Happy Halloween!

It's that time of the year again where dressing up would not be frown upon and waltzing from door to door asking 'Treat or trick?' is the norm LOL! Well, not in Malaysia though...

It has come to my attention that I rarely read horror books. Not ever since I was scared stiff by THIS book... my first ever horror book I've gotten my hands on, thinking that reading was less horrific and scary than watching it on TV. Well, I was proven wrong! After a few chapters in, I had goosebumps and kept looking over my shoulder! I honestly felt someone or something creeping behind me! With my heart beating faster, I had to just stopped reading IT and returned the book! Yes, IT by Stephen King was my first and last horror book... le sigh! Pennywise or red balloon, I've never attempted reading IT again.

So have you experienced the same? Or are you a horror fanatic?

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a harvest festival celebrated notably by the Chinese and Vietnamese people. The festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar with full moon at night, corresponding to late September to early October of the Gregorian calendar with a full moon at night.

The above taken from Wikipedia.

Hope you have a wonderful time playing lanterns and also ate lots of mooncake!!!

Happy Dumpling Festival! 端午节

It's Dumpling Festival today which is celebrated all over the Chinese world on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. It is also known as Dragon Boat Festival in China.

You can read more of it here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Boat_Festival

Image credit: Kwai Ken Ah Pang

Selamat Hari Raya!

Wishing all Muslim friends and readers Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri! Maaf Zahir dan Batin!

A very Happy Holidays to all, drive safe expecially during this long weekend!

Chap Goh Mei

On the fifteenth day of Chinese New Year, technically the final day of the festival, is a day known as Chap Goh Mei. In the Hokkien dialect, Chap Goh Mei simply means "the 15th night of Chinese New Year". Aside from being tagged as the last day, Chap Goh Mei is also known as the Chinese Valentine's Day. On a celebratory point of view, this night sees the gathering of family members as they sit down to a meal together. Offerings and prayers are also held on a grand scale on this particular night.

The above is taken from http://thingsasian.com/story/chap-goh-mei. You can read the full story here too.

Yes, today is the 15th day on the Lunar calendar and it is the last day of the festive Chinese New Year! How time flies when we are enjoying our festivities! Huat ah!!!

Image Googled

Happy Chap Goh Mei! May your year of the dog be filled with abundance of happiness and wealth!

Happy birthday to you!

Today is the 7th day of the Lunar New Year which happens to be '人日' or 'Yan Yat' which literally means People's Day! It's also referred to as everyone's birthday as it's believed that human's were created on this lunar day. So a very happy birthday to all of you!!!

Gong Xi Fa Cai!!!

Here's wishing all you wonderful peeps a prosperous and fruitful Lunar New Year!!!

May the Year of the Dog brings you abundance of joy and wealth!
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Kung Hei Fatt Choy!
Keong Hee Huat Chai!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

A Valentine for my dear hubs!

And a Valentine to all you wonderful peeps!

Happy Thaipusam!

Thaipusam is a key Hindu ceremony that is held each year during the full moon in the tenth month of the Hindu calendar – falling from mid-January to mid-February in the Gregorian calendar.

So this year, it falls on 31st January 2018.

To know more, please click on the link below:
https://publicholidays.com.my/thaipusam/

Goodbye 2017! Hello 2018!

The time has come for us to bid 2017 farewell and welcome 2018 with open arms!

2017 has been a roller-coaster year for me with some ups and many downs. I am blessed, grateful and thankful for the many good tides that came my way. Of course, without the hurdles... the bad ones... I would not have enjoyed the fruit of it's labour. Thus letting it go with an open heart, hoping for more good tides to come my way... my family's way in 2018!

Picture Googled

A very Happy New Year to all of you! May 2018 brings more joy and laughter, more wealth and resolution to us all!!!

Merry Christmas!

A very Merry Christmas to those who celebrate this festive season and Happy Holidays to the rest! Drive and travel safely! Have a good rest and enjoy the long holiday!

Note: Picture Googled.

Happy Deepavali!!!

May this festival of light brings peace and prosperity to you and your family! Happy Deepavali!! And Happy Holiday!!!

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!

P/S: The above images were found via Google.

Best timing to bank-in money

I seemed to be having a CNY hangover LOL! Yeap, still in holiday mood even though I've started working since February 1st... 5th day of the lunar new year.

Anyway, I just wanted to share this chart which was shared to me in Whatsapp:

Not sure how accurate this is but you can give it a try!

Li Chun as described in Wikipedia:-
Lichun traditionally signifies the beginning of spring in East Asian cultures. Chinese New Year is celebrated around this time. Farmers often celebrate the beginning of Lichun with special village events, worship and offerings to the gods and ceremonies for a blissful and prosperous new year. In China, people eat chunbing (春餅) on this day.

In the lunisolar calendar, New Year's Day might be before or after Lichun. 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.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Here's wishing all a very Happy Chinese New Year! May the fiery rooster brings an abundance of great fortune and happiness 

Amigurumi: Stitch and Angel wishing ya all Selamat Hari Raya!!!

Here's my latest Amigurumi... pattern from:
http://duchessgala.blogspot.my/2014/11/626-and-624.html

What I've used:

• 100% acrylic yarns
• Fibre filling
• Sticky felts

Stitch & Angel

Stitch and Angel wishing all the readers and followers Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!!!

Happy Dumpling Day!

Today is the 5th day of the 5th lunar month which is the Dragon Boat Festival or more commonly known as 'zung zi' i.e. Dumping Day :-)

Cool pix from Google

The Dragon Boat Festival, also often known as the Tuen Ng or Duanwu Festival, is a traditional and statutory holiday originating in China.
 The festival now occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month of the traditional lunar calendar, the source of its alternative name, the Double Fifth Festival.[5] The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, so the date varies from year to year on the Gregorian calendar. In 2012, it fell on June 23; in 2013, on June 12; and in 2014, it occurred on June 2. The focus of most celebrations involves eating zongzi (sticky rice treats wrapped in bamboo leaves), drinking realgar wine (雄黃酒, xiónghuángjiǔ), and racing dragon boats.
 The sun is considered to be at its strongest around the time of summer solstice, as the daylight in the northern hemisphere is the longest. The sun, like the Chinese dragon, traditionally represents masculine energy, whereas the moon, like the phoenix, traditionally represents feminine energy. The summer solstice is considered the annual peak of male energy while the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, represents the annual peak of feminine energy. The masculine image of the dragon was thus naturally associated with Duanwu.

The above taken from Wikipedia.

I've conveniently forgotten to snap some pix of the dumplings before prayer this morning... it was way too early and I was just too blur LOL! Anyway, happy eating dumplings!!!

My Mother's Day away from my Angels

For those who didn't know, my kids stay with my mother-in-law in hometown, studying and growing up there. Hence we try to balik kampung monthly, especially on selected celebratory weekends la. Unfortunately, we had to forgo Mother's Day this time as they will be coming down to KL this month end for my brother's wedding. Finally! There will be a May wedding in the family!!!

So I was out the whole day, first to Subang Parade to collect some yarns I've bought from Babe's Creation. I did have a relaxing time with my current read and teh tarik at Uncle Lim's while waiting for the mall to open :-)

Tuesday's with Morrie is a superb read!

Mother's Day lunch was at Grand Imperial, Sunway Pinnacle. Some of the yummylicious food and dim sum we've ordered...

Then we headed for a caffeine fix at Coffea Coffee. It was so nice of them to offer a Mother's Day promo of a free cake with any 2 drinks ordered!

Finally, a family photo!

Last but not least, hubs treated me to these!!! It was unexpected so I was truly surprised and blessed. Unfortunately, angels were not with us hence the little sombre mood... sigh!

It was a simple day of eating, bonding and catching up for me. Totally welcomed this de-stressing and relaxing day though missing my dearest Tyger and Princess. Well then... looking forward to this month end's event!

Happy Mother's Day 2016!

A very Happy Mother's Day to my mom, mother-in-law and all the mothers out there!

Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the months of March or May. It complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Father's Day and Siblings Day.

The above taken from Wikipedia.

My CNY 2016

Just a recapped of my subtle CNY this year since we can't celebrate as we were still in mourning period of my FIL's passing. Nothing much happened, mostly makan makan with colleagues and friends plus balik kampung. But I noticed that there were more fire crackers and fireworks from neighbouring area with more celebratory feel. Definitely living it up with the Fire Monkey year!

My first lou sang with colleagues... a treat from Patrick

MIL bought this huge mandarin orange...

... but it turned out to be more like a pomelo

My second lou sang with colleagues... a treat from Ben

Pai thin kong at my mom's

My third lou sang with hub's friends

My fourth lou sang... company's hoi kung dinner

That sums up my CNY this year! Low key yet memorable...