Tag: Festival

  • Tiger Chinese New Year Celebration in Penang, Miao Hui 2010

    Tiger Chinese New Year Celebration in Penang, Miao Hui 2010

    This year is Tiger year for the Chinese, very cute because many Chinese will use Tiger as their mascot or buy Tiger bear for fun, or even drink more Tiger beer. So every year in Penang, my hometown, there’s Chinese New Year Celebration and Open House for everyone to visit, play, eat and drink in town area, which is known as Miao Hui 庙会.

    IMG_5633 by nicholaschan.

    Every year also has that many people come to this place, somewhere around Armenian Street and Pitt Street. They set up stages, lots of booth and everywhere at there are well-decorated with Chinese New Year feel.

    This year would be my third visit already. I was there in 2008 and also in 2009. Actually every year go there also is take photos only, and go for fun to join the crowds, since there’s so many people. This year was different a bit because I shoot with a different lens, the Tamron f/2.8 17-50mm. Hehe. No idea whether I will be there or not next year. If I got a new lens or a new body, maybe I’ll go again.

    IMG_5631 by nicholaschan.

    Actually nothing much one, it’s the same every year. Cultural booths, game booths, food stalls, lion dance, fashion show and many Chinese-related thing. There’s youth doing treasure hunt and found me because I had a “Tiger” tooth that they were looking for. I guess joining the hunt is funner than photo shooting.

    IMG_5634 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_5638 by nicholaschan.
    Cultural dancer.

    IMG_5640 by nicholaschan.

    Something not very comfortable was that this year’s weather went crazy. It’s very hot. Alvin, Andy and me were there at around 5pm, it’s almost sunset already, but still very hot. Luckily I had just t-shirt and shorts.

    IMG_5643 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_5647 by nicholaschan.
    Andy Ooi.

    IMG_5684 by nicholaschan.
    Starbucks Coffee had a booth there too! Java Chips Frapuccino!

    Compare to last year, I feel last year has got more people, there’s people like sardine cramming on the street, but this year didn’t have.

    IMG_5686 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_5740 by nicholaschan.
    Met Cai Qian.

    IMG_5742 by nicholaschan.
    Met Chin Keong, Kelvin, Kok Sheng and more.

    Met friends but not many. The Magnificent SIX was not there, they went to a movie and there’s only me from the SIX was there. But I saw a lot of Leo Club friends. ROAR.

    IMG_5748 by nicholaschan. IMG_5747 by nicholaschan.
    What was Kok Sheng doing there?

    IMG_5753 by nicholaschan.

    I like happenings place. If there’s place in Penang that’s always so happenings then it will be nice and cool. I don’t like to see a dead city or dead town, it’s not fun. I know some people like to be alone, but do go out some times to take a look what’s happening and go back again. Me, myself is a weird person, I like quiet but I also like happenings, weird right. Haha.

    IMG_5755 by nicholaschan.
    Found Spongebob hanging somewhere. ^^

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    IMG_5774 by nicholaschan.
    Happy faces for CNY!

    There’s cultural dances on the stage but every year, I didn’t bother what happen on the stage. Feel bad for all the performance, I know their tiredness and effort in performing and I am talking cock. Haha, but anyway, if got chance, I will check the stage performance again.

    IMG_5786 by nicholaschan.

    Governor of Penang, Abdul Rahman bin Haji Abbas was there too! For like less than 15 minutes. He came here to “hi and bye”. So high post and high class people, at least must come and “hi and bye” for a while to give face.

    IMG_5793 by nicholaschan.
    Cool CM.

    My favourite Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng stayed a little while longer than the Govenor for media interview. Hehe.

    IMG_5795 by nicholaschan. IMG_5796 by nicholaschan.

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    Boss! a.k.a. Lion Alan Thoo, my Leo Club’s District Chairperson. Rocks!

    IMG_5922 by nicholaschan.
    I like to call him Doctor Yew. I.T. support man for Digi.

    My employer did actually ask me whether want to work on that day or not because Digi was a major sponsor for the event, but somehow, I decided to go for photoshooting rather than promoting. =)

    IMG_5923 by nicholaschan.
    Pinky.

    Met colleagues a.k.a. friends that I’ve work before with.

    IMG_5924 by nicholaschan.
    Met Amanda the blogger.

    Sometime I feel headache when I’ve taken so many photos, I don’t know want to put it up, obviously I have a bad mind in presenting it to you all. So I am splitting the post up. Stay tune for more about this Chinese New Year celebration evening, Miao Hui.

     

  • Throw Coconut on Thaipusam Day at Datuk Keramat

    Throw Coconut on Thaipusam Day at Datuk Keramat

    Oh hello, I am back again and now I am going to talk about the Indian’s big Thaipusam Day that happened two weeks ago. I am so lucky to be in one of the states that has big celebration for this big Indian/Tamil/Hindu festival. As far as I know, Penang and Kuala Lumpur are the two places here in Malaysia that have it big.

    IMG_4747 by nicholaschan.

    Last year, some friends did invite me to go to the festival to do some photoshooting, but because I couldn’t wake up so early in the morning, so I missed it. This year was different, I didn’t plan to go photo shooting too, but it’s just that on the day before, Thaipusam’s Eve, the procession has already started and I was going no where after the Chung Ling Memorial thing, so Chien Chern, my friend decided to go visit a friend at Datuk Keramat Road whose his dad’s shop is just right in front of the Thaipusam thing.

    IMG_4742 by nicholaschan.

    So what they had that afternoon was the coconut throwing and some procession take place and people pays respect to the Indian god by contributing prayers thing like fruits, candles.

    Till now, I still remembered it’s a very hot day, the sun was hanging high in the sky, shinning down, with the heat radiating the ground. I didn’t care because I wanted to shoot the festival and share it up.

    IMG_4753 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_4755 by nicholaschan.

    The coconuts were bought by people mostly have their business along the road, they throw the coconut on the ground, break it, is to clean the road for procession, as a respect to god, a prayer, for wealth and health. It’s said to be good luck to throw the coconut. I did try before long time ago when I was small, when my dad had a furniture shop at Datuk Keramat Road, it’s now moved to Gottlieb Road though.

    IMG_4761 by nicholaschan.
    Arron and his family.

    At the time 2.30pm sharp, “piak piak piak” sound can be heard and coconuts were everywhere on the ground with the juice splashing out. The scene was epic. Try not to stand near to them because the coconut can be rebounded. Hehe, just like a basketball.

    IMG_4763 by nicholaschan.

    Part of the road was block for this thing and people who bought coconut were at the middle of the road while me and other people like me who see for fun and takes photo were on the other side, hoping that did not get hit by the coconut.

    IMG_4768 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_4774 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_4784 by nicholaschan.

    These coconuts although are hard, but it’s actually kinda easy to be squashed. At some time, some un-squashed will roll to my place and I will pick it up and join the fun too!

    IMG_4806 by nicholaschan.
    Chien Chern, Me and Arron.

    IMG_4808 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_4809 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_4804 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_4814 by nicholaschan.

    The whole thing was like 15 minutes. The aftermath was cool with a wet coconut juiced road and coconut every where.

    IMG_4821 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_4818 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_4841 by nicholaschan.

    The MPPP people were very efficient, when everything stopped, they quickly come and swept the coconut to a side and let the real procession began and don’t want to stuck the road.

    IMG_4828 by nicholaschan. IMG_4826 by nicholaschan.

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    The next thing after the coconut throwing was the procession thing, with devotees paying respect and offerings.

    IMG_4857 by nicholaschan.

    They walk with their bare feet and I believed the road is not hot already because it had been juiced.

    IMG_4859 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_4861 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_4864 by nicholaschan.

    I don’t really know how to describe this, so I’ll let the photos speak. =)

    IMG_4871 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_4874 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_4877 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_4880 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_4881 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_4883 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_4886 by nicholaschan.

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    IMG_4891 by nicholaschan.

    IMG_4892 by nicholaschan.

    Happy Thaipusam, super belated!

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