Chinese New Year is a must-see in Penang where Ang Huah is probably the person who can show you most interesting hidden gems. Today on the 16 Feb I really had the chance to experience something special and unexpected.
After taking pictures of the famous popiah skin maker at Chow Rasta St and a small popiah breakfast, I was heading back to the Tune Hotel to check and download my work. Suddenly I heard the drumming of a lion dancer and I had a look. The lion dance performance impressive and very funny, the premise well-groomed.
Later it turned out that it was the Sang Kiang association, a group of people who would like to trace back their roots and maintain their original culture. The lion dancers showed an excellent choreography, made a lot of jokes and farces and threw oranges at people to catch and again I was hit by one on the head as I tried to take a close-up picture. Their performance was long, teasing and funny while at the end they had to catch the salad, tore it apart and took their ang pau or red packet with lucky money.
The San Kiang association was a group of people of Chinese heritage who would like to maintain their culture and language. Meanwhile I have carried out so much research that I know that part of my ancestors came from the Hokkian area. As I told them that my family came from that area, they suggested to trace exactly from which part of the Hokkian area I came as the area itself was quite vast. Well, I pretended to understand a bit of Hokkian and most of the time I just smiled and said either kam sia(thank you) or Gong Xi Fa Cai. Thinks may become difficult when somebody invites me for more intimate relationships and I just answer with a smile, kam sia(thank you) or Gong Xi Fa Cai(Happy Chinese New Year):-) However, most of the members were friendly and some ladies even called me "sister".
There was free food consisting of noodles, rice noodles, fried and white rice, chicken, fish, vegetarian dishes, fresh fruit and drinks such as juices and water. There were plenty of music shows and games for young and old. The Ang pau after I won the Hula Hoop game was the highlight of the day and again I forgot to charge the battery of my camera.........And the free food of course but bringing non-Chinese CSers would have been a less good idea perhaps.
In due time I thought I could make a lot of contact with local Malaysians in the hotel as well as foreign international tourists. I enjoyed Penang very much without any help of the Penang CSers.
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