2011年2月21日月曜日

CNY 2011

Well, Chinese New Year 2011 has come and gone. It has been a hectic 2 weeks of baking and cleaning and feasting together with family members and friends. I always find time to visit the local shopping malls to soak in the festive atmosphere and take a few pictures.
This year there is an addition to the usual CNY songs piped through the PA system. It was quite a nostalgic experience listening to the music played on the traditional instruments.
Here's a tree full of good wishes. Hope some will come true especially the ones wishing good health and long life. No need to have too much wealth these days otherwise we can be the target of thieves.
The Pavilion in Kuala Lumpur was decorated with lots of fake cherry blossoms, red lanterns and drums and big fat rabbits.

I made this jelly rabbit with hearts and red flowers to celebrate Valentine's Day with my family. It's more healthy than eating chocolates.
We decided to drive up to Genting Highlands last Tuesday since it was a public holiday. It's a hilltop resort very popular among young couples and older people too, for various reasons.
For the younger crowd, there are lots of entertainment offered at both the outdoor and indoor Theme Parks. The star attraction for the older folks is of course the Genting Casino.
The climate is very conducive for all kinds of activities...cool and pleasant. Hence the huge crowd. As you can see the buildings and hotel are mostly covered by low cloud.

Suspended high above the entrance of the hotel was beautiful phoenix and dragon lanterns.
They had the usual free performances for the public throughout the day and night. Most of the performers during this period were from China.
Not to forget the lion dances to chase away the bad luck and herald in a bountiful year ahead. Many people offered them red packets with money, in exchange for good luck blessings.
I was impressed by the environmentally friendly decorations made from empty bottles, containers and other recyclable materials. I thought it was very innovative.
Many could not resist the lure of the casino especially when the God of Wealth is there at the entrance to welcome you and wish you lots of luck.

Unfortunately, not many of us can beat the odds and eventually we leave with much lighter pockets. Still it was a lot of fun and I needed that cool break.