MAKING EGGS STAND

Yesterday was Duan wu jie also known as Dragon Boat Festival. 

It is believed that at noon on this day, it will be easier to make eggs stand.

I

t took me less than an hour to get 9 eggs upright.

CELEBRATING DUAN WU JIE

 On June 10th, I celebrated Duan Wu Jie with my friends, Lai Yoong, Nalini and Rose.

DUAN WU FESTIVAL

 The Dragon Boat Festival (端午節;  Duānwǔ jié) is a traditional Chinese festival that occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar. 

This day commemorates Qu Yuan who was the beloved prime minister of the southern Chinese state of Chu during the Warring States Period, about 600 B.C. to 200 B.C., and is celebrated by holding dragon boat races and eating sticky rice dumplings called zongzi, which were southern Chinese traditions.

**My maternal (Fujian) and paternal (Guangchow) ancesters were from Southern China.

EATING RED EGGS ON ONES BIRTHDAY

 Traditionally eggs are one of the things eaten by the Chinese on their birthdays. Given that a birthday is the anniversary of the day that a person was born, the symbolism of the egg is obvious. The shape of an egg symbolises fullness and completeness.

Alas ... nowadays this tradition is not so common among the younger generation.

** Red is the normal colour for these eggs as it is auspicious.  Me ... I love green.

15TH DAY OF LUNAR NEW YEAR

 We are into the 15th night of the lunar new year. In Chinese it is  元宵節 Yuánxiāo jié. 

This day also marks the end of the lunar new year celebrations.

May the year ahead shower you with happiness and prosperity. May the Year of the Dragon be filled with confidence and courage.

DRAGON HEAD BAMBOO

 Got my house some dragon head bamboo for CNY.  This plant which is believed to bring good luck, has been in high demand this Chinese New Year

The plant, which looks like the head of a dragon, has been selling very well this year.

BELATED CNY WISHES

Already into 6th day of the Chinese New Year but itbis still not too late to wish everyone a Happy New Year.

Here is a photo of me with Jeremy and Benjamin, my darling nephews.

MY CHRYSANTHEMUMS

 The two pots of chrysanthemum plants that I bought from Palm Grove nursery for Chinese New Year

are blooming beautifully.

Since the weather nowadays is really hot, I make sure to water them twice a day.

NGA KU PLANTS

 I planted these Nga Ku or Arrowroot bulbs about two weeks before the start of the Lunar New Year and they have grown.  My late Auntie May always made it a point to grow these Nga Ku plants on the 16th day of the 12th lunar month.  She told me that it is a good sign if they start to grow on the first few days of the new year.  This would signify a good and prosperous year ahead.

Since I planted them rather early, the Nga Ku plants started to grow just in time to welcome the new year.

The first day of the lunar New Year which falls on 10th February 2024 starts after the day of spring known as Lichun or Lap Chun (4th February 2024). Therefore, there is no Lichun this year. Feng Shui practitioners believe this is not too good for the year ahead. A year without Lichun is called 無春年(no spring year). 無春年is also known as 寡婦年(widow year) in northern China or 盲年 (blind year) in southern China. Marriage is believed to be unlucky in a year without Lichun. Also growth luck might not be too good during such a year.

What you need to do is to stimulate growth luck. How?  Get lots of pussy willow, nga ku, lime plants and other auspicious plants and place them in your home.

Thank goodness that my plants are growing well.  Yahoo!!!

MAKING EGGS STAND ON LI CHUN

 

It’s believed that if someone can make an egg “stand up” on lup chun or li chun day (4th or 5t February every year) he/she will have good luck throughout the year.

As you can see, I managed to make 6 eggs stand 😁😁

ENHANCING NORTH SECTOR FOR WEALTH LUCK

 ACTIVATING WEALTH STAR IN 2024

The #8 star ushers prosperity luck into the North, benefiting those born in the year of the Rat, as well as residents of North-facing homes, or those sleeping in North sector located bedrooms. The 8 brings improvements in cash flow and new opportunities for career and business growth. But because this star weakens considerably, being the star number of the immediate past period, it needs to be strongly activated for it to do its job.

Here are what you can do to activate wealth luck in the North sector of your house:

* place dragon symbols here.

* image of the digit 9

* use water element, e.g. picture of a drop of water, aquarium.

* colours that represent water, i.e. black and blue

* use metal element, e.g. windchime, brass, metallic objects.

* colours that represent metal, i.e. grey, copper, white, gold and silver.

World Cancer Day

 Wear purple tiday to support the cause to.fight cancer.

LUP CHUN 2024

 Today is 4th February 2024. Lup Chun or tye beginningbof spring is set to start at 4.37 p.m. To some of us Feng Shui enthusiasts, Lup Chun matks the official start of the dragon year. So those babies who are born at 4.37 p.m. and after are of the dragon zodiac.

SHOPPING FOR NEW YEAR DECORATIONS

Chinese New Year begins on 10th February 2024.

Lai Yoong and I went shopping for decorations to give our homes a festive feel. Red anx gold are the predominant colours. And so are banners and cut-outs

with auspicuous messages. This year we have dragon images.

EATING LEEKS FOR THE NEW YEAR

Why do Chinese like to eat leeks during the lunar new year? 

In Chinese, leek sounds the same as “count”. Thus, having leek symbolises having money to count in the new year to come.

GIFT GIVING DURING CHINESE NEW YEAR

 Chinese New Year gifts to our dear friend, Datin Teong Choo Yoong from Lai Yoong, Nalini and I.

It is customary practice for the Chinese to send gifts to our relatives and close friends during this festive season. Gift-giving during the new year is a form of love and respect: as every gift is a wish for loved ones to have a year full of good fortune, an abundance of wealth and happiness.

PUTTING UP CNY DECORATIONS

 PUTTING UP CNY DECORATIONS

I carried out the annual spring cleaning for my house on Tuesday.  For Chinese who adhere to cultural practices, the next activity after cleaning and washing away the bad luck of the preceding year, the following day is the best time to put Fai Chun (red paper printed with auspicious messages) and traditional decorations to welcome good luck and prosperity.  

I am very kiasu and have already started putting up some of the auspicious decorations especially with dragon images in my garden. We will usher in the dragon year in about a month's time.

Welcome 2024

It's the second day of 2024.  Still not too late to wish everyone Happy New Year.  May your year be filled with blessings of good luck, good health and happiness.

SPRING CLEANING

BYE BYE 2023

 BYE BYE 2023

The year 2023 is almost over and in a few hours we will step into a new year, 2024. While nothing much changes in terms of the bigger things in our lives but still, a New Year symbolizes hope, positivity, and new beginnings.

My new year resolution is to become the best version of myself; physically, mentally and spiritually.

The best is yet to come. Happy 2024!

TANG YUAN

 Tang yuan or glutinous rice balls are usually served during Dongzhi or the Winter Solstice Festival.

HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE FESTIVAL

Dongzhi celebrates the winter solstice, usually around December 21 to 23, and is observed on the longest night of the year. Symbolizing the victory of light over darkness, Dongzhi, represents that the days will start to grow longer and bring a sense of balance and harmony to people's lives.

The origins of this festival can be traced back to the yin and yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos. It is believed that this will create an increase in positive energy flowing in.

Fortune and Feng Shui 2024

I have started reading my copy of Fortune and Feng Shui 2024 by Lillian and Jennifer Too. 

From what I have read so far, the year of the Wood Dragon will be a year of transformation and change. We will be entering Period 9 where the world will be experiencing new beginnings in multiple dimensions of existence.

I will keep reading to find out what is in store.  In the meantime, I will be eagerly awaiting for  my sifu Feng Shui Master Jason Eng Ecs to announce if he will be hosting his annual talk for 2024. I love it best to personally attend his talks at a given venue. For the past 2 years his talks have been pre-recorded. He is a phenomenal speaker with a wealth of knowledge on the subject.

PRINCE OF MY HEART

Take a moment to appreciate the beauty around you & find inspiration in the simplest.

With Junior ... the prince of my heart.

I AM WHAT I EAT

 The Nine Emperor Gods Festival ended on Monday but I am still eating vegetarian food.

I am a Taoist and often go on a vegetarian diet during certain days for cleansing of body and soul and also in order to minimize harm to other sentient life. 

Actually I do not eat meat except seafood since I was a toddler.  My mum said I refused all sorts of meat and preferred to eat plain rice with warm water added with soy sauce. I'd vomit and become sick if there was meat in what I ate. Later I added seafood to what I could eat. As far as I can remember I was allergic to alcohol.  After ingesting any dish or drink with alcohol, I'd break out in rashes.  I once passed out when unknowingly being given an alcoholic beverage. I am also allergic to coffee, coco and chocolates.

People often ask me what I eat to look the way I do at 63. Well, the answer is more like what I DON'T eat.