03/02/2011 – Here-There-Everywhere

3 Feb 2011 – Kung Hei Fat Choy

Yesterday the Bear and May spent the day on Pulau Ubin/posting 11 Dec 2010 to experience what SIN was like in the 1950/60s.

Today is the Chinese Lunar New Year/CNY. Kung Hei Fat Choy is the Cantonese greeting to start the day. In SE Asia, CNY is considered to be one of the most important holidays of the year. Firecrackers have been a partial ban imposed in 1970 after a fire killed six people and injured 68 and total ban in 1972 after two people were killed. However in 2003, the government allowed firecrackers to be set off during the festive season. At the CNY light-up in Chinatown, at the stroke of midnight on the first day of the CNY, firecrackers are set off under controlled conditions by the SIN Tourist Board with assistance from demolition experts from the SIN Armed Forces.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year

The childhood memories are very alive! and more so with cousin Wilki visiting from HI. We used to run all over the foothills of Mt Faber throwing firecrackers and roaming the area. Today we visited family, ate and drank our way thru’ the day. Being of the older generation, red packages of money are given to the non-married younger generation!! The Bear is overwhelmed with all the visits, starting with 4th auntie LAM Poh Kow who is the eldest of the blue generation, followed by 10th, 11th & 13th aunties. Lunch@Les& Ivy, thanks for lunch and for getting the family together.