22.2.10

"huat ah, huat ah!"

hoo! guess what? i managed to grab some photos of my trip back to Malaysia from my dad. there weren't a lot to begin with cos my dad was lazy to snap away too so here's a little of what my Chinese New Year (CNY) was like:

every CNY, we'd drive from Singapore to Nibong Tebal and it's always a looooonnnngggg drive (at least 10 hours!). so, toilet breaks and random stops are essential.
this was taken from the top of a small little hill. my dad had stopped the car to take some scenic photos (how enthusiastic he was at the beginning! hah. guess he later got sucked in by food too and forgot about taking photos). i can't remember where exactly this was but looking at the time the photo was taken, it's probably somewhere in between Malacca and Kuala Lumpur.
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it's a tradition to get everyone together to "lo hei" (the act of tossing this particular dish called "yu shang" which is a Chinese fish salad) during CNY. apparently, the higher you raise your chopsticks, the better luck you'll get for the new year. haha.
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we do it the 'kampong' style back in Malaysia. instead of sitting on chairs, we'd rather sit on random spots like this decorative piece (i think that's the purpose of it...) that runs along the back of the garden in my uncle's house.
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mom once said, "you aren't a Chinese if you don't know how to use chopsticks." so she made my sister and i learn how to use them when we were kids but somehow, until today, i just can't seem to grasp the technique properly and still hold my chopsticks in the wrong way. shame on me. ):
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mosquitoes are ALL OVER the place once night falls. my arms and legs were covered with mosquito bites and sores that i had to apply calamine lotion to all those spots to relieve the itch (thus making it seem like i love drawing white circles on my body).
this thingy (when i don't know what's the name for something, i just call it that) here is suppose to keep the mosquitoes away but it wasn't strong enough or something cos those damn insects just continued to buzz around and sting us every now and then.
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Chinese New Year is almost over! ):
and so goes another Year.

16 comments:

  1. oh man that second photo looks incredible!! such amazing food! great photos! thanks for sharing them. looks like such a great time! xx

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  2. Yummmmmm! That fish salad looks so tasty. My grandmother is half chinese, I wish she would have a celebration for CNY. I love family gatherings because the food is always the best! I too have never mastered the chop sticks :( haha.

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  3. happy new year!
    great photos..
    your uncles backyard looks really nice!
    i love areas with lots of green and trees.
    im so hungry for asian food now.
    i love malaysian rendang with potatoes
    yummmmmmmmmmmmmm

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  4. Looks like a lovely trip! I loooove Malaysia, I can't wait to go back!

    xx

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  5. oh no im hungry.... haha..

    the pizza place was Spizza! at jalan kayu... i love their pizzas... tastes great and not overly ex :)

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  6. That was really cool to read about! 10 hours is a huge trip to make in one day, well done..

    I still hold my chopsticks the wrong way...or so I'm told. I can't eat with them though, so I'm cool with it.

    http://www.joannefaith.com

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  7. Oh, I used to try to jump the highest while doing the Lo hei!

    I stopped doing it when I was about 12 actually. I considered that 'uncool'...haha!

    I realllllllly miss food back home. I am so sick of pasta or steak. Everyday, I just want a bowl of clear bee hoon fishball soup.

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  8. Oh wow I love the photos!! I kinda just held the chop sticks until it felt right for me... I doubt I am holding them right but at least I can pick up food!

    ^. ^

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  9. love the picture with all the chopsticks. :)

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  10. ooo that salad looks delish :)
    happy chinese new year! :D

    http://blair-waldork.blogspot.com

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  11. omg these photos are amazing girl !

    xx lue

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  12. Oh what fun!
    haha, I kinda pride myself on my chopstick handling skills ;) My parents were never very adventurous with food, so I never used them until i moved out of home.Then i bought some and asked my friend to teach me how to use them. They make me feel exotic, LOL :D I must admit though, i can't eat rice with them...I get about 4 grains of rice at a time...so it would take me about 6 hours to eat a bowl of rice with chopsticks!
    Glad you had a lovely CNY :) (apart from the mozzies. You poor thing. They love my blood too :( )

    hey! I just noticed you've got the drawing I did as your avatar pic!!!!! Squee!!! Awwww . I'm very happy to see that :)

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  13. Ahhhhhhhhh haahhaa the chopstick thing.

    I'm half Filipino, chopsticks are not even a filo THING, but my mum INSISTED that I wasn't of Asian blood unless I knew how to use chopsticks. My mum's not even the Asian side!?!?

    And...

    TO THIS DAY I STILL HOLD THEM WRONG.

    Love it, love your blog.

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  14. the style crusader: anytime! twas a great time indeed (:

    TeacupGrunge: you should persuade your grandma to at least have a gathering! it'll be fun!

    Cotton Socks: ooh i love rendang too! there's a great Malaysian restaurant along King St, Melbourne that serves really good beef rendang.

    aelie: hope you'll be able to visit Malaysia some time soon again!

    thetragicallychic: thanks for letting me know! (:

    Joanne Faith: i guess chopsticks are either a hit or miss skill. then again, someone might argue it's all about practice.

    bowsnhearts: there's alot of great Malaysian food in Melbourne so you can easily get your dose of much-missed food! (:

    pinkapplecore: yes as long as you can pick food up! that's how i console myself too. heh (:

    Friend in Fashion: try it someday if you can!

    tinypaperheart: thanks! (:

    Andie: thanks! (:

    Tasha: thanks! it was fun indeed (:

    The F Word Online: thanks girl! (:

    DollyAsylum: LOL. i can't eat rice with chopsticks either. i always end up scooping them with my chopsticks instead of picking it up.
    thanks babe! so nice to have you commenting again! hehe
    i loooveee that drawing too much to not put it up as my avatar pic!! =D

    Mez: LOL. your mom's an interesting lady. consolation: you're not the only one who still hold them wrong! ;)

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