Xing Fu

LO HON KO TO CURE COUGH

2012-01-28T06:17:00.000+08:00

Lo Hon Kuo 羅漢果 or Arhat Fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii ) is used for cooling drinks and in traditional Chinese medicine. Actually, the extract of the fruit is very sweet and is used as a sweetener. In the above picture you can see the dried form of the Lo Hon Kuo sold at the Chinese Medicine Shop. The fruit can used to make a herbal drink and also soup. Some of the medicinal uses of the Luo Hon Kuo are for treating heat stroke, sore throat, chronic cough, and constipation.

My beautician, Shermone, shared on herbal remedy for cough using the Luo Hon Kuo. She said to boil two of the fruit in half a pot of water at night and then drink it the next morning before brushing ones teeth. Shermone told me that the remedy was passed on to her by one of her clients who got cured after trying it out.

WHEN THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON ACTUALLY STARTS

2012-01-28T00:07:00.003+08:00

I bought my godson, Amir, a Dragon t-shirt. Red sure suits him. His daddy matched the red dragon t-shirt with a pair of red pants. Wah! Sooo red. The little boy is in a Chinese New Year mood as I sent him and his daddy some festive food. He also got some toys as presents from me.
Though both of us are wearing Dragon t-shirts, theYear of the Dragon will only arrive on February 4, 2012 at 1840 hours or 6.40 p.m.. The first day for the Chinese New Year is on January 23, 2012 but children born on this day until 1839 hours or 6.39 p.m. on 4th February are still considered to belong to the Rabbit Zodiac.

Actually there is a very common misconception that the Zodiac animal signs begin on Chinese New Year day. In actual fact, the Zodiac animal signs begin from the Start of Spring, the first day of the astrological year.
To learn more, please click this LINK.

FRIED ICE

2012-01-28T00:05:00.000+08:00

Fried ice cream a dessert made of a breaded scoop of ice cream that is quickly deep-fried creating a warm, crispy shell around the still-cold ice cream. I have eaten it once or twice but found it to be just okay.

A couple days ago, I saw a hawker selling fried ice (not ice cream) and took pictures of him frying the ice. His fried ice comes in two flavours, lychee with coconut and mango with coconut. Unfortunately I did not buy a cup to try as I had to drive my family to a restaurant for lunch.

LUCKY COLOURS FOR THE 12 CHINESE ZODIAC SIGNS

2012-01-28T00:04:00.001+08:00

For those of you who might be interested, here are the colours that are said to be particularly auspicious for specific Zodiac signs for the year of the Dragon.

Rat - Gold, White,Pink Purple
Ox - Red, Orange, Yellow, Purple
Tiger - Dark Green, Blue, Light Yellow
Rabbit - Black, Green, Blue, Red
Dragon - Orange, Pink
Snake - Pink, Green, Purple
Horse - Red, White
Sheep - Yellow, Brown, Light Red
Monkey - Black, Brown, Light Yellow
Chicken - Gold, Silver, Beige
Dog - Red, Brown
Pig - Black, White, Gold

A TIME TO BE WITH MY FAMILY

2012-01-27T20:13:00.010+08:00

Chinese New Year is a time that I can get to spend with members of my family who work and live in Singapore and KL. I am sure this situation is the same for many families.

My godsister, Sofie and godbrother, Kenny came back to Ipoh on the third day of the new year to celebrate with us. So festivals are a time for us to be with our families to reconnect with each other.

Li Mei, Li Na and Sofie

My mum, Li Mei, Sofie, Miao Fang (Kenny's wife) and Aunt Linda

Jamie and her Aunt, Li Mei

Jamie and her Big Yee Yee

My mum with her godson and god-daughter-in-law

James and his dad

James

ON THE EVE OF THE NATIONAL LEVEL OPEN HOUSE

2012-01-27T13:57:00.000+08:00

When I went to the market this morning, I saw that the preparations for the National Level Chinese New Year Open House were still going on. The workers were putting up more lanterns and other decorations. Aiyah! When will they finish decorating? I want to go take pictures.

SNAKE GALLBLADDER

2012-01-27T07:55:00.001+08:00

The blackish looking stuff above is dried snake gall. Lots of them. The Snake gallbladder has been used for hundreds of years in traditional Chinese medicine to treat arthritis and for detoxification.

FRUIT FROM DOUGH

2012-01-27T00:56:00.002+08:00

The plates of fruits that you see above are actually made from dough. They are usually sold during festivals and used as offerings for the deities. The fruits look real, don't they?

3 LADIES WITH WALKING STICKS

2012-01-27T00:18:00.000+08:00

The ladies with the walking sticks in the pictures above happen to be related to me. They are my sister, my mum and my aunt. Believe me, they are not toting the walking sticks around as fashion accessories but out of necessity. My sister who had hip replacement surgery last month needs to use it to hasten her recovery. My mum and aunt need it as they are not as mobile as they used to be.

VACUUM CUPPING

2012-01-27T00:09:00.000+08:00

The people in the pictures above are undergoing cupping therapy. For your information, cupping is a traditional form of alternative therapy to fight diseases and illnesses.
If you want to know more about this form of traditional treatment, then click this LINK and this LINK.

THE DAVID AND GOLIATH OF JOSS-STICKS

2012-01-27T00:05:00.002+08:00

On the eve of the new year, this pineapple shaped joss-stick was lit at around 4.00 p.m. At 1.30 p.m. on the third day of the new year, it was still burning and would most probably burn out by 4.00 p.m.

Interestingly, the 5 feet and 10 feet joss-sticks finished burning within a day or two while this short fat joss-stick of mine lasted for 3 days. Just like in the biblical story, David and Goliath - the normal sized David outlasted the Giant.

The David and Goliath of Joss-sticks

PREDICTION FOR YEAR OF THE DRAGON BY SINGAPORE FENG SHUI QUEEN

2012-01-27T00:01:00.001+08:00

Here is a slideshow by Master Lynn Yap of Singapore on the Predictions for the Year of the Dragon.

Master lynn yap prediction for 2012

View more presentations from Property Buyer Singapore

SETTING THE STAGE FOR NATIONAL LEVEL CNY CELEBRATIONS

2012-01-26T23:47:00.000+08:00

Sitiawan has been chosen as the site for this year's National Level Chinese New Year Celebrations. The venue is at the Sitiawan Airport. As the Big Event will be held this Saturday (28 January), preparations have already begun. When I went to check out the place this evening, the stage had already been constructed as well as some of the tents. This busybody will go again tomorrow afternoon to see the progress. Of course, I'll be snapping photographs to share with you here. So stay tuned.

FUKUBUKURO (JAPANESE LUCKY BAG)

2012-01-26T22:48:00.003+08:00

I found out about the Fukubukuro or the Japanese lucky bag when I was watching a Chinese New Year entertainment programme on Astro. It seems that during the Lunar New Year, the Japanese merchants would make a bag filled with contents that are unknown to the potential buyers. The value of the contents in the lucky bags are said to be worth more than what the customer pays for it. Think of how fun and exciting it is to buy one of these bags as one does not know what surprise is in store on opening them.
For your information, the prosperity or lucky bags above were sold at a supermarket in Sitiawan.

Here is more info about the Fukubukuro
Fukubukuro (福袋 lucky bag, mystery bag?) is a Japanese New Year's Day custom where merchants make grab bags filled with unknown random contents and sell them for a substantial discount, usually 50% or more off the list price of the items contained within. The low prices are usually done to attract customers to shop at that store during the new year. The term is formed from Japanese fuku(福, good fortune/luck) and fukuro (袋, bag). The change of fukuro to bukuro is the phenomenon known as rendaku. The fuku comes from the Japanese saying that "there is fortune in leftovers" (残り物には福がある). Popular stores' fukubukuro usually are snapped up quickly by eager customers, with some stores having long lines snake around city blocks hours before the store opens on New Year's Day. Fukubukuro are an easy way for stores to unload excess and unwanted merchandise from the previous year, due to a Japanesesuperstition that one must not start the New Year with unwanted trash from the previous year and start clean. Nowadays, some fukubukuro are pushed as a lavish New Year's event, where the contents are revealed beforehand, but this practice is criticized as just a renaming of selling things as sets.
LINK

FENG SHUI TIPS FOR SELF PROTECTION

2012-01-26T22:13:00.000+08:00

"Feng Shui for Betrayal, Jealousy and Deceit -- 9 Ways to Protect Yourself and Your Name"

It's frustrating when you become ill and annoying when finances are tight, but few things compare to the feeling of betrayal by a friend.

When a friend lets you down, the feeling of shock and disappointment can be hard to bounce back from. Even the green-eyed monster of jealousy can make you feel vulnerable and disillusioned.

In many countries the envy and jealousy of another is called the "evil eye." This type of attention is believed to draw energy from you and to encircle you with negative energy that can cause you loss.
A good example is when someone secretly covets a pretty necklace that you're wearing, you might find the necklace breaks or that you lose it.

You could also be the subject of gossip and politicking at work or in social circles. In 2012, the gossip star, the Jade 3, is in the southwest sector of relationships and women and this could put strain on women in the coming year -- especially for women who are the sole earner or family breadwinner. It could even cause lawsuits.

Protecting yourself will be critical in this year.

This year, in 2012, women will be both the source and the victim of the problems caused by the Jade 3. The 3 Killings can also cause legal problems, backstabbing and gossip. That's why it's so critical to face it each year because it is a "sneaky" type of affliction associated with deceit and treachery.

Below are some feng shui remedies to help you in the face of betrayal and gossip.

1. Stimulate support luck. Offset negative tendencies of others by enhancing the earth element. Be sure to add stones and earth elements in the center sector for firm financial luck. This will stimulate good relationships and support from benefactors.2. Burn up arguments. Wood is most known as the element of growth and stability. But every element has its positives and negatives. For wood, the negative quality is anger. This can cause unhappiness in love and relationships and create ill will from women. Perhaps worse still is the potential for legal problems that comes with the 3 Jade. If your home faces southwest, or if your bedroom or home office is in the southwest, this is especially true! Use red colors or place a Ksitigarbha fireball here to stop gossip, slander, arguments and legal problems.

3. Face your critics head on. Be sure to face south this year and do not sit with your back to the south or you will suffer from the 3 Killings affliction. By adding crystals to the south, such as crystal balls, you will help to smooth out ruffled feathers. Social contacts will be more amiable and less critical.

4. Be careful of jealousy. Jealousy is a withering kind of emotion. It draws and drains your life force. It's the way you feel when someone is staring at you when your back is turned. You can feel the burn of their gaze. Stop jealousy and envy with the evil eye. This is especially good to carry if your house faces northwest, you sleep in the northwest, or if you have frequent problems with jealous friends or family members.

5. Burn up excess wood. Sometimes wood energy goes well past idle gossip and can become truly damaging. This is the case in 2012 where the 3 Jade star falls in the earth sector of the southwest where the wood can take root and cause a lot of damage. The best way to handle the 3 star is to exhaust it by burning it up. A candle or bright light can stop this energy that can lead to legal tangles. If you have a front door that faces where the 3 Jade falls, it also helps to carry a red triangle dragon amulet or display a Ksitigarbha fireball.

6. Enlist a protector. If you were ever bullied as a child and a stronger, bigger child came to your aid, you'll understand the energy I'm talking about here. Having a strong man whose fierceness gives you a measure of security is the perfect protection against the 3 Killings, an energy that likes to sneak up on you and prey on your weakness. Kwan Kung is a fierce general whose countenance is believed to ward off treachery and bad intentions merely by his look alone. Fu dogs and the fierce pi yaoare also good guardians to post at the front door if your home faces south, southwest, or southeast or northwest.

7. Stay strong. Ever have friends who are your friends, that is, until you have a problem? Health is wealth and sometimes when you're not well, your friends can look down on you at the time you need them the most. Anyone with a house facing southeast, southwest, north, or northwest should be aware that your health can take a hit this year. Carry a wu luo amulet to protect health (and wealth!) in 2012.8. Add water to stop slander. If your home, office, or bedroom are in the northwest, this could be a rough year. The 7 Red star of violence is headed in this direction and can cause problems besides robbery and theft. The 7 is the number associated with the mouth and you might find that malicious gossip and scandalous things will be said about you. This is the year to carry a water amulet and display rhinoceros and elephant figures to stop the libel in its tracks.

9. Get better friends. If you find that your friends are really "frenemies" (enemies that act like friends) then you'll want to seek out those who support you. A good start is with your Chinese zodiac sign. You'll want to choose friends whose horoscope signs are compatible with yours. Another is to carry an amulet of your horoscope allies. (We'll be getting a new shipment of these in about a week, so stay tuned!).

Check the table below for the zodiac signs that support and encourage you.

YOUR SIGN YOUR ALLIES
Rat Dragon and Monkey
Ox Snake and Rooster
Tiger Horse and Dog
Rabbit Sheep and Pig
Dragon Monkey and Rat
Snake Rooster and Ox
Horse Dog and Tiger
Sheep Pig and Rabbit
Monkey Rat and Dragon
Rooster Ox and Snake
Dog Tiger and Horse
Pig Rabbit and Sheep

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Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter Feng Shui E-zine and certified feng shui consultant in classical Chinese feng shui. Kathryn helps her readers improve their lives and generate more wealth with feng shui. For more information and to receive her FREE Ebook "The Cash Register at Your Front Door" visit RedLotusLetter.com and learn the fast and fun ways feng shui can make your life more prosperous and abundant!

CHINESE TRADITIONAL MEDICINE: TIGER MILK MUSHROOM

2012-01-26T01:20:00.002+08:00

When I was visiting the temple yesterday morning, I saw theTiger Milk Mushroom (Lignosus rhinocerus) being sold at one of the stalls outside the temple. For your information the Tiger Milk Mushroom is an important traditional medicine used to treat asthma, cancer, and strengthen immune system.

WINDMILLS TO BLOW AWAY BAD LUCK AND USHER IN THE GOOD

2012-01-26T00:13:00.000+08:00

During Chinese New Year, devotees throng the temples to pray for good luck and a peaceful year ahead. There might also be stalls selling miniature plastic windmills. These windmills are said to blow away bad luck and bring on good ones.

I bought my mum a windmill from the temple we visited on the first day of the new year. As her luck has been very bad last year, I wanted her to blow it away.

VISITING MY BEAUTIFUL GODDESS

2012-01-26T00:04:00.000+08:00

Below are a few pictures of me with a statue of the Goddess of Mercy that takes my breath away each time I clap eyes on her. Once again I make my annual pilgrimage to pay my respects to Kuan Yin and drink in her beauty.

AUSPICIOUS SOUNDING BUNS

2012-01-26T00:01:00.001+08:00

The buns above have very auspicious sounding names. The ones in the first picture are called "Poe Poe Koe Sing" or Higher and Higher We Succeed. The ones in the middle are given the name Pao Fatt or Guaranteed to Prosper and the last one is called "Nien Nien Yau Yu" or Surplus Each Year.
They are sold at the Tow Boh Keong Temple in Ipoh. Devotees buy them as offerings to the Deities in hope that their career or business takes off and that they are guaranteed success. Of course, if their success is guaranteed, the they will have surplus of wealth each year.
May I add that this is only what they hope for. To succeed, one needs to work hard.

ENTERTAINING THE GOLDEN TRIO

2012-01-25T18:58:00.001+08:00

For my mum, aunt and I, Chinese New Year is the time when we visit the temples to pray to the Taoist Deities and also the Buddhas. It is a yearly thing with us as we enjoy visiting the sacred places and at the same time seeking blessings for a happy, prosperous and healthy year ahead. This year, my Uncle Jimmy decided to join us on out temple visits on the first and second day of the lunar new year. And so, it was my duty to entertain the Golden Trio as all of them are in their seventies.

Below are pictures of our visit to two adjoining cave temples, Ling Sen Tong and Nam Teen Tong in Gunung Rapat.

MALE CELEBRITY BUYING RED BRIEFS TO GET RID OF BAD LUCK

2012-01-25T18:09:00.001+08:00

Here is an interesting article about a famous Hong Kong actor, Raymond Lam (picture), who was spotted buying red underwear prior to the start of Chinese New Year. Apparently he had bought the red briefs to get rid of bad luck.

Read on to find out.

Raymond Lam Buys Red Underwear Briefs To Ward Off Bad Luck
Tuesday January 22, 2011 Hong Kong
Credits: to Jayne @ http://www.jaynestars.com

Three years, Raymond Lam (林峰) was a dark horse candidate in winning the Jade Solid Gold “Asia Pacific’s Most Popular Male Singer Award.” Besides winning the same award this year, Raymond also won JSG’s “Golden Melody Gold Award,” for his song Chok, which resulted in much public criticism for the awards results.
Aside from his controversial win at the JSG awards, Raymond Lam also continued to embarrass himself recently. In a Lunar New Year program recording in Guangzhou, Raymond’s crotch may have twitched. Afterward, he acted as if “The Three Gods” (Louis Yuen 阮兆祥, Johnson Li 李思捷, and Wong Cho Lam 王祖藍) were transparent. Raymond even stepped on the 2012 Miss Chinese International contestants’ dresses and toes during the pageant. Encountering numerous troubles recently, Raymond Lam resorted to the most traditional method: buying red underwear to cleanse himself of bad luck!
Raymond Lam Causes Stir When Buying Red Calvin Klein Briefs
Wearing a winter coat, a cap, and glasses, Raymond Lam appeared at a Calvin Klein store by himself the day before. During the checkout process, Raymond asked the female clerk for 3 boxes of red Calvin Klein briefs in medium size, as well as several packs of white cotton short-sleeved undershirts. Due to his unstoppable ”chok” charisma, Raymond attracted the smiling attention of the surprised saleswomen, who took the opportunity to chat with the idol of millions of people.
On that day, Raymond dressed in a low-key manner, deliberately bringing the visor of his cap close to his face. Faced with the saleswomen’s warm welcome, he reciprocated with his ”chok” smile. During the waiting period, Raymond also went to the women’s underwear section to glance for 1 minute, before returning to his originial spot. Was it possible that Raymond may have considered purchasing a gift for TVB executive, Virginia Lok (乐易玲)?
At the request of the shop clerks, Raymond took several photos with them before departing with a shopping bag full of loot. [Spotting the reporter], Raymond appeared to realize that his intention of wearing red underwear to turn his bad luck was discovered. Without saying a word and an embarrassed smile, Raymond boarded a $600,000 HKD 7-passenger Toyota vehicle and left the scene.
Excerpt from Apple Daily
Source: http://asianfanatics.net/forum/topic/765964-raymond-lam-buys-red-underwear-briefs-to-ward-off-bad-luck/

SUNFLOWER DECORATIONS

2012-01-25T01:30:00.001+08:00

I removed the daisies from my flower arrangement at home and added more sunflowers to it. To me the sunflowers bring a lot of cheer to my living environment.

HAPPINESS AND ASSURED SURPLUS

2012-01-25T01:14:00.000+08:00

The items of food pictures above are the Hoi Sum (sea cucumber) and Bao Yu (Abalone). They are popular ingredients for Chinese New Year dishes as Hoi Sum 海參sounds like happiness 开心 in Cantonese while Bao Yu 鮑魚 is similar in sound to assured surplus 保余.

VISIT TO KUAN YIN TEMPLE IN GUNUNG RAPAT

2012-01-25T00:21:00.000+08:00

The first temple that my mum, aunt, uncle and I visited on the first day of the lunar new year was the Kuan Yin Cave Temple. Many Taoists would start a new year by praying to the deities to ask for blessings for a good and safe year ahead.

T-SHIRTS WITH DRAGON IMAGES

2012-01-25T00:09:00.000+08:00

For each lunar new year, there will be tee-shirts bearing images of the Zodiac Animal Sign for that particular year. As it is the turn of the dragon, there are various designs and images of dragons on the tees. I particularly like those with the cute dragons. The fierce looking ones are rather intimidating.

YEARLY RENDEZVOUS WITH YUET LOE

2012-01-24T19:19:00.000+08:00

Without fail, I will visit my 'friend', the Taoist deity for Marriage,Yuet Loe at the cave temple every Chinese New Year. Friends though I may be with Yuet Loe, he still insists that I am one who should remain single.

NEW BOWL AND CHOPSTICKS FOR THE NEW YEAR

2012-01-24T19:07:00.000+08:00

The bowl and chopsticks above were given to members of my family during the reunion dinner on new year's eve. A few of my friends from Sitiawan told me that it is a traditional Chinese practice to buy a set of bowl, chopsticks and spoon for the lunar new year as it symbolises wealth, abundance and prosperity for the year ahead. Yeah! I forgot to buy the spoon but it is still okay.Using a rice bowl symbolises never ending supply of food and also stability in ones career. This is the second time that I have bought a set for the new year.

ONE DUCK AND TWO SWANS

2012-01-24T06:50:00.005+08:00

Standing in between the two sisters, Ika and Ramona, I feel so old and frumpy. I keep asking their mom, Kak Ros, how she manages to come up with two such beautiful daughters. Her answer is a good heart and doing lots of good deeds. I was actually stunned when I saw Ika yesterday, she has grown much taller and slimmer since we last met. As a matter of fact, when I first saw her, she reminded me of the famous Bollywood actress, Kajol. If Haji Hasnin were to see the above picture, he'd surely comment that I look like the plain duck next to the two stunning swans.

Here are more pictures of the girls and me.

Ramona is doing her undergraduate studies at Segi College and at the same time is a model and actress. Her sister, Ika, turns 15 this year and has also started modelling. By the way, Ika is a professional clown. Mr Zam Zam is also a part-time magician and performs a lot for charitable causes.

VISIT FROM THE ZAM ZAM GANG

2012-01-24T01:16:00.004+08:00

Kak Ros, Mr Zam Zam and Li Na

Me and Ramona

Ramona and her mum

Mona and her dad

I had a BIG present on the first day of the lunar new year. When I woke up at around 7.30 a.m. and checked my handphone for messages, there was one from Ramona. She said she and her family were heading back to Ipoh from KL and would be visiting me. Yeh! I hadn't seen Kak Ros, Mr Zam Zam, Mona and Ika for two years. Of course, I had been keeping in touch with Mona on the phone as she keeps me updated on the dramas, movies and modelling photo shoots that she does. Each time she gets to appear on TV, I will be informed and so I pretty much know how my beautiful girl is doing. But believe me, nothing beats seeing her and her wonderful family in the flesh. They are such warm and lovely people that their visits enliven my home and gives it such positive energy. Getting to reconnect with the Zam Zam gang is one special gift I got on the first day of the new year. Wow! This is such a good omen at the start of a new year.
I am sharing the pictures of their visit with you in my Happiness blog today.

MAKING SURE THAT MY GLADIOLUS WILL OPEN

2012-01-24T01:08:00.001+08:00

The gladiolus is one flower that is much sought after during the lunar new year. Parents would buy them for their working children, while young adults would also buy gladiolus for career luck. The Chinese name for the gladiolus is considered to be auspicious because its flowers bloom from bottom to top and is named " bu bu gao sheng " which carries the meaing “step by step ever higher.”

It was actually my late Aunt May who taught me to buy these flowers to boost my career luck each year. I will usually buy a few stalks each year. This year I bought 3 for RM9. The florist who sold the flowers to me told me that one must make sure to choose the flowers that will bloom if not it would be an ominous sign for ones career. To make sure that my flowers bloom, I chose those those that already had one flower in full bloom at the bottom level. So that will ensure that my career will reach for the skies. Heh! Heh!

My gladiolus on the eve of the new year

TOSSING YEE SANG

2012-01-24T00:20:00.001+08:00

When my family had our reunion dinner or Chui Chik night (the eve of the passing year), the first dish served was the Yee Sang 鱼生. Yee Sang or Prosperity Toss is also known as lo hei in Cantonese (撈起). For my foreign visitors, the Yee Sang consists of strips of raw fish, mixed with shredded vegetables and a variety of sauces and condiments. In Cantonese Yee Sang means raw fish. . As "fish (鱼)" is considered a homophone for "abundance (余)", Yee Sang (鱼生) would have the auspicious meaning of Yee Sing (余升) meaning an increase in abundance. That is why it is such a popular dish at the start of the new year.
There is a ritual for eating Yee Sang. All involved must stand up and proceed to toss the shredded ingredients into the air with chopsticks in hand. They have to say aloud Loe Sang or Loe Hei "撈起, 撈起". The higher the toss the better the fortunes for the tossers.

During the tossing of the Yee Sang for my family, Mrs Cheah sat down as she was not feeling too well. The rest did the tossing enthusiastically as they wanted to have positive growth in the coming year.

SWEET LIMES (KAT CHYE)

2012-01-24T00:09:00.000+08:00

Besides buying two pots of sweet lime plants to decorate each side of their front door, the Chinese would also buy sweet limes or limau kasturi to place as offerings on altars. This is because in Cantonese sweet limes are known as Kat which means prosperity. At the market, a bunch costs about RM1.

CHINESE LETTUCE 生菜

2012-01-23T21:52:00.000+08:00

During the Lunar New Year, the Chinese like to buy lettuce or Sang Choy 生菜 as it is a homophone for Generate Wealth. Besides, Chinese New Year it is also served on birthdays, graduation day and other festivals.

MARKET PLACE ON THE EVE OF THE NEW YEAR

2012-01-23T02:05:00.001+08:00

One of the busiest places on the eve of the Chinese New Year is definitely the market as people will be doing their last minute shopping. I love going there as there are so many things to see and the place is so alive and brimming with the energy of people in a celebratory mood.

VISITING THE NURSERY

2012-01-23T01:48:00.000+08:00

On Saturday, my mum was feeling a bit better and so I managed to take her to a nursery to look for some potted chrysanthemum plants to decorate the house for the new year. Unfortunately, what we saw were the leftovers. The flowers and leaves of the plants did not look too healthy.

BUYING PANTS FOR PROSPERITY IN THE NEW YEAR

2012-01-23T01:36:00.000+08:00

During the Chinese New Year, there will be many Chinese who would be buying new pants or trousers as the Cantonese word for this garment is Fu which has the same sound as Prosperity. There are some people who say that buying pants is inauspicious as they think that Fu is similar in sound to bitter. This is not true as Chinese is a tonal language and there are 4 different tones for each word. The tone for bitter and pants are not the same in Cantonese. By the way, Cantonese has 6 tones instead of 4. So for the Cantonese buying pants for the new year is indeed auspicious.

REUNION DINNER

2012-01-23T01:25:00.003+08:00

Jeremy and his Auntie Li Na

Li Na, Auntie Linda and Uncle Jimmy

Michael and Li Mei

Michael, Li Mei, Jeremy and Benjamin

My mum and my sister

I got together with my family members to celebrate Chui Chik or the Eve of the Passing Year last night. We had our annual Reunion Dinner at the 1919 Restaurant. Like most Chinese families nowadays, we dined at a restaurant. My brother-in-law made reservations 3 weeks in advance in order to get a place. When we were there the place was really, really crowded. Actually there were two sessions at the restaurant that we dined at, one was for 7.00 p.m. and the other at 8.30 p.m. This was to cope with the demand.
As my brother-in-law, Michael, had ordered the set Chinese New Year dinner, all the dishes had some auspicious sounding names. We had fish, abalone, a variety of mixed vegetables, herbal Chicken and Tofu.

OFFERINGS OF JOSS-STICKS TO THE JADE EMPEROR

2012-01-23T01:10:00.001+08:00

This is the pineapple shaped joss-stick that I bought as a gift for the Jade Emperor. Yesterday afternoon, I went to the temple to see the caretaker lighting it.

To light the joss-stick, kerosene had to be poured onto the top of the joss-sticks. Actually, there were many people who had brought 10 feet tall joss-sticks to be burnt at mid-night to welcome the new year but I requested that mine be lit a day earlier as I had actually promised the pineapple joss-stick as a gift for the Jade Emperor's birthday which fell on the 6th day of the 12th lunar month. This is considered a belated birthday gift and I wanted it to be lit before the start of a new year.

Here are some of the joss-sticks which will be burnt as offerings for the deity on new year's day. There were easily a hundred joss-sticks there.

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR EVERYONE

2012-01-23T01:02:00.000+08:00

Today marks the beginning of a new year for the Chinese and also the Koreans, Japanese and Vietnamese. However, this is still the Rabbit Year. The dragon year will officially begin on 4th February, 2012.
Gong Xi Fa Cai or Wishing you prosperity for this new lunar year.

EXCHANGE OF GIFTS DURING CHINESE NEW YEAR

2012-01-22T20:06:00.002+08:00

One important tradition observed by the Chinese during the Lunar New Year is the exchange of gifts. As the Chinese are very into symbolism, thus many of the gift items have symbolic meanings or status symbols to show goodwill and also to express good wishes. New Year gifts are given to family, friends and also between businesses.
Popular items include Mandarin oranges, sweets, candies, chocolates and hampers. Before the advent of the cyberage, New Year cards 贺年卡 were also sent to family members, friends and business contacts. Nowadays, not many people send cards by snail mail as they can use mms, sms and also emails to convey their new year greetings.

CNY RED LANTERN

2012-01-22T06:56:00.000+08:00

One of the staples for Chinese New Year is the red lantern. So you will see a lot of houses hanging bright red lanterns to usher in the new year.

RED UNDERWEAR FOR GOOD LUCK DURING THE NEW YEAR

2012-01-22T02:04:00.003+08:00

Red underwear are in great demand during Chinese New Year as they are said to bring good luck to the wearer.

SO MANY TWISTS AND TURNS

2012-01-22T01:03:00.000+08:00

A lot of hard work must have gone into getting the bamboo plants above to twist and turn until it is formed into the shape of a basket. Guess how much the arrangement in the first picture cost? RM70. That is quite a bit, right? The bigger and more elaborate ones are even more expensive.

TOYOTA CALENDAR

2012-01-22T00:58:00.001+08:00

It is really hard to get calendars nowadays, especially the desktop type. I was pretty luck to get a few from my friend Azran in Toyota. Since I am a loyal customer, he'd usually give me a few. I gave one to Kama and the other to Khairah.

A COLOUR PENCIL FENCE

2012-01-22T00:06:00.001+08:00

The owner of this house came up with the cool idea of using very large colour pencils for his fence. Wonder if they are real pencils or just mock ones?
Link: http://bigduck.co/2011/08/30/colored-pencil-fence/

SETTLING BILLS BEFORE THE CHINESE NEW YEAR

2012-01-21T01:08:00.001+08:00

This week I made sure to pay up all the bills and taxes so that I would have settled my debts before the Chinese New Year.
For your information, there are many Chinese people who try to settle their debts with friends and pay off their bills before the New Year so that they can start the New Year debt free. However, this settling of debt often refers to debt between friends and do not include home or car loans with financial institutions. These are considered as investments. It is advisable to settle debts because the Chinese believe that if you start the new year in the debt, you'll finish it the same way.
In my case, I also include all the bills and taxes that I need to pay as I have to pay.
In the above picture, you can see me outside the Manjung District Council. I had gone there at around noon to pay the house assessment tax. As I paid early and for the whole year, I got a 5% rebate plus a free hand towel.

CHANGING A DIFFERENT SET OF CURTAINS FOR THE NEW YEAR

2012-01-21T00:37:00.001+08:00

The curtain on the left (which is one of two pieces) has been hanging in my house for more than a year. I had bought the one on the right when I first moved into my house in September 2009 but it was only hung up for a week or so before they were taken down. This was because the curtain did not reach the ground. I then bought another piece of cloth and had it sewn and added with lace. This was hung to replace the first one.
I later bought more lace and had them sewn on to the first curtain but after that I had kept the curtain in my cupboard until now. I sent it to them dhobi to be washed and ironed on Monday and got the curtains back yesterday. So, you can say I have considerably new curtains for my house to welcome the new year.

ELABORATE PIECES OF JOSS-STICKS FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR

2012-01-21T00:27:00.000+08:00

Look at the 10 feet high joss-sticks which were outside a temple in Kampung Koh in Sitiawan. These joss-sticks are presented to the temple as offerings to the Taoist deities. I find that the joss-sticks in Sitiawan are more elaborate than those in Ipoh. Perhaps, it is because there is a joss factory here. It is rather difficult to transport those joss-sticks with intricate extensions of dragons as they are fragile.

'88888' RULE FOR LIVING

2012-01-21T00:02:00.002+08:00

Let me share with you an article about the '88888' rule to good health below:
‘88888’ rule to good health
By RAHIMY RAHIM
rahimyr@thestar.com.my

PUTRAJAYA: The Government wants the public to be “prosperous” in health this Chinese New Year by following the “88888” rule of living.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the “88888” rules meant that they should avoid overindulging and practise healthy eating during this festive season when they were likely to be tempted by delicacies likeyee sang and nian gao.

“The 88888' rules mean that you stop eating 80% before you are full, have dinner before 8pm, drink eight glasses of water per day, sleep at least eight hours and walk at least 8,000 steps daily,” he told reporters at the launch of the Eat Healthy During Chinese New Year campaign here yesterday.

Malaysians, he added, should also insist on taking smaller portions and quantity of food during this holiday.

“If they continue to consume an extra 500kcal daily for a week, they will gain some half kilo to one kilo.

“It is easier if they control themselves from taking rich, calorie-laden food like peanut puffs. Five puffs are equivalent to 500kcal.

“It will take about an hour for an adult to burn 500kcal through cycling. By watching the exact amount of calorie intake, you will lose weight much faster,” he said.

Liow added that the Government was increasing its efforts in combating and reducing the number of cases relating to non-communicable diseases like obesity and diabetes.

“Factors contributing to obesity can be easily controlled by simply taking care of a person's diet,” he said.

Liow also said the public could get health and nutritional advice from the ministry's nutrition information centres nationwide.

“We have published booklets in Chinese, English and Bahasa Malaysia to promote healthy eating and an active lifestyle during the Chinese New Year celebration,” he added.

The booklet can also be downloaded from these websiteswww.moh.gov.my, www.myhealth.gov.my, www.infosihat.gov.my,blogmoh.moh.gov.my and btmk.moh.gov.my/BlogICT.

Source: http://archives.thestar.com.my/last7days/default.asp?date=\2012\1\18&psect=Nation

BUYING NEW SHOES FOR THE LUNAR NEW YEAR

2012-01-21T00:02:00.000+08:00

I always make sure not to buy any shoes during the 15 days of the Chinese New Year. I always buy mine before the new year. This year I bought the two pairs of shoes pictured above. Yeah! I bought them in two colours. Some Chinese consider buying a pair of new shoes during Chinese New Year as bad luck. The word "shoe" in Cantonese is a homophone for "rough" or "evil". It also sounds like a sigh which is another taboo during Chinese New Year.

SUNFLOWER ARRANGEMENT

2012-01-20T23:59:00.003+08:00

I want to share with you my Chinese New Year silk flower arrangement. I added the sunflowers that I bought from the market recently to my vase of white daisies. To me sunflowers are such cheerful flowers that they will generate much happiness to our homes.

STEAMED FISH

2012-01-20T06:59:00.000+08:00

I had this steam fish for dinner at a restaurant. It is what can be referred to as Chinese Style steamed fish. The fish is fresh-from-the tank and steamed with soy sauce and shredded ginger. Then it is garnished with shredded carrot, fried shallots and coriander. Muah! Simply delicious.

AZALEAS FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR

2012-01-20T06:39:00.000+08:00

The Azalea is a popular plant for the Chinese New Year. Why? It is because the Azalea symbolises harmony and smoothness of flow in life. As the colours of the flower are either pink or red, they are auspicious colours for the Chinese New Year.

STAINED KITTY

2012-01-20T01:52:00.000+08:00

The beautiful white cat in my college has a black stain on its fur. It is quite visible as it is at the top part of its body. I am sure that with a wash or two, kitty will be back to being as white as snow.

APPLES AND PEARS

2012-01-20T01:45:00.000+08:00

I was attracted by the apples and pairs that were for sale at a supermarket. If you look carefully, you'd see that the apples and pears come in different shapes, colours and sizes.

WHAT A VIEW TO HAVE A MEAL

2012-01-20T00:40:00.001+08:00

Ice Kacang

Nasi Pattaya

Char Koey Teow

After a hard day's work, Kamariah and I went to the seaside to have a meal. The eatery we went to overlooks the KD Rahmat, a warship that has been converted into a maritime museum. There is a lovely park nearby as well.
Imagine having Char Koey Teow and Nasi Pattaya with Ice Kacang with the sea breeze blowing on our faces. This is what I call a enjoying the moment.

ARTICLE ON POWER OF THE MIGHTY DRAGON

2012-01-20T00:37:00.000+08:00

"Dragon Power -- Tapping Feng Shui's Favorite Celestial Symbol for Wealth & Success"

The dragon is a mythical and much beloved symbol in China. The powerful dragon can be seen adorning everything from walls and sculptures to chopsticks and fabrics. A dragon is one of the earliest symbols of male, yang, energy and fertility.

The friendly dragon

Unlike the fearsome creatures of western literature, Chinesedragons are endearing and good-natured rather than ferocious or threatening. They're also a symbol of great power and were often used to symbolically represent the emperors.

With the dragon sitting at the east in the zodiac wheel, it is associated with sunrise, the period between spring and summer when rains are most abundant and with growth, fertility and growth.

Yin and yang

The dragon is many times portrayed chasing the cosmic pearl. This pearl represents the feminine and thunder, which brings rains. Dragons are beautiful symbols of new growth, vitality, and are believed to bring strong regenerative powers. Although the earliest symbol of dragons were shown with the white tiger of the west, which represented yin, or female energy, the dragon is typically shown with a phoenix to represent masculine and feminine energies, or the conjugal state.

Dragon family members

The dragon also has a wide family circle. In addition to the standard dragon, there are also dragon tortoises (a favorite of businessmen and those who like making money!), a hybrid of the dragon and tortoise. This animal possesses all the strengths of the dragon and represents imminent news regarding career and business. They are often portrayed with a baby on their backs to represent descendant's luck. Place behind you at work for great support or in the east, but not directly in front of you.

The pi yao is another dragon family member. As the ninth son of a dragon, this fearsome creature possesses the strength of the Asian dragons and the ferociousness of the western dragon. The Pi Yao is a protective heavenly creature. He is often mistaken for a fu dog or chi lin, but he has a specific role in Chinese symbolism and feng shui.

With his single horn, lion face, wings and tail, thepi yao is designed to protect wealth. This makes him a favorite symbol of businessmen and merchants. The pi yao also subdues the Grand Duke and should be positioned to face him. To protect wealth, the pi yao swallows wealth and never expels it, thus he is the protector of accumulated wealth and brings windfall luck, driving away evil and protecting the home and its owner.

The number nine and dragons?

Yes, dragons are represented by the ultimate power of 3, which is 3 squared, or shown as multiplication 3x3=9. There are many types of dragons and are often represented with the number 9, a symbol of male vigor and fertility. Longans, a type of pinkish-red fruit, are said to be a dragon's eyes. The term in Chinese for dragon is long. The section of Hong Kong, called Kowloon, means town of the nine dragons. Each of the nine dragons brings a different type of energy and luck. There are

Empowering your home

In feng shui, it's important to include the dragon as part of your observance. Displaying a dragon, especially in the east, will energize the house and the family, bringing strength and vitality to everyone who resides there. The dragon is a widely recognized symbol of both success and protection.

The dragon's image inspires radiant health, financial abundance, longevity and empowers the entire household, and in particular, the male members and patriarch of the family. Display the dragon and his other family members in your home to give you growth, vitality and success (dragon), good news about business and career opportunities (dragon tortoise) and to protect your assets and watch over your wealth, display a pi yao.
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Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter Feng Shui E-zine and certified feng shui consultant in classical Chinese feng shui. Kathryn helps her readers improve their lives and generate more wealth with feng shui. For more information and to receive her FREE Ebook "The Cash Register at Your Front Door" visit RedLotusLetter.com and learn the fast and fun ways feng shui can make your life more prosperous and abundant!

UNDERWATER DRAGON DANCE

2012-01-19T01:07:00.000+08:00

As the coming year will be the Year of the Dragon, we are getting a lot of dragon related activities. In China, there was an underwater dragon dance to welcome 2012.

Divers perform dragon dance at an aquarium during an event to welcome the Year of Dragon in Beijing, capital of China, Jan 5, 2012. (Xinhua/Chen Jianli)

Source: http://www.newsgd.com/pictures/peoplelife/content/2012-01/09/content_36172789.htm

FATT KOE SHAPED CANDLE

2012-01-19T00:55:00.000+08:00

Besides the lotus, wu lou and pineapple shaped candles that are used as offering to the deities, there is now one that comes in the shape of the Fatt Koe or Prosperity cake. Mind you, I had initially thought that it was the real thing when I first saw it at the prayer paraphernalia shop.
Here is how real Prosperity Cakes look like.

CHINESE NEW YEAR GOODIE BAGS

2012-01-19T00:42:00.002+08:00

My two Chinese colleagues at the college, See Yee and Siet Fah, and I pooled our money to prepare Chinese New Year goodie bags to give to our Malay and Indian colleges.
At going back time, I stationed two of my librarians near to the entrance to distribute the bags to the lecturers and staff. Though the contents of the bags may not be much, it is given to share the Chinese New Year festive cheer with our colleagues.

DECORATIVE PINEAPPLE PLANTS

2012-01-19T00:34:00.001+08:00

These ornamental pineapple plants are being sold as Chinese New Year plants. To the Chinese, they are auspicious. Why? Because they are called Wong Lai in Cantonese which sounds like Wealth is Coming. In the Hokkien dialect, it is called Ong Lai. So it is a prizes item all because its name sounds auspicious.

A BUSY TIME FOR EDUCATORS

2012-01-19T00:33:00.016+08:00

The start of the year is a very busy time for all the teachers. This is especially so for the Seri Manjung Vocational College as we are in the process of registering the Year 1 students. The first batch came last week and the students you see listening to my briefing on the resource centre are the second batch. So far 291 has registered. Next week, we are offering places to another 30 students and after that we would have reached our targeted enrolment.

MOVING FURNITURE AROUND TO REMOVE STALE ENERGY

2012-01-19T00:28:00.001+08:00

I have started moving the furniture around in my room in the library. There were some changes in the organisation for the resource centre and my colleague, See Yee is now the coordinator for the library while I am the Head of the Resource Centre.

Both of us will be occupying the room and so we have begun moving the furniture around. Actually I make a habit of moving the tables and chair around my work space quite often. It is actually rather fun to have a new arrangement. The moving of the furniture will also change the flow of Qi or energy. This is good to do every so often.
By the way, I don't do the moving myself but have some strong young men to help me do it. Aren't I lucky to have so many male students? Heh! Heh!

RED PUNJABI SUIT

2012-01-18T23:33:00.000+08:00

What do you think of the red Punjabi suit that I am wearing? It's lovely, isn't it? This is the other piece of clothing that I bought from the Bundle Shop. I only paid RM10 for it, inclusive of the scarf.

UPDATING YOUR HOUSE FENG SHUI BY JASON ENG

2012-01-18T22:26:00.004+08:00

One of the slots during Jason's Talk was on 'Updating Your House Feng Shui". I managed to take pictures of the slides of his powerpoint presentation. By looking at the illustrated diagrams, I am sure you will know what cures and remedies to use for your individual houses.

House Facing South and Sitting North

House Sitting North and Facing South

House Facing East and Sitting West

Facing West, Sitting East

Facing Southwest, Sitting Northeast

Facing Northeast, Sitting Southwest

Facing Southeast, Facing Northwest

Facing Northwest, Sitting Southeast

A CAUTIOUS YEAR AHEAD

2012-01-18T00:54:00.000+08:00

The year of the Dragon will soon dawn and there are quite a number of Feng Shui masters have been interviewed about what lies ahead. Below is one such article.

Feng shui masters speak of a cautious year ahead
By EDMUND NGO
edmundngo@thestar.com.my
Photos by LEW YONG KAN

LOOKING at the characteristics of the mythical dragon creature, one that is strong, dynamic and competitive, it would be understandable for many to assume a smooth-sailing and hopeful 2012.

However, feng shui masters have advised caution and the need for discernment as the Chinese community prepares their celebration to usher in the Year of the Dragon.

Net-savvy fortune-teller Master L.W. Kok, who uses traditional tools such as pa kua (eight diagrams used in Taoist cosmology) and the Chinese almanac in his consultations, cautions those aged 44 to 47 to be careful this year as there are more possibilities of trouble befalling them.

“This is not really a good year for them as they will face troubles such as illnesses or mishaps and one of the way for them to overcome these troubles is to have a heart that is at peace,” he said.

Tools of trade: Master Tham showing (left) a Thailand astrology disc and the Feng Shui pa kua board.

Kok said many couples would deem it auspicious to have their wedding this year, but cautioned that a marriage’s success still depended on the compatibility of the couple including their zodiac signs.

“For example, it is a good year for those born in the year of the Rooster to be married this year as they are compatible with the Dragon, but that is not the case with the Ox or the Dog,” he said.

He also said the world economy would recover and improve this year, as there was harmony between the Gregorian calendar and the Chinese lunar calendar.

“As we can see, this year there are 366 days in both the Gregorian and Chinese lunar calendar while the year before there was a disparity, which caused the economy to suffer,” he explained.

He said there would be social harmony and fewer natural disasters and heavy rains.

“However, I would advise everyone not to be like a grass in the wind, swaying back and forth but to use their own judgment and be discerning in issues that they face,” he said, adding that there must be hard work and effort to improve oneself.

Worldwide Truth feng shui Master Stanley Tham agreed with Kok, saying that the economy would be stable this year.

On the general election, Tham said there would not be any social unrest.

However, he declined to say what the results would be and would only say that the country would see more cooperation by the end of the year.

“It does not matter who the government is, but calculations show that it will become better and more efficient,” he said.

Using Thailand astrology and the pa kua for his predictions, he advises those born in the Year of the Dog to be extra careful and carry amulets or charms with them when going out of their home to avoid any misfortune.

“This year does not bode too well for them, which is why I hope they will consult experienced feng shui masters to calculate their good days and avoid mishaps,” he said.

He also encouraged everyone to put up red, yellow or maroon colours in their houses and on their doors and windows to inject vitality into their surroundings as this year is the Year of the Water Dragon, thus lacking the fire element.

“The lack of the fire element means that we need to avoid white or black colours and there should be more sunlight at home to balance out the yin energy,” he added.

Tham said it would be prosperous to face the east direction this year, particularly for scholars, students and the business community, while the south-east direction is to be avoided as much as possible.

“That is the direction that is against the wrath of the Duke of Jupiter (Tai Sui) which will bring failure and disappointment to those who face it.

“On the other hand, if they turned around and looked towards the opposite direction, they would have strong support behind every thing that they did,” he advised.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/17/metroperak/10269718&sec=metroperak

DESIGNING LAYOUT FOR WORLD MAP SIGNBOARD

2012-01-18T00:27:00.000+08:00

The director of my college came up with the idea of placing a large sized map of the world on one of the front walls of the school library. Guess who has been entrusted with the task of ordering the signboard and looking for the graphics? Why of course, Me.
I had gone to the shop making the signboard this morning to discuss with the graphic designer on how the map should look like. It took more than half and hour for the draft to be completed. Now, I will have to wait for the director to approve the design before giving the go ahead for making it.

PREPARING MATERIALS FOR EXHIBITION ON CHINESE NEW YEAR

2012-01-18T00:21:00.002+08:00

It is barely a week to Chinese New Year and I am in a festive mood already. This morning, the students in my class helped me to search for articles and information about the Dragon Year for the latest exhibition for the library.
The boys and girls get to learn more about the festival by going online and at the same time they help to lighten my work by sourcing for the material and also changing it into Word form for me to print. This is killing two birds with one stone.

PLANTS FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR

2012-01-18T00:01:00.001+08:00

For Chinese New Year celebrations, it is customary for Chinese families to have plants in the house and the garden. This is because plants symbolize rebirth and new growth. Some of the popular choices are chrysanthemum, kumquat, lime, pussy willow and azalea.Therefore, it is very important to incorporate flowering and fruiting plants into the Chinese New Year decorations.

IBU DUIT OR 'CAPITAL FUND MONEY'

2012-01-17T22:29:00.001+08:00

PICTURE SOURCE: LINK

During his Feng Shui talk, Jason Eng shared one mystical money generating tip with his audience. He said that he had learnt from someone that currency notes that have serial numbers that begin and end with the number 9 and not have a 0 or 4 in the middle are said to be Chien Chung or A Money Bank. It is also known as Loy Choy Moe Chien or Capital Fund Money.
Try as I might, I could not find a single note with such a combination. I also found out that if a note has serial numbers with 9 at the beginning, the middle and the end are much sought after by some people. In Malay it is called Ibu Duit or Mother of Money.

TWO LIME TREES TO FLANK ENTRANCE TO HOUSE

2012-01-17T06:21:00.001+08:00

Every year my mum will buy lime trees to decorate the house. She'd usually buy one pot but this year Auntie Linda and I made her buy two pots after we heard the talk by Jason Eng. According to Jason placing two pots of blooming lime plants (Calamansi) on each side of the door will bring abundance, good luck and wealth for the coming year. The lime plants are also said to be able to absorb negative Qi.

Tada! Here you see the two pots of lime plants flanking the left and right side of my house in Ipoh. I have also placed a pair of spring couplets on each side of the door. When I go back this weekend, I'd start to decorate the lime plants.

THE PLIGHT OF THE BUNNIES

2012-01-17T01:12:00.001+08:00

At the start of the year of the Rabbit, there were some Chinese families that bought cute little bunnies as mascots. However, the novelty of having these little creatures as pets has worn off as we enter the dragon year. Read the article below.

Not a good CNY for abandoned bunnies

Luck has run out for pet rabbits as the Year of the Rabbit draws to a close.

At least 475 rabbits - the animal feted and bought during the Chinese New Year last year - were dumped in parks, wooded areas or void decks in Singapore between last February and the year end.

About 100 of these were rescued by members of the House Rabbit Society of Singapore (HRSS); another 375 were brought in to or left at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

The Chinese Year of the Rabbit started last Feb 3 and ends on Sunday.

The society said the 100 it rescued was 30 per cent more than the number of bunnies it saved the previous year.

Source: http://www.dailychilli.com/news/16183-not-a-good-rabbit-year-for-abandoned-bunnies

KAH HIM WAITING FOR HIS CHANCE

2012-01-17T00:24:00.024+08:00

The handsome looking dog in the picture is Kah Him. He belongs to the neighbour who lives behind my mother's house. Kah Him has been on sentry duty outside my house for the past week as my dog, Angel is on heat. He is waiting to see if he can get a chance to mate with my dog.

AUSPICIOUS DATES TO HANG 'ANG CAI' (RED BANNER FOR DOOR)

2012-01-17T00:24:00.023+08:00

Some Chinese families would hang a red banner or cloth across the front door to welcome in the new year. This is said to be an excellent way to allow positive Qi and beneficial energy to enter the house.
A good date and time should be chosen to hang up the Red Banner. Also the person who does the hanging will need to take a bath and wear clean clothings.

Here are the auspicious time for hanging the ‘Ang-Cai’ 红彩 Red Banner for the Chinese New Year.

The good date is on on 18 Jan, 2011 (冲猴).

The auspicious times on this day are as follows:

(卯时) 05时至 07时(冲 ‘clash’ chicken) 0500hrs to 0700hrs
(辰时) 07时至 09时(冲 ‘clash’dog) 0700hrs to 0900hrs
(巳时) 09时至 11时 (冲 ‘clash’ pig) 0900hrs to 1100hrs
(午时) 11时至 13时(冲 ‘clash’ rat) 1100hrs to 1300hrs

AUSPICIOUS ADDRESS

2012-01-17T00:20:00.001+08:00

The shop number for the new Swissomelt Restaurant is 386. Now this is a very auspicious number for the Chinese as it sounds like "Sang Fatt Loke" or Keep on Prospering.

A PLACE FOR SACRED MEDITATION

2012-01-16T20:53:00.000+08:00

There is a place for meditation at the top of the T'ung Wah Tong Hill. One needs to get permission from the temple authorities to go up the stairs which are by the side of the main hall of the Jade Emperor Temple to reach this place.
I have gone up before with Lai Yoong and decided to show her two aunts the place. It is really serene and perfect for meditation. One can be at peace with nature here.

This is part of the view one gets on reaching the meditation place.

The people who come here will sit on these stones to meditate.

Me giving my meditation pose.

I don't look calm enough.

Lai Yoong with her two aunts trying to meditate in such serene surroundings.

I was told that Buddhist monks would come here to meditate and they'd stay in the hut.

FINALLY GETTING HIS BREAK

2012-01-16T20:47:00.001+08:00

I am picture with my former colleague, Hanafiah who was also my former student. He worked as an attachment in my school for two years. During this time, he had tried a number of times to apply to be trained as a teacher but was unsuccessful. For your information, Hanafiah is one of the most responsible and dedicated teachers that I have come across and all my colleagues and I were hoping and praying that he would get absorbed as a permanent teacher.
Last week, I received the good news that Hanafiah finally got his break. His application was successful and he starts his 18 month training in February. Hmm ... could it be the flowers baths that I have been making him take that has helped pushed his luck?

OFFERING FOR TUA PEK KONG

2012-01-16T14:30:00.000+08:00

When I was at the Pasir Panjang Tua Pek Kong Temple last Friday, I saw this fish offering fashioned from dough. There were two big gold fish and two smaller pink coloured fish. On the tails of the the two gold fish were the numbers 35 and 53. I guess that the devotee who gave the offering must have struck the number 3553.

NEWLY REOPENED SWISSOMELT RESTAURANT

2012-01-16T00:20:00.000+08:00

Last year, I blogged about dining at a restaurant in Sitiawan by the very unique name of Swissomelt. Both Lai Yoong and I stumbled upon this place while we were having dinner at a nearby cafe. We made it a point to check out the place the next night and found that the food was to our taste.
However we were also told by one of the waitresses that they would be relocating to a new premise later on. Well, that later on turned out to be yesterday. Again, it was by chance that the two of us went in to have our dinner on the reopening day for Swissomelt. Actually we had seen the sign for Swissomelt being put up last week and thought that they had already opened for business then but to our surprise it was the very day that we went.
The deco for the new place was very much different from the former premise. The former looked more spacious and had a very modern feel. This new one looks very Englishy and feels more warm and cosy. Again, the food served was delicious. Both of us will be going again for dinner in future.

Here is how the outside of the restaurant looks like. As it was opening day, there were a few floral gifts to the owners from their friends and relatives.

I like the green coloured wall for the place. The green that they have chosen is very calming and soothing.

Me with more floral gifts for the owners of Swissomelt.

Lai Yoong and Li Na with two of the owners of Swissomelt, Tee and Shu.

Me with two of the three young owners of Swissomelt. On my right is Mr Tee Chong Yew. He was formerly a Quality Controller for a construction firm. The gentleman on my left is Mr Shu Chang Hang who used to be a graphic designer before he ventured into the food and beverage business. I was told that the third owner is an engineer by qualification. Wow! These three professional young men have opted to break free from their careers to take on the challenge of something new. Good luck to them!

The menu for the gelato.

Lai Yoong selecting the gelato.

Some of the choices of gelato.

Pumpkin soup.

Garlic bread to go with the pumpkin soup

Oceanic crisps

For those of you who are interested to check out the food at Swissomelt, the address is 386 Jalan Lumut, 32000 Sitiawan. It is along the main road and is located right next to Boston Restaurant.
By the way, this is a pork free restaurant. I was told that they have yet to apply for a halal certification as they had to quicken the reopening. Hopefully, they do manage to get the certification and my Muslim friends can come enjoy the yummy food they serve.

GETTING IDEAS TO DECORATE MY HOME FOR THE NEW YEAR

2012-01-16T00:19:00.000+08:00

The first day of the Chinese New Year is about 10 days away and I have yet to do much to decorate my house in Ipoh. This year I want to make my house more cheerful so that my mum's spirit and mood will be lifted. What I have been doing it going around shops to look at the decorations to get some ideas. I especially like the way the peony flowers are arranged with the green bamboos.

WILLOW BRANCHES FROM TEMPLE GROUNDS

2012-01-16T00:15:00.000+08:00

My sifu told me to get some willow branches to be used to cleanse my mother's house and also for her to take a bath. He said that the willow would help to rid my house and my mum of the presence of unwanted spirits and evil beings. That was why I went to the Tua Pek Kong Temple in Pasir Panjang to get a few branches of the willow planted all around the temple ground. Before I broke off the branches, I prayed to the deities first and asked for permission from Tua Pek Kong.
It is the willow branch that Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, uses to sprinkle the divine nectar of life on Her devotees. Willow branches are believed by the Taoists to have the magical power to ward off evil spirits. Kuan Yin also uses this branch to sprinkle the holy water in her vase to put demons to flight.

CARRYING THE PINEAPPLE JOSS-STICK UP THE HILL

2012-01-15T23:31:00.000+08:00

This morning I had help from Lai Yoong and her Aunt Josephine to carry the pineapple joss-stick up the T'ung Wah Tung Hill to the Jade Emperor Temple. You see, I had sprained my back and the two of them kindly helped me to carry it up. The people at the temple will help me to light the candle on the eve of the Chinese New Year.

PAHT CHEE FOR YEAR OF THE DRAGON 2012

2012-01-15T22:46:00.000+08:00

4 PILLAR CHART FOR DRAGON YEAR 2012

Here is the Paht Chee chart for the year of the Water Dragon. According to Jason, the year is short of the Fire element resulting in lack of intelligence and creativity. Only three of the four pillars clash while the remaining one is productive.

Here are the notes about the Paht Chee for the year:

Yang Water and Yang Earth clash in the Year Pillar. This suggests earth-related disasters.
Metal clashes with wood in the Hour Pillar which indicates the possibility of assassinations to older statesmen, leaders or politicians.
Earth Clashing with Water in the Year Pillar would lead to Kidney diseases. Earth destroying Water also indicates natural disasters like landslides and earthquakes.
Hour Pillar, Metal clashes with Wood leading to problems with liver, neck and respiratory system.
In the chart, Water is producing Wood and this brings growth luck resulting in an economic turnaround.
Fire is missing from the Chart which suggests lack of Intelligence and Creativity.
The 3 Celestial Guardians (Dragon, Tiger and Phoenix in the form of Rooster) are present in the chart. This would bring strength and improvement.
The year requires fire and earth energy.
Advised to wear bright colours for the Dragon year to offset the Yin energy.
The year requires water to be strengthened.

AIYOH! MISSED GETTING A PRIZE BY 10 MINUTES

2012-01-15T22:13:00.003+08:00

I got complimentary tickets for Lai Yoong and her two aunts to attend Jason's Annual Feng Shui update yesterday afternoon. After the talk, there was a lucky draw and Lai Yoong's name was drawn. Unfortunately, she and her aunts left immediately after the talk ended as they were hungry and did not wait for the draw. So, she missed the chance of getting a Feng Shui prize.

NOTES FROM FS TALK: GENERAL OUTLOOK FOR DRAGON YEAR

2012-01-15T06:34:00.000+08:00

According to Jason, the year of the dragon which falls in 2012 does not mark the end of the world. Instead, it is a transformative year. Yeah! Just like my school is transformed into a college and I am transformed from a teacher to lecturer. See, it is not the dragon year yet and already two transformations have taken place for me.
Here are my notes:

During the seasons of Spring and Summer, armed conflict will be reduced but unfortunately will take a turn for the worse come Winter where there will be international conflicts and animosity.
However, there is potential for growth.
Those in the commercial world will find that business will become competitive and also demanding.
There is an indication of political turnaround in the dragon year. There is indication of lack of common sense and intelligence where international politics is concerned.
The wealth luck for certain Chinese Zodiac signs look promising.
This year also sees trouble brewing in the relationship and marriage department.
There may also be back stabbing and politics at the work place.
Earth related natural disasters are predicted.

BUYING PINEAPPLE JOSS-STICK FOR THE JADE EMPEROR

2012-01-15T00:57:00.002+08:00

During the Jade Emperor's birthday in December, I had pledged to offer a pineapple shaped joss-stick to Him. However, I did not manage to find time to buy the joss-stick from the prayer paraphernalia shop until yesterday. It costs RM40.
This Sunday, I will be carrying the pineapple joss-stick up the T'ung Wah Tung Hill to give it as an offering to the Jade Emperor. One must fulfil ones pledges and vows that were made to the deities in the same year. Luckily it is still the 12th lunar month of the Rabbit year.

SOMETHING ABOUT JASON ENG

2012-01-14T21:56:00.006+08:00

All the years that I have been blogging about Jason's Annual Feng Shui update, I have never given much information about this Feng Shui consultant. So, I decided to do one post about him.
Feng Shui consultant Jason Eng Chin Soon was a student of Grandmaster Lillian Too. He graduated from Lillian Too's certified Feng Shui Programmes, namely Master Practitioners Course (MPC), Master Consultants Course; Lillian Too's Certified Consultant Institute (LTCCI) Courses. Jason Eng is well versed in the science, as well as the art of application of Feng Shui. He is also a financial security consultant.
As far as I know, Jason is a franchisee of three World of Feng Shui Boutiques - the first in Gurney Plaza, Penang, the second in Subang Parade, Subang Jaya and the third in Ipoh.
You'd be pleasantly surprised to know that Jason holds a Master Degree in Business Administration from Greenwich University and a Bachelor of Business Accountancy degree from RMIT. He is also a certified hypnotherapist (with American Board of Hypnotherapy) and he can do distance healing with Reiki.
Jason is a Ipoh boy and was educated at SMJK Sam Tet. He is married with three sons (if I recall correctly) and lives in Ipoh, Perak.
How to contact Jason:

email: gurney@worldoffengshui.com, jasoneng@streamyx.com

2012 NEW YEAR UPDATE BY JASON ENG FROM WOFS

2012-01-14T21:49:00.002+08:00

This is the seventh year that I have attended the Annual Feng Shui update by Jason Eng from World of Feng Shui Ipoh. This is an event I look forward to and would try not to miss as I want to know about the updates for the coming year. As usual Jason was very informative and entertaining his Ipoh audience in Cantonese.
I will be sharing with you in parts the nuggets of information given by Jason during the 3 hour talk at Hotel Excelsior in Ipoh. So, please come visit.

XING FU BLOG IS 5 YEARS OLD

2012-01-14T21:34:00.002+08:00

I created the Xing Fu Blog on 14 January 2007 after I visited the World of Feng Shui Boutique in Ipoh in the morning. As a matter of fact, the first picture I posted was the one of me posing in front of the boutique. Today is the fifth anniversary of my blog and I have made it a tradition to try and have a picture or two of me taken outside the premise on this day. The WOFs Boutique is going strong and so is Xing Fu.
Here is the first article I posted at the creation of the blog.

HAPPINESS TO EVERYONE

Hello! Ni Hau! Anyeong Haseyo! Apa Khabar! Namaste! Greetings!

This Xing Fu blog is created by me to share my experiences and information about using Feng Shui and Chinese cultural ways to attain wellbeing, fulfilment and happiness in life. Once in a while, I will post titbits of knowledge from other cultures as well, especially Malay and Indian cultures.
Personally, it pains and saddens me to see sufferings and unhappiness around me. To open the newspaper or to switch on the telly to learn of people who have lost their homes due to the floods, who are afflicted with all sorts of illnesses, who kill themselves and their children because of debts or family conflicts, who are beaten up, injured or lose their lives because of snatch thieves et cetera really puts a damper on my day. I do not profess to have found the panacea to happiness but am seriously in pursuit of possessing this state of being. Therefore, I would like to share whatever I learn with everyone. In a way, I feel that I will be contributing to making this world a happier place by sharing what I learn and know.
Happiness is the literal translation for "xing fu". I know that many people would agree with me that this is the most important element in life. Many elements contribute to this state. To me having health, love, wealth, longevity, harmony, concord, respect, trust and peace will contribute to attaining happiness.
In this very first post, I am pictured outside the World of Feng Shui premise in Ipoh after purchasing some Feng Shui cures for the coming year of the Boar. According to the yearly forecast, the illness star is in the central palace which means there will be lots of diseases and illnesses. To protect my family and myself I went and got myself a metallic Eight Immortals Wu Lou (Gourd).The two giant mystic knots on the door of WOFs Ipoh are truly auspicious symbols for this maiden post. I also chose an auspicious time and date to start this blog by referring to the T'ung shu or Chinese almanac.

Posted by Miss Cheah at 1/14/2007 11:29:00 AM 0 comments

2012 FENG SHUI FOR HOUSES WITH FRONT DOORS LOCATED IN THE EAST

2012-01-14T06:27:00.001+08:00

According to the article by Kathryn Weber, houses with the East-West alignment have the best energies for the year of the Dragon. Yahoo! That is good news for me as my humble abode faces east and obviously my front door is located there.

For those of you whose front doors of your home or business is located in the East sector, then it indicates that your finances will be good. Besides, you may also find yourself getting a fair dose of romance this year. To those who are studying, you are in luck as the Star of Academic success resides here for the year.

To enhance the Qi or energy of this sector, place 3 or 4 Lucky Bamboo plants here. Actually, any healthy looking plant would also do but then the lucky bamboo looks really lovely. The entrance to the house must also be neat and tidy plus visually pleasing.

ANGRY BIRD BROOCHES

2012-01-14T01:16:00.001+08:00

Check out the Angry Birds brooches above. Whatever will they think of next to merchandise these Birds?

DONATING BLOOD FOR THE 75TH TIME

2012-01-14T00:24:00.001+08:00

Yesterday morning my friend and colleague, Daniel donated blood at the Seri Manjung district hospital. This was the 75th time he had donated to the blood bank. He asked me to help take the pictures and put in the blog to show that donating blood is not painful. He wanted to help promote the blood donation drive.

Hopefully, more people will come forward and donate blood. Hey, this is one way for people to get some merit by doing something good for mankind.

BUYING WINTER MELON

2012-01-14T00:17:00.001+08:00

My friend Khairah has been coughing for about a month. The medication that she got from the hospital has not been effective. She told me that she has difficulty sleeping at night because of the cough. So I suggested she buy a winter melon and I'd help her to make a herbal remedy for cough with it.
Yesterday during our lunch break, we went out to the supermarket to look for one such melon.

This is how the emptied out melon looks with all the ingredients added with boiled water before being double boiled.

CNY DECORATIONS AT TOYOTA SERI MANJUNG

2012-01-14T00:01:00.000+08:00

I stopped by at the Toyota Showroom on Thursday to get a few desk calendars from the Sales Manager. With me was Khairah who had gone with me to look for a winter melon. They had opted for the traditional method of using a dried tree branch added with peach flowers plus auspicious ornaments.

INDIAN COSTUME

2012-01-13T14:30:00.000+08:00

The costume I am wearing is of Indian origin. It is lovely, isn't it? It was actually bought from a Bundle Shop (Second Hand shop) for RM15. If brand new, it'd cost a few hundred ringgit.

2012 NEW YEAR WALLPAPER OF SUPER JUNIOR

2012-01-13T07:22:00.000+08:00

The Korean boy group, Super Junior has taken the world by storm. The boys have been sweeping awards everywhere. I am sure many fan girls of Suju would love to have a new year wallpaper of them (like the one above) for their computer screen.
To download, click this LINK.

HOUSE LOW ON LEFT AND RIGHT BUT HIGH IN THE CENTRE

2012-01-13T01:01:00.000+08:00

If a house is low on the left and right sides but high in the center, there is a possibility that the resident may become disturbed or unstable.

LINK

RECYCLING BREAD TAGS

2012-01-13T00:10:00.000+08:00

When we buy bread, there will be the tags to indicate when it expires. I am sure like me, many of you out there would throw the tags away once we have finish eating the bread. I recently learnt of a way to recycle these tags. You can use them as labels for the cords for the printer, computer, speaker, etc.

Bread tags make the perfect cord labels.

SOURCE: http://geekfeed.tumblr.com/post/14576853995/tip-bread-tags-make-the-good-cord-labels

ORDERING SIGNBOARD FOR LIBRARY

2012-01-13T00:05:00.000+08:00

The director of the college mooted the idea of having a large world map outside the library. The map is printed on something like a whiteboard where we can use markers to indicate certain important events happening in the world. I went to a few sign making shops yesterday and finally settled on Signco. They quoted a price of RM790 plus installation. For another RM50, they would also make two labels for the posts of Unit Head and Library Coordinator.

BANANA TREE IN BLOOM

2012-01-12T22:03:00.000+08:00

I couldn't resist taking pictures of a bunch of bananas growing on a plant. It looks so inviting, doesn't it?