Mythology/ History – Over A Cuppa Tea

Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival 2016 in Resorts World Genting

August 23, 2016 No Comments

Mid-autumn festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. It’s also known as the Mooncake Festival because a special kind of sweet cake prepared in the shape of the moon and filled with sesame seeds, ground lotus seeds and duck eggs is served as a traditional Mid-autumn festival delicacy.

Nobody actually knows when the custom of eating moon cake to celebrate the mid-autumn festival began, but there are traces of it back in 14th century. At that time, China was in revolt against the Mongols. Chu Yuen-chang, and his senior deputy, Liu Po-wen, discussed battle plan and develops a secret mooncake strategy to take a certain walled city held by the Mongol enemy. Liu dressed up as a Taoist priest and entered the besieged city bearing mooncake.

He distributed these to the city’s populace. When the time for the year’s mid-autumn festival arrived, people opened their cakes and found hidden messages advising them to coordinate their uprising with the troops outside. Thus, the emperor-to-be ingeniously took the city and his throne.

Mooncake of course, became even more famous. And so, every year people eat moon cake and enjoy the harvest moon with their family to celebrate the victory over the Mongols. This is one of the story on mid-autumn festival that I’m familiar with but my favourite tale on how Mid-Autumn festival originates have to be the tale between Hou Yi and Chang Er.

This tale on Hou Yi and Chang Er may differ from the ones you have heard, as they are so many versions told from one generation to another.

The one I’m more familiar with is this one. Once upon a time, there live two immortals in the Heaven, they are Hou Yi and Chang Er. Hou yi and Chang Er were lovers who goes through great obstacle before their love is approved by the Heaven.

The Heaven was ruled by the Jade Emperor and his Empress. One day, ten sons of Jade emperor accidentally transformed into the sun, and revolves around the earth playfully, causing great drought and suffering to the mortals below.

Worried and concern for the mortals, the Jade emperor summons the imperial archer, Hou Yi to help him solve the problem. Hou Yi then went to Earth and shot down nine of the Jade Emperor’s sons. The emperor had thought that Hou Yi would not harm any of his sons. Now that his sons are dead, the emperor was very furious. In anger, the emperor took away Hou Yi and his wife’s immortality and condemn them to live on Earth forever.

Chang Er was grief stricken with her loss of immortality. Hou Yi could not bear to see his saddened wife, and so, he decided to steal the immortality pill from the heavenly medicine manufacturer so that both of their immortality could be restored. He manage to steal the pill from heaven, and brought it to Chang Er. He told her that they only need to take half of the pills to regain immortality.

In the meantime, the Jade Emperor found out about the stolen immortality pill, and command an imperial guard to retrieve the pills and catch both Hou Yi and Chang Er so that he could punish them for their misdeed.

And so, the imperial guard went down to earth in pursuit of the couple and the pill of immortality. But the guard himself was tempted by the idea of immortality. So he waited until Hou Yi is not at home, and attacked Chang Er who is defenseless at home. He demanded for the pill but Chang Er refused to hand it to him. Hou Yi, who seems to forget his arrows went back home to get it and discovered that his wife is in danger. He fought the imperial guard courageously.

Unfortunately, Hou Yi is an archer, not a fighter. He was stabbed right in his heart in front of Chang Er. Chang Er was grief stricken, and wishes to die with her husband too. However, Hou Yi’s dying wish was for Chang Er to regain her immortality and live happily for all eternity.

So, Chang Er took out the pill from her sleeves and swallowed the whole pill so that the guard would not be able to get it and obtain immortality. Right after swallowing the pill, Chang Er started to float towards the sky, and after flying for some time, she landed on the moon. She cried and grieve for her husband’s death.

Her cries was heard by a group of Jade Bunnies that lives on the moon. They went to her and listened to her story. These Jade Bunnies were captivated by Chang Er’s beauty and kindness towards them, so they built a palace for her to stay, knowing that she could never return to Heaven or Earth. They hailed her as their goddess and pledge allegiance to her. These bunnies can be seen pounding on the face of the moon on some cooking utensil.

It is believed that these Jade Bunnies are trying to make resurrection pills so that they could revive their Goddess’s love. It’s said that the resurrection pills is shaped like a mooncake. But it’s not dictate anywhere on whether Hou Yi was revived or not, but in many folklore, it’s told that Chang Er would bestow blessing of love and happiness to lovers who pray hard and sincere enough to the moon during mid-autumn.

According to my husband, however, there’s only one Jade Bunny on the moon, and it’s actually the reincarnation of Chang Er’s husband. He told me that the Jade Empress took pity on the couple, and so reincarnate Hou Yi as a Jade Bunny so that Chang Er will not be lonely on the moon. That explains why Chang Er can always be seen with a bunny everywhere she goes on the moon.

On his explanation to me on why the Jade Bunny is depicted as a creature that’s always pounding on the face of the moon, he said that the bunny is actually chopping a tree which is supposed to be indestructible. Only when he manage to chop down the tree, he will turn back into his original form, and only then, he and Chang Er would be forgiven by the heavenly beings and would be allowed to return to Heaven.

The story of Chang Er and Hou Yi touched many hearts, and with time, people started to celebrate mid-autumn festival by gathering their family and enjoy the sight of the harvest moon together over tea and mooncakes along with other delicacies.

People usually bake mooncake and eat it in hope that Chang Er would bless their mooncake and they would lead a happy life with their loved ones. The mid-autumn festival celebration is also a symbol of appreciation and gratefulness on what they have in life.

Mid-Autumn festival is the time for togetherness, and if you are looking for some blessings and a refreshing break this upcoming mid-autumn festival, why not head over to Resorts World Genting?

There’s beautiful set up at the garden in front of Genting Grand Hotel. Beautiful decorative lanterns are eveeywhere and you can take pictures with your loved ones while enjoying the full moon there. It’s exceptionally captivating, especially when it is all lit up at night.

Apart from the celebratory settings that’s perfect for family togetherness and lovers, Resorts World Genting is also offering delicious mooncakes for your gastronomic pleasure.

I managed to try some during my recent trip to Resorts World Genting and they are just heavenly.

Five mooncakes that I managed to try.

Snow Skin Mango with Pomelo (NEW) – RM17.90

White Lotus Paste with Dried Mandarin Orange Jingsa (NEW) – RM17.90

Sweet corn paste with caramel nuts, cheese jingsa (NEW) – RM17.90

Golden Jade with Lime and Nuts (NEW) – RM17.90

Golden Jade with Buttermilk Custard (NEW) – RM17.90

Apart from the ones that I managed to try, other assorted flavoured mooncakes are available too:

Green Tea Lotus Paste- RM16.90
Durian Lotus Paste – RM16.90
Low-Sugar White Lotus Paste – RM17.90
White Lotus Paste with Black Sesame Yolk – RM17.90
Lotus Paste with Single Yolk – RM17.90
Golden Jade with Single Yolk – RM17.90
Single Yolk with Pu Er Lotus Paste – RM17.90
Blueberry Paste with Single Yolk – RM17.90
Lotus Paste with Double Yolk – RM18.90
Assorted Nuts “Ng Yan” – RM19.90
Kam Tui – RM28.00 (Only available at Genting Palace and Good Friends outlets)
Red Bean Paste – RM14.90
God of Wealth cookies (2 pcs) – RM6.00

These mooncakes can be bought from these restaurants in Resorts World Genting, so keep your eyes peeled for it:

Good Friends
Genting Palace
Resort Hotel Lobby
Hainan Kitchen
Cloud 9 Entrance
OneHub, Wisma Genting

Resorts World Genting is having a mooncake promotion too where
30% discount will be given to purchases of 50 boxes (4 pcs) and above from 1 August to 15 September 2016. Discounts however are not applicable for Money God cookie & Kum Tui.

A free carrier mooncake box will be provided for any purchase of four mooncakes. Non-Woven Bags are priced at RM 2.00 nett each.
All prices are in Ringgit Malaysia and inclusive of 6% GST.

Tempted? Wanna head over to Resorts World Genting for mid-autumn festival but not sure how to go about it or need advice on making bookings and reservations? Well, fret not, just head over to www.rwgenting.com for more information.

Down The Memory Lane, Food/Travel, Mythology/ History

The Dance of Thousand Hands

February 19, 2014 6 Comments

It was 14 th February 2014. Valentine’s Day, and coincidentally, the 15th Day of Lunar New Year, the Chinese Valentine’s Day. Being a working day, I have no romantic plans whatsoever, and even when my husband messaged me saying that he’ll be coming back early, I did not take it seriously. I mean, it was a working day, he has been busy throughout the week and so am I.

Initially, my friend Wendy and I wanted to celebrate our Chap Goh Mei by going to the river in Taman Jaya and throw oranges for love and luck (yea, yea, I know, it’s supposed to be for singles, but we just wanna have fun!), but due to unforeseen circumstances, we ended up going separate ways instead. LOL.( Some friends apparently got stuck in the terrible V-day jam and couldn’t join us, so we called it off instead.)

But lucky for me and Wendy, our respective husbands really did make time for us and came back early from work. While Wendy went on a hot date with her husband, I ended up in a mall waiting for my husband to join me instead.

I was in luck. While waiting for my husband, who took the trouble to get off from work early and fetch me for Chap Goh Mei cum Valentine’s Day dinner, I chance upon the Dance of The Thousand Hands performance at the mall.This ancient dance tells the tale of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy.

Guanyin is a translation from the Sanskrit Avalokitasvara, referring to the Mahayana bodhisattva of the same name. Guanyin is revered by Chinese Taoists as a deity.

According to the Dance of Thousand Hands, Guanyin vowed to never rest until she had freed all sentient beings from sufferings and reincarnations.^Â Unfortunately for Guanyin, despite of her efforts,there were still many unhappy beings yet to be saved.

After struggling to comprehend the needs of so many, her head split into eleven pieces.

The Buddha, upon seeing her plight, gave her eleven heads to help her hear the cries of those who are suffering.

Upon hearing these cries and comprehending them, Avalokitesvara attempted to reach out to all those who needed aid, but found that her two arms shattered into pieces.

Seeing her plight, once again the Buddha came to her aid and appointed her a thousand arms to let her reach out to those in need.

Lovely tale isn’t it? 😀 The dance is lovely too.

Here’s sharing the video of the Thousand Hands Dance/Dance of The Goddess of Mercy that I managed to record the other day. 😀 I hope you’ll enjoy it the way I did.

Cleffairy: Thanks for coming home early for V-day. I did not expect it.

A Penny For Your Thoughts, Book review, Movies/ Entertainment, Mythology/ History

One Night With The King

December 12, 2010 25 Comments

I’ve been under the weather these few days, and is definitely in no mood for anything except for lying on the bed and read. I’ve been devouring God knows how many romance books and the repetition in the plots started to get to me. And so, deciding that I had enough of the mush, I thought that it is time for me to have my daily dose of Bible reading. (You see, I’ve been making a point to read the Bible randomly before I sleep these days since I received the Children Bible from Booksneeze. Hopefully, this will become a habit).

I remembered that Bible have loads of beautiful romance to tell as well, and so, I flipped to the Book of Esther in the Old Testament.Â It tells the story of Esther, the Biblical Queen. The story of Hadassah, or rather Esther has always fascinated me as a child. The story is filled with intrigue, romance, bravery, and honor.

The book of Esther tells the story of a Queen who became the savior of her people through a curious mix of fate and charm. It is also a story of remarkable love, faithÂ and devotion.

According to the Bible, Esther was a Jewish Queen of the Persian King Ahasuerus (identified in the history as King Xerxes I). The story of Esther started with King Ahasuerus, who held a 180-day feast in Susa. He ordered his Queen, Vashti, to appear before him and his guests wearing no veil to display her beauty. This act is considered dishonourable, and therefore, Queen Vashti refused the King.

King Ahasuerus was enraged at her refusal to obey his command and so, the king asked advisors what should be done.

One of them said that all the women in the empire would hear that “The King Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the Queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.” Then the women of the empire would despise their husbands and started to act in defiance. And this would cause many problems in the kingdom. Therefore it would be good to depose her.

And so, he divorced Queen Vashti and she was exiled and he began searching for a new queen to take her place at his side. To find a new Queen suitable to King Ahasuerus, it was decreed that beautiful young virgins be gathered to the palace from every province of his kingdom. Each woman underwent twelve months of beautification in his harem, after which she would go to the king.

When the woman’s turn came, she was given anything she wanted to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. She would then go to the king in the evening, and in the morning go to the harem where the concubines stayed. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased enough with her to summon her again by name.

Esther was then introduced to King Ahasuerus and he fell in love with the lovely and graceful Esther. She was chosen as his wife and queen. Esther was an orphan and was raised by her cousin Mordecai. She was born ‘Hadassah’ and received her name ‘Esther’ upon entering the royal harem. Her name was a form of the Persian name Satarah, which means ‘star’.

Through Mordecaiâ€™s instincts of caution and warning, it was not revealed to the king that his new bride was Jewish in origin.

It’s rather romantic, love at first sight. Esther had no idea at this point of her life that she shall soon be a saviour to her people.(Esther 4:14 ). Esther was told not to disclose her Jewish origin.

Enter Haman, who came into power beneath the king. This man hated all Jews and talked King Ahasuerus into allowing him to kill the Jews for they have been rebellious and is a threat to the kingdom. Haman didnâ€™t know, as the king didnâ€™t, that Queen Esther herself was a Jew.

Unfortunately, Ahasuerus listened to Haman and made the decree, as he thought he was just going to destroy the rebellions, and not the entire race. Mordecai was very unhappy, as was Esther upon hearing the news.Â She was horrified that her people would soon be destroyed and killed.

Her husband felt that Haman was his friend. In those days, no one, including the Queen, could appear before the king without being summoned. To do so is asking just like signing your own death warrant. But Esther knew that only the king could deal with Hamanâ€™s deceit and she had to risk death to get him to see this.

Queen Esther then ordered the Jewish hold a fast for three days and nights to request Godâ€™s intervention to save them and she herself would also be fasting. And after that, she shall go to the King, though she know that it is against the law for her to see the King un-summmoned.

Ans so, on day three, Esther donned her royal attire and stood in the inner court of the palace, fearing that she will be killed as soon as she saw the king there.

King Ahasuerus loved Esther very much, and so did not order her be put to death, but instead held out his golden scepter, indicating that she was free to speak to him. â€œWhat wilt thou, Queen Esther? And what is it thy request? It shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.â€

Estherâ€™s request was that the king and Haman attend a banquet she prepared.Weird, isn’t it? Esther did not tell this man who loved her what was on her mind and in her heart at the moment.

But Esther had great wisdom and wise people know that sometimes timing is everything. She could not afford to ruin her one chance to save her people from annihilation.

After the banquet, Esther asked again for the two of them to come for dinner the following night. Haman, at this point, thought he had won the Queenâ€™s favor as well as the Kingâ€™s.

The following day at dinner, Esther finally told the king about Haman (Esther7:3)Haman begged Esther for his life and fell upon her in his dismay. Ahasuerus had gone for a walk after hearing the crimes of Haman and returned to the room and thought Haman was forcing himself on his beloved queen and ordered Haman to be hung.

This story of sublime love shows not only how a phenomenal woman can earn the lasting devotion of a loving husband, but shows also how God can and does intervene to perform immense miracles. The Book of Esther can be divided into three main sections. Chapters 1:1-2:18 â€“ Esther replaces Vashti; 2:19-7:10 â€“ Mordecai overcomes Haman; 8:1-10:3 â€“ Israel survives Hamanâ€™s attempt to destroy them. The noble Esther risked her own death as she realized what was at stake. She willingly did what could have been a deadly maneuver and took on the second-in-command of her husbandâ€˜s kingdom, Haman. She proved a wise and most worthy opponent, all the while remaining humble and respectful of the position of her husband-king.

The bravery of Esther saved the Jews and the genuine love of a woman by a man gives us a story that brings tears to the most sensitive of souls.Reading the Book of Esther makes me wonder if such great love exist?

The Book of Esther shows the choice we make between seeing the hand of God in our circumstances in life and seeing things as merely coincidence. God is the sovereign Ruler of the universe and we can be assured that His plans will not be moved by the actions of mere evil men.

Feasting is a major theme of this book: there are ten recorded banquets, and many of the events were planned, plotted, or exposed at these banquets. Although the name of God is never mentioned in this book, it is apparent that the Jews of Susa sought His intervention when they fasted and prayed for three days (Esther 4:16.)

Anyway, the story of Esther never failed to warm my heart. The story of Esther was told in many ways, and have many different version. There’s also a movie about Esther, though it was ‘beautified’ in many ways and does not really reflect what the bible says. I find the movie beautiful nevertheless too. The movie is known as ‘One Night With The King’. You might wanna look this up. It’s on youtube.

Here’s the trailer.

And there’s this hauntingly beautiful song that was played in the movie during Esther’s coronation and her wedding…very beautiful that it brought me to tears as I watched the movie after reading the Bible.

The lyrics to the song:

Ziba malekeh hamra he shah ba jaho jalal

Ziba melekeh hamra he shah

Miad as rah

English translation:

The beautiful queen and king are coming in all their glory

The beautiful queen and king have arrived

Cleffairy: Vashti did not come when she was summoned, but Esther came un-summoned. The King’s love for Esther must have been so great that he pardoned her…

Down The Memory Lane, Food/Travel, Mythology/ History

Hang Jebat Mausoleum (Makam Hang Jebat)

November 11, 2010 11 Comments

After our trip to Tanjung Kling and Hang Tuah Mausoleum, we chanced upon Hang Jebat Mausoleum. It is amazing… really amazing that our trip to Malacca actually brought us to many places that we didn’t plan to go. It’s as if fate decided it for us… each time we got lost, we would surely ended up in weird and secluded places that has historical value.

See the writing written in Jawi… it says: Makam Hang Jebat. 😀 At first we didn’t know that the place is actually hang Jebat’s Mausoleum. But thank God, I knew how to read Jawi words. I learned how to read it when I was 9 years old when I took interest in Muslim culture. This time, insist my husband to accompany me to go inside of the grave.

I felt as if there’s something pulling and inviting me to go there. 😀 But… unlike Hang Tuah’s Mausoleum… I feel really, really good, serene and calm in Hang Jebat’s Mausoleum. I feel that I could stay there for a very long time, and still feel comfortable in there. Actually, I did stay there for a very long time… almost 1 hour over there… I don’t know why. I just feel… serene and comfortable there… as if nothing could ever harm me when I’m in the Mausoleum.

Hang Jebat Mosoleum is located very near to Jalan Tukang Emas and Jalan Tukang Besi, the place my family was staying. The mausoleum/ tomb of Hang Jebat is located at Kampung Pali, off Jalan Gelanggang in a very small Malacca town. (Near Jonker Street as well)

Hang Jebat was one of the greatest warriors during the Malacca Sultanate (1400 – 1511). He was one of the legendary Hang Tuah’s closet four childhood friends which included Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekiu and Hang Lekir.

When Hang Tuah was unjustly sentenced to death by the Sultan for allegedly having an affair with one of the dayang, Hang Jebat took it upon himself to avenge his friend’s death. He purposely ran amok and seized the palace.

Ironically, Hang Jebat died in the hands of Hang Tuah, who had been safely kept in hiding in the forest and was summoned by the Sultan to defend the palace. Hang Jebat was killed by Hang Tuah in a duel of honour that lasted for 3 days and nights. As a result, Hang Jebat is branded a traitor in life but acclaimed champion of justice in death.

Unlike Hang Tuah Tomb that’s extremely creepy with loads of other deceased who were buried there, Hang Jebat’s Tomb is really, really beautiful and peaceful.

Hang Jebat’s Mausoleum houses his tomb that’s well taken care off with a few more unnamed old tombs surrounding his grave.

I have no idea whose tombs those are, but I’m assuming that it’s Hang Jebat’s family or friends who were laid to rest with him over there.

When I walked inside of the mausoleum…I smell faint scent of roses… yes, roses… instead of the usual Frangipani and Jasmine scent that one could smell in the air of many graveyard.

It occurred to me later on that Hang Jebat’s tomb is visited pretty often by tourists as well as the local who lived around there. And the air was wonderfully perfumed because the entire mausoleum is full of dried rose petals. No matter where you walk, there would be dried rose petals on the ground. Rose petals were generously scattered on Hang Jebat’s tomb, making the place smell like a very relaxing aromatherapy parlor.

How strange it is…while Hang Tuah’s Mausoleum seems to be a ‘harsh’ and scary place, Hang Jebat’s Mausoleum is very peaceful and could actually give you the sense of serenity. I practically feel that I was in a garden, not in a graveyard when I was there. I would definitely visit the place again if I’m, given the chance to do so.

Cleffairy: Hang Jebat’s famous quote was “Raja adil raja disembah, raja zalim raja disanggah” which literally means “A fair king is a king to obey, a cruel king is a king to fight against.

Down The Memory Lane, Food/Travel, Mythology/ History

Fortaleza de la Malacca -The Fortress of Malacca

October 31, 2010 5 Comments

First and foremost, I think I should apologize to my readers for boring you with my post lately. I’m turning my blog into a somewhat history class… but then again, I can’t help it. I’ve always been fascinated with history, relics and monuments. And if I were to have my way and there’s someone out there who is willing to fund my travels… I would have backpack around the entire world to see the ancient wonders left by men of dead civilization.

Anyway, today, I’d like to talk about the Fortaleza de la Malacca… or in English… The Fortress of Malacca. (Did you know that the entire Malacca was actually huge fortress surrounding the the city? Well, yeah, now you know)

According to the writing of the Portuguese historian Emanuel Godinho de ErÃ©dia who lived in the middle of the 16th century, the site of the old city of Malacca was named after the Myrobalans, fruit-bearing trees along the banks of a river called Airlele (Ayer Leleh). The Airlele river was said to originate from Bukit Cina. Eredia dictated that the city was founded by Permicuri (Parameswara) the first King of Malacca in 1411.

Following the defeat of Malacca in 15 August 1511 in the Capture of Malacca (1511), Afonso de Albuquerque sought to erect a permanent form of fortification in anticipation of the counterattacks by Sultan Mahmud Shah to reclaim his land.

A fortress was designed and constructed encompassing a hill, lining the edge of the sea shore, on the south east of the river mouth, on the former site of the Sultan’s palace that was destroyed during the battle in order to conquer the city.

There are 4 gateways build for the city. They are: Porta de Santiago, (The Port of Santiago), The gateway of the Custom House Terrace, Porta de Santo AntÃ³nio and Porta de SÃ£o Domingos.

Among these four gateways, only two were in common use and open to traffic, the Gate of Santo AntÃ³nio linking to the suburb of Yler (modern day Hilir) and the western gate at the Custom House Terrace, giving access to Tranqueira (modern day Tengkera) and its bazaar.

After almost 300 years of existence, in 1806, the British, unwilling to maintain the fortress and wary of letting other European powers taking control of it, ordered its slow destruction. The fort was almost totally demolished but for the timely intervention of Sir Stamford Raffles visiting Malacca in 1810. The only remnants of the earliest Portuguese fortress in Southeast Asia is the Porta de Santiago, now more commonly known as the A Famosa Fortress.

Here lies an explanation about the fortress. It says: The only remains of the ancient fortress of Malacca build by Alfonso D’ Albuqueque and by him named Famosa. 1511. Near this stood the Bastion of Santiago.

This is Porta de La Santiago… locally known as The Fortress of Santiago/Fort of Santiago.

While below, the fort on the hill is the famous and once majestic A Famosa.

And nearby, there was remains of Bastion de Santiago.

Another part of the Bastion of Santiago

Seeing all of these remains makes me think… that human are so fragile… their civilization could be easily destroyed in time… and only those who emerge victory would write the history of humankind, which is often biased, and only half truth.

Cleffairy: Consider this…nobody is great as Him up above. Everything could be erased in the history of mankind, but the knowledge about He shall remain.

A Penny For Your Thoughts, Mythology/ History

The Tale of Hou Yi and Chang Er

August 27, 2010 24 Comments

I wrote this before two years ago, to commemorate Midautumn Festival. But I think some of you might miss it, and so… I’d like to uh… copy, paste and edit my old article over here. *Lazy mode on* Nah… actually I’m not that lazy, but I’d like to share the story of Hou Yi and Chang Er with all of you folks over here. Wouldn’t it be a shame if all of you out there keep pigging out on mooncakes and yet does not know why you actually eat it?

Mid-autumn festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. Itâ€™s also known as Mooncake Festival because a special kind of sweet cake prepared in the shape of the moon and filled with sesame seeds, ground lotus seeds and duck eggs is served as a traditional Mid-autumn festival delicacy.

He distributed these to the cityâ€™s populace. When the time for the yearâ€™s mid-autumn festival arrived, people opened their cakes and found hidden messages advising them to coordinate their uprising with the troops outside. Thus, the emperor-to-be ingeniously took the city and his throne.

Mooncake of course, became even more famous. And so, every year people eat moon cake and enjoy the harvest moon with their family to celebrate the victory over the Mongols. This is one of the story on mid-autumn festival that Iâ€™m familiar with but my favourite tale on how Mid-Autumn festival originates have to be the tale between Hou Yi and Chang Er.

This tale on Hou Yi and Chang Er may differ from the ones you have heard, as they are so many versions told from one generation to another.

The one Iâ€™m more familiar with is this one. Once upon a time, there live two immortals in the Heaven, they are Hou Yi and Chang Er. Hou yi and Chang Er were lovers who goes through great obstacle before their love is approved by the Heaven.

Worried and concern for the mortals, the Jade emperor summons the imperial archer, Hou Yi to help him solve the problem. Hou Yi then went to Earth and shot down nine of the Jade Emperorâ€™s sons. The emperor had thought that Hou Yi would not harm any of his sons. Now that his sons are dead, the emperor was very furious. In anger, the emperor took away Hou Yi and his wifeâ€™s immortality and condemn them to live on Earth forever.

Unfortunately, Hou Yi is an archer, not a fighter. He was stabbed right in his heart in front of Chang Er. Chang Er was grief stricken, and wishes to die with her husband too. However, Hou Yiâ€™s dying wish was for Chang Er to regain her immortality and live happily for all eternity.

Her cries was heard by a group of Jade Bunnies that lives on the moon. They went to her and listened to her story. These Jade Bunnies were captivated by Chang Erâ€™s beauty and kindness towards them, so they built a palace for her to stay, knowing that she could never return to Heaven or Earth. They hailed her as their goddess and pledge allegiance to her. These bunnies can be seen pounding on the face of the moon on some cooking utensil.

It is believed that these Jade Bunnies are trying to make resurrection pills so that they could revive their Goddessâ€™s love. Itâ€™s said that the resurrection pills is shaped like a mooncake. But itâ€™s not dictate anywhere on whether Hou Yi was revived or not, but in many folklore, itâ€™s told that Chang Er would bestow blessing of love and happiness to lovers who pray hard and sincere enough to the moon during mid-autumn.

According to my husband, however, thereâ€™s only one Jade Bunny on the moon, and itâ€™s actually the reincarnation of Chang Erâ€™s husband. He told me that the Jade Empress took pity on the couple, and so reincarnate Hou Yi as a Jade Bunny so that Chang Er will not be lonely on the moon. That explains why Chang Er can always be seen with a bunny everywhere she goes on the moon.

On his explanation to me on why the Jade Bunny is depicted as a creature thatâ€™s always pounding on the face of the moon, he said that the bunny is actually chopping a tree which is supposed to be indestructible. Only when he manage to chop down the tree, he will turn back into his original form, and only then, he and Chang Er would be forgiven by the heavenly beings and would be allowed to return to Heaven.

However in the modern days, mid-autumn festival is pretty much commercialized. Children these days do not really know what is the meaning of mid-autumn festival besides eating mooncake and playing with fancy lanterns. Maybe you guys should tell your children what mid-autumn festivals really supposed to mean, instead of just allowing them to have fun with their lanterns.

Anyway, my good friend Cynthia is selling mooncakes. No… she is not re-selling them. She bake them from her own kitchen, and if you haven’t order your mooncakes yet but intend to buy some, you might want to consider Cynhia’s mooncakes. I can assure you that anything that comes out from her kitchen is pure goodness and sinful to the max. My personal favourite is her chocolate moist cake *HINT HINT* and chocolate chip cookies. ( I can’t wait for Christmas… hahahahaha! *Cyn, run for your life!*)

Here’s the price list for her mooncakes.

Bake Mooncakes (Single Egg Yolk Lotus Paste, Pure Lotus, Red Bean and Five Nuts)

1) Single Variety Mooncakes in a box â€“ RM40.00 for 4

2) Mixture of any 4 Mooncakes in a box – RM45.00

3) Mini Mooncakes (Mung Beans) – RM8.00 per box of 4

4) Mini Mooncakes (Lotus Paste) – RM10.00 per box of 4

5 Mini Mooncakes (Red Beans) – RM8.00 per box of 4

Ping Pei

1) Mini Dragon Fruit Ping Pei Mooncakes (Mung Beans) â€“ RM6.00 per box of 4

2) Mini Dragon Fruit Ping Pei Mooncakes (Lotus Paste) â€“ RM8.00 per box of 4

CLICK HERE to find out more on how you can order her mooncakes. And NOOOOO… this is not a paid post! I’m not paid to post this up…but I’ll be fed if I’m lucky. ( Do I hear someone say ‘Don’t feed the crazy fairy? LMAO) Hahahaha!

Oh yea… before I forget… Cyn is also having mooncake giveaways on her blog. Do check out her blog on how you can get your hands on her yummylicious mooncakes for free before it’s too late. 😀

Cleffairy: Is your love eternal? Does it transcends death and memories? I wonder.

A Penny For Your Thoughts, Book review, Mythology/ History

The Last Wife of Henry VIII

July 24, 2010 16 Comments

This is yet another book that I borrowed from Smallkucing’s Mamarazzi, and like Empress Orchid and The Last Empress by Anchee Min, this book, entitled, The Last Wife of Henry VIII written by Carolly Erickson intrigue me to the point that I found the book really hard to put down. I finished reading all the three books within 2 days, and I must say, all of the books whisked me away into both Ancient China and Medieval England.

The Last Wife of Henry VIII tells the story of Catherine Parr, the sixth and last wife of Henry VIII of England. Catherine Parr, affectionately known as Cat Parr in the story brings you into the world where heads rolled everyday at the pleasure of the King and England trembles.

While history books reduced all Henry’s Queens into some sort of historical figure, this book tells the story of Catherine Parr delicately and emotionally while weaving historical facts into it.

From her childhood, Catherine Parr lives on the fringes of the court of Henry VIII, her mother was Catherine of Aragonâ€™s (Henry’s first wife)lady-in-waiting.

As the years goes by, Henry bestows the favors of his friendship, and Catherine is lulled into a false sense of security by the King, never imaging that the king will one day set his lusty eyes on her as his sixth wife.

When his attentions become inappropriate, Catherine is happy to be free of this unpredictable court, deeply in love with her unprepossessing husband, Ned Burgh, although Burghâ€™s family estates are obtained through the intercession of the king.

When Ned dies in a tragic accident barely a year into their marriage, Catherineâ€™s lands are claimed by her irascible father-in-law and his powerful contacts in the church. A marriage to John Neville, Lord Latimer, affords Catherine some sanctuary, her much older husband demanding little but her affection.

Catherine is challenged to protect her interests through religious turmoil and rebellion against the king, her husband growing fragile and incapable of running their affairs. Ambushed by a long-averted by need for affection, Catherine falls hopelessly in love with Thomas Seymour, uncle to the unhealthy young prince Edward, heir of Henry through Jane Seymour.

Although he has promised to marry Catherine after the elderly Lord Latimer dies, Seymour has ambitions of his own; it is Thomas Seymour, in fact, who delivers the news to his intended that Henry intends to marry Catherine soon after the beheading of the foolish Catherine Howard.

When Henry VIII of England fell in lust with Catherine Parr, he had just had his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, executed for deceiving him. He divorced his fourth queen, the German Anne Of Cleves, because he was not attracted to her. Henry dubbed Anne of Cleves the Flanders’s mare.

He’d lost his third wife, Jane Seymour, after she gave birth to his only legitimate son. Henry put aside his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and split with the Church of Rome in order to divorce her, so that he could marry his second wife, Anne Boleyn, only to have Anne executed for treason for betraying him.

Knowing that history, and apparently already engaged to Jane Seymour’s brother, Thomas Seymour, Catherine Parr was both reluctant to marry Henry, and aware that refusing could have serious consequences for herself and her family.

So Catherine Parr married Henry VIII of England on July 12, 1543, and by all accounts was a patient, loving, and pious wife to him in his last years of illness, disillusion, and pain.

Catherine Parr was the daughter of Sir Thomas Parr, who served as Henry’s Master of the Household, and Maud Green. She was educated well, including in Latin, Greek, and modern languages, and she also learned theology. Catherine was first married to Edward Borough until he died in 1529, and then to John Neville, Lord Latimer, who died in 1542.

Catherine Parr helped reconcile Henry to his two daughters, Mary (Bloody Mary), daughter of Catherine of Aragon, and Elizabeth (The Future Queen Elizabeth I), daughter of Anne Boleyn. Under her influence, they were educated and restored to the succession. Catherine Parr also directed the education of her stepson, the future Edward VI.

Catherine was sympathetic to Protestant cause, and could argue fine points of theology with Henry, occasionally infuriating him so much that he threatened her with execution. She probably tempered his persecution of Protestants under the Act of the Six Articles. Catherine herself narrowly escaped being implicated with Anne Askew.

Catherine Parr served as Henry’s regent in 1544 when he was in France, but when Henry died in 1547, Catherine was not made regent for Edward. Catherine and her former lover, Thomas Seymour the regent. Thomas Seymour was the Edward’s Lord protector. He was Edward’s uncle and did have some influence with Edward, including obtaining his permission to marry, which they did on April 4, 1547.

Catherine gave birth to her only child, a daughter whom she called Mary, in August, 1548, and died a few days later of puerperal fever. There have been suspicions that her husband poisoned her in order to marry the Princess Elizabeth.

This book is a five star read, though I would not recommend this book to those who likes happily ever after. This book is no fairy tale, and has no happily ever after in it. This is not a story of a romance. It tells the story of a woman who was a Queen. A Queen who lives in the time where love is rather unreachable and power is the only thing that can give you the sense of security.

This is also not a novel for those who are squeamish, for there are parts where executions are described so vividly that it could easily give one nightmares.

Take this as an example. The author was describing the execution of Henry’s firth wife through the eyes of Catherine Parr:

Her hands shaking, she took off her hood and knelt down, crossed herself, and laid her head on the cold wooden block. The headsman took the heavy axe, lifted it, and brought it down with a loud thwack. I shut my eyes. I couldn’t watch. When I opened them I saw a ghastly sight. Blood was spurting out from the wounded neck, flowing down over the wooden block and onto the black gown, staining it crimson. The body was heaving, the hands and arms twitching and fluttering like wings of a dying chicken. But the head hung, limp and all but lifeless, mouth agape, and eyes staring, still attached to the body. The headsman lifted the axe a second time, and struck, and then a third. Finally the head fell onto the planking of the scaffold with a soft thud, the Queen’s beautiful long auburn hair reddened with gore.

If you put yourself in Catherine’s Parr’s position, I daresay that you could imagine the horror she felt, as she was the next one to be Henry’s Queen.

Yes, this is no happily ever after. This is life. This is history. And if you like realistic story and into historical fiction, you will like this novel.

Cleffairy: What would you do if you have no choice but marry a man who never even hesitate to chop off his wife’s head?

A Penny For Your Thoughts, Book review, Mythology/ History

Betrayal& survival in the Forbidden City

July 24, 2010 15 Comments

In my last entry, I penned down my thoughts about prostitutes as well as Empress Orchid by Anchee Min book.

This is a continuation of that entry. This time, I’ll be reviewing The Last Empress by Anchee Min- the sequel to Empress Orchid.

I pestered Smallkucing’s Mamarazzi for quite some time for both of the books, and she had generously lend the books to me, so I think that it’s only fair that I do some justice to her, and the books by reviewing it. 😀

This historical fiction, a continuation of Empress Orchid hurl you into the world of the last empress of China. An extraordinary and probably one of the most misunderstood woman in history, considering how China is against women ruling above men.

This book… brings you into a world where one could have everything, and yet have nothing; a world where betrayal and ruthlessness is the very key to survival. A story of being… a woman, and just human.

The story begins with the death of Orchid’s mother, and the arising conflict between her and Prince Kung over political matters. The relationship between Orchid and her son, Tung Chih, beganÂ to fall apart too at this point of the story.

Just after Tung Chih’s 17th birthday in 1872, the selection of Imperial consorts for him is completed. The chosen Empress for Tung Chih is a an 18 years old beauty known as Alute.

Orchid was displeased with the selection of Alute as the Empress as she preferredÂ the daughter of a provincial governor named Foo-cha. But in regards of family matters and decisions regarding to her son Tung Chih, the higher rank wife, Nuharoo’s words is a command, and though Tung Chih is her son, she could not make decisions for him. Nuharoo’s words as ‘first royal mother’ overrule Orchid’s words.

After the selection of Imperial consort for the new Emperor Tung Chih, Antehai, orchid’s eunuch and confidant died. His death had a great emotional impact on Empress Orchid – and it is at this moment that she admits to ‘giving up’ on Tung Chih, as she realizes that her relationship with Tung Chih could never be like the one he shares with Nuharoo.

Around one year later, tension begins to mount between Orchid andÂ her daughter in law Alute. This is first observed after Tung Chih develops a sexually transmitted disease symptoms. Alute refuses to answer Orchid’s queries about the situation, maintaining that it is between Tung Chih and her alone. Orchid becomes irritated at Alute’s aloofness, and is further annoyed with Alute’s rude attitude towards her. But her annoyance soon turns to happiness when Alute claims that she is pregnant with Tung Chih’s first child.

Tung Chih’s illness worsens and in 1875 he dies with his mother beside him. Around the same time, Alute sends Empress Orchid a message threatening to commit suicide. Convinced that she will give birth to a son, Alute states that she should be entitled to the regency upon giving birth and so expects Orchid to hand over power to her. Empress Orchid refuses to do so, as she believes that Alute only sees the glory of being an Empress. She also believes that Alute has little experience with political and court matters and therefore, rendering her unsuitable for the role as Empress of China.

Upon learning of Orchid’s refusal to step down, Alute commits suicide by dousing herself with opium, smuggled into the Forbidden City by her father.

After the death of Alute, Empress Orchid learns that there was a possibility that Alute’s pregnancy was not real. Orchid also realizes that Alute may have been mentally disturbed.

Yet these possibilities had no effect on English journals describing Orchid as an intimidating character who contributed to the death of her son whilst portraying Alute as the victim. Many foreign reports and articles soon begin printing false reports of Orchid’s actions as ruler of China, suggesting that she is solely responsible for China’s decline due to her cruel regime. However, such stories are seemingly published only to justify their further invasions of China.

After the death of Tung Chih and Alute, Orchid adopts her sister Rong’s son Tsai-Tien after realizing that her sister’s mental disorder caused the death of three of her infant sons.

Orchid then renames her nephew Guang-hsu upon his succession to the Dragon Throne. Initially, Orchid felt no motherly love for her nephew as she only adopted him to prevent his death at Rong’s hand. However, a mother-son bond eventually forms between the two. Nuharoo disagrees with Orchid’s methods of bringing up Guang-hsu, causing yet more tension between the two characters once again…and Orchid felt that it’s the history is repeating itself.

Shortly after the appointment of Guang-hsu as Orchid’s successor, her love interest, Yung Lu announces that he is planning to marry and move away to faraway Sinkiang. Orchid’s health begins to decline badly a short while afterwards. Soon after Orchid realizes that she is no longer at full health, she receives information that Empress Nuharoo has collapsed from an illness. Nuharoo then dies, and rumours suggest that Orchid is responsible for her death.

Several years later (after increasing attacks by foreign countries), Orchid and Guang-hsu move to Ying-Tai. During her stay, Orchid becomes the victim of an attempted assassination, supposedly organized by her adopted son. After Guang-hsu learns of the mistake he made that almost cost Orchid’s life, he becomes deeply shamed and loses the will to live. His attempted reform of China also fails, and he too succumbs to illness. Attacks by a rebellion group named the Boxers soon force Orchid, Guang-hsu and their servants to flee. They return to the Forbidden City after the attacks subside.

Orchid’s health then deteriorates further and during this time, she meets with Robert Hart, an important contributor to the stability of China’s economy. On November 14th 1908, Emperor Guang-hsu dies. Orchid also dies the following day, after appointing her grandnephew Puyi, who is still a child as her successor.

One amazing that that she did before she died was that she left a will, stating that there shall be no more Empress Dowager appointed as regent to those child-Emperors.

I seriously prefer Empress Orchid in comparison to The Last Empress. The Last Empress, while realistic, is also very depressing. It showed that when things get worst, sometimes, things would never be better again, no matter what you do to rectify the problems. Rectifying problems and ruling an empire would require changes, motivation and co-operation, but in this book, the whole China was bound by traditions, and the mindset of the people cannot be changed overnight, hence…the fall of the dynasty.

The Ching dynasty would have fallen, even if it wasn’t in Empress Tsu Hsi’s hand. I doubt the emperors could do much… considering the damages, the corruption, the rebels and not to mention the revolutionists who wants to reform China. Typical of men. When they succeed, they will boast about their conquest. When they fail, they will blame the nearest women. In this case- Empress Orchid.

Cleffairy: In The Last Empress, those emperors are good for nothing, but dying young and leaving their mess to be cleared by others.

A Penny For Your Thoughts, Mythology/ History, Time Heals What Love And Reason Cannot

Divorce, Beheaded and Die

June 28, 2010 12 Comments

Learning history is fun, truly. And it is amazing somehow that despite of the changing time there are things about men and women that haven’t change, and I doubt ever will change. Men are still expected to go around, parading off with their manly conquests while women are expected to look at the four walls while being saddled by children.

Some men is known throughout the history not for their achievements, but their cruelties, infidelities and how insatiable they are when it comes to women. King Henry VIII is one of those men, well known for his sexual prowess as well as ruthlessness, despite of how very much he resembled an exploding balloon in those portraits.

Many feared him in his time. He called his own legitimate children bastards, and disposed his wives as he pleased. I’m not going to delve into too much of history, but it I suppose it’s sufficient to say that men, given the power to ditch their wife and family for a more exhilarating thing without being condemned, they would. Henry VIII is one of those men, and I don’t doubt that many men in the modern era wishes that they have such power and ability as well.

Henry VIII. 6 wives. Famous for: divorce, beheaded and die, divorce beheaded, survived. 6 women married to 1 man, suffered different fate.

First wife was divorced, second one was beheaded, third wife died because of post-natal complication, fourth was divorced because she wasn’t pretty enough, fifth was accused of infidelity and therefore her head rolled of her shoulder, but fortunately for the sixth, she survived because Henry died before her and she outlived Henry.

Men and women are both guilty when it comes to both seduction and infidelities. But when things goes wrong, the blame would all be on the wife. Katherine of Aregon, Henry’s VIII first wife is a good example of it. She was only guilty of not being able to provide him a male heir.

Then came the seductress Anne Boleyn. Coaxed him to divorce the Queen and encourage him to revamp the whole England’s faith from Catholic to Protestant. Captivated by her youthful exuberance and beauty, Henry divorced Katherine, only to find that Anne was a no good whore who could only give him a girl.

At this point of history, I laughed my head off, because Henry was involved with Jane Seymour at the same time Anne was pregnant with his child. (Gee, can’t blame Henry, can you? The wife can’t have sex with him, so find someone else to slake his manly needs)

The famous whore in history soon discovered their liaison, and miscarries. Displeased by the fact that his affairs was discovered, Henry VIII soon accuse Anne of infidelities and treason, and off with her head went dear Anne. 😀

Despite having claimed that he loved Anne Boleyn more than life itself and went as far as to change England’s faith for the sake of marrying her, Henry did not even grieve for his so called ‘beloved’ wife when her head was sent rolling. Instead, he married Jane Seymour merely a few days after her death.

Amazing, isn’t it? The story after Jane was rather uninteresting, as history repeats itself after Jane’s death. Henry divorce his fourth and beheaded his fifth wife. Nothing new there. It’s like Katherine and Anne’s case all over again. Lucky number six outlived Henry, though, so I guess God is fair.

Studying history as a woman makes me believe in karma. Historians may not agree with my dimwit pondering and musing, but I do believe that never ever go and play a home-wrecker. For what it’s worth, Anne Boleyn was one, and look at what happened to her. LOL. Beheaded when Henry VIII got bored of her.

Cleffairy: I kinda agree that some men are not worth fighting for, and the best revenge a wife could take when a another woman seduce her husband is to let the woman keep him.

A Penny For Your Thoughts, Current Issue, Mythology/ History

Which one is true?

August 23, 2009 12 Comments

It’s 4:34am over here when I’m writing this entry. I can’t sleep again. I wonder what I can do to be less imsomniac? The lack of sleep and a good rest is not only irritating me, but also giving me headachaches.

Anyway, this entry is meant for a few days ago. Since I cannot hit the sack and go to dreamland, I might as well write something that I have been procrastinate doing for the past two days. This will be another of my silly short entry, though, so consider yourself have been forewarned, folks.

As you all probably know, this year’s Ramadhan (Muslim fasting month) coincide with the Hungry Ghost festival, and I have a question to ask.

It is known by the Muslim and non-Muslim who took the time to understand the facts about Ramadhan that during the whole fasting month, spirits, ghost, devil, undead and whatnot will be locked and chained up in Hell for the entire month, and therefore, no bloody ghosts will be walking on the face of the Earth for the rest of the month. The Muslims believed that Ramadhan is the holiest month of all, and it is time to fast and do good deeds without being disturbed by the evils.

The superstitious Chinese, on the other hand, believes that all hell is set loose during this entire month, and the undead and evil spirit and whatnot will be walking on Earth to enjoy their ‘vacation’ and wreaking havoc for the entire month.

Since Ramadhan and Hungry Ghosts Festival coincide with each other this year, I truly wonder…which one is true? The ghosts and evil beings being chained and locked up in Hell as the Muslims believed or all hell is set loose as the superstitious Chinese believes?

I am not mocking both Muslim and Chinese, but I truly wonder, which one is a true statement? The one made by the Muslims, or the superstitious Chinese?

I don’t know which statement is true but I prefer to believe the Muslim this time. At least, I won’t be cowering up for fear of being ‘disturbed’ or posessed by the evil beings and undead when I loiter around on this godforsaken earth.

Anyway, allow me to end this entry by wishing all Muslim out there a blessed Ramadhan, and may all of your good deeds be repayed by God.

And not forgetting the supertitious Chinese a safe and sound Hungry Ghosts Festival. Hopefully you don’t stumble upon anything creepy or any bad luck throughout this whole month.

Cleffairy: I don’t know what to believe anymore. The world is full of contradictions.

1 2 3 Next »