well, we are NEARLY at a china chapter in SOTW, and it Chinese new year tomorrow, but not quite managed to co-ordinate them, having been a bit slow with SOTW recently. Chris had done some India in the week, and SB wanted me to read the Buddha enlightenment story again today, so I did, and then we read some stories from the Barefoot book of Buddhist tales. however, it being chinese new year [it lasts 15 days], i went ahaead and downloaded some of the little books from enchanted learning to do – and SB enjoyed that, and both girls made firework pictures. BB’s rather liberal use of glitter pens [as if a firework store had blown up tbh] has meant she pretty much used up a whole pack!
In the middle of all this, we had an outside play – in and out of the playhouse! And also football. Chris and I did a bit of garden tidying up to do, but it seems a bit like the forth bridge at the moment. Need to get an industrial quantity of the permeable garden weed mesh stuff.
SB has read to me and BB – apple tree farm books and books from the library. We have done a lot of building with the marble run, some internetting – nick jr and cbeeies.
BB has been absolutely in love with a galt alphabet thing, where it makes a long line, but the pictures are in little blocks cut in half. She was so excited doing it, clapping as she matched things up – very cute. Also she was having fun counting things – she is very keen to count, but just using 1,2 and 6 makes it tricky. Back in nappies though today as a weeing spree – sigh!
we finished with a rousing second half of the sing along sound of music [watched the first half last night]. and SB chose a book about seasons and time etc for her bedtime book, so we did that too.
I hadn’t paid much attention to Chinese New Year before- mainly because I never lived around Chinese. But, with Chinese being in the majority here in Singapore it is interesting to see how they celebrate it. From reading in newspapers, I’ve seen that they typically have a “reunion” dinner on Saturday night. They have auspicious times for doing things and put a lot of emphasis on eating particular foods.
The foods that they eat are considered auspicious because the sound of the name is similar to another word in Chinese which means something good (eg increase, gain, etc). While I don’t remember the words, I do remember that they like to eat 1. abalone 2. mandarin oranges (which they also give in pairs to people) 3. a type of black moss (fai cai I think?) which looks like hair 4. pineapple tarts (like a round shortbread biscuit with a ball of sweetened, cooked pineapple on top).
Lion dance groups make lots of money during this season. They ride around in open top trucks beating their gongs, drums, and cymbals while they speed to the next venue for their lion dance. Evidently there are specific ways to dance the traditional dance, with the lion ending by “eating” a lettuce that is filled with a “hong bao” or red packet with money inside. The numbers 88 and increasing 8 digits are considered special- “double happiness”. Also, hong bao. red packets containing money, are given out to people by their family members.
It is nice to be able to see things happening instead of just reading them in books! The only other Chinese words that have stuck are “ang mo” which means foreigner, but literally “red head” :0).
Does anybody want to come visit us in Singapore yet? (with a large Indian and Malay population you also get Eid celebrations for Islam, Diwali and other Hindu celebrations, and many more!)
Raihanah
would love to! but not until can afford the flights! I did visit singapore when a student [paradoxically i was 'richer' then - ie more free money anyway] as I went to work in borneo for 3 months, so flights to Kuching from singapore. very lovely place. mmm to proper nasi goreng