35th Bon Odori 2011 Arigatou Malaysia

盆踊り a.k.a Bon Odori is a style of dancing performed during the Bon festival, a.k.a Obon.

Obon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed spirit of one's ancestor. This Buddhist custom has evolved into family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori.

This is when the Bon-Odori festival in Malaysia comes in. The Bon-Odori festival is held in two states of Malaysia, namely KL and Penang simultaneously every year. This year for KL, it was held in Matshushita Sports Centre, Shah Alam. The crowd was overwhelming, way more than last year. People from all races and every walks of life was there to celebrate this very festival. There were mainly dance performances and stalls selling food and beverages.

Everyone who went also received a free hand-held fan with the illustration below wrapped around the fan.

Needless to say, this makes it super convenient for participants to keep track of events :).

It was my first time there and also my last time to Bon Odori festival, that's because I'm heading off to UK in 2+ months time. It was a good experience, I have not seen so much crowd in ONE place before. It awes me because even though I have been to even more crowded places outside Malaysia, the difference here is that I can stand still and take photos with the crowds around me, whereas outside Malaysia, if I stand still and take photos with this sort of crowd, I would be push off to god-knows-where.

Me and YY, with the crowd at the back!

and outside Bon Odori, outside the stadium, there are things one can never spot :)

 

Spotted : YUKATAS!

Final photo taking with the people!

 

From left to right, my brother's Japanese sensei (Atsuko sensei), my brother's girlfriend (YY), me and my brother's best friend (Greg)

It was a wonderful experience :), thank God I forgone the food+cocktail review at View, GTower for a quality time with these people :').

National Pink Day :)

When is National Pink Day? Always June 23rd! (in America)

This holiday is not to be confused with Wear Pink Day or National Wear It Pink Day- National Wear it Pink Day which is celebrated in Canada on May 27th, 2010. The actual
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is observed in October. National Pink Day has nothing to do with breast cancer awareness at all.

How is this holiday celebrated?
This holiday is celebrated by going pink! That's right, today's the day to celebrate the color pink in every way you can think of. It's easy to enjoy and participate in this holiday.

Here's a few ideas:
• Wear pink clothes: Pink is always in a little girls closet so let today be the day you wear pink clothes to town. Yep dress up in pink just like your kids and have a day of pink fun. Go shopping for something new in pink to wear for next year too!

Mama bought me a pink Miu Miu bag from KLCC.
Hmm, coincidence much?
Thanks mum :)

Soup Etiquette

Well crap, I'm supposed to be revising Economics, have been at it the whole day, and since I'm heading out for family dinner in like thiry minutes time, I would like to revive my blog for a bit.

Just like how what my title says, this entry is about how to eat/drink soup :)

At home, we either use a spoon to drink it or we just take the whole bowl up and slurp it.
The latter is more widely known as the Japanese way, whereas the former is called the Western way.

In Japan and Hong Kong, slurping soup is a sign of approval and appreciation of the cooking. But slurping is considered rude in Thailand. The Japanese drink soup by lifting the bowl to the mouth with both hands. But Koreans and Chinese use soup spoons. Thai, Indonesian, and Filipino peoples also use spoons...and Cambodians, Lao, and Hmong ONLY use spoons--no other utensils at all.

Soup also have different kinds of etiquette huh?

Apparently if the soup is thin, we call it drink soup.
Meanwhile, if it's a thick soup, then it's called eat soup.
Therefore, let me demonstrate how to eat soup :)

Step One
When the creamy soup is served, pour some black pepper in.
The amount is according to your preferences.

Step Two
When done pouring black pepper, stir the soup in moderate speed.

Step Three
'Start by placing the spoon from the side of the plate and scoop the soup up.'
N demonstrating to W how he scooped up the soup.

Step Four
Try not to drink too quickly, savour the taste, make conversation with your seatmate :)

Step Five
Don't talk too much though, the soup would be cooled already, time to finish the soup :)
Bon appetite.

Now that's what I call 'Soup Etiquette'.

So, do you slurp when you drink soup :)?

Venue : Black Canyon, Centrepoint BU.
Famous for : Western and Thai Fusion food

I spent CNY 2010 in Japan

I was at Japan from 12-18 of February.

It's some sorta heat escapade le since it's so hot over here in Malaysia.

It was snowing everywhere in Japan, climate change :(, it was even snowing in Narita, wind blew heavily and snow fell in the form of cubes.

Taking off soon. Mama was happy :)

Snacks before breakfast, I was hungry :(

I finished my breakfast :D, yes be awe now.

Nice view ain't it :)?

Landed in Kansai Airport, saw the first Starbucks :)

I bought a short Chocolate Truffle from there.

See what they give you when you customize your drinks :)? How thoughtful of them right :)

Off to Universal Studio Japan a.k.a USJ straight away.

Leaving my footstep x)

The Pink Cafe, my heaven.

Too tired hehehe

Shrek :)

@Kyoto

Cameraman wanted me to touch the Love Stone and he kept making me laugh, evil dada.

Japanese do get married in the temple :) Awesome.

Idk what are those but they looked very kawaii neh :)

Left to right : Happiness, wealth or health?

She was at the amulet sales counter, dada said she looked like Vicki Zhao, but in the photo she doesn't :(

Left for lunch. The road was closed, why?

This was what happened. Female marathon. Number One emerged.

Went to catch Kimono show after that.

The Kimono models

This.bullet.train.is.fawesome.

Japanese Unagi Set for dinner on day three

Japanese Tempura Set for lunch on day four

It's so cold around Mt. Fuji

Reached the boiling volcano alley, sulphur fumes arising everywhere.

My sneakers were soaked :(

Yukata

Thick snow o.o

Bye Bye Fuji!

Tokyo Disneyland here I am :D

Curry Popcorn anyone :)?

Mickey and Me x)

According to Li Yee, this is cinderella's mouse :)

The Ichigo cake :)

Japanese sweets are awesome, one of them is presented here.

Day Seven and it's bye bye to Japan.

YAY GOING BACK GOING BACK!

We are missing home already :)

My Japanese Selection of lunch on board :)

Home sweet home, gah I miss everything here x)

Even if the crab buffet in Fuji was memorable, home is still the best.

So this summarizes up on how I spent my CNY, more pictures can be found in my Facebook page.

Goodnight peeps :)

Early 'Lou Sang' with 0901PE1 @3.7

The morning started with me looking for the big tray so that my class can use it to 'lou sang'.

I remembered using the tray to roll 'tong yuen' during Winter Solstice.
Matthew and I both left our houses late xD
I left late because I was washing the tray.
He left late because he was searching for his polo tee.
Oh ya, today's dress code was polo tee.
Oh well MOST of us wore polo at least :)

DANG! AND I WAS TOLD BY MATTHEW TODAY'S PHYSICS TEST CANCELLED!
:(

Drove to college with a runny nose.
What a perfect way to ruin my day huh.
Had double Physics before 'lou sang'.

'Lou sang' is some sort of PE1 pre CNY ritual neh.
Can make wishes!
I still remember last year's 'lou sang'
Memories of the event were..

EPIC
MEMORABLE
AUTHENTIC

We used Norman's cina plate to lou :D
The plate has the CNY feel neh xD

tada~! Nice!

After lou already then not so nice de =D
During 'lou sang', of course almost everyone wished for flying colours in A2.
NO DOUBT LE :)

Well, PE1 and all the lecturers were present!
Thanks Mr Lai for making the 'lou sang' ritual a success!
Without him there would be no 'lou sang' le >.<"
Thanks to all the lecturers which include Mr Peter(Mentor + FMA), Miss Wong(FMA), Miss Jean(Econs) and Mr Chan(Physics) for joining in the fun!

The fun doesn't end with the lecturers leaving after 'lou sang'.
PE1 has its own post-'lou sang' activity too.
It's like dejavu of last year's.
I'm not saying anything here.
I'll let the pictures express themselves.

By the way, whatever the pictures tell you, they have nothing to do with me ok? I'm just a blogger who happens to be a witness of the event.

Post-'lou sang' activity

'Shhh'


Ok finished!
Then its FMA and Econs lessons and then GO HOME!

KFC Drive Thru for Lunch YUM YUM

The End

DON'T SUE ME

百家姓

Last Sunday had my dinner @Lot 10 Hutong.

See dada(blue line) always walk so fast, leaving mama(red line) far behind.

Saw 'Bai Jia Xing' a.k.a The Hundred Surnames being used as CNY decoration there.
It's a unique decoration as mostly I have only seen lanterns and tiger being used as decorations.

Bai Jia Xing :)

Hundreds and hundreds of surnames up there.

I found mine :D!

The Hundred Surnames

趙錢孫李 周吳鄭王 馮陳褚衛 蔣沈韓楊 朱秦尤許 何呂施張 孔曹嚴華 金魏陶姜 戚謝鄒喻 柏水竇章 雲蘇潘葛 奚范彭郎 魯韋昌馬 苗鳳花方 俞任袁柳 酆鮑史唐

費廉岑薛 雷賀倪湯 滕殷羅畢 郝鄔安常 樂于時傅 皮卞齊康 伍余元卜 顧孟平黃 和穆蕭尹 姚邵湛汪 祁毛禹狄 米貝明臧 計伏成戴 談宋茅龐 熊紀舒屈 項祝董梁

杜阮藍閔 席季麻強 賈路婁危 江童顏郭 梅盛林刁 鐘徐丘駱 高夏蔡田 樊胡凌霍 虞萬支柯 昝管盧莫 經房裘繆 干解應宗 丁宣賁鄧 郁單杭洪 包諸左石 崔吉鈕龔

程嵇邢滑 裴陸榮翁 荀羊於惠 甄麴家封 芮羿儲靳 汲邴糜松 井段富巫 烏焦巴弓 牧隗山谷 車侯宓蓬 全郗班仰 秋仲伊宮 寧仇欒暴 甘鈄厲戎 祖武符劉 景詹束龍

葉幸司韶 郜黎薊薄 印宿白懷 蒲邰從鄂 索咸籍賴 卓藺屠蒙 池喬陰鬱 胥能蒼雙 聞莘黨翟 譚貢勞逄 姬申扶堵 冉宰酈雍 郤璩桑桂 濮牛壽通 邊扈燕冀 郟浦尚農

柴瞿閻充 慕連茹習 宦艾魚容 向古易慎 戈廖庾終 暨居衡步 都耿滿弘 匡國文寇 廣祿闕東 歐殳沃利 蔚越夔隆 師鞏厙聶 晁勾敖融 冷訾辛闞 那簡饒空 曾毋沙乜

養鞠須豐 巢關蒯相 查后荊紅 游竺權逯 蓋益桓公 萬俟司馬 上官歐陽 夏候諸葛 聞人東方 赫連皇甫 尉遲公羊 澹台公治 宗政濮陽 淳于單于 太叔申屠 公孫仲孫

轅軒令狐 鐘離宇文 長孫幕容 鮮于閭丘 司徒司空 丌官司寇 仉督子車 顓孫端木 巫馬公西 漆雕樂正 壤駟公良 拓拔夾谷 宰父穀梁 晉楚閻法 汝鄢涂欽 段干百里

東郭南門 呼延歸海 羊舌微生 岳帥緱亢 況後有琴 梁丘左丘 東門西門 商牟佘佴 佰賞南官 墨哈譙笪 年愛陽佟 第五言福

To all the chinese out there, yours is surely in the document too :)