madameblogalot

We experienced lots of tradition during Chinese New Year. CNY is a fifteen day event which encompasses lots of family time and tradition. Families must shop early as nearly all stores and restaurants, including the coffee shops, close for about three days. Of course, Reunion Dinner is planned with leftovers in mind to get you through those three days. There are numerous tidbits to enjoy and snack on throughout the holiday as well.

Reunion Dinner takes place on New Year’s Eve. The whole family is reunited from all the places they have spread out to over the year. It is a joyous and festive occasion. We shared Reunion Dinner in the home of some friends. Another family came as well and brought along their Scottish guests, fresh from the airplane! We had the traditional fish and some shrimp and rice. Our other American friends also brought along a turkey!

Oranges are a sign of good luck as the word for orange sounds like the word for luck. When homes are visited, it is expected to bring along oranges to bless your host with.

The kids are keen to visit older family members as they receive blessings in the form of spoken words and ang pow (hong bao) packets with an even amount of money inside!

This is probably this kids favorite part, though ours didn’t mind partaking of all the tidbits and sweet drinks offered to them!

We had a great time learning about and participating in the local Chinese New Year traditions! My two nephews bought bicycles (for their future trips there) with their hong bao money and my daughter bought a bilingual bible complete with hanupinyin pronunciation and a pair of shoes.

Singapore is truly “a city built into the jungle.” As you drive around the island, the roads are lined with palm trees and other jungle foliage. As you walk down the sidewalk, you can see signs reminding you not to feed the monkeys. And yet the hustle and bustle of the city are going on all the while. One of the sights that I feel epitomizes the sentiment of “a city in the jungle” is the scene of SingTel’s satellites rising out of the jungle.

While doing my morning cycling during my stay in Singapore, I did not often enough have a camera with me. I know better than this based on past experiences! I did get a couple of shots to share. One morning I got a nice photo of the sun rise but I took it with a borrowed cell phone and don’t have it here. Next time I need to try to remember to get a shot of all the traffic that I am riding with. This is probably the scariest part for me! I did get a good work out each time I cycled as I am not used to the hilly terrain. And for an even better work out, my sister put me on a bike that needed servicing! Then she was kind enough to trade bikes with me on our return home! Here are some of the sights seen while cycling:

bikes loaded up to head to cycling path

the end of Yishun cycling path

looking across, I believe that is Malaysia across the sea in the background

don’t know what this tree is, just thought it was pretty

DON’T FEED THE MONKEYS

path at Admiralty Park

the monkeys

February was a busy month, but not for reading or movie watching. I did manage to get one movie in on the plane while traveling. I had thought about seeing the move Amelia and since it was available on the plane I thought “why not?” I guess my excitement of seeing it and the expectations I had of the film led it to be somewhat of a disappointment for me, though I don’t know really what I was expecting. The movie was fine and I liked the actress’ portrayal of Amelia. I guess though the movie was more of a MISS with me than a hit.