Chinese New Year 2011 - Ang Pows (Red Packets)

In a few days time, it will be Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year is the most important festival of the chinese. Chinese New Year will start on the 1st day of the 1st chinese lunar month and last till the 15th day of the 1st chinese lunar month. This year the 1st day of 1st chinese lunar month falls on 3rd February 2011.

On this day, those who are married will give ang pows or red packets which contained some money inside. I have collected some red packets from the banks and some are given to me by my friends. It is best to have ang pows with different designs so we can differentiate the different amount of money we put inside the packets.

The amount of money or gifts will be more if you are closer to the giver. Amount of gifts can amount to few hundreds for parents or senior family members while the younger gets around $8 or $12 or more. The minimum amount depending on how generous one can be.

As hubby is cantonese, I have to give two red packets to each person (i.e. $8 x 2 or $12 x 2). Two packets represents husband and wife. Every year giving out ang pows could easily costs us a few hundred dollars not including gifts of ang pows to parents. As hubby and me have no generation above us anymore, we are considered the elders in our family. (Now I sound so old...lol)

It is also important to change new notes to put inside the ang pows. Will be embrassing to give old notes.

Now let's get ready to welcome the Year of the Rabbit.

Chinese New Year 2011 - Chinatown Light Up - Beaded Shoes

This stall at Chinatown attracted me. I like these beaded shoes. Not sure if they are hand sewn or machined but I guess it is the latter cause they are sold at affordable price. If they are hand sewn could easily cost more than S$80. And no I dont own any beaded shoes, I would like those hand sewn beads shoes. Maybe if I ever visit Malacca, would like to get a pair of hand sewn shoes from there. Will look out for my favourite purple beads...lol.

Skywatch Friday - Chinatown Light Up for Chinese New Year - Sky

Sometimes it is nice to look up in the sky.

I managed to take photo of the moon beside the lantern.

It is not easy taking photo of this plant with the purple fairy lights...lol. It kept blinking and it took me several times to get the perfect shot without any blurness....hahaha.

For other sky watchers, please hop over to Skywatch blog.

Chinese New Year 2011 - Chinatown Light Up-Preserved Food

You get to see all these preserved and dried food for Chinese New Year. Not to be missed are these huge pig's trotters...lol. But not everyone enjoyed these. I only liked the waxed duck and chinese sausages.

Sometimes, I will cook a pot of rice with some waxed duck and chinese sausages and some light soya sauce and sesame oil and they can really smell and taste so nice and yummy.

Chinese New Year 2011 - Chinatown Light Up - Goodies

Been posting about almost the same thing every year during Chinese New Year. This year, I took the photos of the shopping at night. But did not take much photos cause it would be like repeated photos of the past years photos of Chinese New Year. Seems like the stores are all the same and selling the same things.

Store selling dried goodies.

Lots of Chinese New Year Goodies on sale, come Chinese New Year's Eve, these goodies will be sold at very cheap prices and can cost about fifty cents per bottle only. The store owners would like to get rid of them on the eve of Chinese New Year.

Store selling taiwanese mochi or muah chee. There's lot of shouting and competition among stores in Chinatown.

My World Tuesday - Chinese New Year 2011 - Chinatown

It seems like a must that we had to make our trip to Chinatown to get the Chinese New Year atmosphere and mood. Lots of red colour and ornaments and decorations for Chinese New Year.



We will be welcoming the Year of the Rabbit. So we get to see many rabbits mascots in the shops.

I did not buy any decorations. I think I might make some decorations out of "ang pows" (i.e. red packets that we used to put gifts of money inside to be given out during Chinese New Year.)

I have almost finished spring cleaning my house and am ready for the battle of the year. The battle is of course to stock up our fridge with food that we plan to cook for Chinese New Year Eve i.e. our important reunion dinner. The reunion dinner is a must for all family members to gather and have dinner together.

We need to stock up for the first few days of Chinese New Year cause almost all the markets/shops and supermarkets will be closed especially during the first two days i.e. 3rd February and 4th February.

Please visit "That's my World" for other parts of the world.

Chinese New Year 2011 - Chinatown Light Up - Fire Eater Performance

Wow Dont play with fire unless you are trained to play with fire. He make fire performance looked so simple and easy but it was so dangerous.

But nice to be able to capture the action so close to you.

Chinese New Year 2011 - Chinatown Light Up - Fireworks

To end the night event, there's fireworks and firecrackers.

Hubby and me wanted to cross the road to watch the firecrackers but was too late when we heard the firecrackers from where we were but the fireworks make up for our disapointment with the firecrackers.

Just as I thought the fireworks had ended, there's another display of fireworks. So much to see and there's so much excitement for the chinatown light up for chinese new year 2011. The light up will last till mid February 2011. Chinese will be from 3rd February 2011 to 17th February 2011 but the official public holiday will only be on 3rd and 4th February.

I am almost done with spring cleaning in my home and next week, I need to stock up food in the fridge cause majority of markets and shops will be closed during the two public holidays.

This year, I will have guests in my house so I need to cook some yummy food

Hope you enjoy the videos that I managed to load onto You Tube. It took me just about ten minutes to load onto You Tube cause it seems like it took forever to load into blogger for a two minute video...lol

For other sky watchers, please hop over to Skywatch blog.

Chinese New Year 2011 - Performance during Light Up at Chinatown Singapore

When I went to Chinatown last weekend for the Chinese New Year Light Up, I thought it is just a ceremony to switch on the lights. I did not know there were so many performances. Pity there were such a big crowd that I could not reach the front of the stage.

This is the nearest I could get and with the zoom feature in my camera, I managed to capture a short video of the performance by Melbourne. It is fantastic and they are so good balancing on or in the huge ball.

Chinese New Year 2011 - Chinatown Light Up - Lion Dancers

I am glad I was there last weekend. First time I saw so many lion dancers. There were 138 lion dancers altogether.

The best and more experienced lion dancers get to perform on stage. I was not at the front of the stage cause there were so many people over there. I am not one who like to caught in the front or middle of a crowd..lol.

I was at further end of the back of the stage.

Chinese New Year 2011 - Light Up at Chinatown Singapore

It is so crowded in chinatown Singapore. Seems like a lot of people busy shopping for the coming Chinese New Year.

Chinese New Year will be coming soon. In celebrating the grand festival, there's a street light up in Chinatown. This year chinese new year will be from 3rd February 2011 to 17th February 2011 but the official public holiday is only on 3rd and 4th February.

I was there during the official light up on 15th January 2011, the light up will be on for about a month in Chinatown.

Lion Dancers getting ready for the light up.

Finally the lights are up and it will be lighted till mid february 2011.

More videos and photos coming up in later posts. Hopefully I can load some long video in blogger. Sometimes it seems like it takes forever to load a one minute short video.
Please visit "That's my World" for other parts of the world.

Blog Rest

Am taking a blog rest to nurse a weak knee.

Also busy preparing for Chinese New Year.

I try to visit fellow bloggers.

I will certainly be back in no time. :)

HAPPY 2011 - BEING PAMPERED

Happy 2011 everybody.

My first post for 2011. Being pampered on this day. :) If only I am being pampered everyday in 2011. ....hehehe. Yes, I share the same birthday date as Elvis Presley but ain't as famous as him....hahaha. Anyway I dont want to be famous cause I like my privacy and am so much contended with my present lifestyle.

Flowers from my son's girlfriend. So sweet and pretty and wrapped in my favourite purple colour wrappers.

My favourite blackforest flavour cake. Will blow the candles and make my wish tonight.

Had lunch at The Ship Restaurant. Mine comes with half a lobster and dory fish. The portion was so much that I could not finish it. Did not photograph the soup of the day (very yummy)

Ending my lunch with tea and dessert of the day. The dessert is fried banana coated in flour.

Just blew the cake and make my wishes. :)