Happy Chinese New Year! Let us all soar into greater heights with this Year of the Dragon.

It’s Chinese New Year’s Eve today! Just in time to extend my warmest greeting of a Happy Chinese New Year to you all, particularly to my family, relatives and friends before I’m flying off to Sri Lanka later this afternoon for a 7-days guided trip to the island nation with my parents.

I believe most of us would have already returned to their hometown by now before the much anticipated and a-must family reunion dinner this evening. (For me, I have returned to KL from Singapore on early Wednesday’s morning…that’s pretty early!). Anyway, have a warm and wonderful time ahead with your loved ones on this joyous festival/celebration.

I wonder how much of the following CNY customary activities that I will be doing for this year since I will be away during most of the duration of the festival; paying visit to relatives’ homes, feasting on CNY snacks, playing fireworks/firecrackers, giving/receiving angpows, watching CNY movies, playing mahjong/rummy/poker at home, catching up with one another, etc. In the meantime, I will just be enjoying my vacation at Sri Lanka first which is commencing in a few hours. Will share the highlights of the trip in my next blog post.

Goodbye to Year of the Rabbit! May this Year of the Dragon (yes…dragon displays everywhere!…haha) brings you excellent health, luck and success. Happy Chinese New Year / Happy Spring Festival once again! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

(Images in this post are from various online sources)

Happy New Year 2024!

Goodbye 2023. It was a year that left me with a lot of good and bad memories, lessons and experiences. It is what it is. We have to move on and I look forward to what 2024 has to offer. 2024 is also a leap year which means we have an extra day this year to live hard, play hard.

May 2024 be a fruitful year for me in various areas. Staying healthy and be positive. Doing smooth at work and perhaps picking up another new skill or two this year. Go on enjoyable trips and meet new people. Hopefully 2024 will be a great year.

For my blog readers out there, as you pursue your hopes and dreams, may this year bring you much success and may your journey be wonderful. That’s it for my first post of the year…keeping it brief and simple.

Happy New Year 2024 once again!

Happy New Year! Woohoo…it’s 2022!

It’s 1st January 2022! Happy New Year everyone! Here’s to a bright New Year and a fond farewell to the old; here’s to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we hold.

Goodbye 2021! It has been a good year for me despite some setbacks and challenges. Hoping 2022 to be a better one for all. Most of all, I’m wishing that the pandemic will be over or at least getting much more less severe worldwide so that most of us can return to normalcy similarly to pre-Covid time. Getting travel deprived, I have got several vacation plans in my mind and is eagerly waiting for them to happen soon.

2022 could be the year when I may be stepping into new boundaries or taking on new tasks or experience. This is especially when I have recently reached 30th birthday last month and I felt that it’s time to go out of my comfort zone. But I will see how as the year progresses.

Do stay with me as I continue to write more posts in 2022. And I’m starting the year with this post which is also my blog’s 2323rd post (nice number there!). Last but not least, may you fill your New Year with new adventures, accomplishments, and learnings!

Happy New Year 2022 once again! Have a fun and exciting new year celebration this new year weekend! And a reminder to dispose off your 2021 calendar…haha.

Yet another Mid-Autumn Festival away from home.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to all who are celebrating it! The festival falls on the coming Tuesday this year. Similarly to last year, this will be yet another Mid-Autumn Festival for me away from home as we are still currently in the pandemic and I could not return to enjoy the celebration together with my family back at home in Malaysia. No family reunion again…

Mid-Autumn Festival is considered as one of the most important Chinese festivals (probably the second most important after the Lunar New Year). It is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month in Chinese calendar with a full moon at night. On this day, the Chinese believe that the moon is at its brightest and fullest size, coinciding with harvest time in the middle of Autumn season. Feasting on mooncakes and playing lanterns are closely associated to this festival.

I have always been wondering that since it is the second most important Chinese festivals, it should be granted a public holiday at least over here in Singapore where majority of the population is Chinese. But no! Why? Because Singapore is too hardworking. That is why the country is always ranked among the top 3 most stressful or overworked city/country every year.

What’s my favourite thing to do in this festival? Eating mooncakes of course. I love mooncakes, especially the traditional lotus seed with egg yolk ones. What’s your favourite mooncake flavours? (there are a lot of varieties available now from various brands). I also love durian mooncakes (actually anything as long as it is associated with durian). I even bought not one, but three boxes of Mao Shan Wang snowskin mooncakes to treat myself this year. I can slowly enjoy it for at least two months without the feeling of anxiety of finishing them too soon. Yes…buying mooncakes are super expensive nowadays but it’s just once a year, so that’s fine.

I also joined a special religious event in a church with Mid-Autumn Festival theme yesterday at the invitation of my friend who will be performing in the event itself. I’m not a Christian but I don’t mind attending to join in the fun and to watch my friend performed. The event features some games, a sketch, a talk by pastor, and some singing (all done with safe Covid-19 measures in place). It was quite a fresh and nice experience.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival once again!

(Images in this post are from various online sources)

Happy 64th Independence Day, Malaysia!

Merdeka! Merdeka! Happy 64th Independence Day, Malaysia! 31st August remains a very significant day to Malaysia as the country first gained independence on this day in 1957. How many of us can still remember all the patriotic-themed songs we have to memorize and sing it out in our childhood years at school during this month? ‘Tanggal 31…bulan lapan, lima puluh tujuh….’, ‘Keranamu kami mendakap tua, keranamu kami bangsa berjaya…’ or ‘Jalur Gemilang, di bawah naunganmu…Jalur Gemilang, kami semua bersatu…’.

Although we cannot remember most of the lyrics now already, but I’m certain that the spirit of patriotism is still strong in each of us no matter who we are and where we are now. We are Malaysians…who wish only the best for the country…who wish that the country can overcome this pandemic very soon…who wish that Malaysia remains strong, stable and harmonious. I may be living in overseas now but I’m still proud to call myself a Malaysian!

In other news, Malaysia did fairly well at the on-going Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games! So far, our country has already won 1 gold medal and 1 silver medal at the games which is scheduled to end this Sunday. Huge congratulations to the winning athletes and you have made us proud!

It’s 31st August today and so it’s the last day of the month! I have had a great and fulfilling month…I took a short break and went for a cruise to nowhere, played luge for the first time, watched Singapore’s National Day fireworks, closely followed the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games and all the intense political dramas of the country, completed a major design stage/milestone in my work and completed my Covid-19 vaccination (I’m fully vaccinated!). I really had an amazing and unforgettable time in this month alone! Awesome!

Here’s an video from YouTube by Aereon Wong that I have watched recently that I would like to share to my readers here. It’s a spectacular aerial video showing beautiful places in Malaysia in conjunction with the Independence Day celebration for you to enjoy. Those views are breathtaking, especially the one at 2.41 showing the Merdeka PNB118 Tower in the center view framed by the two spires of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. That is truly a money shot.

‘Selamat Hari Kemerdekaan ke-64, Malaysia!’

Happy Chinese New Year! My first CNY celebration away from family.

Happy Chinese New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

May this new year of ox brings to you and your family abundance of wealth, luck, harmony, stability, success and above all, good health!

Due to the current pandemic and its severity over in Malaysia, this is the first time ever I’m celebrating CNY away from family and home. Of course there would be a little sadness in me (along with many other Malaysians stuck here in Singapore too), but I will try to make the most out of the current situation and stay positive and joyful all the time. Although far away from family, but I would still be having a simple reunion dinner with my housemates later this evening.

As for the coming long CNY weekend, I would be spending most the time to rest and recharge myself at home. Besides that, there are plans to head out with friends for meal, shopping and outing. I would also be visiting the ‘River Hongbao’ event at Gardens by the Bay next Monday. More details of that event in my next post after my visit. I will keep in touch with my family and will check how they are doing back in Malaysia soon. Staying connected despite being in a long distance apart is crucial. Family matters the most.

This is the time when there are a lot of flashback of good memories I had during CNY festival in the past years when I was a child. I do miss being called by my mom on the early morning of the first day of CNY to wear the one and only gold necklace with my family surname crafted on it (it’s a family inherited item passed down for generations). I do miss visiting my grandma’s house for vegetarian lunch on first day of CNY. I do miss going to my mom’s huge gathering of relatives on the second day of CNY at my eldest aunt’s large house where I can meet most if not all of my cousins in one go for catching up, games, fun gambling, etc. I miss seeing humorous classic CNY shows and movies from Hong Kong in front of the TV. That were all memories from nearly 2 decades ago…time flies. There’s a sweet smile on my face now thinking back of all those joyous moments.

Although Chinese New Year festival will be celebrated very differently this year with less fanfare and people around, but let’s not make that a hindrance to the true spirit and meaning of this celebration; togetherness as one especially throughout this difficult time. May the Covid-19 pandemic will be over very soon and that we can all celebrate CNY normally next year onward.

新年快乐，万事如意 ! (Happy New Year and may all go well with you!)

(Images in this post are from various online sources)

Strolling around Jewel on this Deepavali, and a brief review for TVB drama ‘Legal Mavericks 2020’.

First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to wish Happy Deepavali to my Indian friends and to everyone else who are celebrating this occasion too. Let the colours of this holy night decorate your life with peace, prosperity and success! By the way, it’s a bit sad that we don’t see much of Deepavali decorations set up on public places, streets or in malls. Instead, most places already have their Christmas decorations ready although it is still more than a month away.

• 

This year’s Deepavali falls on a Saturday and I spent most of the day resting at home, binge watching my Hong Kong drama (quick review below) and strolling around Jewel, Changi Airport in the evening. The indoor waterfall accompanied with great lighting and ambience never fails to impress me each time I visit the place. While the terminal areas of the airport appear to be very quiet (very less flights nowadays due to the current global pandemic), it is totally the opposite atmosphere at the Jewel (it is so crowded!).

• 

• 

This year’s Deepavali falls on a Saturday and I spent most of the day resting at home, binge watching my Hong Kong drama (quick review below) and strolling around Jewel, Changi Airport in the evening. The indoor waterfall accompanied with great lighting and ambience never fails to impress me each time I visit the place. While the terminal areas of the airport appear to be very quiet (very less flights nowadays due to the current global pandemic), it is totally the opposite atmosphere at the Jewel (it is so crowded!).

Let’s move on to my quick review of yet another TVB drama that I have finished watching. The series is called ‘Legal Mavericks 2020’ and it is a direct sequel to the 2017’s ‘Legal Mavericks’. The plot continues with the blind barrister who strives for justice for the disadvantaged, using his other heightened senses and legally controversial methods to seek truths behind his court cases. Standing alongside him is his very close buddies; a female legal executive, a private investigator, and a newly made female barrister friend. The 28-episode series starred Vincent Wong, Sisley Choi, Kelly Cheung, Owen Cheung, Paul Chun, etc.

• 

I enjoyed the series just as much as its predecessor. Each court cases are unique in its own (never feels repetitive) and are interesting to watch. However, I was slightly disappointed by the very last court case in this drama that felt a little too simple and poorly written. The final case should usually be the most intense or complex one but it didn’t really turn out that way. I also wasn’t too happy with its ending; Sisley not waking up, and Vincent still not revealing his true feeling to her. They deserve a happy ending there but we ended up getting another cliffhanger (typical of TVB series nowadays).

• 

Vincent Wong continues to deliver stellar performance as the blind barrister (he won Best Actor from the first series three years ago) and so does Sisley Choi (who won Most Popular TV Female Character from the same role too). Kelly Cheung came in to replace Ali Lee in this second series. I can see huge improvement from Kelly but the way the script wrote her character that resembles a lot like Ali in the first series causes her performance to lose originality. It’s also good to see Paul Chun, an award-winning veteran actor starring in this series too. It’s weird but it’s fun to watch his character. Out of 10 points, I rate ‘Legal Mavericks 2020’ a total of 7.8. A solid drama that lives up to its expectation and is almost as good as its predecessor.

(Images in this post are from various online sources except for the shots of the Jewel)

Happy Chinese New Year! It’s the year of rat.

Happy Chinese New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

May this lunar new year brings to you great health, good luck and abundance of happiness and may you enjoy success in all areas!

It’s time to get back with the family together and celebrate the biggest and most important Chinese festival. Have an awesome reunion dinner by putting aside your mobile phone and have some quality chats with your family members. Greet the elders and everyone else. Wear bright coloured shirt and embark on trips to visit relatives whom we most probably have not seen for a long time.

Spread joy by giving or receiving angpows (you are single, you receive…you are married, you give). Have fun by lighting up firecrackers or fireworks outside, or gather around for a light gambling in the house to check out how good is luck this year. Eat variety of delicious CNY cookies and biscuits and only worry about losing the fats after the festival. Be entertained by watching some light-hearted lunar new year movies.

In general, have fun and enjoy the festival with your loved ones! As per my family’s tradition, we will be usually heading out to oversea for a vacation during every Chinese New Year holiday. I’m now in Egypt for the trip along with my parents and I will be posting the highlights of the trip once I return on 30th January 2020.

(Images in this post are from various online sources)

 

 

Happy New Year! It’s now 2020…the beginning of another new decade!

Happy New Year 2020 !

May this new year brings a lot of joy and cheer to all of us!

How did you spend your New Year’s Eve yesterday? I was still on leave and so I have a whole day free (lazy most of the time at home…going to treasure the laziness since I can’t be doing that anymore when work begins right after the new year holiday). I joined my friend in the evening at the city to witness the extravagant new year fireworks at Marina Bay.

The crowd was insane. It felt like every single person in Singapore has gathered around the waterfront in the city to countdown for the new year. Nevertheless, it was a fun and memorable experience and this was actually my first time seeing new year fireworks in Singapore.

It’s now not only the beginning of a new year but also of a new decade. ‘2020’ is a very cool number. By the way, my country, Malaysia is now still very far behind from ‘Wawasan 2020’ first envisioned in 1991 that pledges to see the country achieving a self-sufficient highly industrialized nation by the year 2020. Basically, we look forward to see our nation to become a developed country by this year. But nah…we still couldn’t achieve that obviously. Too bad.

There will be a number of major international events scheduled to take place in 2020; UEFA Euro 2020 from June to July, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games from July to August, Dubai 2020 World Expo from October 2020 to April 2021, etc.

I just noticed that my blog has reached exactly over 3.6 million views before year 2019 ends. Nice! Alright…I am ending this post (my first blog post of the year) with a nice poem by Joanna Fuchs:

Happy, Happy New Year,

We wish you all the best,

Great work to reach your fondest goals,

And when you’re done, sweet rest.

 

We hope for your fulfillment, 

Contentment, peace and more,

A brighter, better new year than,

You’ve ever had before!

Happy Deepavali! It’s a long weekend!

This is a nice long weekend as the Deepavali festival falls on Sunday and that makes Monday a public holiday. Many of my colleagues yesterday automatically wished me to have a safe journey home back to KL but I told them I’m not going back this weekend, and they are surprised (since it’s great time to go home on a longer weekend). My parents will be going to Genting Highlands this weekend and hence there’s no point for me returning to home with no one around. Furthermore, the traffic congestion at the checkpoints will be much crazier last evening and I don’t want to be part of it.

I’m just going to spend this long weekend here in Singapore. No hassle and no travel time. I’m going to be hanging out with my friend, watching a movie or two, play badminton, shopping, sightseeing, etc. It’s also in right timing to do all these as my monthly salary just came in. Haha…

Here I would like to take this opportunity to wish to all my Indian friends a Happy Deepavali! May this Festival of Light brings joy, happiness and prosperity to you and your family!

We have now around two more months left before the year ends. Can’t wait for the long holiday end of the year (forced to take leave due to office closure) but didn’t plan any vacation during that time at the moment. Also can’t wait for my year end bonus. This is my first year completing a full year at work and so it’s normal to wish for better bonus. But I can’t dream much as my office is now on serious cost-cutting measure now.