia logo and an excerpt of PM's 2013 Budget Speech about raising the handout from RM200 to RM250. * reaches barf bag* Being thrown back into the dilemma of what books should I buy again considering that I didn't got to buy much books relevant to my research last time and things I am interested on (*cough*manga*cough*) is not eligible for the book voucher.

Despite my previous contention that the Tobacco Free Campus campaign by Universiti Sains Malaysia is mostly about vanity PR exercise, I would say the recent light boxes with posters about anti-smoking being put up around campus is actually very well designed with strategic dissemination of anti-smoking message from various angle such as the one at USM Mosque about tobacco consumption being defined as HARAAM by the National Fatwa Council (The one particular fatwa that NO ONE actually abide to while other more ludicrous and hysterical ones especially those that infringes right of NON-Muslim are actually followed to the letter by mindless sheep.). Though being a cynic and skeptic as I always been, I can't help to question the relevance and veracity of the particular light box at the bottom that claimed that "More than 90% of drug abusers are also smokers". It doesn't really prove that smokers are predisposed to do drugs (correlation is not equal to causation) and if anything only stated a situation among drug addicts. It will be different if they state "90% of smokers are also drug addicts" which of course will be ludicrous on the face but actually prove the link between smoking and drug abuse. It could have been better if they put up some fine print on that poster but judging from artistic merit alone, these posters are well made so well-done, designers behind Tobacco Free Campus Campaign.

That's all for Lunar New Year and February, I suppose. Meanwhile, March in about 12 hours. FUCK.

Lunar New Year 2013: The Wrap Up.

Alt. Title: Everything else after the First Day (正月初一) of Lunar New Year.

It might seems premature that I do a Lunar New Year 2013 roundup entry when there are about three more days left before the celebration is actually over (there are actual individual cultural significance for each 15 days of Lunar New Year, some of it might be clan/regional specific) but considering the Lunar New Year Golden Weeks (9-17 February) (the timing for this year's CNY is pretty good because they got Monday and Tuesday as public holiday and most of them has to clear off their annual leave so they just apply leave for the rest of the week.) in which the celebration is at its peak is already petering out and everybody else has already gone back working at somewhere else, Lunar New Year fun for me is by all mean over and done. All that's is left for me are leftover tidbits and soft drinks to binge on and the looming fear of returning to reality after being iding for too long. Oh, and all the great memories that I had with friends and family.

Before I proceed with my Lunar New Year roundup, this post is going to be divided roughly according to significant events and happening during Lunar New Year as well as random thoughts and observation. Let's start, shall we?

The first two days of Lunar New Year is generally uneventful consisted of visiting the elder relatives or receiving visits from parents' colleague or younger relatives as well as paying tributes at the temple especially on day two (初二) specifically reserved for paying tributes to my (maternal) grandparent with the rest of the (maternal) extended families. That's was fine because the first two days of CNY is when one rakes in on red packets from relatives. In fact, that's usually the only time I got to rake in on any monetary rewards and probably the last few years I am able to do so as I reaches adulthood and (supposed to) enter the workforce.

In the mean time, I was anticipating calls or invites for visits, perpetually peering at my mobile phone or Facebook updates (when I am not outside visiting relatives of course) anxiously to see if there's any signs of invitation. I thought that my quite impassioned public invitation to my home by being wax lyrical about my dad's signature sour pork leg and curry chicken which is only available first day and possibly second if there's any leftover. You'll have to wait until next year if you want to enjoy it again!

Anyway, two days has gone by. Both my mobile phone and Facebook notification was eerily silent. I tried to reassure myself that perhaps everybody else has been busy visiting their own relatives which mean they're probably too occupied to make phone calls or check on Facebook. (Come to think of it, people probably didn't got to see my post at all if they were outside making their rounds of visiting relative so my impassioned invitation is counterproductive at best.) When the third day (初三) come and goes along and attractive pictures of happy people making their round visiting best friends began to surface on my Facebook feeds, I was GRIPPED with FEAR if there are no forthcoming visiting invites and no one coming to visit me, I am not going to be able to see any of my friends for this Lunar New Year. My desperation was further exacerbated by the fact that my younger brother Tate has been making his round visiting friends of his from day to midnight (raking in LOADS of angpow money in the process. Bloody hell he sure has loads of friend which is quite well off.) which left me comparatively SAD and LONELY.

Day Four (初四). The situation has come to a point that the usually passive me thinks that ENOUGH is ENOUGH and I began making desperate round of messaging to the closest friends which I usually team up for years whenever there are CNY visits to friend's place checking whether I can visit their place or not. It is also around the same period of time that Bei Shan thought of the same thing too that she made her public invites for Pai ni too. TaukeLip said OK for me visiting him so off I went to hang around his shop. It's also around that point of time that we finally got hold of Owen whom has been MIA for the past three days (turns out he turned off his phone and busy visiting relatives) and from that point on, a visiting plan has FINALLY came into shape. I got to visit Owen at his home before moving on to pick up Ah Lip, moving on to Bei Shan's place before all of us continued our journey to Bella (moved to a new home much closer to the city center) and ShanHui, both of them still as bubbly as usual.

What a GREAT NIGHT it was, finally got to meet and visit them. It never ceases to amaze me the vast range of topic that all of us would talk about whenever we got together from trend and prospect of 13th Malaysian General Election (any time now or within 60 days after Negeri Sembilan dissolves itself sometime during late march), a comparison of television and subtitling production quality in different countries (with specific emphasis on soap opera and drama) to a bubbling idea of new matchmaking app (tentatively FindLove) as a tangent from ShanHui and Bella's latest obsession with PhewTick, interspersed with hilarious reminiscing of our bygone halcyon days (of which the highlights were that Indian guy and his green Myvi that always block ShanHui's car back in St. Thom as well as imaginary drama featuring Titanic-esque sinking sampan at Sarawak River.). Amidst all the good vibes of hanging out with each other however is a new sense of exhaustion that comes with age and working life that most of us just weren't as energetic and enthusiastic when we were back in high school where time and energy seems limitless and whole day of doing rounds of visit seems like a physical challenge. Is it really that inevitable, the weariness that comes with age? Either way and at least I know, I wouldn't want to miss a thing...which is a shame when we spent too much time with each other that we casually forgot to take group photos. Then again, who needs photo when we have memories!

Day Five (初五) (which just so happens to be 14 February or Valentine's Day): A impromptu late Buntal seafood dinner escapade with Owen's UKM Kuchingite uni-mates featuring a new acquaintance, Lisa, an American Born Chinese Intern who Owen got to know recently. Having seafood in Kampung Buntal means a few must order dishes will appear namely Midin the succulent jungle fern, Teochiew Orh Chien/oyster omelette and Tek Ham/Bamboo clam. Too bad I was only able to take picture of the midin as I was peckish and were too busy eating instead. 

Day 6 (初六). The long awaited inaugural 5s1 2004 Class Gathering is finally here. The inaugural organizers namely Eugene and BuiKwong has booked a private lounge at Mongolian Master Steamboat Buffet complete with Karaoke machine all to ourselves!

Their soup bases even regardless of chicken stock or spicy is heavily spiced which is exactly what we need in light of recent rainy weather. As typical of class gathering, there are a lot of catching up to do especially those who's already holding PR in Australia and New Zealand. There are quite a noticeable amount of us working in professional fields especially pharmacy, medicine and engineering while only a few of us that actually proceeds to postgraduate studies or even a second degree in which one of them is me. I wonder what will my profession be in the future. Anyway, while half of us proceed with their afterparty at Backstage at The Junk, the more subdued, relax half of us went to Tray at Padungan for a drink and unwind. Initially we were thinking about going to Bing! Coffee but it was full and as fate would have it as we went to Tray that we were in time to witness of one of our schoolmate of different class were proposed by her long time boyfriend! In fact, the whole cafe was set up for the proposal by the lucky guy while us from 5s1 were just so happen to crash in! Definitely my first time witnessing a public wedding proposal. When the thing settled down, we moved on with more catching up not to mention finally trying one of the most famous soft drinks in Kuching namely Ribena Sprite.

Reproduced from CK's profile featuring roughly half of us from 5s1 2004. May our friendship continues to lasts for years and years to come and certainly could use more gathering like this. Let's make it an annual thing!

Day 7 (初七): Breakfast with taukes and taukenios at Foody Goody at Stutong in which we experienced the unleashed hunger of Kuchingite looking for breakfast after being too busy with CNY for almost a week, a little more visiting to Joanne's with Sunnee (5s4 and U6S2) place before a hangout at Basaga (my first time) with YingYing (5s4), Adeline, Anna and JiaYiing (5s2). Basaga looks like they seems to run out of menu item especially when they don't even have Ribena to whip up Ribena Sprite. Grr.

Day 8 (初八): Sunday, the very last day of the Lunar New Year Golden Week.

Some business such as my local market's food stall has finally begun operation and with normalized prize (though there are some places that jacked up their price during CNY eve decided to keep it that way for the rest of the year...a sign of rampant inflation and the end of cheap local food.). Meanwhile at local town square, the all too familiar grinning (which can be quite unnerving to look at) face of PM Najib appeared as the local branch of BN is having their CNY celebration. It was a subdued affair due to drizzling rain with only two tents but it still doesn't stop the public for making their tax money worth by making repeated round at food tent (of course, including me. Me and my dad was even able to tapau some back home as the town square were just right behind my home) as wells as kids receiving angpow from local politicians.

This is also the last day Tate is going to be around before heading back to USM for a new semester so dad finally got to cook the lamb chops we bought before CNY. Behold, lamb chop with oriental sauce, fresh salad with American style mayonnaise for dressing and wedges served appropriately on traditional family chinas that only appears for CNY! One rather hilarious realization as we were setting up the table is the lack of proper cutlery (specifically, knifes) to tackle to lamb chop that we have scour whatever dining or small cutting knife we have in order to have our dinner! The first thought that came to my mind was: woes of middle class aspiration.

Day 9 (初九), Monday 18 February: the first day after the end of Lunar New Year Golden Week in which Taukes and Taukenios who have not left yet gathers for one last limteh session to fulfill the Kuching foodie list at Song Kheng Hai Market, famous for their variety of shaved ice such as (top left) White Lady and Ang Tau Peng as well as (right) Matterhorn, Kongpia (bottom left) including experimenting with cheese besides the usual meat and last but not least (bottom right), Belacan Beehoon. All of which were taken picture of and uploaded to Whatsapp/Facebook/Instagram just to tickle the taste bud of those who already flown back to West Malaysia especially Owen! GG group on Whatsapp! Looks like if I didn't change my mobile phone soon, I will be left out of loop from updates!

With almost everyone I know went back to respective career somewhere else, it's only apt for me to wrap up this post with a picture of the angpows I managed to rake in this year. I think this is the most I can get probably for the next few years and it is going to be inevitably became lesser as one ages further so no, I am not going to reveal the amount of money I received. Aside from generic angpows from banks and random merchandises, there's one particular angpow that catches my interest namely the one from my 5th aunt whom we have not seen for the longest time because all their children is in Singapore now with their AirFrance-KLM/Martinair Cargo group angpow! I wonder how did they get their hand on this special angpow. Definitely worth keeping!

So how's your Lunar New Year experience?

Epilogue: Reality. Oh dear. Make or break?

正月初一, First Day of Lunar New Year.

Saturday, 10 February 2013. 7.30am.

正月初一, The first day of Lunar New Year.

As the ray of the first sunrise shines across the land, I was woken up by the rapid drumming and clanking of lion dance troupe making their round around the neighbourhood.

Eaten the first piece of mandarin orange and sticky rice cake along with a glass of chinese tea to mark the occasion.

Titbits and cakes beautifully laid out in living room's table. Oh did I mentioned that all cakes and biscuits here are lovingly made by my mom?

Of course, the biggest treat awaiting visitors to our home is back in the kitchen, a treasure trove of tastebud tickling goodness!

So where are you? 

What are you waiting for? Come on and join the fun!

(OK 7th Mile/Kota Sentosa is no Australia but remember my dad's signature curry chicken and SINFULLY  DIVINE Sour Pork Leg! First come first serve!)

Google is in the mood of Lunar New Year with a snake game reminiscence of your first computer or mobile phone game just to mark the beginning of the zodiac year of Snake, complete with the ever festive background accompanying music! Eat as much of foods and treasures before the time lapse but watch out for firecrackers as it will cause constipation leaving the snake stunned for a couple of seconds!

Lunar New Year's Eve 2013.

As the ever confusing and contradictory 2012 or 壬辰年 of Water Dragon draw to its finale, 2013 or 癸巳年, the year of Water Snake is pretty much all set to unfurl (or perhaps uncoil since it's the zodiac year of snake. Just for the spring season) in a matter of hours. While the supposedly fiery dragon of 2012 is pretty much tempered by the water element (even though in Chinese legend, the dragon do control the weather especially rain), the crafty, calculating snake on the other hand is pretty much at ease with its element of water thus bringing in harmonious energy to everyone especially Dragon-born because snake is considered as a sort of mini-dragon by Chinese folklore.

...or so the yearly auspices for Chinese zodiacs that fills up the front corner of bookstores, air times on special Lunar New Year edition chat shows on radio and television and Lunar New Year Eve's features in newspaper. Inescapable.

Pardon my absences for the past two weeks. Life's has been pretty much uneventful with occasional dive into drudgery and tedium. Except that particular small car accident involving the ever unlucky family Kenari being rammed on the front passenger side at a back alley by an dishonest, thieving, snivelling bastard of an uncle and auntie and its Kelisa. Accident being accident, we're not exposed to the usual SOP (don't tell me it's a common knowledge because accident being accident, is supposed to be rare) handling small car accident before thus being bamboozled by the couple by being given a fake car plate number as well as refusing to pick up the phone after knowing the price of compensation he have to pay. Fuck him and I hope his Kelisa ended up under a trailer and my jinx will reach his prostate, arteries and kidney. It's as if whatever residual misfortune by the water dragon has been unleashed with full force.

...*cough* pardon for the tangent but yeah, my holiday back in Kuching is pretty much uneventful. Especially on the part of outing of hanging out with friends. Where is everybody? Wait, they're all working and/or not in Kuching. *sigh*

As it is usual of weeks leading up to Lunar New Year, helping out the family in preparation is a staple from extensive grocery shopping, spring cleaning, helping out mom making biscuits and cakes, and other miscellany, such as packing the red packets for the guests (or guests' children).  As I observe the spending trend of my family's Lunar New Year grocery shopping however, I can't help to notice that this year's celebration is going to be more subdued and restrained, reflected the austerity of my family current economic state. While the general economic slump and rising costs has to be taken to account, I can't help to think that I being in a glorified extended state of productive (supposedly) unemployment yet to enter the grinding wheel of tax and loanpaying workforce does add up to the slight reduction of life quality. (Though there is another recent NEET in this family...)

But what am I to complaint when I am back to where I am most at ease, the land of endless skyline and undulating clouds, so much so that I want to call it Aotearoa. As usual of Lunar New Year in Kuching, it is always preceded with frequent torrential downpour interspersed with occasional sunshine with clear blue sky. The frequent rains during midnight cool down the weather so much that air-conditioning is unnecessary! Kuching, being true to the accolade of being the rainiest city in Malaysia. And since (at least according to the auspice) that year of the water snake will be an incredibly fruitful one, let's have some hope about good things while steer away from potential bad things.

...and talking about good things ahead, here a sneak peek of things to come... OMNOMNOMNOM

-Updates continues!-

The most important event of Lunar New Year for every Chinese family is of course the reunion dinner and weeks of preparations, numerous shopping trip and Dad toiling away for the whole day in the kitchen ultimately culminates in a sumptuous banquet comparable to any professional restaurants reunion dinner package (for the same ingredient of course.), a feast for both eyes and tastebuds.

Dad delivers again this year. Ten dishes spreading across our dinner table. Top row from left: steamed prawn doused in liquour (醉虾 lit. drunken prawn), spring onion with sea cucumber, spiced stuffed meat (五香肉). Middle row from left: sea cucumber and chicken strip soup, curry chicken, sour pork leg (猪脚酸) and mixed vegetables. Lower row from left: Steam pomfret, steamed chicken, braised duck. It's so good, the photo has to be shown in extra large size.

....and our reunion dinner is served. 爸, 妈,吃饭。

僕のお勧め: Dad's Signature Curry Chicken and Dad's SINFULLY DIVINE Sour Pork Leg. Here's an important announcement for any prospective visitors to my house: Dad's signature curry chicken and sinfully divine sour pork leg will be served to any visitors coming on the very first day of Chinese New Year. Of course, while stock last since there are a couple of prolific glutton within the Liew's household itself! Like me. *sheepish snigger*

After dinner, three quarter of the Liew's household went to the temple for the usual routine of paying devotion to deities complete with rounds of brain-numbing scripture reading and walking around dodging crowd from one altar to another while holding burning joss stick precariously. Apparently putting joss stick on the first day of the lunar new year will bring blessing to self and the whole family. While I am definitely unwilling to participate religious activities (partly because I am totally clueless about things like which altar to go first or reading the scripture.), I am doing this for my mom and I could definitely use whatever auspicious aura that such events emanate, hoping godspeed will actually happen.

Meanwhile as the clock inches closer and closer to 12 midnight, fuses marking the beginning of a war involving fireworks has been lighted across the city leaving the city drowning in continuous explosion and vibrant splendour of exploding colour across the skies. While the drizzle might have dampen the spirit of firework somewhat, it's still didn't stop most of the public for burning up millions of ringgit in a matter minutes.  The fumes from exploding fireworks combined with the cool night air have created thick sulfuric fog shrouded across any neighbourhood reducing air quality and visibility in a instant. Worth it.

It might not be obvious but my neighbourhood is up in smog

As customary of marking the beginning of a new lunar new year, the very first angpow/red packet of the year from our parent after we wish them a happy new year and good health ahead. Good health is definitely a very well-needed greeting as one ages.

Since we got ourselves satellite television capable of picking up channels from P.R. China, this means we'll be able to witness one of the grandest, most watched Chinese New Year countdown show in the world namely CCTV New Year's Gala...except since we spent the previous couple of hours in temple, we're only able to catch the few last performances including the usual closing finale, 难忘今宵 (Unforgettable Night) this year featuring a couple of foreigners (presumably students and/or celebrities.).

As everyone tucked into their bed, the last day of dragon year has finally ended and a new year, the year of water snake begun with all the bang and chintzes it can get. Looking forward for the lion dances, visitors and visiting for the next couple of days! Good night everyone and Happy Lunar New Year 2013.

Hiss. Oh last tangent before wrapping up: snake 蛇 being snake, it's pretty hard to come up with a catchy auspicious slogan to mark the new year especially the lack of homophones for she2 in Chinese. Astro's solution however is what I consider as smart: Ulala, combining the Malay for snake (ular) and Ooh La La!