Today is Li Chun (立春), the first festival of the Chinese solar year. Li Chun means the beginning of Spring and it is a time when we all look forward to a fresh revitalised beginning. Among the older Chinese generation, today is a very significant day. Many hold the belief that depositing money into the banks during Li Chun symbolises ...

For many years now, I have been having recurring dreams about being lost in some foreign countries. In a dream many years ago, I was lost in an area near a small lake when I saw a lion on the opposite side of the lake. On seeing me, the lion ran round the small lake heading towards me. I was ...

It’s the Year of the Pig Chinese New Year is a time for celebrating it big It’s a festival of joy and celebration Family reunion is cause for jubilation.   Everyone strives to make it home for reunion dinner on New Year Eve Bringing home all sorts of goodies as gifts As the clock strikes midnight Fireworks light up the ...

Here comes 2019 the Year of the Female Earth Pig Everybody is dreaming to make it big Setting for themselves lofty goals and resolutions Aspiring to elevate their life’s stations.   With a Yin Earth Year Fengshui masters are expecting mixed energies World events may bring some good news and synergies But with a dominant earth energy with a yin ...

I have set myself a reading target of 12 books for the month of December and “Shifu, You’ll Do Anything For A Laugh” by Mo Yan is the first book that I have finished reading. “Shifu, You’ll Do Anything For A Laugh” is a collection of eight abrasive, bizarre and imaginative stories written in the 1980s and 1990s that give an ...

A friend of mine lent me the book “1963 A Slice of Bread and Jam” by Tommy Rhattigan a couple of months ago but because I have so many books on my TBR list, I did not get around to reading it until a couple of days ago. I thought it is a gloomy type of book about abject poverty ...

Two sisters’ apparent double suicide in central China recently highlights the tragic consequences of traditional favouritism shown to sons. A 17-year-old girl and her 10-year-old sister died in a double suicide after an argument with their 12-year-old brother over food. In a note written by the elder sister, the fight over the food with their brother was the last straw ...

With the World Cup entering the quarter-final stage with only 8 games left,  the Golden Boot race is heating up with England captain Harry Kane leading the pack of contenders. The Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scores most goals in the tournament. In the event of a tie – such as in 1962 and 1994 – the ...

Today is the day. Today is the day you are finally leaving Singapore to start a new life in Australia. We are amazed at how far you’ve come. We can still recall holding you in our arms as a baby, and now you’re moving to Australia with Amanda to pursue your dreams and goals. We’ll miss the both of you ...

Malaysia Airlines Bhd replaced AirAsia Bhd to emerge as the top contributor of consumer complaints filed with the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) last year. The commission said it received in 2017 the most number of complaints about Malaysia Airlines at 44.8%; followed by AirAsia at 21.4% and Malindo Air at 20.2%. Judging from the recent experience of my niece, I ...