Thanks Mommy!

Monday’s highlight was receiving a special package from home containing all sort of goodies from the family. Something extra special was the homemade cookies. Mom remembered one of my old time favourites … Puffy Raisin Cookies I even shared with the boys. They sure won’t last long in our fridge!

Will you be mine?

We never miss an excuse to show some extra lov’n! Though Dad’s annual V-day rose was certainly missed…Daniel to the rescue! With a morning letter left for me on the table, he also had these delivered to my classroom which of course created quite the stir

Don’t be fooled. I didn’t slack off…there were some nice banana pancakes, fresh pineapple and coffee for Daniel in bed that morning. We also met at a nearby coffee shop (Coffee Bean) that evening after our working day.

The two of us enjoyed a date together this past Sunday taking in High Tea at the Shangri-la, wandering a part of Orchard we’d never been to, and then heading to China town to investigate antiques. The High Tea was amazing and we loved sitting for hours just chatting, sipping various teas from the selection of 101 and working our way through the tables of delicacies.

Thaipusam

Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated annually either in January or February. Last weekend Daniel, Jeffery and I headed into Little India to observe Thaipusam. There were people everywhere – watchers, partakers, and supporters. At the temple where preparations were being done for Kavadi we found people were very friendly even as pictures were being snapped in every direction. The noise, concentration, smells and emotions were overwhelming. We were all, however, glad that we went and had this experience.

Thaipusam is a feast for the Hindu’s Lord Subramaniam. They believe he is the universal granter of wishes. Hindus partake in this festival for one of three reasons 1. to seek a favour 2. to fulfill a vow for a favour received or 3. to repent for past sins. Kavadi is the piercing component of the festival where men will carry the Kavadi, a large offering, through skewers or spikes in their bodies.

Jeffery’s Arrived!

Last Thursday our friend Jeffery DeJong arrived for his stay with us here in Singapore. We showed Jeffery how to kick off the weekend right with a substantial helping of Canadian Pizza, wine and great company.

Gong Xi Fa Cai !

Chinese New Year is celebrated on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar and continues until the fifteenth day when there is a Latern Festival. The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar (based on the cycles of the moon and the sun). For the Chinese, this year is the year of the dog and lunar year 4703-4704. Though China uses the Gregorian calendar (used almost everywhere in the world and is a modification of the Julian calendar for daily events, the Chinese calendar is still used to mark traditional holidays.

The New Year celebrations include children being given Lai-See envelopes (red envelopes containing good luck money), parades, dances, firecrakers (to scare evil away), new clothing, family reunion dinners, cleaning and much more.

The traditional New Years greeting in Mandarin is “Gong Xi Fa Cai” (which is what you’d commonly here in Singapore) or in Cantonese is “Kung Hei Fat Choi”. The greeting basically means “congratulations and be prosperous”.

Here are a couple photos from a Lion Dance and Dragon Dance put on at CIS.