Chinese New Year

In a few days Chinese all over the world will celebrate the Chinese New Year and its special meaning and culture .As I look back the way the new year is celebrated then and now has quite drastically transformed. Before weeks before the new year day dawns, families are busy making the traditional cookies ,each with its special meaning.The flour has to be ground,the fires prepared (Only charcoal was used then)and all members of the family would gather together and help in preparing the cookies.This enhanced the family spirit and made the cookies taste better as everybody's effort went into making them.Today you buy them off the shelf and understandably not much of these are eaten with the same relish as before. The cakes and cookies had special meaning too. For example the " Nien Ko" was offered specially to the kitchen God so that the sticky stuff would make his mouth difficult to open so that he cannot make bad reports about the family.The "koay kapek" was originally used to pass messages and that is the reason why its folded that way.Of course everybody knows that Mandarin oranges are given to wish prosperity to the recipient ,just as ang pows are given to wish wealth.The orange and red colour used for these two items all relate to wealth and prosperity. Houses are cleaned and tidied so that by the eve of the new year all bad luck is swept away and the house cannot be swept on the first day of the new year as this would mean that good luck is swept away.Cutting your hair before new year is a must as the old hair which is cut means all the previous year's misfortunes are cut off and new clothes are worn on the first day with this same reason.on the first day children are not scolded or caned however naughty they are. Traditionally ang pows are given by the elders to the children and in return the children will serve them tea as a mark of respect.Everyone wakes up early,have their shower and put on their new clothes.Most people would spend the first day at home and the second day visiting relatives and family elders. On the eve of the new year there will be the reunion dinner which sad to say has lost much of its meaning today.In China in the early days family members are scattered throughout the country making a living and they all made their way home to gather with the rest of the family members.The lady of the house would prepare the special meal and all members of the family would sit down ,eat together and catch up on each other.the meal and what it is made up of is not important but the gathering is.Compare this with today's reunion.Restaurants are fully booked and if you are given a slot the time frame is laid down for you like say from 6 to 8 pm and you normally have to make your way to the particular restaurant.Question;Is the restaurant your home that you should return to for the reunion?And what sort of reunion is it when you have to eat in a crowded restaurant amidst all the and mayhem made by the other customers? Whatever good that will come in the new year is a blessing from the Gods and Chinese will not forget to pay due respects to whatever God they pray to.This reminds us that whatever we are ,whatever happens in the future is to a certain extent dependent on Heaven's blessings. The New year celebration lasts for 15 days and a lot of this time is spent on eating,catching up with friends and relatives and of course gambling (The Chinese are great gamblers. There is a lot of tradition and meaning in the Chinese New Year and we have to ensure that this is handed down to posterity so that our descendants can appreciate and understand the true maning and significance of Chinese New Year.

Ho Chi Minh City

We had a short holiday in Ho Chi Minh and it was an interesting experience.First , the traffic is simply amazing>I have never seen so many motor bikes anywhere like this.They come in hordes from every corner and you have to close your eyes to cross the road.No such thing as waiting for the traffic to clear because it never does.Strangely enough few accidents ( we never saw one ).This must be due to the fact that the people are considerate ,alert and not as uncivilized as our " Mat Rempits".Not many privately owned cars are seen on the roads. The taxis are clean and new and one cannot help but feel quite safe travelling in them.They are all metered and you need not have to worry about being cheated or taken for a ride. The market which has a wet and dry section is a happening place and you can buy almost everything at rock bottom prices.So for Malaysians its some sort of shopping paradise.Branded apparel,watches ,shoes are all sold here.Most of them carry brand names but are made in Vietnam. Vietnamese food is healthy and we noticed that its not oily and usually eaten with a lot of raw vegetables.Perhaps this is why so many of them are slim and willowy.You get to taste the local fare and also the French food which is the legacy of the French.The French influence is seen in the buildings and food and the culture which they left behind.Strangely enough you dont see much of what the Americans left behind.It somehow struck me that if you know the history of a country the visit is much more meaningful. The little hotel where we stayed was clean and secure and centrally located which made all the shopping places very accessible .Price was reasonable about US 50.00 a night which is actually cheaper than many hotels in KL. The city is a vibrant and pulsating centre of Vietnamese culture and there is never a dull moment.One thing that strikes me is the work culture of the people there ,they work hard and seem quite satisfied with life.Food is plentiful and affordable and you hardly see any vagrants in the city.Surprisingly the city itself is quite clean and you will not see litter along the streets. Eating, shopping, noticing the Vietnamese people and their way of life makes HCM a place which one would consider visiting again.