About this blog

The name of this blog is small alley. As in an alley, I hope to post a variety of things that I find interesting and as you walk through the alley, you would find things that you like.

I have posted some songs that I wrote. I am not a great singer. I sing and play the guitar purely for fun and I hope people who thinks they can't sing can be inspired by me. No former singing lessons and no former guitar training. Just pure fun......

The recording is also done at home with a drum machine and one guitar through a small amp. The sound file has been touched up slightly by removing the noise. Otherwise the songs are as original as it gets.

I practise Taiji regularly. For me, it is a great exercise requiring control of mind and body to perform well and for it to be enjoyable. You can get more videos of Taiji from YouTube.

Other posts include places and events that I think are interesting and more important, which I have time to upload.

Enjoy your walk through this small alley.....

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Chinese New Year Celebration

Chinese New Year is celebrated on 23rd and 24th of Jan in 2012. It is one of the bigger holidays in Singapore as Chinese is the biggest race in Singapore (75%). This year, Chinese New Year comes early and we seem to have a wetter year with more rain. Maybe it is because this is the year of the water dragon.

During this holiday, many shops (especially those owned by Chinese) are closed. Some take this chance to take a break from work and some factories may even close for a week.

For more information about Chinese New Year and the related customs, please search the Internet.

Visiting of relatives and wishing each other well by exchanging red packets are common practices during Chinese New Year. The younger will wish the elder first and if you are married, you are obliged to give red packets (with money inside).

In Singapore, we also eat a dish called "Yu Sheng", signifying life with excess.

Here are some photos of what happen in my family.

Here we wish my mom happy new year.











Family photo and having a meal together.







Tossing Yu Sheng.




Chinese New Year cake "nian gao" which literally means "grow taller each year".  Mandarin oranges represent gold.


These are red packets which are exchanged during Chinese New Year. If you are not married, you do not have to exchange. You get to keep the red packets.



HAPPY NEW YEAR!  GONG XI FA CAI!
Posted by at 2 comments:

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

A wet market scene

Below are some photos of a typical wet market in Singapore.

Nowadays I think wet market are not really "wet".  Previously such markets were "wet" as the slaughtered chickens and cut up fishes, meat from animals like pig, cow and lambs in the markets.  Water spilled onto the floor and so the name "wet" market.

Nowadays there are not more life chicken in the market.  Other meat are still prepared similarly but most of the passageways are kept dry.

Wet markets are normally more crowded in the weekends and more people do their marketing then and in general the items from the wet markets are fresher or perceived to be so as compared to those chilled stuff from the supermarkets.

In addition, people also gather at the food stalls and enjoy breakfast.





Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)