Chinese New Year is Over. Enter the Dragon

Hi folks, I guess most of us here in Malaysia have enough of long festive and public holidays and weekends over the last few weeks.  There were the Federal Territory Day on Wednesday 1 February, 2012 in Kuala Lumpur and the Federal Territory of Putrajaya and Labuan.  Then there was this Birthday of Prophet Muhammad on Sunday 5 February, 2012 followed by Chap Goh Meh which is the fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year on Monday 6 February, 2012 and finally the Hindu religious Thaipusam on Tuesday 7 February, 2012.  The Hindu celebrated Ponggal which was their  harvest festival over four days including Monday 16 January, 2012 in Malaysia but it was not a public holiday.

It is great to be living in my beloved (Rasa Sayang) country Malaysia to truly know our ethnic diversity and of getting to know so many friends and of different cultures and traditions.  Well some of us  like the long weekends and holidays so that we can do the things we like and wanted to do in our lifetime which we may have planned for a long time.  As for some, holidays are good time to have reunions and spend quality time with loved ones or fulfilling some promises to bring your children for special treatments since they may done well in their examinations.

Maybe, you could be one just like me who just like to listen to some of the oldies and songs that bring some sweet memories during these holidays.  Thanks to so many lovely songs uploaded onto You Tube by our community.  I like to thank zoundcracker for the lovely songs shared on You Tube. One of these oldies reminded me of the Hong Kong TV series that my parents and I watched on the rented video tapes back in the eighties.

As for me, I also took time to have good rests but too much of it made me lethargic and not good for the physical health and mind.  Now is the time to get back to work and grind. God is good and great as He gives us HOPE of every thing new not just on the New Year of our creeds and cultures but every day.   Be it new found prosperity especially for all of you and for the Chinese people who would love for this Dragon Year for it is said that the Chinese are the descendants of the Dragon.

Here are some video clips that I managed to record while on stopover at Genting Highlands Resorts for you to enjoy and to cherish.

I missed a few performances when the dancers were dancing to the Ding Dong Song as my video camera memory card was full.

Wishing You A Happy & Prosperous Chinese New Year - Gong Xi Fa Cai

My Dear Friends, Family, Relatives and Business Associates, Wishing You A Happy & Prosperous Chinese New Year.  For those traveling and driving home to be with the family and reunion dinners, please ensure proper maintenance and road worthiness of your vehicles. Please drive carefully.  Take a rest if you are tired and continue you journey when you have freshen up. Kindly ensure the safety of everyone and other road users.

For those who are on duty and at work during this festive holidays, I say thank you for your services as you are key to keeping everyone happy and alive to celebrate this auspicious occasion.  Thank you to some of these very very important persons rendering services such as the Hospital and Medical staff, the Banking staff, The Police and Traffic Officers, The Military, The Airport and Air Controllers and Airlines, The Shipping Ports, Ferry Services, Train and Railway Services, The Buses and Drivers and Station Masters and Automobile Workshops and Towing Services and also the Petrol Kiosks operators.  The Shopping Malls and the Movie Theaters to keep us shopping and entertained which do not close on these days.  Of course, the Telecommunications and Broadcasting stations keeping us in touch with one another.  Thank you to the radio deejays for playing us non-stop music and updates on the traffic and news.  To my fellow insurance agents and colleagues, I salute you for the on call duty for the emergencies.  I want to remember the special group of people at call centers and at help desks of the various industries and especially the Chartis Malaysia Insurance Berhad Travel Guard. 

The team at Travel Guard are ever ready 24 hours throughout the year to assist anyone whether you are insured  client or not in your travel related emergencies while overseas or in a foreign sovereign.  The team for Asia Region is based in Kuala Lumpur. I remember you.  

Gong Xi Fa Cai.

 

AIA Agency Award Presentation Nite 2011 - Hotel Equatorial, Penang

Congratulations to all AIA Agency Awardees , Agents and staff from Penang, Bukit Mertajam and Kulim Branches.  Special congratulation to our "How Lien" Insurance Agency Director Mr Yeap Boon Swee for guiding us to the Clean Sweep of All the Awards at AIA National level.

Here is his style of typical "How Lien" or Arrogant Speech.


Thank you to my leader, Mr Leong Eng Shin District Director and colleagues from  PN/LES Agency. Congratulations to Madam Hooi Phaik Geok being one of the Million Dollars Round Table (MDRT) award winners and Miss Chew Seh See on her promotion to be the new Unit Manager.

Here you can enjoy the show with our Beautiful and Lovely  Emcee, Miss Laureen Quah bringing on the programs for the evening at Hotel Equatorial, Penang  on Tuesday January 17, 2012. There was musical performance by the Penang Symphony Orchestra Violin Quartet.

 There were ballerinas to entertain all AIA twinkle-twinkle stars too.

Later half of the show, she introduced us to Leonard De Silva and Friends on a night filled with Jazz.

See you again AIA agency force at next year's Annual Award Presentation Night 2012.  Meantime, Gong Xi Fa Cai and Wishing Everyone A Very Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year.

Princess and The Frog meet Bigfoothill at AIA Northern region 2012 Kick Off

Hello AIA,   This is Princess and The Frog kicking and rocking with you. Here is the party time for AIA agents from the Northern region comprising Penang, Northern Perak, Kedah and Perlis at the Annual Kick-Off event which was held on Monday 5 December, 2011 at Hotel Equatorial, Penang Matahari Grand Ballroom.  It is the First AIA Kick-Off held outside Kuala Lumpur as this is in honor of all Northern AIA agents and business associates for emerging as the Best in Overall performances for Financial Year 2011 outperforming the rest of the regions in AIA Malaysia.  Thank you to all the loyal and faithful clients for your business, confidence and trust in us. One AIA...Premier is the Way.

Need a financial plan to achieve your financial goals? We are here to help you. Wealth and Investments, Savings, Retirements, Estate Planning, Health and Personal Accident, Travel and Golfer's insurance? Commercial Fire, Retail and Services business package, Personal Lines such as House-owner and Householder Insurance, Auto Insurance and Home Loan are all available here in One AIA. AIA is your Premier choice.  For our Muslim friends and clients, we have AIA-AFG Family Takaful products and services to meet your family goals too.  Want financial freedoms and to become Premier Agency? AIA welcomes you to join the party.  Ask Bigfoothill.

QEII, Penang, Malaysia - On The Floor

Hi Readers,

Here are the videos captured at QEII, Penang recently for your entertainment. On the floor and let us party. So if you are in Penang for holidays, do have a great party time at you know where...

Push Push Dance anyone?

So you think you can dance?

 

You can dance the Hindi Bollywood style or you can do the Arabian belly dance.  Best of all, you can do Salsa On The Floor like Jennifer Lopez.

Southernmost Tip of Mainland Asia,Tanjung Piai, Johor National Park

The landmark signage

Get your tickets here

Liverpool or Tanjung Piai? Bigfoothill was here

The trail to the southernmost tip of mainland Asia

Mangrove and sandbags prevent soil erosion

Cape of Tanjung Piai landmark

Congratulations! You are now standing at the Southern Most Tip of Mainland Asia

Jump on top of the world at Tanjung Piai

Pineapple monument at Pineapple town

Hooray....welcome to Tanjung Piai, Johor National Park. Bigfoot must have gone downhill and have made it to the southernmost tip of mainland Asia from Bukit Mertajam, Penang.  It is wonderful experience to be there at the southernmost tip of mainland Asia.  The journey to the south was long and tiring but worth a lifetime exploration of our beautiful country called Malaysia truly Asia.

It is located at the latitude 01 degree 16 North/ Longitude 103degree30.46East. This is also the point where the Strait of Malacca meets Strait of Johor.  Strait of Malacca is the sea between Malaysia and Sumatra, Indonesia while Strait of Johor is the sea between Singapore and Malaysia on the southernmost tip of Mainland Asia. 

Tanjung Piai got its name from the ferns "Paku Piai Raya" that are found in abundance in the local mangroves while "Tanjung" is the Malay word for cape.  It is about an hour's drive from the city of Johor Baru in the southern state of Johor, Malaysia passing through Pontian town and Pekan Nenas (Pineapple town) in the district of Pontian before travelling along the Kukup road that leads to Tanjung Piai. You will also be able to go to the nearby Port of Tanjung Pelepas, power plant at Tanjung Bin and the Fishing village of Kukup.

You will never walk alone at the Tanjung Piai National Park and also in Liverpool.

Bridging the gap and a reflection of a fisherman's life

 

Fisherman scooping cockles and crabs near Penang Bridge

Recently, I had captured on my camera this fisherman who went out to the sea near Penang Bridge to scoop up cockles, crabs and mantis prawns.  It is tough for most of us to beat the traffics to get to our offices in the city and industrial estates daily across the channel.  Have you ever fancy that your office is located in the middle of the sea? There are no traffic lights to halt you along your journey.  Instead of driving an automobile and an air-conditioned car complete with radio and digital media players while listening to your favorite deejays spinning your chart topping songs, why not get into a boat like this man for a day and experience the transformation at his floating office along the busy bridge? If you ever get caught on the snarls when some pile ups occurred on the bridge, we can only think of getting onto the speed boat to get to our destination.

Bigfoothill salutes the fisherman for his unfailing toils to bring the harvest for the day to shore and into our kitchen daily.  It is a very risky profession that many of us will not switch to considering that many of us are academically blessed and qualified for the cool office jobs.  Moreover, their jobs are lowly rewarded monetarily. They are facing the same social and economic crisis no less like us due to the rising fuel cost for transportation and increases in prices of other consumer goods.

Think for a moment... can we survive a day without seafood in our diet? How many times we complained that the seafood prices are highly expensive or it is not fresh for our palate?  Can we survive a day as a fisherman with our academic achievements? Or we need the physical and mental strength?  Do we need to learn to "drive" steer our boat before we can jump into the boat?  Do you know how to swim? Can you repair a leakage? We need to be skillful and plenty of skills to be a fisherman.  We need to know the time to go out to the sea and the time for low tides and high tides. Where are the winds' blowing direction and how deep is the sea by just looking at the water. Can we withstand the searing heats of the Sun, and the wet and cold showers of the rain and thunderstorm. Where are the schools of fish to be found.  When to cast our net and how to pull it up without getting it entangled?  Which spot can catch what type of sea creatures? Have you heard of tales of how fishermen have saved how many human lives that fell into the seas in the past and those that "fell" from the bridge and were rescued alive or dead? They responded to our SOS. They are the sailor, captain and rescuer of our lifeboat.

Did the fisherman learn all these skills in the comfort of a conference room like many of us in our calling? Is there a fancy party to celebrate their graduation ceremony?  How nice are the smell of the flowers and the  graduation "robes" that we will happily wear, hug and kiss our heroes and heroines, take memorable pictures with our loved ones? Hopefully, we do not complain of the fishy smell or distance ourselves from them the next time we walk pass a humble fisherman.  Let us be reminded of their sacrifices and passion for the noble and lovely jobs they did out there in the dangerous seas they call their workplaces and offices.

Let us greet and thank them from the bottom of our hearts like we do when we see our teacher and master. Wave to the fishermen the next time you meet them or when you see them on the boat out in the seas. Let us honor their friendships that are unsinkable in time of crisis. Let us cheer them on in moments when they are in solitude and in need of our solidarity.  They embrace a charitable profession with life, blood and sweats, love and passion.

Thank God for the safety of our family and the jobs we keep for we do not have to do the hard and risky labor like the fishermen and do not have to suffer the agony of anxiety like their families while waiting for their daily safe return home to bring the food  and to put on our dinning table. May God bless the fishermen and their families bountiful harvest, abundance of wealth, passion and happiness, and keep them safe and in good health.

Sarawak ....Has it change much?

Well, so much time have gone by and I was kept busy with many things. There was this 9.0 Earthquake on Friday 11 March, 2011 and the Tsunami that followed at Japan. We were just leaving KOMTAR Penang tower after making a search on property title at the Land Office which were hampered by computer system that was down and had to leave early and to come back on the next Monday. On the way out at the Ground Floor Shopping complex, we saw a large crowd of people and shoppers gathered in front and at the electrical and home appliances shop watching the live TV news broadcast by NHK, CNN and other channels. It was so tragic and my friend who was mourning her loss recently was deeply shocked as much as others as we watch the killer Tsunami waves destroying the Sendai City and nearby villages. I am sure most of you are still keeping a tab on the news developing at the Fukushima power plant on the latest upgrade to level 7 of the radioactivity detected there.

Oh, please hold on. Let me share this Sarawak story. I am just getting into the local news and catching up on the Sarawak State Election where the voters comprising the registered eligible Sarawak voters who are Malaysians across the South China Sea on the Borneo Island. The current ruling state government is from the coalition parties known as National Front headed by the Chief Minister Peh Moh Taib Mahmud. His hair is really white for an old man his age and full of wisdom. He has been at the helm as the longest serving Chief Minister of a State in Malaysian history surpassing former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Muhammad. I belief he has wisdom to know that the people from Land of the Horn-bills or Sarawak are feeling the Wind Of Change blowing strongly from around the world especially with the Political Change that swept former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak out of office, the Tunisian revolution, the Yemeni people's demonstrations and the Bahrain protests.

I have some friends living in Sarawak now, who were my former schoolmates from Perlis (a smallest and Northern-most State in the Federation of Malaysia)and some from my insurance associates whom I just met once of twice a year during Chartis Malaysia Insurance Berhad's(Formerly AIG General Insurance Company)seminars held in various parts of Malaysia.

Here are some photographs taken at the Damai Beach Resort, Kuching, Sarawak back in January 2007. I was with my group of associates and friends from AIG flying on MAS from KLIA airport. The view from the plane as we were approaching the Kuching airport was unique as it was cloudy and raining. In fact, the three days and two nights stay at Damai Beach Resort were raining dogs and cats. No wonder the Capital is called Kuching or cat in English word for the feline. I was sleepy then and I did not join the other group to venture to the round about tour of the capital for some shopping. The view of the Damai beach was spectacular but it was not a friendly welcome as we saw streaks of lightning,loud thunders and storms with strong gush of winds throwing up waves of choppy sea water. That events have edged in my mind until now.

Of course, I do remember the bumpy ride on the coach from the airport to the Damai Beach Resort and the bumpy and narrow road leading to the seafood restaurant near the river mouth facing the sea. I like the fried fern-leaves shoots in the spicy chilly and shrimp paste. The dance ladies of the night at the award presentation ceremony were young and lovely. Now four years later, I belief they have grown much prettier and wise and need not have their moms and chaperons to accompany them around for the venue. So much of the memory of Kuching. I read the news when I was a young boy and also in my primary school language book about the story of a legendary giant Crocodile named "Bujang Senang" or Easy Bachelor that had terrorized the locals at longest river in Sarawak. Many human lives and live-stocks were its victims. I was not that lucky as a Crocodile Hunter as there was no crocodile in the river when I went there. Most of the crocodiles found here are the saltwater species.

The Ibans are one of the majority ethnic people in Sarawak and living in the longhouses as what I learned in Geography in my school days. They can be further identified as Land and Sea Dayaks. At the longhouses which are built from bamboos and woods, there are many families living together and there is a headman at each longhouse. I saw in my schoolbooks where the pictures shown some human skeletons and especially the skulls were hanged and displayed within the longhouses to signify the success of their tribes in their wars as they got the scalps of their enemies. They are known as Head-Hunters. I was a little disappointed that I did not have the chance to visit the cultural village which was supposed to be an exciting event that have been lined up as part of the program for all the insurance agent participants of the seminar. That trip was canceled due to the heavy rainfall on that day. Another blessing in disguise was that I returned home to Bukit Mertajam, Penang with my head still intact.

About Head-Hunters, these days the Sarawak people are civilized society and no longer practice the head-hunting. Grandmothers and mothers always tell us children not to go out at night when the local bridges were being built or repaired as they warned and said that the builders and contractors would hunt for a head to be placed or buried beneath the bridge so that the bridge would not collapse when under construction. Really scared me and my buddies when we were very young boys. Myth or truth... I leave it to you.

The only time I knew of head-hunting going around hunting heads were when I was working in a leading bank with many branches throughout the nation including Sarawak back in the mid 1980's That era, the economy was in the doldrums and there were stories of the monies of the depositors were used to bail out some ill-shaped government linked investments. The employer hired the Head hunter whom they called "proud-foot" to hunt for the heads to chop off from the bank's payrolls. The unionized employees protested and the headhunters went back to their foreign land of origin. As we all know, there are virgin forests and beautiful beaches and caves in Sarawak. There are so many industries in Sarawak especially the natural gas and petroleum in the towns of Miri and Sibu to boost the economy. There are timber factories which created jobs for the locals.

There are a few things that still bothered me since the day I went to Kuching, Sarawak. First the state is largest in Malaysia and rich in natural resources. Yet I am appalled to note the state of the infrastructures like the small bumpy and narrow roads within 10 kilometers of the metropolitan Kuching town center are so bad and in poor condition than the ones at my little state of Perlis where I used to grow up and lived there some 28 years before being transferred by my employer to Penang. Perlis state is predominantly agricultural land and dependent on the Federal Government to finance its annual budget deficits. Even now, I belief, Perlis have better infrastructure such as roads, electricity, street lamps and water amenities than most small towns and villages in Sarawak. I was back in my former hometown the last two weekends and there was a flash flood that hit Kangar, Perlis. What happened to the treasury and management of the sovereign state of Sarawak? Why such a situation can happen after nearly 50 years of Sarawak in Malaysia. I think my friends in Sarawak better have some good answers for me since he/she have been there for many years after being posted there as teachers.

Perhaps, the previous leaders of the Sarawak state and the leaders at Federal government of Malaysia have overlooked and short-changed my fellow countrymen in Sarawak in terms of basic infrastructures, amenities, human capital, tourism and economic development. There is only one Malaysia. I have been to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah,also in 2007 and the situation there were better than the state of Sarawak slightly. Malaysians leadership have to wake up from the slumber as people are now very intelligent. Where have the natural resources contributions from Sarawak gone to finance what projects in Malaysia that the Sarawak state is still under-developed as compared to other states in the federation, and not at par with Perlis? Why is it so imbalance?

Why is there a restriction on some fellow Malaysians from the Peninsular to visit the Sarawak State? Do we have two countries system within One Malaysia? How to have the Association of South East Asian Nations(ASEAN) model after the EU where its citizens from members countries are mobile and free to travel within its member countries, whilst in our own beloved 1 Malaysia, we have two standards? We may know our enemies from within better than the foreigners which are unknown elements of threats to our country's safety and security. Some foreign illegal workers, migrants or terrorists could be traveling to our country and we failed to monitor and to refuse their entry. Sometimes, we champions the freedoms and rights of leaders like Nobel Peace Prize winner, Madam Aung San Suu Kyi from Myanmar whilst we penalized our own countrymen who are peace and loving people like any other ordinary free Malaysians. Don't know why?

I guess the witch-hunting is all over because there are many Ibans who have converted to Christianity and other religions. There were inter-marriages too among the various ethnics and Malaysians. I have known many church friends from Sarawak, Sabah and some Indonesians worshiping at Bukit Mertajam Baptist Church (BMBC) as most of them have came over or migrated to Peninsular Malaysia for their works and economic reasons. Their steadfast love for God or "Allah' in Holy Bible is bringing them to church here even though they may be far from home and other family members. God's family is one and He loves everyone. So do come to BMBC if you want to join the worship in the Malay language on Sunday Service at 2.30p.m. every Sunday except advance notice of changes by the Pastoral team. If you are from Sarawak and Sabah, we welcome you and family. By the way, my friends are helping to support the Seratok Baptist Church outreach. Anyone wants to offer help?

So come April 16, 2011, the polling day at Sarawak, let us hope the Sarawak voters will choose wisely. May the leaderships chosen by them must change from making the same the past mistakes and hold on to the true love for fellow Malaysians and passionately love the people and to serve the people first. Leaders, do not be predators like the legendary crocodile but be like sacrificial lambs ready to be sacrificed for the Glory of God or Allah and to serve His people. Let everyone know that God is Supreme Head of our government and the King of Kings and He is the God or Allah for all Mankind family whether we live in Sarawak or Sabah or Peninsular Malaysia or in the Spratly Islands of Malaysian jurisdiction.

Anyway, let us listen to some music from singer Anita Sarawak when we relax and wait for the election results.

Milestones Album by Roger Wang

I just purchased Roger Wang's Milestones Album directly from Roger Wang as I did not have the leisure to go to the CDRama stall to get my copy. He was in KL recently but I just did not have the spare time to be there to see his live performance at Loud + Clear.

Anyway, I learned to add a new gadget which displayed Roger Wang's music clips on the blog. The HTML codes were supplied by Roger. You can now listen to the sample songs at Bigfoothill. Hope you like to listen to his music and relax.

Thanks Roger for your help. I am looking forward to receive my copy of your album personally autographed by you from the courier service provider, Poslaju soon.

Landmarks demolished at Bukit Mertajam - End of sweet memories

After Gymnasium Cleared. Former General Post Office reduced to rubble

Still left standing is part of the former Telecom office front

This is what is left at the demolition site of the former General Post office building and the Telecom office building at Bukit Mertajam which a few days ago were still standing. Let us see what will the development bring to the place in the near future.  To those who have been working there years ago, those who sent their letters, post cards and telegrams, Sweet Valentine's cards to their friends and loved ones, and those who used it as a meeting point, part of that memories are deleted from memory just like some of our storage files in the floppy diskettes are being put away with no back up as newer personal computers and notebooks do not have floppy disk drive.

So back up your memories with photographs.  That is why I like photography as it can bring back or restore some lost memories and passions of the past. Life must go on.  Some people lived in the past and preferred to be still living in the past even today and refuse to change with time just like when we like to talk about the good and funny experiences we shared with our schoolmates, partners and colleagues as we meet up again and again over the years with them such as the Chinese new year reunion dinners and gatherings functions, the old boys club. It sorts of bring us together and close affinity with the things that we know we cannot do again as we get older.  I am like that too. I got the chance to share and recount the joys of my youthful days. The tide of change will destroy some but bring joy to others.  Nothing is permanent here.

So let us look ahead.  Some are too futuristic and live in high expectation of things that may not exist and get fascinated by their own desire of a better life which do not match the reality of present day. It is dangerous as we may easily get disappointed if things do not turn out the way we expected it to be.  We may end up at asylum.


Live for now. Keep it simple. Today is what I am living for as I still need to do all the house chores, send my kid to school, provide for the household needs and serve others as in the nature of my insurance business.  I am being reminded by the sermon I heard  from the pastor at Bukit Mertajam Baptist Church last Sunday where the Holy Bible talks about little creatures like the ants that you see that are busy moving and crawling about in our house. It never stops moving or gathering food unless we stop them or they are already dead.  I guess I missed watching the animated movie ANTS. I got to find sometime to bring my kid to the cinema to watch some children movies and it could be the special moments that we can touch our children and they in turn will treasure the moments spent together laughing aloud like nobody's business in the cinema like everyone at the funny episode of the movie, as they reflect back when we are permanently changing home address to another world.  Leave a legacy.

Now you see it. Now you don't - People's Gymnasium Bukit Mertajam

To you who are celebrating the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit, the festival is still happy and merry. Wishing you prosperous new year. Soon, Valentine's Day is coming and then the Chinese Valentine's Day which is on the 15th day of the Chinese new year which falls on Thursday February 17, 2011.

Just when I went to the General Post Office at Bukit Mertajam this afternoon, I was caught in the queue at the railway gate as there was a very long goods train approaching from Butterworth.  When I reached the doorstep, it is time to close for business for the day. To my shock, as I came out and look around, the People's Gymnasium at Bukit Mertajam town located just next to the local public library building has been demolished today together with a row of buildings which used to be former government housing quarters for the government servants opposite the OCBC Bank.  The other two buildings, a former General post office and local Telecommunication Office situated in between the gymnasium and the quarters are still standing but have been vacated.  They will make way for the flyover interchange above the present railway tracks as the construction works for the double tracking for electric train project has progressed to a certain stage.  This is good in a way as there will be less traffic congestion as there will no longer be a gate crossing being closed for traffic when the train comes to Bukit Mertajam town.

The People's Gymnasium was demolished today

Gone with the wind?

The green netting barricades was the location of the former government quarters once stood

I mentioned that I was going to check out the gymnasium someday.  Now it is too late for me to get my six pacts abdomen muscles at the People's Gymnasium.  Let us hope the government will replace it and relocate it at a convenient place for the community of Bukit Mertajam, Penang, Malaysia. Let us hope there is no loss to Bukit Mertajam's heritage building as Penang State is under the UNESCO World Heritage conservation program.

Now you see it.  Now you don't.

Where is KBOX cafe and pub? Look for KFC?

I was looking for KBOX cafe and pub as a friend asked me to check out the newly opened entertainment outlet at Jalan Raja Uda, Butterworth.  I was told to look for KFC outlet as it is just a few doors away on the same block. The street was decorated with red lanterns and light up at night as seen on the video on the Chinese New Year Day Thursday February 3, 2011 in the year of Rabbit.

Chinese New Year 2011 welcomes Year of Rabbit with Red Lanterns

Welcome the Zodiac Calendar Year of Rabbit. Wishing You A Very Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year.  After family Reunion Lunch at Bukit Minyak, Bukit Mertajam in the afternoon, Bigoofthill went for Family Reunion Dinner at Butterworth on New Year's Eve Wednesday February 2, 2011.  On the way back to Bukit Mertajam on the Stroke of Chinese New Year's Day of the Year of Rabbit, we turned into Jalan Raja Uda and saw the beautiful sky lit up with fireworks while the street is decorated with red lanterns.  It is on the mainland of Penang State and is considered the heart of Chinatown at Butterworth. There is a Chinese temple for vegetarians which is frequented by worshipers offering prayers for good lucks and great wealth during the Year of the Rabbit.

Bigfoothill worships at BMBC and the Holy Bible teaches us, " Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." ( 1Timothy 6:17-19 NIV).

May God bless you richly in His Grace.

Bunny Girls from Tesco Grabbit Bonus Chinese New Year

Hello friends.  It is Chinese New Year festive shopping frenzy everywhere.  Most shopping malls are having sales and promotion. I was at Seberang Jaya, Penang when I saw the bunny girls giving out the goodies and shopping vouchers to the public as they are promoting the sales at Tesco in conjunction with the coming Chinese New Year of the Rabbit.  There are twelve animals in the Chinese Lunar Calendar Years which begin with Rat, Cow, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Cockerel, Dog and Pig.  The grandmother stories have it that the animals kingdom organized a race for all the animals and the first twelve animals which finish the race will be represented in the Chinese Lunar Year in cycle.  So the rat finished first and so on.  In running the race, the cat was knocked out from the race by the rat and as you know it, the rat and cat are enemies.  Just like the cartoons Tom and Jerry.  As for the Rabbit, it reminded me of the cartoon Bug Bunny.

Anyway, that is just my little spin on the story. As a kid, Chinese New Year is the most wonderful time because I get to collect money from the elders and married couples and relatives who would stash the cash into red packets or small red envelopes as a blessing gifts.  The cash are usually new currency notes.  There were new coins too.  Those were the days.  Now, if you ever get coins in the red packets, the receiver would be thinking that givers are miser and stingy because the standard and cost of living have gone up.

In present commercial world, there are good looking and kind people like the pretty bunny girls who are thought to be associated with Playboy going around towns stripping naked red packets and giving out the shopping cash vouchers and goodies.  These bunnies are from Tesco which traveled throughout the country of Malaysia to promote the Chinese New Year shopping theme G-R-A-B-B-I-T Bonus.  The guy who is surrounded by the honey bunnies is not the founder Mr Hugh Hefner, he is Bigfoothill's new found acquaintance, Mr Darren from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  He and his team members came in Mercedes Benz to Seberang Jaya as there is a Tesco outlet there.  By the way, at Bukit Mertajam, Penang, Tesco just opened its branch there last year in last quarter of 2010.

To you guys and bunnies, have fun and grab your Chinese New Year Bonus. Wishing you safe journey home to be with your family for reunion dinner and the festive holidays. 

This Time for Africa instrumental music at Chartis Colours of Malaysia dinner

Tribute to all Chartis Malaysia Insurance Berhad Compass Club Agents for their excellence achievements in year 2010 and they have played the games well like  football players at the World Cup in South Africa 2010.  Please enjoy the musical drum beats played by the Colours of Malaysia musicians to the song Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) sang and made famous by Diva Shakira.

Colours of Malaysia at Chartis Agency Excellence Awards Night 2010

Malaysia is my country.  I am an insurance agent with the Property and Casualty insurance company,Chartis Malaysia Insurance Berhad. Thank you Chartis Malaysia for your kind invitation to the Agency Excellence Awards Night 2010 on January 13, 2011.  Here is the Colours of Malaysia presented to you in the musical percussion.  Thank you and my appreciations to all my clients, business associates, friends and family for your tremendous supports and for choosing us to be your insurance service provider and agent.  Congratulations to all our award winners for their excellence achievements in 2010. It is a great privilege to be associated with so many fellow excellence agents. My appreciations for their kind encouragements. We look forward to meet again at next year Agency Excellence Award Night.