30-Jan-2023
We missed New Year's Eve and the first day of the Year of the Rabbit. (Well, we missed them in Kuching; we were lucky enough to catch the Lantern Festival in Nagasaki, though.)
But CNY goes on for a good couple of weeks, and we've been really enjoying its various manifestations:
The Cat's dressed up
There are decorations everywhere
There's lots of activity at the temples. Here's the burner going full belt at Tua Pek Kong
And of course, there are lion dances aplenty. This is the one at Ah Ma Hu Temple, just down the road from us
On the seventh day of the New Year, you wish everyone "Happy Human Day", and eat seven vegetables. This is my seven-veggie curry
In other news, Jalan Padungan has a new mural! If you read this blog, you'll have come across this street OFTEN. It's close to where we live, it's colourful, it's characterful, and we love it. So far, despite the advent of a couple of bars and smart restaurants, it has largely retained its traditional aura. It's the kind of street where you can buy anything -- from vegetables, hardware, kitchen racks, motorbike spare parts, car batteries, and flipflops, to traditional cakes, fresh bread, flowers, joss paper, and Chinese medicine (not to mention a stupendous selection of delicious meals).
So, we were very happy to see that its muralization has begun! By the immensely talented Leonard Siaw, this fantastic depiction of 80-year-old Goh Bing Choo, a maker of ang ku kueh (red tortoise cakes), literally took shape while we were away.
Still on the subject of Jalan Padungan, a new book has just come out on the history of the area, and we went to collect our signed copy at the Telang Usan Hotel on Sunday (taking advantage of the occasion to have lunch in their restaurant, too):
Meanwhile, the local traffic lights, having been twice demolished in recent weeks, are now flanked by flashing bollards:
And there's a ton of rain coming down at the moment:
And finally, the rest of the week's gallery: