God has given us the day, we can use it as we like. We can waste it, or grow in its light and be of service to others. But what we do on the day is important, as we have exchanged a day of our life for it. When tomorrow come,today will be gone. I hope I will not regret for the price I paid for the day.
Life is beautiful, together let us make each of our life, and other people's life more beautiful...
Today is Duanwu((端午节), the fifth day of fifth months of Chinese lunar calendar. Some called it Dragon Boat Festival. This is the day where we eat zongzi or rice dumpling(粽子).Zongzi is a traditional Chinese food, made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings, which included salted duck egg yolks(咸鸭蛋), Chinese black mushrooms(香菇), red beans paste(红豆沙), mug beans(绿豆)dried red dates(jujube),dried prawn shrimps(虾米), scallops, red cooked porks,chestnuts, Chinese sausage(臘腸 lap cheong). The rice is cooked by frying the rice until it is cooked, then the cooked rice are wrapped in bamboo or lotus or reed leaves, fillings are then put inside before the leaves and tightly tied. The tied dumpling are then boiled in the wok with are covered. After several hours of boiling, the dumpling will be ready when it is cooked.The dumplings are either wrapped in triangle(normally south region) or square shape(normally north region).
There are many types of zongzi; they are Jianshui Zong(碱水粽), Bak Zong or Meat Zong, and in Malaya there are Nyonya Zong(娘惹粽). Jianshui Zong is the rice dumpling without any fillings, which is also called alkaline water dumpling, the glutinous rice was treated with with Lye, a type of caustic soda,which give the dumpling its yellow color. The dumpling was eaten as dessert,sometime with the white sugar or black sugar/coconut sugar syrup. Nyonya dumpling used pandan leaves instead of bamboo leaves, and the filling included Samba belachan, a type of dried prawn paste with chilly. There is another type called Lo Mai Kai(糯米鸡), which is popular lotus leaves wrapped dim sum.
The rice dumpling with filling in northern region style, lotus leaves wrapping with square shape. (Photo credited to Allen Timothy Chang, taken on 10-3- 2005)
The rice dumpling without fillings; treated with Lye or caustic soda. It is yellow in color, eat with sugar or coconut or black sugar syrup.(Photo credited to Benjwong, taken on 6-10-2007)
As with other Chinese food which are related to festival, there are always story behind the food. Zongzi or Rice dumpling is the food that Chinese eat during Duanwu to remember the death of patriotic poet and scholar, Qu yuan(屈原 340 BC to 278 BC) from the Kingdom of Chu(楚国), the Warring States Period(战国时代 476 BC to 226 BC). There were 7 kingdoms during the Warring States Period(燕Yuan、赵Chao、魏Wei、韩Han、齐Ji、楚Chu、秦Qin). Qu Yuan was born in Xiling Gorge area(now Hubei Province), the place had now submerged in the new dam constructed. He was the descendant of noble family and the champion of political loyalty and truth to Chu kingdom. He was appointed as the minister and counselor of the king, 楚怀王.He advocated for alliance of all smaller kingdoms of the warring period to against the strong Qin kingdom(秦国). But the King of Chu did not favor the political idea, and was influenced by other corrupted ministers who were against the idea,instead make alliance with Qin. He was sacked by the king and sent to exile in the remote Hanbei(汉北, 今安康一带及汉水上游地区), he was very upset and worried over the home country. His anger and worry was the source of inspiration for his famous and greatest poetry works, which mainly on the love for his country and his worry about his future. This was his first exile; the king called him back when the country was attacked by Qin and the country needed Qu Yuan to liaise with other kingdoms for help. In the year 299 BC, the Qin kingdom attacked Chu kingdom,the king was captured and died in Qin in the year 296 BC.The new king was also worry of Qu Yuan for advocate against Qin, Qu Yuan was sent for his second exile in the remote South(陵阳-据说是今安徽青阳县南）。. It was in his second exile that the country of Chu was defeated and fell. Qu Yuan when heard the news, was so upset , he committed suicide in 278 BC at the Miluo River(汨罗江), now in Hunan Province.
The villagers carried rice dumplings and boats to the river and tried to save him.The dumplings was threw into the river, to try to save him from being attacked by fish and dragon or evil spirit(as they believed at the time). The boats also beat drum, to frighten the fishes and the evil spirits. Today at the anniversary of the death of Qu Yuan, people eat rice dumpling and race dragon boats to remember him.
The festival was even spread to Korea and Japan.
The festival is also used to remember the other 5 people,namely (1)春秋时吴国忠臣伍子胥(Wu Zixu),first ancestor of Wu clan(伍)and founder of Suzhou city (蘇州)during the Spring Autumn period(春秋时期) of China. He was forced suicide by the king in 484 BC. (2)东汉的曹蛾,Cao Er, the 14 years old young girl of Eastern Han Dynasty who jumped into the lake to search for father's body (3)广西的陈临,Chen Lin, Guangxi official who was loved by the locals (4)越王勾践,the king who was the first to train navy by dragon boat race (5)浙江绍兴秋瑾(Qiu Jin 1875-1907),a female writer/poet and anti- Qing revolutionary who was killed by Qing government).
I still remember mum's rice dumpling, when she was young she used to prepare dumplings for us during Duanwu festival. Mum's dumplings was the best dumpling I ever tasted. Today, I remember mum, and her dumplings.....
Ficus microcarpa, also known as Chinese Banyan, Malayan Banyan, Indian Laurel or Curtain fig, is a banyan native in the range from Sri Lanka to India, southern People's Republic of China, the Malay Archipelago, the Ryukyu Islands, Australia, and New Caledonia. This is the trees that I used to hear from song,from books, from my ancestral home(Chaoyang),but is doubtful whether I have seen the tree. I read this article from the blog and found the photo were unique and beautiful. Together with the familiar Chinese song, I posted them into my blog just for childhood remembrance.
Below is the message from UNHCR for 2008 World Refugee Day, it is on 20th June, next month. Remember the day, remember UNHCR, remember the refugee and IDP(Internally Displaced Persons)...
Who is an Internally Displaced Person?
"Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized state border" (UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement).
About World Refugee Day 2008
On June 20, we celebrate World Refugee Day. This year, events around the world focused on the fundamental need for protection. For some, this means economic security; for others, protection is freedom from violence and persecution. On World Refugee Day, we turn our attention to the millions of refugees who live without material, social and legal protection.
Since its foundation in 1951, UNHCR has protected tens of millions of refugees. For us, protection consists of tangible improvements in the lives of forcibly displaced people – from the provision of food and shelter to support for those lacking legal status or those wishing to return to their home countries. On World Refugee Day, we commemorate this vital engagement.
Protection is also about raising awareness. We cannot protect refugees if their plight remains invisible. On World Refugee Day, we highlight the universal nature of protection. Not only are refugees protected all around the globe, but the responsibility for protection is equally global.
Ultimately, protection is a challenge that knows no borders. Neither can it be left to a single agency to provide. This World Refugee Day, we launched a global call for action. We want to promote engagement at the grassroots level, in local communities, workplaces and online. Only through a global network of supporters can we meet the manifold needs of protection.
How can you help?
Online social utilities provide excellent tools for advocacy. Become a fan on Facebook, support our cause and share our videos, photos and latest news with your friends. You can also find us on MySpace, YouTube and Flickr.
For more details on the work of UNHCR, please visit their official website http://www.unhcr.org/help.html
The three rows on the right are the three types of Ham Chin Pen
Ham Chin Pen with glutinous rice filling
Ham Chin Pen or Ham Chin Peng
Ham ChimPeng(咸煎饼 xiánjiānbǐng) is a type of salted pan cake or Chinese deep fried bun like pastry. It is a popular street food. Ham in Cantonese literally means salted, ChimPeng means Pan Cake. So Ham ChimPeng means Salted Pan Cake. It is round shape. The Ham ChimPeng may comes in 3 types, the normal( the salted), the red bean filling(tau sar), and the glutinous rice(chu bee). The best Ham ChimPeng is reported to be located at the junction of Cintra Street and Campbell Street, Penang. It open only at night. The stall has been there since I was a small boy. I preferred the one with glutinous rice.
I suddenly remember Ham ChimPeng, after reading of the political development in Perak state. Yau Char Kwai was the food eaten to remember the traitor of Song Dynasty, Qin Hui(秦檜/秦桧1090-1155), who was the one that caused the downfall of the SongKingdom. The Chinese people ate Yau Char Kwai as a culture to remember him as traitor. The statues of Qin Hui and his wife was built in front of tomb stone of General YueFei (岳飞 1103-1142) in WestLake(西湖), Hangzhou(杭州), China.
Ham ChimPeng is the street food , normally sold together with Yau Char Kwai. The Penang Chief Minister LimGuan Eng once called the person who caused the downfall of the Perak state government as Wu Sangui(吳三桂1612-1678), the ancient Chinese General who allowed the Qing armies(Manchus) to enter China and caused the downfall of Ming Dynasty in 1644. The party hopper that caused the downfall of the state government was like Wu Sangui.
It was like allow the party who has no majority seats that was "voted in by the people" to form the state government; their majority was gained by party hopping. Some did not agree with him, they said it is the the freedom of choice of the elected representatives. Whose choice? representative's choice? or people's choice?. Is the justification for hopping accepted by the people? It is the betray of people's choice, betray of democracy......
But democratic election is freedom of people to vote for their representatives in the assembly, and the party with the majority will form the government. The majority is voted by people. But merely by depending on party hopping to become the majority, the said majority is not true majority, it was not voted by the people.The basis essence of the democracy is people, not political party(which only is a vehicle for people to express their choice),not the elected representative(who represented the people). It is still the people...the people's choice. I think the politician need to be re-educated on the spirit of democracy.
The Perak people should eat more Ham ChimPeng to remember the person. Ham Chin Peng is round in shape, which indicated woman. The Yau Char Kwai is in strips, which indicated man. So the Perak people need to deep fry the Ham ChimPeng in the boiling oil at the big wok,to express their displeasure on the mockery and betray on the democracy . So that person who caused the problem, will no longer be happy for what she has done; it is the silence protest on her choice , without reverting to the source or people who voted for the elected representative . Is it better than wearing black shirt?.
Perhaps an iron statute of the person, can be built in front of democracy tree in Ipoh, kneeling in front of democracy tree. The democracy tree is a rain tree, which will closed the leaves at night. Let the rain tree cry each day to remember the dark day of Perak politic. The more emotional one can spit on the statute, as like what happen to Qin Hui in China.
Ham ChimPeng will be famous in history. The rain tree will be famous in history. It will have new story to tell…… and Ham ChimPeng sellers will be happy, they will have fantastic business opportunity in future. The place will become a tourism attraction for the state. This is the strategy of turning crisis into opportunity, a way to stimulate the state economy?. All sectors will be happy. Malaysia boleh!
Let us eat more Ham ChimPeng…..to express our displeasure on the failure of the democracy in the state, to remember the day the democracy was betray. It can be indoor, it can be outdoor; it can be in the private party; or it can be under the rain tree; ooooh one day it will be our culture(culture is formed by people) and heritage....... The expression of freedom for food......the freedom to use food to tell a real story to our children....to tell a ugly chapter on our Malaysian political history. It is a public duty as an elder of the nation, to pass the story to the younger generation, to teach them to value and respect the people's choice. Will the food be banned?????. (Note : law is make by people, to protect people).
Related posting:
The posting on 17-5-2009, with the title "Yau Char Kwai (油炸鬼)
The Teochew song posted in this blog is the folk song about a boat , the Teochew called it Red Head Boat(红头船)or junk, as the boat was painted with red color in the bow or front of the boat. The boat was used to transport rice from Thailand to China, it was made of teak wood, which was only found in Burma and Thailand. The boats sailed in the sea in a group. Other than transport rice to China, the boat also carry Chinese produces and Teochew people on their return trips from China to other part of South East Asia, called Nanyang(南洋)in olden days. The junks sailed through the South China Sea, to Annam(Vietnam), to Siam(Thailand), to Khmer(Cambodia), to Malacca(Malaysia).......
The song sing about their ancestor who left their home land with the boat , leaving behind the children, wife, and parents; looking for unknown future. Many never return, and died in the foreign land, others remained poor and hopeless in foreign land, and stay lonely in the foreign land. There are few who make the fortune and return as a hero to their native land.
Changlin ancient port (樟林古港),
(source:汕头大学图书馆)
The port of departure was the ancient port of Changlin(樟林古港),which was from Chenghai(澄海) district. The ancient port of Changlin was found in 1556 and continued to use as port until 1858. The ancient port of Changlin was however known as the birth place of Red-Head Junk or boat in history. (note: Chenghai was the birth place of Hai-Hong, the father of King Taksinสมเด็จพระเจ้ากรุงธนบุรีof Siam during the ThonburiKingdom). After the 2nd Opium War (第二次鸦片战争)or Arrow War(1856-1860), a new treaty port of Chau-Chow (Swatow), now Shantou(汕头) was forced to open to foreign countries under the unequal Treaty of Tianjin(天津條約). The main military strategic objective of British was to legalize opium(which was banned at that time in China under the anti-drug law) and to legalize the trafficking of Chinese Coolies (which is similar to trading of slaves). This new port was to replace the ancient port of Changlin as the main port of foreign trade in the Chaoshan region(潮汕), mainly to import opium and export coolies. Shantou was formerly a fishing village, located at the Han River delta, open to South China Sea, the port was opened in 1860. Since then, the Teochew Chinese left their homeland as coolies , using the new port of Shantou. They no longer used the Red Head Boat and left as traders from Changlin , they were carried by the bigger vessels and many left as coolies...... from Shantou.
The Opium War- the attack on the port
( picture by E Duncan, 1843; source from photo posting under www.portcities.org.uk)
Unlike the Red Head Junk from ancient port of Changlin which was a trading port under free trading spirit without foreign pressure ; Shantou was more a trading port of opium and forced coolies under humiliation of foreign power. The Opium War was also part of the cause of the Taiping Rebellion(1850-1864), Boxer Rebellion(1899-1901), and even the later resulted the overthrown of Qing Dynasty(1912), all due to the humiliating unequal treaties after the two Opium Wars. The Teochew and all other oversea Chinese who left from Shantou were the force behind who support financially the Chinese Revolution to overthrow Qing dynasty.(note: Hong Kong was cessed to Britain during First Opium War under Treaty of Nanjing).
The Chinese population in Thailand jumped from 230,000 in 1825 to 792,000 by 1910. By 1932, approximately 12.2% of the population of Thailand was Chinese.
The Singapore has issued a series of stamps on boats in 1980 ,one of the one cents denomination was a Red head Boat( 红头船), the majority of Singapore Chinese are Teochew. Red color not only painted on the boat, but also in their heart, with a hope to better their life, and the life of their family......
Shan children are friendly, despite language barrier, they are able to mix with you. We played football together, we talk (I now wonder how we communicate), without even know how to speak each others languages .
They are happy lots, despite their economic disadvantage compared to kids from the modern world of the city. They walked to school happily, they came back from school with joy, their faces are always with smiles. Their needs are basic, no computer games; just laughter, sport and traditional games ...
She is a very young mother, only 15 years old. Girls who did not attend school will not only missed the opportunity to acquire knowledge, but will marry earlier, and become a mother at young age.
This is one of the social problem affect Lahu hill tribes in the remote hill, far from the school. It is tough life for them as they need to walk a long way from school to their village. The lucky one will have their elders arranged for pick up truck to transport them, otherwise it will be a long distance walk. Many missed school. The education problem not only affect girls, but young boys too.
Lahu people are originated from China. There are in total 711,500 Lahu in the world.They are distributed in China, and South East Asia :-
(i) Lahu are the minority hill tribes in People Republic of China, where 453,705 lived in Yunnan (云南) Province, they are called Lahuzu, Ladhulsi or Kawzhawd(拉祜族). The tribes are mainly distributed in the river basin of Lancangjiang or Lancang River (澜沧江流域), near Pu’er city(formerly思茅, now Pu'er 普洱which is a tea city), Lincang city(临沧).The Lahu are mainly in Lancang Lahu Autonomous County(澜沧拉祜族自治县) under the jurisdiction of Pu'er Prefecture level City (普洱市), and Menglian(孟连傣族拉祜族佤族自治县) located in Pu'er Prefecture level City(普洱市), Shuangjiang Autonomous Counties(双江拉祜族佤族布朗族傣族自治县) located in Lincang Prefecture level city(临沧市), mainly South Western Yunnan; some are also in neighboring Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture(西双版纳傣族自治州), Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture (红河哈尼族彝族自治州) and Yuxi (玉溪市地区)。About 80% of Lahu are at the west of Lancangjiang or LancangRiver(约80％的拉祜族聚居在澜沧江以西地区). (note: Lancangjiang or LancangRiver (澜沧江) is the upstream of MekongRiver).
(ii) Burma, about 150,000, mainly in Shan State of Northern Burma, and concentrated in Kentung district. But many of the Lahu from Burma ,like other races have migrated to North Thailand to escape hardship under military rule of Burma;
(iii) North Thailand, about 100,000. The Lahu in Thailand are located primarity in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai and MaeHongSonProvince.
(iv) There are also 10,000 in Laos, staying in the 16 villages of northern Laos. They are dispersed in the Long, Viangphouka and Luang Namtha districts of LuangNamthaProvince, and the Meung and Tonpheung districts of BokeoProvince,
(v) 1,500 in LaiChauProvince in Vietnam.
The Lahu people are divided into sub groups, mainly:
(i) Lahu Na (Black Lahu)
(ii) Lahu Nyi (Red Lahu)
(iii) Lahu Hpu (White Lahu)
(iv) Lahu Shi (Yellow Lahu) or Kui or Kucong
(v) Lahu Shehleh.
The Lahu subgroups are named after color, which are the color of their traditional dress. These groups do not function as a tribes or clans. There are no kin groups above that of the family unit.
Lahu traced their descent bilaterally or bilineal, the descent of individual is reckoned from both father and mother, unlike unilineal, where the descent is reckoned from either father or mother. The Lahu people are having gender equality in kinship.
The traditional religion was polytheistic. Mahayana Buddhism was introduced to them in late 1600s and became widespread. The Christianity however was established in Burma and North Thailand, and has been spreading since. It was reported that 50% of Burmese Lahu are Christian.
The majority of Lahu in Thailand are red Lahu, who practiced polytheism. There are Black, Yellow and Shehleh who have been Christian for more than 100 years. Black Lahu are the most populated in South East Asia.
Lahu people are very committed to maintain their traditional way of life, and they normally stay in settlement remote from roads and towns. They are primarily subsistence farmer, but also proud of their hunter-warrior heritage. They are strict, serious people governed by principle of right and wrong, each individual is following the common will of the elders. Less important is placed on extended family, but they are strongly committed to unity of the tribe for survival. They are friendly and simple people.
The women -gender equality, some of them are the leaders in the village. The male respect the view of their woman.
The young girls and their colorful traditional dress
Lahu women are skilled in weaving cloth, both on back-strap and foot-treadle looms, producing delicate patchwork trims, and unusual embroidery work. The Black Lahu women wear the most distinctive costumes within this tribe. They wear a black cloak with diagonal cream stripes. The top of the sleeve is decorated in bold colors of red and yellow.
Their houses are mainly built on high stilts with walls of bamboo or wooden planks, thatched with grass. A ladder leads to the open central living area, with a store room to one side and living quarters to the other.
Their domestic animals like chicken, pigs and buffalos are kept in the basement corral.
The view from the village house
The view from the village
They are good horseman, the remaining trace of hunter background. The Han Chinese called them tiger hunter. The Thai called them Hunter.
The wooden toilet outside the house. It is simple and basic as you can found in rural areas of Asia. The nature fertilizer for their farm are derived from here, organic and environmental friendly.
The youtube video posting may not be the hit, but it shown the Lahu house building , it is a team activities as a closely knitted community. The pictures are taken during the Christmas last December in North Thailand.
Person with broad interests. Value all natural being in this earth, environmental conscious, heritage lover. Love life, each man in this earth should be able to enjoy their life fully, make his life more beautiful, which will enrich other people's life.
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