KLCC Demonstration

Saturday 26th 2008
I forgot that there would be a demonstration at the KLCC over the impending price hike, that is expected after the elections. I was there just before four in the afternoon, in time to see the trailings of the demonstration.

According to a police personnel, whom I asked, the protest was led by NGO’s (Non Govermental Organizations) as well as opposition party members. Most of the entrances of the KLCC were barricaded with steel and the place looked almost deserted.

Outside curious on lookers watched the police and other uniformed personnel on duty. I managed to take some snippets of the event. The crowd picked up later with a lion dance performance. However, I didn’t wait to watch the performance.

Chinese Calligraphy for Chinese New Year

Another aspect of Chinese New Year celebration is festive wishes expressed in Chinese calligraphy – the art of Chinese writing using the Chinese brush and ink. A good hairbrush may be made up of horse hair.

The greetings are usually written usually on red paper, sprinkled with gold dust in the background and are pasted on front door posts. The red banners are supposed to frighten off evil spirits and to usher in good luck. Some Chinese businessmen would pay thousands of dollars for a well worded calligraphy by an equally well known calligrapher.

It is also the practice to present a framed calligraphy with words of best wishes to a business associate who has just opened a business.

Frequent characters for Chinese New Year include
Fu ( Luck)
Chun (Spring)
Shou (Longevity)

Tangerine Shrubs, Pussy Willows and Chinese New Year

These are favorites during the Chinese New Year and right now you can find them in the malls as well as the wet markets.
The tangerine shrub (kum kwat) with its green leaves, studded orange tangerines is symbolic of wealth. There is a play of sound here. In Cantonese, the word kum sounds like gold . And of course, everything green is related to life and prosperity.

The pussy willow with tall erect branches and furry catkins are usually placed in a deep, large vase and decorated with red packets or other Chinese New Year decor. Should leaves appear during the Chinese New Year, that would a sign of prosperity.

Trust God for your fortune

There are two anchor tenants in the Pavilion and they are Parksons and Tang’s. I think Tang’s is part of the Singapore CK Tang group. When I entered the Tang’s, a pretty lady in red qipao presented me with a mandarin orange and a fortune cookie. Somehow, fortune cookies are not part of the Malaysian Chinese scene but it’s very much part of the culture of American Chinese, made even more famous, by the novel, Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan and other novels with American Chinese settings.

Quite amused by the fortune cookie, I opened it up and lo and behold, the biscuit was in the shape of ancient Chinese money. Trust the Chinese. Everything during Chinese New Year has to have some association with wealth, and wealth and more wealth! As I crunched into the biscuit, out came the strip of “fortune.” It says “Your desires will come true.” Halleluyah ! Who wouldn’t like to hear that? I added “Amen” to it.

String Quartet for the Spring Festival Celebration

Yesterday, I went to the Pavilion, my second visit to the newest shopping mall in the city. It’s all fluffed up for the Chinese New Year. The auspicious red color was on its grand stage, right at its entrance. The stage area is also known as the Pavilion Circle.

Gigantic peony decorations hang from its high ceilings. But the best treat was the performance by a string quartet of three ladies and a guy. The guy played the mandolin. The flute, guzheng, pipa and mandolin in the hands of these expert musicians produced the most haunting, nostalgic, melodious music that transported those familiar with such music to an era of the days of kings and princes, enjoying such music on their palace grounds or on a rocking boat.

I remember my Chinese girl friends in Beijing. Some of them signed up for art or guzheng classes, partly I suspect, because they knew of foreigners’ fascination with these subjects. Then I remember, too, my student, Cai Xu, who gave me a cassette on traditional music.

I tried to confirm if the quartet was imported from China, but I couldn’t get through those in charge at the Pavilion. I believe, they are. They are five star performers! Their renditions of Chinese New Year favorites as well as movie hits evoked such warm memories of my sojourn in China. Thanks! I wish you all, a wonderful year of success in your music career as well as in your health!!

Little Taiwan

If you happen to drop by the Pavilion, the latest shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur, and need to fill up, let me recommend the Food Court. I think it is called the Food Republic. Located on Level 1, it has almost every kind of local fare. But I was drawn more towards the other Asian foodstalls. I blogged about the Korean pancake, which I had the first time I visited the Pavilion.

This time around, I opted for Little Taiwan. My obsession with Hokkien soap opera from Taiwan, particularly, the current one, entitled, the “The World’s Best Flavor, ” ( my loose interpretation) has a part to do with my choice. The series is about four families, all in the restaurant business and their interweaving relationships. You learn a lot about food, in general and the Japanese influence upon their culinary preparation and taste.

At any rate, I ordered the braised beef and rice and was not disappointed, considering the price – a little over RM10, with tax thrown in. The beef came in ample portions and the ‘po cai’ or salad was quite delectable – crunchy, sweet, sour, savory – some of the requirements of what a good dish should be by Taiwanese standard. Presentation wise, it loses out to Japanese or Korean food but it makes up for the authentic, village flavor.

Origin of Lunar New Year

In the old, old days, Chinese villagers were oppressed by a monster called nian that would gobble up human beings for meals.
Finally, a wise, old man confronted the monster, challenging it to eat animals instead of humans. The old man succeeded and rode off in triumph on the back of the nian but not before leaving advice to the villagers to celebrate the victory with red hangings. The red packet, the money gift that is given on Chinese New Year is part of the celebration. Check my other blog, http://prayerconversations.blogspot.com for the Biblical connection to this account.