Posted in conservation, festival, heritage, Uncategorized, tagged Book, heritage, Ipoh on April 18, 2011| Leave a Comment »
First of, let me just say …..
Tin Mining in Malaysia 1800-2000: The Osborne & Chappel Story. Written by David Palmer and Michael Joll.
Dato Ng Yen Yen holding the book with the author David Palmer on the left.
Heritage House in Gopeng
Posted in culture, heritage, Uncategorized, tagged chinese culture, festival, legend, weaving maid & cowherd on August 16, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Source: http://www.china-fun.net/
I never heard of Chinese Valentine Day until I was way pass my puberty. Eventhough I’m from a chinese family, I’m english-educated and so do not follow too much the stories, legends or customs of old. My family celebrated the basic festivals like Chinese New Year, Mooncake/Mid-Autumn Festival, Qing Ming Festival, Lantern Festival and Dumpling Festival are being observed.
I fully understand about it after watching a tvb drama (accidentally because I don’t normally watch chinese drama) called “The Legend of Love”. The drama tells of a very tragic yet magnificient love story ala ‘Romeo & Juliet’. In this case, she is a weaving maid from heaven and he is a cowherd. Force to be separated and only to met once a year (on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month). This day is also known as the Weaving Maid Festival. Known as many name such as Qixi Festival (Chinese: 七夕節; pinyin: qī xī jié; literally “The Night of Sevens”), also known as Magpie Festival. It also inspired Tanabata (aka. Shichiseki [七夕]) in Japan, Chilseok (칠석) inKorea, and vi:Thất Tịch in Vietnam. Only in recent decade it’s been call The Chinese Valentine’s Day.
On the eve of the seventh day of the seventh month, the Cowherd Star (Altair~ s the brightest star in theconstellation Aquila and the twelfth brightest star in the night sky) would be seen in the northeastern region in the sky, and opposite in the northwest would be the Weaving Maid Star (Vega~brightest star in the constellation Lyra, the fifth brightest star in the night sky and the second brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere). This year 2010, it falls on the 16th August.
The story or legend of this pair goes something like this (very concise version) ~ The Weaving Maid was the Queen Mother’s daughter. She came to earth one day and met the cowherd. The fell in love and were married, and had a son and a daughter. When the Queen mother took the Weaving Maid back to heaven, the cowherd give chase but was stopped by the milky way. The magpies in the sky then formed a bridge for them. The Queen Mother finally agreed to let them meet each other on the eve of the seventh day of the seventh lunar month on the Magpie Bridge.
Source: http://beijingexpert.com/
On this night, young ladies would pray to the Weaving Maid and Cowherd. The Womenfolk in the ancient time would thread a seven-holed needle. Being able to accomplish it quickly meant that one had skillful hands. They would also capture spiders and place inside a box. They would open the box the nest day, if the cobwebs inside were dense, means that they had gained in dexterity.
To all lovers out there, whether you’re chinese or not, may this Chinese Valentine Day bring you closer together. Be thankful for the person next to you every second of your life.
MAKE LOVE NOT WAR. REMEMBER THAT ‘LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND’
green witch/bitch
Posted in conservation, environment, green, heritage, home, tagged conservation, environment on August 11, 2010| Leave a Comment »
I’m sure many of you have heard this plead and cry many times before. To some it’s like a constant nagging and to most just another campaign or whatever that does not affect you. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!
The destruction of the rainforest affects ALL of us. Unless you are not living on this planet or you have a spaceship that can wiz you off somewhere else. Why? you ask. By destroying the rainforest we are actually destroying the habitat of the many species that works together with ecosystem to make mother earth works better for all. In simple word, it prevented flooding and other environmental disaster.
Don’t believe me, turn on the tube and watch the news of all the natural disaster happening around the world. Why should you care? BECAUSE you are living on earth and it’s your HOME, do your part support and demand that all destructive activities be stop and also Temengor Forest is only in our backyard. Belum-Temengor Forest is the largest remaining forest in Peninsular Malaysia. As some of us start our Puasa month, think about all the other gods’ creature that are being put out of their living environment by logging activities and possible conversion to plantation. Don’t all of us deserve a place under the sun ?
To read more go here.
To make a stand and be the CHANGE you want to see in this world, you can donate at least 500 Bonuslink points that will be channeled towards Malaysian Nature Society’s “Save the Temengor Forest” conservation program. To donate go here.
Go sign petition here.
Whatever you decide, it’s in your hand. The future of the rainforest depends on you. I do not wish to one day wake up and only see trees in a museum.
I would like to share with you the lyric of “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell.
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
They took all the trees
Put ’em in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see ’em
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
Hey farmer farmer
Put away the D.D.T. now
Give me spots on my apples
But leave me the birds and the bees
Please!
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
Late last night
I heard my screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Took away my old man
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
I said don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
You can watch the music video of this song performed by Counting Crow at youtube
I’ve my say and I wish and pray that every of you will do your bit to make this world a better place. Have a fantastic day. Go hug a tree today.
green bitch/witch 
Posted in conservation, heritage, WORLD ISSUES, tagged environment, heritage, Ipoh on April 17, 2010| Leave a Comment »
The International Day for Monuments and Sites (informally known as the World Heritage Day) was created on 18th April, 1982, by ICOMOS and later approved at the 22nd UNESCO General Conference in 1983. Check out more in my last year blog.
This year 2010 the theme is AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE. To know more about Agricultural Heritage go here.
Heritage Trail Map 1 by Kinta Heritage Sdn Bhd
As for me, I’ll probably checkout Ipoh Heritage Walk that going to be taken place on April 25. The tour, commencing at the Ipoh Town Hall at 8.00 a.m., a total of 24 heritage buildings located within the perimeter of Club Road (Jalan Dato’ Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab), Post Office Road (Jalan Dewan), Clayton Road (Jalan S.P. Seenivasagam) and Belfield Street (Jalan Sultan Yussuf) will be visited. Read more here.
Whatever you be doing, take a moment to appreciate our heritage. Once gone, can never get it back again.
green bitch/witch 😉
Posted in heritage, tagged conservation, heritage, Ipoh on March 25, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Perak Heritage Society or better known as PHS has recently joined the rest of us in going digital ~ blogging about things that are close to their heart – HERITAGE.
With so many of us turning to new and modern looking stuffs, changing of styles and fashion and totally forgetting our very own heritage. Take time to look back at how simpler life was. Appreciate the beauty around us, whether it’s the scenery, building, people, culture etc, because once gone you might NEVER be able to see it again. Enjoy the moment because it is PRECIOUS.
“It is not the honor that you take
with you, but the
heritage you leave behind.”
~ Branch Rickey
So what are you waiting for, do your part. To know more about PHS, please click here.
green witch/bitch
green witch/bitch 