Peace, love and goodwill to men - it's Chinese New Year!

Chinese New Year is a time to spread goodwill and cheer amongst family members and friends.
Pics from the top:
1. We went to Muar on the 28th Jan which was the 3rd day of the Chinese New Year to visit my brothers. From left: Hoe Kian (3rd brother - he lives in Muar), myself, Hoe Lee (eldest brother) and sis-in-law Kwee Imm (Hoe Lee's wife).
2. This was taken in Stella and Cyril's house in Semabok, Melaka. Stella is Henry's eldest sister and she is sitting first from left, figuring out her mobile phone. This is part of Henry's BIG family(believe me, it's really HUGE). We had a good time getting together and renewing ties.




3. My former boss and friend, Nga Johnson, came over for a whirlwind visit. Currently based at the Shanghai Singapore International School in China, this lady has boundless energy. Just seeing her zooming around from one place to another wears me out!
4. Victoria had her friends over and we specially prepared halal (kosher) food as there were Muslim friends who came. It's really heartwarming to see young Malaysians of different races coming together for some good clean fun and laughter.
5. William didn't want to be left out and he invited his Malay friend, Mohd. Irfan (left) over. Irfan came with his family and we were only too happy to host them. This is another example of the muhibbah (multi-racial harmonious) spirit at work.

Gong Xi Fa Cai 26 Jan 2009 (Mon)

26 Jan marked the beginning of spring which is the Chinese New Year. It's a time of great rejoicing, as we thank God for having seen us through the past year of the rat, and we pray that the new year of the golden ox will be one in which we will be blessed with health, wealth, happiness and everything that is good.

The best part of Chinese New Year is the family get-togethers and the "open house" hosted by relatives and friends. For the children, nothing beats the excitement of receiving red packets ("ang pow") and watching the dazzling fireworks in the night sky. Gone are the days when fire crackers (dropping in a string from 1st floor balconies/roof tops to the ground) were let off and the whole street was covered with a sea of red paper (from the fire crackers) in the aftermath of the lunar new year celebration. Today, we have to settle for the tamer firework displays.

Pictures from the top:

1. Some of my favourite relatives: (seated from left) - Major Goh Choon Beng (Henry's brother), his wife Siew Hong, Stella (Henry's eldest sister), Shamuz (Stella's son) with William (my son) on his lap. (Standing from left) - Angela (Shamuz's wife), me and Henry. My family decided to go traditional on the 1st day of the Ox year to keep our culture alive.

2. Henry's parents (both deceased) on their wedding day. This pic was taken by Henry on the 1st day of the New Year at his family house. The Peranakan outfits that his late parents wore on their wedding day were truly amazing! The photo reminds me of our roots and rich heritage.

3. "Open house" at Sam and Christine Koh's residence takes on a very different concept. There is good food and cheer as in other houses but what makes it so special is the live music that the musically inclined and talented host family provides for their guests. On the piano is Christine and she is ably accompanied by her children (from left) Vanessa, Sebastian and Kenneth. Their repertoire of songs range from Chinese to English, rock 'n roll to waltz - you name it, they play it!

Chinese (Lunar) New Year Fever in MGSS

One of the best times of the year for the Chinese community is the Spring Festival (Lunar New Year). This year, we bid farewell to the Rat year and instead, welcome the Ox.

The MGSS community celebrated the Lunar New Year on Friday 23 Jan 2009 with much gusto and cheer. The Chairman of the School Board of Governors, Ar. Kua Chong Beng launched the celebration which culminated in a traditional Chinese costume fashion show. The show took us on a walk down memory lane, starting from costumes of the Tang Dynasty, Qing Dynasty, Republic (Sun Yat Sen) era and finally transporting the audience to modern Malaysia.

Pictures from the top:
1. The MCs, dancers and traditional costume models posing together. On the extreme right is Mdm. Chung Kia Wah (more popularly known as Mrs. Wong aka "Roti Wong") who has been my close partner in producing school dance performances. This time around, we worked hand in hand to come up with a Chinese Peranakan (Baba Nyonya) dance.

2. Our Chinese Peranakan dancers (from left): Joanne, Huai Lin and Minali.

3. A section of the Chinese Language students from various forms entertained us with Chinese New Year songs.

4. (From left): Yun Qi and Huai Lin performing a duet.

5. The very capable masters of ceremonies (from left): Kathleen and Noelle.

For me, the celebration was a good way to awaken the Chinese New Year mood in me, which had otherwise been lying dormant due to the endless work demands. After that morning, it was "Gong xi fa cai" and "Happy holidays" all the way for me!