Ninth Day of Chinese New Year

On the 9th day of the Chinese New Year is the Hokkien custom to "Bai Tian Gong" or praying to the Heavenly God.

The Hokkien Chinese offer the Tian Gong with sugar canes, roast pigs and fruit but no cooked ducks or chickens.

Legend had it that when the Hokkiens, who lived along the coast, were attacked by pirates. They ran and hid in the sugarcane plantation. For many days they stayed in the plantation without food, but chewed the sugar canes to sustain their lives. When the pirates left, they came out of the sugarcane plantation and that day was the 9th day of the New Year.

From then on, every year on that day, the Hokkiens offer sugar canes to pray to the Heavenly God.

Happy Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day. Here wishing a Happy Valentine's Day to all.

I make a heart shaped beads pendant but it is not specially for this occasion. It is just my interest. This is for my little niece who is always 'stealing' my completed crafts....hahaha.

Ren Ri

Today is the seventh day of the first chinese lunar month, - the day of man (ren ri). This meant it is everybody's birthday today. In Singapore and Malaysia, it is common to celebrate this day by tossing the colourful salad and wished for wealth and prosperity.

For full story and origins of Yusheng, you can view my food blog.

Chinese Clogs

These are chinese clogs. People used to wear these clogs, as they have thick wooden soles, so that their pants will not get dirtied on muddy water. These clogs are favourite in the bathroom too. My mom in law still has a pair in her bathroom.

Clog making is a dying trade. I used to wear them when I was young. You can view JC post, she has more colourful clogs in her photo.

The Majestic

Majestic Theatre was a Cantonese opera house built by philanthropist Eu Tong Sen for his wife who was a Cantonese opera fan. The theatre had been converted to a shopping mall and now being converted to a hotel called New Majestic Hotel but they would be keeping much of the exterior untouched to keep the heritage building image.

Each time I passed by the theatre (hotel now), I would looked at the beautiful craftsmanship of these opera figures. It has a long history, been built in 1928. During World War II, the Japanese took control of it (1942) and was used to screen Japanese propaganda films. The Japanese Occupation ended in 1945.

So the next time you passed by Majestic, please stop and admire the beautiful craftsmanship.