Why I Love Chinese New Year Even Though Getting Older

This is the overdue entry. Chinese New Year 2016 just end few days ago. Yes, the time flies very fast when I have fun. Honestly, other Chinese festivals like Ching Ming, Mooncake, Dumpling, Winter Solstice Festival never crossing into my mind. Among the Chinese festivals, I love, love, love celebrating Chinese New Year the most based on several reasons.

1) Reuniting with Family

First and foremost, Chinese New Year allows me to reunite with Papa, Mama, Rosamond, JoJo, Naruto and Mickey. When I’m in teenage years, I always underestimate the family reunion value because I always surrounded by family throughout the whole years. They are always ready to share my happiness and sadness.

As time passed by, I start to appreciate them. Away from home for studying and working make realize family is the important aspect. I didn’t always see them. It’s so difficult to see all of them most of the times. Chinese New Year is the one that whole family appears and sees each other.

I treasure cooking time with Mama and JoJo, play with Mickey, argue with Naruto. We used to reminisce old memories together. It certainly bring back a lot of fond memories.  I belief Papa, Mama, Rosamond, JoJo, Naruto and Mickey have the same feelings too.

Now I’m getting older, I still love this day because it brings me reunite with family. No matter how old am I, it’s wonderful when family gather together. I tell myself, I must, must back home for Chinese New Year. 

Sweet family

add with uncle, aunty and aunty's husband from Roban 

5 sisters gather together

2) Delicious New Year Eve’s Foods

Besides that, I can enjoy the food that I missed it badly during Chinese New Year. There are certain New Year dishes that are eaten during Chinese New Year. One of them are shark fin soup. Shark fin soup only serves 1 time in my family’s New Year Eve dinner.

I love Mama’s shark fin soup. Growing up I have shark fin soup for New Year Eve, thus I learn it existence.  Mama’ shark fin soup is a delicious combination of nutritious shark fin, dried mushrooms, eggs and meatballs. The soup was so tasty and aromatic due to the generous amount of meatballs and chicken soup. I’m drooling when writing it. Phew!!!. Urmmm, I have to wait another New Year Eve dinner for shark fin soup.

Home cooked New Year Eve dinner is the precious to me. It can’t buy outside. The taste in the restaurants will never be the same with Mama. The more important thing is all the dishes in New Year Eve dinner is made with love. Mama knows our favorites foods and cooks for us.

Monkey year's reunion dinner

Above are the 2 reasons that make me love Chinese New Year. I know I missed out other reasons but these 2 reasons are my priorities currently.

"Family are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you,

Family never fathered away from me

When I've to walk lonesome valley and I’ve to walk by myself

Family members will be on the valley side,

Cheering on me, praying for me, pulling for me and waiting with open arms at the valley end."

Belated Happy Chinese New Year everyone!!!

3 Days in Kuching

I had been in Kuching from 17/2/2016-19/2/2016 with family. 

It considered as my first time in nearly 30 years did touristy things in Kuching. 

This marked the beginning of our 5 hour road journey to Kuching

 Mama Tay insisted to drop by her elder sister. While Mama chatted with aunty, we just kept on eating her Chinese New Year cookies and cakes. Such a good rest and recreation destination!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, monkeys and elephants, above was the new photos posing created by my sisters, Naruto and Mickey. 

Below showed what I visit for Kuching trip:

1) Ching San Yen/Green Hill Temple

Our first destination was Ching San Yen/Green Hill Temple. I'd heard so much about Ching San Yen/Green Hill Temple from Mama Tay. 

Based on Mama Tay, Ching San Yen located on the hill and faced the river. It always flooded with Buddhist devotees/worshippers, tourists and son on.  

Nevertheless, she never been there since no transportation. During earlier times, it only accessed through boats. Moreover, they needed to walk muddy path to reach Malay fishing village. Ching San Yen/Green Hill Temple was within Malay fishing village. It created inconvenience.  Luckily, Ching San Yen/Green Hill Temple could be reached using road currently. It was half an hour driving distance from Kuching city center.

 Finally we stepped there this year. Mama sure proud of Naruto (driver) bringing her over there. 

The temple had been existed for 200 years. 

More staircases to come

It's incredible serene and peaceful as it faced the river. 

Mama took a deep breath before climbing up to the hill. The temple was located on the hill

magnificent wall painting really caught my eyes

It provided free vegetarian foods and drinks for visitors. I even saw some visitors packed the vegetarian noodles and blessed water back home.

One things that that impressed me was Chinese Buddhist devotees/worshippers and Malay folks’ racial harmony and religious respect. For example, the Malay folks welcomed the presence of Buddhist devotees/worshippers through showing the ways and greeted Buddhist devotees when they needed to drive through Malays’ fishing village to reach Chin San Yen/Green Hill Temple.

Other good example was the Malays’ Village Advancement and Security Committee (Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan) to take care Buddhist devotees/worshippers’ cars. However, the committee collected RM 4 from us at the entrance of the fishing village. They were not only protected our car but also guided us to the parking space. 

It’s the good ideas. Chin San Yen/Green Hill Temple management committee offered the jobs for the Malay folks. In return, the Malay folks accepted the offer and got the pay. Consequently, it cultivated the harmonious relationship between Malay folks, Chin San Yen/Green Hill Temple management committee, Chinese Buddhist devotees/worshippers and so on. 

It reminded me a quote:

"They forgot who they were, they were the same"

Ching San Yen/Green Hill Temple

Address: Kampung Muara Tebas, Jalan Bako, 93250, Kuching, Sarawak.

2) Siniawan 

Our second destination was Siniawan. It was spontaneous trip as we searched how to go there through GPS (i.e global positioning system) 1 hour ago. 

It's a heritage town with 2 rows of wooded shop houses. It's highlight was the night market ( Friday-Sunday 5pm-11pm). I heard Siniawan Night Market had grilled chicken wings, satay, Hakka kuih, chicken chop and so on. Since we reached there on day time, we missed the Siniawan Night Market. 

Besides that, 2 rows of wooded shop houses constituted the beautiful backdrop for photograph lovers like us. We busy taking photo like there's no tomorrow since we loved the old architectures. 

Mama perceived it's boring and mundane when seeing those kind of old buildings. Nothing fresh for her as she had been stayed in this kind of old shop houses. Thus, Mama Tay urged us to be quick in order to go to Siniawan Temple.

Mickey, Papa and the homestay 

redness everywhere 

Naruto can't stop herself in seeing wooden shop houses

Just dog, me and 2 rows of wooded shop houses 

What a lovely sight!!!

Papa owned the professional acting when taking this photo 

After that, we off to Siniawan Temple namely, Shui Yue Gong （水月宫）

Mama seemed traveled back to old times when visiting Shui Yue Gong. She always prayed in Shui Yue Gong with my grandfather in her younger age. According to Mama, Shui Yue Gong had undergone major renovation. It became bigger compared earlier times. 

3) Blue Lake, Bau

Next, we proceeded to Blue Lake in Bau. We passed by Bau when back to Kuching city. 

It's an artificial lake. It used to be a gold mine but later the gold run out, it formed the lake from the rain water or underground spring. 

Mama warned us not to walk near the blue lake to prevent any accident. See, three of them stood still enjoying the view

The closer look of blue lake. 

******

Last but not least, I thank Naruto for being 3 days Kuching trip's driver. 

With her powerful driving skills, we able conquered Kuching. 

We able to see Ching San Yen/Green Hill Temple, Siniawan, Bau, Serian and so on. 

Papa and Mama able to visit their relatives. Both of them were glad that they knew the direction to search their relatives. No more relied on anyone for showing the direction. I used to remember Mama always worried when Papa drove in big city like Kuching. Big city had more cars. I discovered that she no longer worried about Naruto. She had high confidence with Naruto.

Mickey and mine able did shopping in the various Kuching shopping mall. 

Thank you, Naruto

Making Honeycomb/Beehive cake

Chinese New Year always inspired sisters and me to put more efforts in baking. 

There was no exception for 2016 Chinese New Year. 

Therefore, we decided to bake honeycomb/beehive cake （蜂巢糕）. We used to have this dark color, spongy pattern and caramelized flavor cake when we grew up. So nostalgic!!!.

Here's how we did it.

 Ingredients:

1. 45g butter

2. 70g flour

3. 130g caramelized sugar

4. 80g condensed milk

5. 4 eggs

6. 120g water

7. 1 teaspoon of baking soda

 1st step: making caramelized sugar. Put the sugar in the pan with low heat. Stirring all the times until golden brown  

 2nd step: put the butter in the hot caramelized sugar

3rd step: Adding condensed milk in the hot caramelized sugar too and mix well

4th step: Next, transferring the mixture of caramelized sugar, butter and condensed milk into mixing bowl. After that, adding flour, baking soda, water, eggs and beat it. 

That's how it looked like when mixing everything 

5th step: pouring the mixture into the cake pan and steamed it for 40 minutes. Before pouring, remembered to apply a thin layer of cooking oil on the whole cake pan to prevent the cake sticked on the cake pan.

It's done after 40 minutes 

Doesn't look bad right? It had bee hive structure. I believed we make it successfully 

It's a good stuff I tell you. It's so soft and strong caramelized flavor. We even finished it within 1 1/2 days. 

Let's try it. I got the recipe from H.E.R.E (but in Mandarin version) 

Omaya @ Sibu

I managed to drop by Omaya, Sibu Sarawak earlier of this month with my family. 

Omaya, Sibu had been widely spread through Facebook on 2015. It's well-known for Dakgalbi (春川炒鸡排锅）, cotton candy drinks （棉花泡泡饮料）and Korean fried chicken. 

 It's nearby Sibu Bus Terminal, thus it's easier to spot

spacious, simple and cozy. Every table was equipped with gas stove and hot plate 

 It sounded like bluffing 

The main highlight of the visit would be their Dakgalbi (春川炒鸡排锅）. RM 22 for 1 portion of Dakgalbi. 1 portion catered for 2 people according to the waitress. Since I had 6 family members, we went for 3 portions (RM 66). 

Dakgalbi had 2 types of flavors: mild spicy and spicy. I ordered mild spicy flavor as parents can't tolerate with higher levels of spicy foods.  

Each portion of Dakgalbi served with complementary marinated chicken, cabbages, lettuces, tteokboki, kimchi and soup.  

You may add on other vegetables as written in the menu such as enoki mushrooms, sweet potatoes, mushroom balls and so on. We just add on Ramen noodles. Mama Tay wished to try Ramen noodles. 

Other than that, we tried kimchi tofu stew （泡菜豆腐煲）. 

After that, the waitress spent 14 minutes in frying chickens and vegetables of Dakgalbi on the hot plate. She reassured me Dakgalbi was done within 14 minutes. The waitress was very friendly and helpful. She was so patient in answering my questions and always had smiles on her face. 

I was so upset with Dakgalbi. No aromatic and fragrance at all for the chicken. It totally reduced my appetite. 

Mango cotton candy drink (RM 8.50). It looked extraordinary but just an ordinary drink. It utilized the canned mango juice instead of fresh mango juices with a slice of lemons. Besides that, the cotton candy was the usual cotton candy that could found at any shops. It was not deserved RM 8.50

 Ramen noodles with unknown sauce

After 14 minutes, the Ramen noodles was added into the Dakgalbi. Approximately 10 minutes, it was ready to serve. Nothing to shout about Ramen noodles. It was like Maggi noodles that could found at any supermarkets. 

 Kimchi tofu stew (RM 14.80). It was quite let down compared to other Korean restaurants. I didn't enjoyed sausages appeared in kimchi tofu soup. It was not matched with the original Kimchi tofu stew. 

A well feed Tay's family members A.L.W.A.Y.S happy. 

P/S: Above was my personal reviews and please remember taste buds vary others 

OMAYA

Address: No. 38, lorong Sena 8, Jalan Pahlawan, 

96000, Sibu, Sarawak

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/omaya.my/?fref=ts