CNY 2012

A very different but still wonderful CNY that i had this year. Instead of following the tradition of having reunion dinner in kuantan at my eldest uncle's house then go to my aunty house in klang on CNY 1st day and gamble all the way till 4th or 5th day of CNY, this year reunion dinner is at Klang in restaurant and then on the 1st day of CNY, all my family members and relatives went to Vietnam (Hanoi & Halong Bay). It's a 6 days 5 nights trip. All together 31 people from 8 families. It's the Heng, Wan, Wang, Wong, Yap & Chuah family trip!

'lau shang"

This is the very first time I experienced 'Lau Shang'.  I think I enjoy messing the table more than doing it for the sake of bring more luck to my life in this brand new year. haha! It does taste good btw.

五福临门

steamed fish

鸡丝汤 (我还以为是鱼翅)

The food were not as nice as I expected and I'm kind of tired that day. Probably too much talking and laughing for the sake of fitting into the crowd and not to let others' down. However, i do feel happy to have all my relatives coming for this very meaningful dinner.

Vietnam Trip!

Enjoying "bo" for our first supper in Hanoi, Vietnam.



'bo gio'

On arrival, everyone was hungry and lucky for us to find this little food stall selling 'bo gio' aka beef noodles. It's a small shoplot furnished with kindergarten size tables and chairs. The first surprise we had after arrival. Next, it communication problem. WE DON'T UNDERSTAND VIETNAMESE AT ALL and THE HAWKER DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH AT ALL. We didn't know what he's selling, didn't know how to order, didn't know how to ask him how much ... ... OMG! This is the very first time I felt so helpless for not being able to communicate. We were like 鸡和鸭讲. In the end had to use sign language to express ourselves somemore. >.<



Boating at "Halong Bay on land" on the 2nd day

 

This place is like a heaven!

Tall rock mountains all around us

All his 划龙舟 memories were refreshed when he's rowing ^^

Boating through low ceiling cave. Truly enjoy!=)

Hanoi is quite an unorganised city for me. The houses are all in different heights, breaths and lengths. It seems like they are notwell-planned-constructions. Some of my relatives found it ugly but somehow, I find it unique and interesting. It's something new to me and worth exploring.  

Super complicated cables



Super-duper complicated cables

Colourful houses with different heights, breaths, lengths





HALONG BAY!!

Halong Bay

Fruit stalls on boat

We are going to the cave upthere!

Inside the cave

great stalagmite in the cave



spectacular view of Halong Bay when climbing the stairs up to the cave

Besides Halong Bay and "Halong Bay" on land, there were quite a lot of Buddhist and Zen temples that I had visited. The main purpose of having visits to temples is to understand and enjoy the great architecture of those temples built hundred of thousand years ago. As an architecture student, not ashame of me to tell you that I just have normal feeling towards the activity of appreciating the great architecture of those temples, but still, I did it just not to waste the opportunity to furthur understand Buddhist architecture. Temples there are mostly made of wood blocks. One great thing about them is they are constructed without using a single nail. That's pretty amazing, isn't it? =)

Bai Dinh Pagoda - the biggest buddhist temple in Vietnam

Bai Dinh Pagoda roof structure

Bai Dinh Pagoda interior

Du Hang Pagoda

Ritual ceremony in Temple of Literature

Hanoi is a metropolitan city but it's still under development. While traveling from one destination to another destination, I can see a lot of unfinished constructions along the roadside. There's a lack  of organisation for the whole city. Shophouses are all of different sizes, electricity cables are intertwined in a very disorder manner and the traffic there is terrible even with traffic lights normally operated cz when it turns red, no vehicles is stopping at all. The city is seriously polluted. All day long I can hear horns everywhere.  Poisonous fumes emitted from vehicles can be smelled anytime which makes me feel terribly sick. I hate smokes!!!

For this 6 days 5 nights trip, I truly enjoyed it, not just because Vietnam is an interesting place, but the people who went for the trip together with me, makes the vacation the most wonderful ever one. I feel blessed to have such a big great lovely family. Hopefully, there'll be another one for the next year, the next next year and forever. ^^

I love you~You love me~We are one BIG family~
(not in pic: chia yee and her family members, my bro the cameraman, my dad elder sister husband and mian yi)