A morning walk in the paddy fields and hills

A walk to remember

A Walk in the Morning Mist

... presenting the morning mist before 

it fades into a distant memory ...

Suzuki Cup soccer wins us a Public Holiday

Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak has declared

Friday, 31st December 2010

a Public Holiday to celebrate the success

by Malaysian football squad in winning the

2010 AFF Suzuki Cup on Wednesday Night

Celebrating Christmas in Borneo Island

Visited friends to feast a Merry Christmas

At the first house, we feasted on green herbs and wine chicken and Minangkabau-style rich and tender coconut beef stew beef

among many dishes

 

At the second house,  we feasted on stew vegetable pork belly among other dishes

By then we were full and feasted just a little at the third house

 and played with the cute cat

Winter Solstice welcome

Known in Chinese as the Dong Zhi Festival,

Winter Solstice is the second most important festival

of the Chinese calendar

Celebrated on the longest night of the year,

Dong Zhi is the day

when sunshine is weakest and daylight shortest

 The coming of winter is celebrated by families

and is traditionally the time

when farmers and fishermen gather food

in preparation for the coming cold season

 It is also a time for family reunions

This celebration can be traced to

the Chinese belief in yin and yang,

which represent balance and harmony in life

 It is believed that

the yin qualities of darkness and cold are

at their most powerful at this time,

but it is also the turning point,

giving way to the light and warmth of yang

 For this reason, the Dong Zhi Festival

is a time for optimism and promise of life renewed

 

After dinner, we savour the tang yuan (glutinous rice balls)
that we made ourselves



These home-made coloured glutinous rice balls 
are made from mixing rice flour with red bean paste
and black sesame fillings


A sweet syrup is then cooked by boiling water, pandan leaves, sugar and ginger

Visit to the first Hard Rock Hotel

The first in Malaysia and Singapore

Penang island

A few photos to show what's available in the island

First , there are plenty of shellfish and seafood on sale

Then there is duck meat rice noodle soup

All the best foods are found here

iphone 4 is  BIG  here in Penang island