GONG XI FA CAI ... HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR OF THE ROARING TIGER!

"HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR"/ "GONG XI FA CAI"/ "KONG HEI FATT CHOY"

Based on the Chinese lunar calendar, Chinese New Year will be celebrated tomorrow, 14 February, Sunday, marking the start of the Year of the Tiger. The celebration lasts for 15 days ending with 'Chap Goh Mei' as the last day.

The buzz and preparations have already started more than a month ago and as we head closer to 14 Feb, one can feel the excitement and anticipation escalate. This escalation often reaches its highlight in the form of massive traffic jams along the highways of Malaysia as everyone rushes back to their original hometown for the family reunion dinner on the eve of new year (which is today). Anyway, for my family, this year will be a quiet and simple New Year as we remember and deeply miss our phenomenally amazing Mom who passed on a year ago.

For most, lanterns, cherry blossom and peony flowers decorations, pussy willows, blinking lights, firecrackers and all sorts of new ornaments are exhibited to maximum red effect by shops and residential houses alike. Red is the auspicious color for the Chinese culture.

At every corner one turns to at shopping malls, one cannot escape the audible upbeat tempo of Chinese New Year songs that reverberate through the air, and it's hard to not hum along the beat and drums if you know the lyrics! With Chinese New Year songs, you either hate them or love them. I simply love them! With all their chaotic music arrangements and drum beats! Even though my Chinese language skills is "less than a quarter bucket full", hold on tight and don't fall of your chair when I belt out (at full capacity of my lungs!) the full lyrics (yes, in Chinese!) of "Cai Shen Tau" ("The God of Prosperity Has Arrived")!! When we were little, my sisters and I got one of our friends, who went to a Chinese school and who mastered the language well, to translate the lyrics into "ABC" form for us. Ever since the numerous practices and memorizing processes we painstakingly went through during our younger days, the lyrics somehow stuck in my mind, albeit could be out of tune when I sing it ;).

Chinese New Year is also a time where the nurseries are abound with stocks of various plants and flowers and their businesses boom sky high. The Chinese believe that adorning the house with live plants and flowers signify boundless positive energy and welcomes good luck. Needless to say, most popular ones are the lime plants, pussy willows, chrysanthemum plants and flowers and many other gorgeous blooms like the famed and fabulous hydrangeas (my favorite!). So, from my small little 'potted garden', here's wishing all of you...

...an abundance of prosperity, peace, joy, longevity and togetherness


'Ji Guan Hua'/'Cockscomb Flower'

...may the Year of the Tiger empower you with more great blessings and possibilities for all your good dreams and wishes!

Drive safely & Cheers for the New Year!