Inge 茵格

Monday, May 27, 2013

Rose Farm in Cameron Highlands.

So many farms to visit. All so beautiful.
The Rose Farm has a variety of roses as well as some other flowers too.

Strawberry farming in Cameron

At the Lavender Farm in Cameron is also a Strawberry Farm. The strawberries are grown protectively and above the ground.

Lavender farm in Cameron Highlands

There was not as much lavender as I expected. Part of the lavender farm was also for other flowers and all the colours were very beautiful.

Cameron Highlands farming

There are so many farms where vegetables and strawberries are grown. Most plants are protected in hothouses. Cameron Highlands seems to me like the heartbeat of Malaysia.

Challenging toilet

This is challenging for any woman, especially Western women! Aim for the urinal or aim for the drainhole?!

On the way to Cameron Highlands

Early morning stop - 6:30 breakfast time. So much activity in the foodcourt so early. This lady was making a noodle dish called pig intestine noodles. Very fresh and tasty. But also very filling.

Fish farm building in Permas Jaya - May 2013

Monday, April 9, 2012

I grew up believing New Year’s Day is on the 1^st of January. When I started a habit of reading my Bible through in a year, I discovered that God says the year starts at Passover or 1^st of Nisan. In Malaysia I discovered other New Year’s Days..

Biblical New Year: this starts the month of the Exodus of the Hebrews out of Egypt. The whole book of Exodus tells this story. In modern days the Biblical New Year starts on 1 Nisan which is the month of the Passover, Passover being on the 14^th. The year begins when the first new moon of spring is sighted. It is also called the head of the months or Rosh Chodashim. http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Spring_Holidays/Rosh_Chodashim/rosh_chodashim.html

The month of Nisan was first called Abib. http://www.wildernesschurch.com/articles/calendar.htm

After the Babylonian exile the name changed to Nisan. The Jews began to the months by the names commonly used in exile as a reminder of God’s faithfulness in bringing them out of exile and back to their land.

Exodus 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year for you.

Western New Year: Christians generally follow the Roman calendar and start the year on 1 January. This is the Julian/Gregorian calendar and has no Biblical basis and not related to spring. http://www.wildernesschurch.com/articles/calendar.htm

Islamic/Muslim New Year: This is a lunar calendar of 12 months, but not synchronized with the seasons. It is used to date events in many Muslim Countries with Gregorian calendar and are used to determine the proper days on which to fast Ramadan or celebrate other holy days and festivals. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_calendar

Indian New Year: Due to different cultures and beliefs, New Year’s Day is celebrated at different times of the year at different places. Many seem to relate the day to spring. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_New_Year's_days

Chinese New Year: It is also know as the Spring Festival/ Chūnjié, /春節. It ends with the Lantern Festival on the 15^th day. Before New Year’s Day the Chinese will buy presents, food, new clothes, decorations for their homes and also give their homes a good clean out. Any ill-fortune is swept away to make way for good incoming luck. They will also decorate doorframes and windows with red paper cut-outs and couplets with themes of good fortune or happiness. On New Year’s Eve the families gather for a reunion dinner. This lasts till at least midnight when firecrackers are set off. The next day children receive money in red paper envelopes. The Chinese tradition is to reconcile, forgive and forget and to wish peace and happiness for everyone. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Chanukah

Hanukkah begins at sunset on Tuesday, 20 December 2011, and ends at sunset on Wednesday, 28 December 2011.

Hanukkah or Chanukah is a Jewish holiday towards the end of our year and is celebrated for eight days and nights. The word ‘hanukkah’ means ‘dedication’.

The Syrian-Greek soldier in the year 168 B.C.E took over the Jewish Temple for their god Zeus. Antiochus also persecuted the Jews and ordered them to worship Greek gods, bow down to idols and to eat pork. The Jews eventually rebelled under the leadership of the High Priest, Mattathias and his family. These rebels became known as the Maccabees/Hasmoneans. Eventually they managed to reclaim the Temple and planned to purify the Temple. They needed a certain oil for lighting the menorah and found only a day’s amount to use. They used this oil to light the menorah and miraculously the menorah burnt for eight days.

This miracle and the re-dedication of the Temple is remembered every year in the month of Kislev, starting on the 25^th. The celebration is over 8 days. Every night another candle is lit until 8 candles burn on the last night. This festival is also called the Festival of Lights.

Because many Jews live in Christian societies, they have started giving gifts to their children during this festival which usually falls near Christmas. Originally, gifts was not part of the celebration.

This festival is actually also relevant for Christians. It is mentioned in the New Testament in the book of John:

John 10:22-23 “Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter and Yeshua was in the Temple area walking in Solomon’s colonnade.”

John 8:12, Yeshua proclaims “I am the light of the world...he who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/hanukkah.htm

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Winter_Holidays/Chanukah/chanukah.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/chanukah.html

http://bethhamashiach.com/Hanakah.htm

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Joss sticks in Ang Mo Kio Industrial

I went to the Joss stick maker - Tay Guan Heng. He specializes in hand-crafted figurines and artworks. All the figurines and joss sticks are made with natual wood powder. He also gives workshops, talks and demonstrations. He also does art workshops for children's parties.
His details: Tel: 6454 1252 Singapore. Or handphone: 9617 5918 Singapore. The address: Blk 4001 Ang Mo Kio Ind. PK 1 #01-25 Singapore. He is open from Monday to Saturday: 9:30am - 6pm.

He makes the small joss sticks one sees people use when they pray in the temples. They use 3 joss sticks at a time to communicate to their god. He also makes the very big joss sticks which get burnt at funerals and I have seen them being burnt at Chinese New Year too.

This guy is busy spraypainting the big joss sticks.

The figurines are beautiful.

It is a very nice clay medium to use. Feels pleasant on ones fingers, shapes easy and gets to be air dried. He got us all to make a hand. By the time I got back home a couple of hours later, my hand was dry, but got a bit broken. I bought the wood powder, so I can either fix the hand, except 2 tiny fingers also broke off, or I can make a new hand.