Saturday, January 31, 2009
The eclipse
This Chinese New Year was arrived together with a very special and unusual occurrence. There was an eclipse. This happens when the moon is between earth and the Sun, and some light from the Sun will be blocked. it was the first solar eclipse tat happened this year. It was also said that it was the clearest seen in a decade, where about 80% of the fiery ball was not seen. About 6400 people gathered at the Singapore' Science Centre to witness this rare sight. I was there, too. The staff and some volunteers from the Singapore' Science Centre gave out some glasses to protect our eyes from the harmful rays given out by the sun. It was only with this equipment that we could look at the Sun without harming our eyes. I was lucky enough to get one of these glasses as there were limited glasses . There were also pinhole cameras to get a clearer view of the solar eclipse. The solar eclipse became alittle more obvious at 4.30p.m. in the afternoon. I was astounded at first. Part of the Sun seemed to be eaten up. Then, after a while, i managed to get a clearer view of the phenomenon. Then, at about 5.4p.m., the visibility dipped due to thick clouds. Despite squinting my eyes, I was unable to catch a view of the Sun. Many people were disappointed as the eclipse was clearest then, but it was impossible to see it. I also left together with some of the crestfallen crowd. Still, this was definitely a unique, incredible way of ushering the new year.
Chinese New Year
For the Chinese, this year is the year of the ox. Yet another new year has arrived. all families, not excluding mine, have prepared much decorations for the new year. We managed to do a facelift for our house. We filled the house with red as red symbolise luck and prosperity. Other ways of bringing good luck is to open windows and/or doors. Sweeping the floor is usually forbidden on the first day, as it is believed to sweep away the good fortune and luck for the new year.
Chinese New Year has had influence to many countries, including Macau, Indonesia, Philippines, and even Thailand. This special occasion is commonly celebrated by reunion dinners. Family members will fly back to their countries to celebrate this festive season. My relatives from overseas also travelled back to Singapore to celebrate. We ate reunion dinners and also did the 'lou hei'. Lou Hei’ is the tossing of ‘Yu Sheng’, a colourful salad platter of raw fish and crunchy vegetables, to symbolize luck and prosperity. It is believed that the higher you toss the salad, the more luck you will have in the coming year. We also received many 'hangbaos' (red packets) as it represents good luck. I had a enjoyable time tasting new year snacks and meeting up with my relatives. Though this year's celebration seemed shorter than last time's, i was really thrilled. I had a magnificent time visiting my relatives and chatting with them. I really had a ball of a time. I hope you enjoyed your Chinese New Year as much.
Chinese New Year has had influence to many countries, including Macau, Indonesia, Philippines, and even Thailand. This special occasion is commonly celebrated by reunion dinners. Family members will fly back to their countries to celebrate this festive season. My relatives from overseas also travelled back to Singapore to celebrate. We ate reunion dinners and also did the 'lou hei'. Lou Hei’ is the tossing of ‘Yu Sheng’, a colourful salad platter of raw fish and crunchy vegetables, to symbolize luck and prosperity. It is believed that the higher you toss the salad, the more luck you will have in the coming year. We also received many 'hangbaos' (red packets) as it represents good luck. I had a enjoyable time tasting new year snacks and meeting up with my relatives. Though this year's celebration seemed shorter than last time's, i was really thrilled. I had a magnificent time visiting my relatives and chatting with them. I really had a ball of a time. I hope you enjoyed your Chinese New Year as much.
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