Another Valentine's Day?

Today is the 15th day or the last day of Chinese New Year. In Mandarin, it is known as “Yuan Xiau Jie” and in Hokkien, it is known as "Chap Goh Meh".

So, what’s this day all about and how does it come about? There are actually two versions but I’m not so sure which is the right one. Let me share with you both.

First version:

"Chap Goh Meh" or "Yuan Xiau Jie" is regarded as the Chinese Valentine’s Day. If you have missed the February 14th Valentine's Day, don't worry, here's another chance for you to celebrate with your loved ones. This would be a day maidens get excited. They are excited because this would be the day they throw mandarin oranges into the river and hope that some men would pick the oranges up and find them. This is a belief by the Hokkien and there is a saying that goes: “Tim kam, che ho ang” which means “throw orange, find good husband”.

Today, I am going to throw some oranges, oops, I mean, AWARDS.

The first award: Breakout Blogger Award, given to me by Sting and Ling.

So, Healy, Gargies, Delittleones Mummy, Shoppingmum, Kiasumum, Michelle (Mybabybay), Janice, Juliana, Zara & Zaria Mama, Bryan’s Mama, Chanel, Lovely Mummy, Pek Imm, Twin and Yatie, are you ready with your basket or pail or tray or whatever to catch your award?

The second award: You Make My Day Award, given to me by Juliana.

This award is for you, Menchie, Keeyit, Lili, Dora, Kelly, Deana, Jazzmint, Jacss, Hazel, Suzette, Chooi Peng, Msau, Contented Mum, Anggie, Yenny, Siew Ting and Shern's Mom. Reach out and catch it please, all of you deserve this award.

The third award: Forever Friend Award, given to me by Juliana.

This is a cute award that I hope you will like. Are you ready, my friends? Kimmy, Lizzy, Julie, Laskigal, Silvery, Peridot&Sapphire, Sue Sue, Mommadiary, Moonlady, Eagle’s Wings, Agnes, Secret Agent Mama, Melinda, Mummy to Chumsy and Mightymorphinmama, this is for you.

Back to "Chap Goh Meh", here’s the second version, the origin of this celebration, one that I have not heard of previously and one that becomes a bedtime story for my children:

Long ago in China, there lived a girl named Yuan Xiau. She worked in the palace as a maid and made delicious glutinous rice ball. At that time, there was a minister named Dong Fang Shuo who was very smart and was the king’s most trusted minister.

One day, Mr. Dong saw Yuan Xiau crying in the garden and got to know that this girl was home sick. In ancient China, once you are a maid in the palace, you are not supposed to go home. Mr. Dong wanted to help the girl and so, he thought of an idea. He disguised himself as a fortune teller and went to town. People queued up to have their fortune read. Everyone was told the same thing, “Fire on the 15th day of the first month”. They were all shocked and Mr. Dong told them: “The fire god want the town to be burned and on the 13th day of the first month, a lady dressed in red top and green pants would ride a black horse would come by the town. Everyone must kneel down and beg the lady not to burn the town.”

So, on the 13th day, the people saw the lady as described and asked for mercy. The lady said: “The fire god wants me to burn the town but since you beg, take this paper to your king and ask him to think of a way.” Off course, the king called for Mr. Dong. Mr. Dong suggested that everyone would make lanterns and hang them on their doors, play fire crackers and fireworks to make the whole town look like it’s on fire, to deceive the fire god and everybody including the maids should be in the town to make the town crowded with people. He asked the king to pray to the fire god and offer the fire god some glutinous rice ball made by Yuan Xiau.

Mr. Dong’s plan worked. Yuan Xiau saw her parents in town. So, on the 15th day of the first month each year, people celebrate with lanterns, glutinous rice ball, fireworks and fire crackers.

Now, let’s celebrate with some fireworks:

Look at the fireworks in the sky, can you see an award too? The Wise Owl Award, given to me by Melissa. Can you see some names over there? These are the people who deserve The Wise Owl Award.

What about the fire crackers? Listen to the sound and feel the excitement. Look at the award and the names of people who deserve this award. The Excellent Award was presented to me by Ian and now, it's all yours.

Now, let’s have some food. See the little waiter named Trinity, bringing in the glutinous rice ball with an award, You Cheer Me Up Award? Trin, you cheer me up too!

There are many people who cheer me up by frequently visiting my blog or by reading my posts in their reader. Some of them even go to the extent to help me in many ways. This award is for you. Can you see your name? Just below this, can you see?

Here's the last award that Trinity presented to me and I love this award very much. To all my readers and supporters out there, this award is for you. All of you will always have a room in my heart.

Happy Chinese Valentine's Day to all of you. Go out and enjoy yourselves.

Happy Valentine's Day

What's Velentine's Day without LOVE? Valentine's is a day we spend with our loved ones. My Valentine's Day has always been a family day ever since I had children of my own. We would take a drive down town and have dinner together or curled up in a sofa and watch TV together. It's not romantic in anyway but it sure is filled with feelings of love. The romantic Valentine's celebration would have to wait til my children grow up. At least for now, I am still able to give LOVE and to receive LOVE.

Here's wishing you a very happy Valentine's Day and I proudly present this award to all of you in my blogroll, an award I received from Tammy. I really mean it, please take this award as a token of our friendship. Valentine's Day is for friends too and I'm glad I have all of YOU.

We Met Again!

One hot saturday
At a beach in Malacca
We decide to meet

Third day of new year
Bloggers and their families
Gathered at the beach

Children played and laughed
Bloggers chat, ate and had fun
Wish we had more time

To miche’s house we went
A different experience
Everyone enjoyed

Nyonya food we ate
Spicy, yummy, delicious
Miche, you are such a great host!

Leah’s treasure we searched
A load full we took back home
Leah, thank you so much!

Til we meet again
Miche, Jesslyn, Chinnee and Leah
Thanks for your friendship

This is my first Haiku. For photos of Leah's treasure and Miche's nyonya food, click here.

Happy Chinese New Year

For my friends who are celebrating Chinese New Year, I wish you a happy Chinese New Year.

For my friends who are not celebrating Chinese New Year, happy blogging.


I will see you around in one week's time.

Merry Christmas

Here's wishing everybody Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year.

Happy Holidays!

One Light

"Many Lamps, One Light"

"As we embrace the joy of Deepavali, we are once again reminded that we each carry a spark from the one light that unites us."

I saw this advertisement by ASTRO in the STAR newspaper today. To me, it's very meaningful. To crop it into a smaller picture, this can mean a family. Each oil lamp can mean a member of the family and each one of us have the special bonding among us that nobody else could replace.

Tomorrow is Deepavali, the festival of light and it will be the day I teach my children about unity. It will be a day to teach them how to love each other, to treasure this relationship and to appreciate that they have a family.

Happy Deepavali to those who are celebrating it and happy holidays to all of you out there.

Happy Holidays

Selamat Hari Raya and Happy Holidays to Everybody. I will be back next Wednesday or Thursday with "Be Your Children's Best Friend - Part 2".

New Style Lantern

How about some egg carton lanterns for this festive season?

Like these?

Your children might love it, like mine.

Every year, I would spend some money to purchase lanterns for my kids and I do this every year because their lanterns would not work somehow after the mooncake festival. This year, I made them some lanterns after learning how to make one from a lantern making session in SL Buddhist Society yesterday.

For the lantern making session, we invited an expert in recyling, Nancy, to show us some new style lanterns which she has created with EGG CARTONS! See Nancy's Blog for more details. "Just Remember 3R: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle..." goes Nancy while she taught us how to reuse the egg cartons.

The children were very excited, taking out their egg cartons, scissors and blades and started cutting with the facilitators and parents helping them. Some creative children even went to the extent of creating their very own design! Wow, I was so impressed!

Everybody wanted to test out their lanterns and so, we made an arrangement to meet for a lantern party that very night at the park. The light coming out from the lanterns was so nice and the children enjoyed themselves walking around the park with the lanterns in their hands and most of all they were proud of their new style lanterns.

That was indeed a good activity that keeps the children happy (getting to make their own lanterns) and the parents happy too (no need to spend money on buying lanterns). What a win-win situation!