The end of CNY

J4A1 annual CNY gathering marks the end of the Chinese New Year Gathering for the tiger years. As most of the J4A1 classmates are tiger, the roar of our class is even louder.

Despite a drop of about 30% of attendance this year, the mood of celebration and reunion is equivalent great like years before.

The event start with arrival of friends to Yen Thoong Happy Villa starting from 3pm….Most people come around 6pm though.

The main event starts with a dinner at Restaurant Sifu in Mahkota Cheras. We have a great dinner there although we kena ‘slaughter’ by the restaurant…

Then we when back to Yen Thoong Happy Villa and been greet by his lovely parent together with angpow (last angpow for the year I believe)….

We then have low sang. Our tigers are all so active that they mess the yee sang within the first second. Half of the yee sang was actually outside the plate…

Then representative of J4A1 and special guess pour Jaz Beer from the top of our 4 tier happiness tower blessing everyone a good health, advancement in work, good result in studies and blessing relationship with each other…..We toss for success with a loooong ‘Yum Seng’ that wake the whole town….

The event then continues with group activities such as:

Snooker
Foosball
Illegal casino (being the famous one as Janet the God of Prosperity is giving away big angpow)
Karaoke (Huai Cheng singing emotional song)
Pillow Talk (about share market of J4A1 guys!!!)
Beer Garden called off due to rainy day but was moved indoor


The event adjourned at 1.30 morning with lot of fun and laughter.

Family photo as a remembrance by everyone.

See you again next year!

Happy Chap Goh Mei and Chinese Valentine

Low Sang

Low Sang also known as yee sang is a dishes serve only during the Chinese New Year. It was originated from Malaysia (proud le...malaysia businessman really know how to make money by creating story)

Yee sang is a combination of variety of vegetable in variety of colours. It used to be in 7 colours and serve during 7th day of Chinese New Year which is also 'Ren Ri'. However as time evolve, many of this is no longer practical. People start low sang one month before Chinese New Years nowadays especially during the 'Sou Kong Jiu'. Normally Yee Sang consists of pamelo pulp, dried ginder, pickled papaya, pickled onion, chilli, carrot, white carrot and not forgeting the raw fish.

Everyone will mixed all this ingredient while chanting all good word like, low hei low hei, fatt choi, get good bonus, get increment and so on...

Well for me I do not low sang much during my studies time. However since I work, I been practically low sang a lot of time....Lets recap how many time I low sang this year


First : Low Sang with Human Resource Team on Lap Chun
Second: Low Sang with own Internal Audit Team
Third : Low Sang with Finance Team
Fourth: Low Sang with relative on 2nd day of CNY
Fifth : Low Sang with friend (vegetarian low sang) on third day of CNY
Sixth : Low Sang with friend (ren ri on CNY 7th day)
Seventh: Low Sang with J4A1 on 14th day of CNY
Eight : Low Sang during Company CNY Luncheon next week

Enlightement No 1

One day Alex and Jamie took a bus for a day trip. Their destination is a tourist spot nearby a beach and hill. Although the journey is far, the public bus is full because it was a holiday....

Half way the journey, they pass by a beach. The beach is nice...The water is clear and the sand is white. Jamie suggested to go down from the bus for a walk before heading to the tourist spot. The guy reply.."good, i never go to the beach with you since we are dating".

Alex ring the bell signalling they wanted to get down...The bus stop and then move on... Alex and Jamie continue walking to the beach. Few second later....

Bonggggggggggmmmmggg

Oh, actually a huge rock drop from the hill and hit the bus....The bus lost control and hit the hills. No one survive the accident. Alex and Jamie cry due to the sadness....

Alex ask Jamie, what is your thought...

Yes, most of us will probably say " How fortune both of us not in. We survive" But Alex sadly tell to Jamie "How good if both of us are in the bus"....

Do you agree with Alex?

The reason behind Alex statement is..... If both of them are in there, the bus will not stop then. The bus will continue the journey and thus the timing the rock fall down will be after the bus passed by. Then everyone will not die... Most of us think of ourselves first...Why not think of others first next time because what you do, might have impact on everyone life....




~~by the way, the name Alex and Jamie is use without any intention...If there is any similar situation, is only a coincident...Jamie Lim, dun angry ya~~

Plan for die or life?

Things didn't goes as how i expect it should be, but nvm as long as i still have "tomorrow" i still have the chance to make it right !!

That is one of the phrase i saw my friend posted in the facebook shoutout...Irony, I argue with her on this point many many years ago and now we are still debating...


We never know what might happen tomorrow....Today might be the last day we see the world....or maybe tomorrow we turn millionaire because we strike a lottery...So my friend always tell me that we have to plan as if we are dying tomorrow...

My argument is life never go well if there is no plan. One must have a plan that direct the way we wanted to be. We cannot say today I wake up I want to work as accountant and I never even plan to take a accounting exam....I cannot wake up and say I want to marry if I have no plan to even find a life partner.....So i always say we must live a planned life...

Well, what is your plan?

it have been 5 years since our last argument....Now, I found out both of our argument do have pro and cons....We can't plan as we are dying tomorrow because how if we are alive....We can't have a plan if I can't even achieve it....

In life we must have a long term goal....set to be done within a certain period....We might not achieve it due to some reason...or even we die in the middle....but what ever happen, this master plan help us as a direction of life...We walk path by path to achieve the target...We never think that we are going to die tomorrow....We think of achieving it...even if we fail in the middle, we stand up and continue...we persist....because we know we might still see the world tomorrow and we need to live yet another day...So what is a day without a target....What if you wake up early morning, u puzzled because you dunno what to do for whole day?

Well, master plan is just a plan...When something goes wrong, we must be flexible to change...We can't just give up when our target is not met....World is round, everything is possible, so we must be flexible...

Even if someday I know for any reason my life span remain as short as 1 month, I will continue to work to achieve my plan rather than planning as i will be dying tomorrow...But in reality we also need to plan as if we are dying because we can't just leave the mess and go....This also mean that beside from long term goals we must also have short term goal...We cannot have a long term goal and forgotten our short term goal...

Example, you own a company and you get your company goes international...you only have one big goal which is to make sure your company is the best in the world....yes, you somehow achieve but you never plan as if you were to die tomorrow....What if you really did....who will take care of the business? Who will continue your legacy?

My friend argue that if someone plan as if he will die tomorrow, he will enjoy to the max everyday...no worries, no sadness.....yup, no doubt...but how? how to enjoy if you never even know the word suffering?

maybe the teaching of buddha is correct....Go for moderation.....we shall not plan as we are dying tomorrow but we shall not live the life as planned....plan make human a robot but without plan human are without direction....Best formula is moderation of both...and one will find happiness...

Why am I so emo? talking all this topic? everytime when exam result out, i turn insane....terribly sad for the first few days and take few step to regain my happiness back....

Well, maybe i should start planning for my semester while still not forgeting my big master plan....

Target

I shall rise from my failure....

ACCA June 2010 my target is:

P2 - 80 marks
P5 - 85 marks

I shall revenge....I shall exchange my blood with passes in ACCA...

Just too sad

The music of 'kiss the rain' is playing via my PC...non stop...

I was torturing myself while chatting with friends to get latest update of ACCA result...

I wanted to weep but my eye is dry and no tear available....Well, is just another failure i told myself. This is not the first time...why am i so sad....Friends are try to cheer me up in msn, yet despite my 'hahaha' reply, in my heart there is a wound the still bleeding...

Everytime I fail my exam, the first thing I remember is this blog. It was once the place i express my sadness over my failure in UTAR life. Well, I didn't know it was just the starting...

Last semester I attempted 3 paper been P2, P5 and P7....

I am very much confident on P7 while P5 is a bet of 70:30 while P2 is a gamble of luck....I was wishing for 3 paper passing in a row which seem very ambitious but in my inner heart, I was praying for at least 2 passes....

12noon I was chatting with by buddy who remind me about exam. 2 of us waited for the result patiently. He took the same 3 paper as I am....

Is 1pm..and the result suppose to out. I plan to see the result after my lunch break. However while waiting for my other colluague, the result notification prompt up on my email....

Who can resist from not opening the email...Am I right....Well, heart is pumping by 150 beat per minutes...I can feel the blood ooze up the brain, feeling wanted to die anytime...

Well, the first result i saw is P2 which was the paper i care the most...Well 46 was the mark and I know is a gone cass...I know there go my dream convocation. There go yet another portion of my exam fees and there go another portion of my FACE!

Then second mark I saw is 44 for P5....I almost fainted. Really, I don't even bother to see the next marks already. At that moment, I just feel wanted to cry but still need to maintain the manly cool look...Well, I company what!!

I scrolled down knowing that I will pass P7 or else I will just commit suicide. Well P7 i got 57...Good enough for a pass...

Now, what I can do is listen to 'Kiss the rain' and try not to think about it. It was too late anyway but I just need to arrange the next step. Shall I go to class? Shall I self studies? Shall I just give up....

I dunno...I dun even know whether shall I post this blog...It was too sad...

I remember the last time I weep is during PMR result. Since I am small, I always never perfect. I always less one A for a straight A record.....or I have less 1 marks to score a paper...Why? Am i such a loser? Am i such a dumb? or am i just unlucky...

I am very positive person but everytime the result out, I will be very negative for few days. I just dunno why....

and why is the sad song 'kiss the rain' is playing on my PC now...Well, I guess I just need to sleep and tomorrow will be another better day...

Yup...sleep....is the answer...

Attention : J4A1

To all J4A1 member,

Our gathering will be helf on 27 February 2010 at Yen Thoong house. This event is open to all J4A1 classmate, spouse, child, and close friends.

Among the activities would be:

Illegal Casino by Janet Lee
Mini Mah Jong by Strawberry Bing
King of Billiard by George Tan
PSP games and movie
Karaoke by our own J4A1 idol..erhmm...class rap
Fusball competition by Yen Thoong
Beer Garden Party by Beer Taukeh aka JY
Prosperity Low Sang
Reunion Dinner planned by Ace Lim

So, all tun tun, tansri tansri, datuk datuk, datin datin of j4a1 sekalian, please make sure you all come on that day...The event start at 2pm until late night....just join in anytime within this period....

Thanks

Jade Emperor Birthday

On the 9th day of lunar calendar, Chinese celebrate Jade Emperor Birthday. The Tionghua especially the Hokkien will pay respect by having ritual and prayer at the stroke of 12am at the midnight.

With sugar cane and table full of offering, the Hokkien thank jade emperor for the saviour. Hokkien people in China back in years back was believed to be hidding in the sugar cane plantation during a war. It was on the 9th day that they manage to come out from the sugar cane plantation after the end of the war.

9th day of lunar calendar was then specially marks as a tribute to the Jade Emperor...

My prayer to Jade Emperor this year is to bless me with a straight pass in ACCA result that will be release on the Jade Emperor birthday itself...I really hope I can pass all papers....

Tien Kong....Pau Yu Pau Yu...

Why

Most blogger are emotional people....whether male or female, they are all the same....majority of us, the blogger, start blogging our emotionally secretly...knowing none will discover our blog...

However, sooner or later, someone notice the present of the blog...As a blogger, we change our style of writing. Less emotional one and more to pleasure reading...

Sooner, with more readers coming in, blog is no longer a place for expressing sadness...

Many of us start the same way...end the same way too...

There is more than hundred post that I never ever posted even thought I have written it. Yes, it was emotional...is no longer suitable for this blog....

Ya...maybe is good this way...

Today is 'ren re' the day where human born....I wish everyone Happy Birthday...

CNY so far

1st day : Celebrate and reunited with family

2nd day : Uncle house (kena long lecture)....Low Sang....Go house gambling

3rd day : Friend visit by 20 secondary school friend....Kent, Ji Leng and Max visit Klang....Vegetarian Dinner

4th day : Start work

5th day : Another boring day in work

6th day : Work again.....FGS Dong Zen Temple

Is the eve!

Today is the eve of Chinese New Year. For many today is already the start of a new year.

Early morning, Chinese will pray to the goddest and ancestor for the end of a year and beginning of a new year. Food offering, fruits and some kuih will be serve...

The whole day of CNY eve will be busy especially the kitchen. This is because everyone will be busy preparing for the reunion dinner. As time evolve, many family opt for eating at the restaurant and some make it easy by eating steamboat. As for me, my mother will be busy preparing food for the reunion dinner. My mom will be serving some of the Teohchew delicacy such as braised duck, steam chicken, fried fish with leak, Superior fish maw soup with pig stomach and lo hon chai.

Well, reunion dinner is a meaningful event as everyone in the family will be sitting together and eat together. Reunited and harmony...

Among the food serve in most reunion dinner would be prawn signified laughter, happiness and harmony while fish signified wealth. For some, they will cook 2 fish and will only eat one of them. Another fish will be left over to the next day signified wealth can be remain for another year.

After reunion dinner, family will get together and chat, watch CNY show and countdown to the new year. At stroke of 12 midnight, Chinese people will laid table with food offering to the goddess and hope the new year will bring all the best to the whole family. Firework will be light up to chase all evil and monster. The young one will stay up as late as possible signified a protection to the older generation from monster.

However, many of this tradition is no longer can be observe. Many have even left out reunion dinner due to busy with work and so on.

I hope everyone will enjoy Chinese New Year eve and have a great reunion dinner with your family...

Happy Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year

I would like to wish everyone a Prosperous Tiger Year

Hope tiger year bring you luck, fortune, good health, plentiful wealth, abundances of opportunities and endless happiness



Gong Xi Fa Cai

Power of Facebook

Living in the IT world, we cannot deny that communication style have change a lot. We use to utilise the public phone and house phone very much but nowadays hand phone and msn have started to replace the line phone...

Facebook is yet another awesome creation. Forgot about those danger that might appear in Facebook due to misused and misconduct of certain people, Facebook is an avenue of reunion and communication.

Today I come back from work just to be inform by my sister that someone post my childhood photo....In my mind, during my primary school, digital camera is not even invented and hardly there is people will go far by scanning the photo into Facebook.

How wrong am I.....photo that have been taken about 12-15 years ago suddenly appear on my profile...Well I been tag by someone of course.....and the 'reunion' party started with people adding me and I adding people.....Horrible was the word.....

Every single second people come and comment on those photo and every single second I need to refresh my mind recalling who is that.....Scary....very scary....

Sometime technology make me feel scary because during my childhood, I am such a horrible person.....so bad that I cannot even consider myself as a human....wahahaha

CNY & Food....

Ever heard of people complaining that they gain weight a lot during Chinese New Year?

Well, why not? the whole 15 days is full of eat and eat and eat....drink, drink and drink....

Remember traditionally people used to cook for whole day just for the reunion dinner? Nowadays most people no longer do that and simply have a good 8 course meal in restaurant or go for steamboat. Well, for me, my mom will still cook the traditional Teochew and mixed Hokkien food to usher Chinese New Year. Anyway, let us see what do certain food mean in Chinese New Year whether it was serve as food or an offering to the goddess.

Mandarin Oranges = Gold (Kam)
Nian Gou/Sticky Cake = Growing perfectly (Poo Poo Kau Shen)
Pineapple = Inviting good fortune (Ong Lai Ong Lai)
Apple = Harmony and Safe (Peng Peng Ann Ann)

Fish = Plentiful of wealth (Nian Nian You Tu)
Prawn = Happiness (hee hee haa haa)
Steamboat / Dumpling / Rice Flour ball = Tuan Yuan

Osyter = Good things (Ho Sie)
Fatt Choi = Good Wealth
Low Sang / Yee Sang - Life of fullness
Yam Basket = Abundance / Plentiful fortune
Fish Maw / Pig Stomach = Place to keep money
Abalone = Luxury
Choi Sam = Wealth
Poon Choi / Fortune Pot = Choices, Abundance, Wealth

Today is Lap Chun

Lap Chun is the day where we mark the beginning of the Spring Season. For Chinese, Lap Chun is consider a very important date.

Lap Chun mark the beginning of everything. Baby who is born today will have Tiger as their zodiak although the new year is yet to come.

You may hear from most people that this year is a bad year because there is no 'chun' for the year....What is that mean?

According to Chinese lunar calendar that start on 14 February 2010, there will be no 'lap chun' for the whole year. The next 'lap chun' will occur after 2011 Chinese New Year. A year with a missing of 'chun' is consider a year without anything. This is why marriage is strictly not encourage by most of the Chinese because it was said that the couple getting married this year will have no children. How true was that? I am not sure.

During Lap Chun, egg can easily stand. There is certain timing that you can observe this special occasion but frankly I missed it out. Well, I manage to get a video as a prove from youtube.


It was also said that if you wear red colour shirt and bank in money today, fortune and lucky will follow you the whole year. Wealth will always smile to you.

So since today is Lap Chun, I go and low sang with my collueage hopefully everything will be sang sang mang mang, low hei low hei....

Happy Lap Chun everyone

Chinese New Year ~ 15 days of celebration

Chinese New Year is around the corner and I believe all Chinese are busy preparing to usher the coming of a new year. This year will be a Tiger year. As we all are busy preparing for Chinese New Year, why not look back to some of the tradition that we might no longer follow and those that still in practise but started to be ignored to ensure that our next generation still know the real meaning of Chinese New Year.

Today I am going to write about 15 days of Chinese New Year and how each day have the hidden meaning behind.

Before CNY : Everyone busy cleaning the house and get ready to usher the CNY. Send off deity to report on our household even for the past one year to Jed Emperor

CNY eve : Reunion dinner.

First day : Welcome CNY with prayers, welcome the god of fortune, first day of lunar calender

Second day : Cantonese celebrate 'Hoi Nien' as a meaning of starting a business. Visited the gal side family for marriage person.

3rd and 4th: Bad day in lunar calendar. People avoid house visiting on this day but Chinese that do not celebrate Chinese New Year as nearest kin deceased within the past 3 days may visit or been visited by friend and family.

5th day : Traditionally people will eat 'kou chi' (dumpling) and open their businesses. It was the day of birth of the God of Fortune

6th day : No special event

7th day : Named the 'ren re' or directly translated to human day. It was the birthday of all Chinese and everyone will grow one year older today...

8th day : The eve of Jade Emperor Birthday. Hokkien people will have a good dinner to mark their beginning of Chinese New Year

9th day : The Jade Emperor Birthday. Hokkien people usher the Chinese New Year with sugar cane, deity house, food offering and lots of paper money...

10th - 14th day : Celebration mood still available. House visiting still been carried out

15th day : Chinese Valentine Day also known as Chap Goh Mei. It was also known as lantern day in certain country. It also mark the end of Chinese New Year Celebration