Lion Dance in Brunei

Chinese New Year is not complete without a dragon dance as it is believed to exorcise evil spirits and summon luck and fortune. This year, the "lion" didnt go all the way to my mum's house as it did last year, hence we know we are missing something.... :-)

Anyway, my friends who live in Chempaka at Jalan Tutong and Belait District reported many lion dances were preformed during the chinese new year. My friend in Belait had to pay $488 then they would come and perform at her house and i thought that was a tad expensive.

Yesterday, HSBC Bandar inform customers in the morning that they were going to have a lion dance in the Bank's permise at 2pm. My friend drag me to watch the dance because he hasnt watched a lion dance for many years, so I tag along.

Its was quite dissapointing to see the way the Lion Dance was perform at the HSBC Bandar premises because the whole even just lasted about 5-7 minutes!!! I dont think the Bank's boss was amused by the tactics of the lion dance troupe! And myself who havent really watch a lot of lion dance was also shocked that the whole dance only lasted for a short time.

Next time, HSBC better asked the Limbang troupe, I heard they are very good and its a money well spent.

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There are a number of Chinese lion dance styles; the two most popular are the northern and southern.

Northern dance was used as entertainment for the imperial court. The northern lion is usually red, orange, and yellow (sometimes with green fur for the female lion), shaggy in appearance, with a golden head. The northern dance is acrobatic and is mainly performed as entertainment.

Southern dance is more symbolic. It is usually performed as a ceremony to exorcise evil spirits and to summon luck and fortune. The southern lion exhibits a wide variety of colour and has a distinctive head with large eyes, a mirror on the forehead, and a single horn at center of the head.

The Lion dance is often confused with the Chinese Dragon Dance, which features a team of around ten or more dancers. The Lion Dance usually consists of two people. (Wikipaedia)

Chinese New Year 2007, Year of the Pig, 4704

This Chinese New Year is the Year of the Pig (Chinese Year 4704)and its suppose to be a good year for people who wants babies.

Superstitions during the New Year period
The following is a list of beliefs that vary according to dialect groups / individuals.

Good Luck

Opening windows and/or doors is considered to 'bring in' the good luck of the new year.

Switching on the lights for the night is considered good luck to 'scare away' ghosts and spirits of misfortune that may compromise the luck and fortune of the new year.

Candy is eaten to ensure the consumer a "sweet" year.

It is important to have the house completely clean from top to bottom before New Year's Day for good luck in the coming year. (however, as explained below, cleaning the house after New Year's Day is frowned upon)

Some believe that what happens on the first day of the new year reflects the rest of the year to come. Asians will often gamble at the beginning of the year, hoping to get luck and prosperity.

Wearing a new pair of slippers that is bought before the new year, because it means to step on the people who gossip about you.

Bad Luck

Buying a pair of shoes is considered bad luck amongst some Chinese. The word "shoes" is a homophone for the word for "rough" in Cantonese.

Buying a pair of pants is considered bad luck. The word "pants" is a homophone for the word for "bitter" in Cantonese. (Although some perceive it to be positive, as the word 'pants' in Cantonese is also a homophone for the word for "wealth".)

A hair-cut is considered bad luck. The word "hair" is a homophone for the word for "prosperity". Thus "cutting hair" could be perceived as "cutting away your prosperity" in Cantonese.

Washing of your hair is also considered to be washing away one's own luck (although mostly hygenic concerns take precedence over this tradition)

Sweeping the floor is usually forbidden on the first day, as it will sweep away the good fortune and luck for the new year.

Talking about death is inappropriate for the first few days of Chinese New Year, as it is considered inauspicious as well.

Buying books is bad luck because the word for "book" is a homonym to the word "lose".

Some Red Package (Ang Pow) issued by some private organizations in Brunei;

The Standard Chartered "red" packet is the best because the design is the best this year together with Great Eastern insurance red package

The worst and such a dissapointment is HSBC with its plain and normal design...


In 2008 the Chinese New Year will fall on February 7th 2008 and this will be the year of the Rat, Chinese Year of 4705.

Hug your wives for prosperity

By ONG YEE TING, The Star, 6th February 2007

PENANG: Married men, take note. Your wife is your “Prosperity God” and the more you hug her, the more prosperous you will get.

Taiwanese feng shui master Yu Yang has this tip for those who wish to usher in good fortune during the Year of the Pig. But for it to work, wives have to cooperate.

“Men, hug your wives more; and women, do not turn down the loving hugs,” Yu advised during her feng shui talk show at Queensbay Mall here.

Brought in by Astro AEC, Yu also gave some simple advice to improve the feng shui of a house.

She advised against carrying out renovations, even minor ones like nailing the wall, at three areas – the northwest, southeast and centre of the house.

“The centre of the house is where the chi is and the place should not be cluttered with things, for they will block one’s fortune and cause disharmony,” she explained.

She suggested some warm lighting – not too bright or too dim – for this area to create a cosy and comfortable ambience.

“Also be nice to everyone and always say good things as these will help improve luck,” she advised.

For those born under the different Chinese zodiac signs, Yu suggested the following tips to enhance feng shui at home:

Tiger/Rabbit: Place anything that has to do with wood (including greens) at the eastern side of the house and increase wealth by adding some crystal pebbles.

Snake/Horse: Red coloured decorative items to be put at the south of the house.

Monkey/Rooster: Golden or yellow colour items to be placed in the west direction.

Rat/Pig: Place water decorative items such as an aquarium/fish bowl, spinning water decorations, glass/crystal vases with plants in the north.

Dog/Goat/Ox/Dragon: The so-called four heavenly kings for this year can expect a smooth and prosperous year ahead. To enhance luck and fortune, the southwest of the house can be decorated with items made from soil such as vases, ceramic pots and china decorations.

The New RTB building

Well, after more than one year of building this new and modern station, the new Radio Television Brunei building is expected to be completed by this year...

Problem is, how are the staff going to stand the pugent smell which will be emitted from the 30 years old rubbish dump just next to the building???

Site and Scene of Gadong, February 2nd

Its been 5 days since bonous was out and the jam is still terrible in Gadong... and at the same time banners are up to mark Brunei's 23rd National Day Celebration which will fall on the 23rd February 2007.

New cafe?

I havent been hanging out at night lately until last night... Bonous is out for Brunei's public servants and man, the jam after 5pm to the shopping complexs are sooo terrible. One couldnt go anywhere without feeling frusturation (even in Yayasan it was packed!). Then again, you dont really see this kind of environment (jams, huge number of people in shopping malls) in BRunei often... hehe...

Anyway, a few days ago we past by the Gadong Scouts Hq and we saw to its corner, "yam cha" area and we told ourselves to stop by there and check out the place one of these days and yesterday was the time.

Well, the place is called Traders Cafe (supposedly part of Traders Inn?), but after entering the place, we realize that the place could be owned by the same person who owns Sin You Mei. Traders Cafe is different since it do not serve pork hence muslims can technically, eat there.

Prices of the food are ok... but some like sweet and sour chicken rice can costs $6.00 (add 50 cents for fried rice) where normally you can get it from $4.50 for each plate. If eating in a group of 3 or 4, you can order dishes and prices starts at $8.00 per plate. We ordered the sizziling tofu, the small one which costs $6.00 and the portion is good.

Overall the food is not bad but next time, i prefer to sit outside where the smell of the cooking isnt so unpleasent (oily bah...)

Rainy Brunei

The rain in the month of December 2006 and January 2007 could probably be one of Brunei's highest... I dont remember us having much rain in January let alone February, and if it is, I worry about those who lives in Kampong Ayer. Has anyone seen how close the waters of the water village to the houses' floor? (and by the way, is it is so dark in the places where the boats are suppose to pick passangers up from the land? im guessing that Municipal Board should have fixed that light problem).

I remembered back in August or thereabout, the weather was so so hot.... and now its cold and cozy... i like it better if it wasnt raining but just retain the cold and cozy environment... when the time comes, we all should be really really worried....