Dragonboat is back!

 As spring peeks right around the corner, the MS Dragon Boat Crew sheds off their winter slumber and is starting to ramp up for the 2011 season. Captain's Simon and Richard have started to assemble the team and are looking for new, enthusiastic members that would like to tryout dragonboating. This year's team is a mix of veterans from the years before as well as fresh new faces.

This past week had Richard putting the team through their paces and work out together for the first time together this year. Despite the cold, everyone there got warmed up really quickly. We look forward to the next practices to come, and are constantly looking for new members to tryout for the team.

Whether you’ve paddled for many years and are looking for a fun, exuberant team to paddle for, or wanting to step into the boat for the first time, the MSDB Crew is open to all paddlers. We love the thrill of racing and winning while having fun, and value enthusiasm and teamwork above all else. We believe that technical perfection, strategy and teamwork in the boat will win out over brute strength. Our indoor practices are every Saturday at 1pm at the MS Volunteer Centre.

Ever since our first practice, we've had a blast, made a splash and found many friends. If you're interested in joining one of our teams or would like more information about our dragon boat club, please feel send an email to msyg@monsheong.org or to me at richardcwing@gmail.com. Please forward this on to your friends or anyone else who you think may be interested in joining as well.

Toastmasters

Last weekend's Session 7 of our Toastmasters series was filled with talented and experienced members from a few different Toastmaster clubs. The session was led by Jacqueline Roberts, and was joined by Mr. Shishir Lakani, Mr. Milton Jiang, Ms. Visda Vokhshoori and other members from the Destiny's Toastmasters (http://destinytm.freetoasthost.org/).

The series of 8 is coming to an end next month where we call on all the past participants and contributors for a small get together in MS Court Volunteer Center.  Certificates will be handed out to our Youth Group members who have successfully attended all the sessions.  All others are welcomed.

Look forward to seeing all the Toastmasters again on March 12th.

Cheers,
Ron Kwok
President

More than Red Pockets - Chinese New Year

So it's Chinese Lunar New Year and it's time to celebrate! Unlike the west, the New Year for Chinese is like a two-week festivities with lots of food and eating; family and relatives and some red pockets as well. This important Chinese traditional holiday is also referred as "Spring Festival." The festivity starts days before the actual New Year with the thorough cleaning and redecorating of the house.

As new year's eve approaches, we get to the biggest event of the day - the family dinner. This meal is comparable to Christmas dinner of the West. The feast will include pigs, ducks, chicken and sweet delicacies.

The First Day: Early the next morning, children will greet their parents by wishing them a healthy and happy new year, and receive money in red paper envelopes aka red pockets, which contain money. This applies to members of the family who are married. The Chinese New Year tradition is to reconcile, forget all grudges and sincerely wish peace and happiness for everyone.

It is also for the welcoming of the deities of the heavens and earth. Many people don't consume meat on this day because it is believed that this will ensure longevity. Most importantly, the first day is a time for family.

Some families may invite a lion dance troupe as a symbolic ritual to usher in the Chinese New Year and to rid of bad spirits.

Second day: incense is burned at the graves of ancestors as part of the offering and prayer ritual.  

Third day: known as "chì kǒu". It is generally not a good day to socialize or visit relatives and friends.

Fifth day: also the birthday of the Chinese god of wealth. It is also common in China that on this day people will shoot off firecrackers in the attempt to get Guan Yu's attention, thus ensuring his favour and good fortune for the new year. General Guan Yu is also known as the Chinese God of War.

Seventh day: known as the common man's birthday; it is the day when everyone grows one year older.

Eighth day: the eve of the birth of the Jade Emperor. However, everybody should be back to work by the eighth day.

Ninth day: a day to offer prayers to the Jade Emperor of Heaven because it is the birthday of the Jade Emperor. This day is especially important to Hokkiens. Come midnight, Hokkiens will offer thanks giving prayers to the Emperor of Heaven. Offerings include sugarcane, incense, tea, fruit, vegetarian food or roast pig, and paper gold.

Tenth day: the Jade Emperor's other birthday.

Thirteenth day: people will eat only vegetarian food to balance the food that has been consumed over the last two weeks. This day is also dedicated to the Guan Yu who was born in the Han dynasty and is considered the greatest general in Chinese history. He represents loyalty, strength, truth, and justice.

Fifteenth day: also celebrated as Yuan Xiao Festival or Shang Yuan Festival. Rice dumplings, a sweet rice ball brewed in a soup, are eaten this day. Candles are lit outside houses as a way to guide wayward spirits home. This day is celebrated as the Lantern Festival, and families walk the street carrying lighted lanterns. This often marks the end of the Chinese New Year festivities.

So rather than talking about the zodiac race, I hope everyone enjoyed this post on the traditions that take place over the 15 days of the Chinese New Year. However, for any one who is interested in the predictions of their Chinese zodiac for this coming year, you can visit here. On behalf of everyone on the MS Youth Group Team, wishing everyone a happy and a prosperous Chinese New Year. Good luck and good health to all in the year of the rabbit! 

- She Kei Foo