Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen Temple ((佛光山东禅寺), Jenjarom

Mamarazzi have wanted to visit Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen Temple during Chinese New Year for many years already as she heard that the place are decorated very nicely at that time of the year.

Only this year did we managed to pay the temple a visit on Friday, the 8th day of Chinese New Year.

She choose to go on Friday coz it's a working day...should be less people there. 

Hence after my class, we came home and we had a quick lunch. I did some of the homework and around 3.30pm we zoom zoom over to Jenjarom Papa suggested that we go early so that can snap some clear photos

I slept a bit in the car. When we arrive, Mamarazzi woke me up. Hmm....goody. found parking easily. No problem there.

Problem was getting me to smile and look at the camera for the first few photos as I was grumpy. Hot and sleepy.

I have a particular angpau to donate to the temple. Hopefully it would do some good instead of otherwise.

 Mamarazzi didn't notice at first but Donation boxes were plenty around the temple compound.

 It sure did some "good" to me as next to the donation box was and ice cream counter. Mamarazzi bought Papa and me each an ice cream. Super yummy on such a hot day!

 Naughty Papa....he finished off his ice cream and wanted to have a bit of mine. hand over the ice-cream or I shoot you!

Paparazzi oh Paparazzi.....hey.....no shooting!

 Please take note  "DO NOT LITTER. DO NOT SMOKE, MAY BUDDHA BLESS YOU"

 Haiz....now Mamarazzi at work pulak....Faster snap la...hot dei! Or I'll turn into Tiger and bite you ah....ROAR!

 
Hmm...Is it a wishing fountain? saw many people trying to throw coins into the bowls there. "Bodek" Mamarazzi for some coins.

Oppsie....tak kena pulak.....oh well.......

 Maybe I'll try this Bell with better luck. Errr...not for wishing ah...for making a Vow? First step ..Join Palm together..make a vow...strike the bell.....DONNNGGGGGGG!

What vow have I made...ahem ahem.....

 Saw this plant. Naughty Mamarazzi asked me to touch it...Yeowwwww......ticklish....

Next went to Lumbini Garden. Wow...scenic place. There was a pond there with fishes. Plenty of flowers and orchids.

Many paper figures at the garden . In day time they don't look that nice but night time when the lights are lid, they look wonderful

 Mamarazzi saw this "bulat"type of bamboo. So cute. Like shape of a gourd.

 Nowadays whenever Papa and Mamarazzi try to get me to smile for the camera, I would give them Donald Duck smile....look same or not?

 Next we went to another part of the temple. It's fill with decoration of things from under the sea. There were helpers there who selling wishing cards . Many people buy and hang it up the trees.

 Yoohooo! Auntie Shereen....You wanna adopt a monkey? Here is one for you....

 Scenic place.....too bad my Mandarin is only up to reading numbers coz saw beneath the statues which were behind me there were dates....1st to...30th or was it 31st....and each have some writing on it. Mamarazzi was wondering what are those...maybe like horoscope? Telling about the characteristic of people born on those dates?

 Next to it, there was a garden with loads and loads of flowers....

The orchids there were HUGE....some are as big as the size of a child's palm.

Mamarazzi really envy the blooming "Sau Kau" flowers(the blue and pink flowers). As far as she know, it's very hard to get those flowers to bloom.

Really tiring walking around. Lucky for us, mamarazzi was clever. She brought along ice water for us to drink.

Too bad she didn't thought of bringing some food as the food there were quite pricey. 

This plain fried bihun cost RM5. Portion pretty small too. And the box of "nasi Lemak" with vegetarian Char Siew cost RM7. Kinda weird having "nasi lemak" with char siew. 

Lucky for us the Ice Blended drinks at the 1st stall were not that price. RM5 a cup while another stall in the middle was selling ice blended drinks at RM8.80 a cup.

 

By the time we finished "dinner" , it was 7.30pm. The crowd had started to built up . Lights were on. 

 There were performance on the stage by school kids and various groups.

 While performance were going on, volunteers walked around giving empty angpau packets to the audience to be fill up.

Later another volunteer came to me with a big box.

Silly me...I thought she was giving me pressie and I took the box. Then the lady said no no no....it's for me to put in the "filled up" angpau. It's a donation box.

 There was dragon dance by school children too. I got a sweet from him. 

 We didn't wait for the performance to end. Walked around some more.

 Snap some more photos. 

 And many with my "donald Duck " smile. 

 Yup...It's hard to get me looking directly at the camera and smile naturally. Mamarazzi just have to pakai hentam and keep snapping photos and maybe one or two out of the many will turn out okay.

 Like this one 

 And this one...not bad ya?

It's worth a trip there. You still have time to go as it will be on till 16th February 2014. After that, guess you will have to wait for next year then.

Here is the address : PT2297, Jalan Sg. Buaya, 42600 Jenjarom, Kuala Langat, Selangor, Malaysia. Tel : 603-31911533 / 31914304 Fax : 603-31911467

Big Bad Wolf FireBall Book Sale 15-23 February 2014

NEWS FLASH !!

Well...not actually news flash la if you have been following Big Bad Wolf Books Facebook.

They will be having Fireball Books Sale from 15-23 February 2014

No 24 hours sale this round(maybe pending response from fans?). The official time is 9am to 9pm at MIECC

Big price slash leh...So better mark your calendar ya.

Hopefully Mamarazzi can get more Picture Dictionary for me as am crazy about them at this moment.

Disclaimer : This is not a paid post nor have we received any goods in lieu. Just sharing the news with friends. The above photos are taken from Big Bad Wolf Books Facebook.

Chinese New Year "No See" Lion Dance, See Superman

 Uiks ...CNY Card for me? from who ah?

 Dig Dig...It's from Anay!

Mak oi.....Tak sangka he is so creative leh....A simple card can be turn into something so special!

NOTE : Thank you to everyone for the cards and parcels that had arrived and for those that had gone missing. Yup! Postal service at this new area not so efficient. Some friends had mailed greeting cards to us but we did not receive some of it. It had gone missing including parcel from Shirley from Singapore and Kaw Kaw LC from NZ. No sight of Berry Bright too. 

This year we zoom zoom back hometown right after my class on 29th. Didn't even stop to eat lunch as Ah Mah called said she is cooking dinner and that it's the last day my Kaw Kaw is around before CNY. 

Mamarazzi tapau-ed  Chicken Rice and I ate in the car while Papa drive. Papa said he doesn't want lunch as he was not feeling well. Took two Panadol. But halfway at petrol station he "helped" me finished my pack of Chicken Rice.

Arrived Ah Mah's house just in time for dinner.

 The next evening we went to D'Choco Heaven  to pick up Birthday cake for Ah Mah. She was celebrating her birthday together with relatives, Papa and me whose birthday in Jan and February

I kept asking for who? Sometimes Papa said Ah Mah's Birthday and sometimes Mamamarazzi said it's for join Papa and mine.

 If this birthday cake is Ah mah's ...where is mine? I wanted to cry liao 

(photo taken from D'Choco Heaven FB)

Che Sue of D'Choco Heaven actually gave us an additional fruit fan cake when she heard about our birthdays. That evening we only cut one as Ah Mah said the other cake wait for Kaw Kaw to come back  and cut as her birthday also fall in February.

 How many candles ah? Just hentam put all the candles that Che Sue gave la.

 Me..I choose the best part...this piece of Chocolate from the top of the cake. Yummy

 Aiyo...paiseh betul la...as she also gave us two packet of mini tarts which I walloped all..none for Papa

I love the "spiderweb" tart the most. Thank you very much Che Sue. Nak lagi "spiderweb " *muka tembok China mode* ....

One first day of CNY, we went to the temple. Had breakfast then Papa and Mamarazzi spotted this unique bus at the bus station. Spontaneous decision to take a ride on this bus.

 Pose first ah

 Wow...everything in the bus made of wood...errr...not all la...but it had a wooden look. Very artistic wood carvings. Our first time on this bus.

 But don't "see it no up"(direct translation from Cantonese meaning look down)  eh...it have air-conditioning leh.

 Mamarazzi asked me to pose for a bit.

Curi-curi sat on the bus driver seat and snap photo.

 On second day of CNY we journey back to KL lo. Yup...beat the traffic jam. Smooth sailing and the car guai-guai too. Didn't kaput halfway though the gearbox have been giving problem for sometime.

 

It was so smooth sailing that near Maran area, I saw two "Superman". Nope! They were not the notorious Mat Rempit. They were not racing their motorcycle nor harassing others drivers. They were just "cruising". Must have been quite good science students leh. Know of the aero dynamic of utilising wind power and borrowing wind from vehicles in front.

Guess sitting down too long journey "balik kampung", their balls bum bum painful hence try "superman" style gua.

As usual, we dropped by Auntie CC's house to collect goodies.

See! Mamarazzi muka tembok China betul. Gave Auntie CC this BIG Tupperware container to fill the Chinese New Year goodies with.

 

 (photo taken from Auntie CC's FB)

But Auntie CC's cookies memang the best in the world leh. See these cookies...Cute right? No more for Mamarazzi to snap photo coz you know me la. Hence had to curi take from Auntie CC's FB

 Stop by Termeloh to buy the Patin Fish. Yeah...during CNY fish price usually very expensive if eat in restaurant hence Mamarazzi said buy and cook at home better la. Price remains the same here..RM14/kg. For RM48, we got 5 medium size patin fish.

This stall very clever oh. Apart from fish, they also sells ingredients which is needed to cook Tempoyak Ikan Patin. Nah ...Mamarazzi didn't buy. Better tapau the tempoyak Ikan Patin from that stall la as it's quite beyond her to cook it with perfection.

Stop by Termeloh to have dinner and a very smooth journey home. Yay! Next morning, I was so enegised that I wanted to go for morning cycling by both Papa and Mamarazzi were snoring like a pig too tired to wake up early.

The Must Have For Chinese New Year - Jasmine Fragrant Rice.

 Heavy ah....10kg of rice leh ! It's time to refill the rice container. We sure ate a lot during Chinese New Year

 

Have just filled up the container to the tippy top before Chinese New Year coz Mamarazzi said it’s auspicious to have the rice container fill to the brim as it signify a bountiful year ahead, and yet the rice finished so fast.

This weird Mamarazzi...why she cut the bag of rice at the bottom instead of the top. So weird.....

 Yee Sang is a must have during the Chinese New Year

Apart from that, many would have fish, prawns , crabs and meat during Chinese New Year reunion dinner to symbolise abundance.

But Mamarazzi said during her granny's time, they don't get to eat all these. In fact they don't have reunion dinner but they have reunion lunch.

Having steamed chicken, vegetable and soup is considered as a luxury. And if there is extra money, one of her Uncles would buy some roast pork.

But no matter what, her granny would always ensured that they have fragrant rice during Chinese New Year. It got something to do with having fragrant rice symbolising wealth or something like that. In the old days, having fragrant rice for them is considered as very good as not many can afford fragrant rice. 

According to Mamarazzi, Popo also uses fragrant rice. She use jasmine fragrant rice as the quality is very good. See...no husk attached and all grains are unbroken. Unbroken grain is good. Means perfect. ...perfect life perfect year?.

Mamarazzi said the scent of Jasmine fragrant rice brings back memories of the good old days. Mamarazzi ate very little when she was a kid. Her granny would fill her plate of rice with at least two scoop of rice. It's rude to put one scoop of rice as usually one scoop of rice is for the spirit. Not for human.

What Mamarazzi like the most then was to eat the burnt rice at the bottom of the pot. Another aunt also loves to eat the burnt rice. Yeah...in the old days they don't have electric rice cooker. Her granny cooks it in a stove.

Her granny used to chide her for not finishing her rice. Said she will get a pockmarked face husband. Must not hold chopstick at the very end else end up going far away from the family. 

Wah...this Jasmine fragrant rice sure brought back a lot of memories to Mamarazzi leh. Let me smell pulak and see if I remembers anything from my "baby days".

Ah...I know.... the scent tells me my tummy is rumbling. Quit snapping photos and reminiscing old time la. I wanna eat my jasmine fragrant rice already.Jasmine fragrant rice is best eaten while it is still warm  .