The Bright Horses.

The bright horses invaded Chinatown Singapore. There are so many of them, if you are bored, you can take photos of every single one of them. They come in different sizes too.



If you are still feeling bored, go take walks around Chinatown.

The cheapest toiletries stall in Singapore is hidden somewhere here. It's a cash only place and if you find it, congratulations. Probably the long queue might be a hint where it is.


(Viewing on a retina display, this photo will look clearer if you click on the photo and view it on Flickr)

Red Boxes Hanging....

Red Boxes hanging....



Everyone says the yellow snake is nicer.
This is nice too if you stop and admire it.

Smith Street Night Makan

Wow! The word I said when I saw the tables all lined up and getting ready for business few hours later.
The tables were lined up so straight!



This is Smith Street in Singapore Chinatown. It is also known as the Chinatown Food Street.

It's kind of a touristy place to eat.  I only come here when friends or relatives visit!

Looking again at how straight the tables were arranged, do you think the person who arranged it had some obsessive compulsive behaviour? I really want to know how they do it!

The Annual Bak Kwa Queue at Chinatown...

The annual bak kwa queue at Chinatown.

I happened to be one of the mad people around who are fueling the price increase, because retailers know that people under some 'circumstances' just have to buy bak kwa for others.




It was a rainy day that happened to be a blessing in disguise.

The queue was short! We started queuing at 3:40pm and we got my 'spoils' and paid for it and left the shop at 4:10 pm.




If you want to know, the price of Bak Kwa as of Sunday, 30 Jan 2010:
Bee Cheng Hiang - $50 / kg
Lim Chee Guan - $52 / kg

Chinatown

I took a stroll at Chinatown a few days before Chinese New Year.
Not very busy at all. Maybe it's a weekday and it was mid afternoon and it was so so hot!



Guess where is everyone? Queueing for Bak Kwa - BBQ Meat. LOL..

One of the streets in Chinatown

Since I was at Chinatown, I could not resist posting another photo of it.

Do you realise something? Most Chinatowns in the world have red lanterns and cloths as deco.

Is it true where you are? haha...



(psst... did they repaint that 'ugly' building behind again?)

CNY Lights

The Lunar New Year's ending. Here's one more photo to add to the collection.



Have a great weekend!

Dried Persimmons

One of the many traditional goodies that people buy during the lunar new year is the dried persimmons.



Its very sweet. Some are even preserved wine.
They are also serve in a chines dessert known as cheng tng.

Wishing all a very Happy Lunar New Year

Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year. Wishing everyone who celebrates the Lunar New Year a Blessed and Properous New Year!


This is taken from Chinatown when we visited it 3 days before the first day of the Lunar calendar. It was so crowded!

The literal translation of the 4 chinese characters means "Spring comes to earth" :-)

Nice sayings during the Lunar New year

Every year there will be 1 stall or 2 down Chinatown where someone will sit and write these couplets. They are usually bought and hung on the main doors, on the first morning of the lunar new year.



Usually these couplets comes in a pair, 2 lines of 4 characters each. But this one we saw, is 7 characters. Not too good with my mandarin, hence shall not attempt to explain the meaning of each of them :-) Although they usually mean good things for the new year or blessings for the household.

Happy Mid Autumn Festival

Wishing all from cultures that celebrates the Mid Autumn Festival, a very Blessed Mid Autumn Festival.



Photo taken at Singapore's Chinatown.

Mid Autumn Festival Deco in the day..

A day time view of some of the deco at Chinatown.





I think the night view is much better. Bright lights in the night gives a better effect ;-)

It sure is crowded...

Quick short post today. Scene at Chinatown Singapore these few days.



Chinese households around the world are all busy doing the big clean up. Everything must be 'spring cleaned' in time for the Lunar New Year. OK, back to cleaning....

Whispering Sweet Nothings...

Just before the Lunar New Year, everyone will be stocking up lots of goodies for friends and relatives who visit for the festivities.

Seen here, LOTS and LOTS of sweets being sold at the Night Bazaar at Chinatown.



Why do people eat sweet things during the Lunar New Year? Well, it's so that every word that will be spoken will be sweet! Just like lovers whispering sweet nothings. LOL.

Mickey Mouse loves Chinatown...

I was not joking when I mentioned that it is a Mickey Mouse in yesterday's post.

See, I think they must have paid a fair bit to pay for the licensing to use its characters ya. See Mickey Mouse is doing the lion dance!



Any Mickey fans out there? If not Mickey, any Disney fans? :-)
Few more days to the Lunar New Year! woo hoo!

It's a Mickey Mouse Light Up @ Chinatown

Look at the lights. They are all very mickey mouse.
I think two of my colleagues who are Mickey Fans must be loving this year's light up.



What's the theme of the light up in your Chinatown (if there's a theme)?

red and orange colours rules during CNY.

Scenes of Chinatown. This will be what I will be posting here in Daily Photos these few days.

It seems Reddish and Orangey colors rules!



Do you have a Chinatown in your city? Do you visit it often?
For me, I only visit it during Chinese New Year!

sbs transit and bak kwa stalls welcomes you to chinatown.

It's getting nearer to the Chinese New Year. Chinatown is such a hive of activity. Last nite I walked the streets of Chinatown to 'absorb the atmosphere'. haha..

Many people do that for the fun of it. Squeezing with thousands of people along the roads in Chinatown with stalls displaying their wares.

Visitors coming out of the Chinatown MRT station will see this. The welcome sign is exactly the same as last year's. Guess they are good at recycling :-)

View the photo I took in February last year here of the same entrance.
The only difference is that the station number and name has been replaced with a Bak Kwa shop's advertisement.



I know most people hate crowds. But, do you sometimes like me just join the crowds for the fun of it? haha..

long queues have started at Lim Chee Guan....

Goodness gracious! This was taken a few nites ago at Singapore's Chinatown. Snaking long queues of people lining up to buy slices of BBQ Pork Slices called 'Bak Kwa'. It is also called the asian chewing gum! Something like beef jerkeys, but 100 times better.

It's one of the gifts that you buy for friends and relatives during the Lunar New Year.



Bloomberg had a Bak Kwa index last year, wonder if they will be having it this year.

In our office, we usually get free packs of it from our software and hardware vendors. Wonder if they have made their orders? haha.. IBM, Sun, Dell, do you hear us? haha...

What is the thing that people are queuing for in your city? Can't wait to get their hands on it?
Maybe the new Macbook Air? haha....

Wan Shi Ru Yi

It's Chinese New Year today.

Those Chinese characters says "wan shi ru yi". Meaning, all thing you do will have success.