Rabbit leaps in for Auckland Lantern Festival

The 12th annual Auckland Lantern Festival kicked off on Friday night (Feb 18) with the three-day event in Albert Park, (in front of University of Auckland) central Auckland on February 18 - 20, from 5.00pm - 10.30pm. It started as a one-day affair with second-hand lanterns imported from Singapore 12 years ago. Now, it's a three-day festival with lanterns sourced from China and international and local performers, attracting 150,000 and 200,000 Aucklanders, not only Chinese but people of other ethnicities. The festival was also seen as one of the Auckland's signature cultural events, together with the Pasifika and Diwali festivals. Free family entertainment included magical rod puppetry by award-winning Chengdu Puppetry Theatre, Shanghai Bai Yulan jazz band, Beijing based rock band, Askar Grey Wolf with a mixture of contemporary and traditional music and performance art. There were also plenty of local performances including rock bands, fortune telling, martial-art displays and dragon & lion dance, delicious food and craft stalls, the warm glow of hundreds of beautifully decorated Chinese New Year lanterns and a fireworks display to end the three-day festival. The Lantern Festival or Yuan Xiao, marks the end of the 15-day Chinese New Year celebration. The Year of the Rabbit is represented by the forth animal in the 12 animal Chinese zodiac. People born in a Rabbit year are said to be ambitious, fortunate, reserved, talented, artistic, virtuous, have excellent taste and preferring to work behind the scenes. The 12th Auckland lantern Festival was organised by Asia New Zealand Foundation and Auckland Council.

Please click on the respective photo to ENLARGE it

To view Moving Lantern video online at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cya1Ge5HMoo

Sydney Communities Celebrate Chinese New Year

Sydney Communities held the largest ever Chinese New Year Twinlight Parade on 6/2/2011. See this online at
http://www.sbs.com.au/chinese/video/398847/2011

Tradition dies hard. In this Dong Zhi Festival 22/12/2010 ( 冬至, arrival of winter), the Chinese celebrates it with Tang Yuan ( 湯圓, round glutinous rice balls in soup) as a symbol of family reunion. In ancient days, the arrival of winter meant that the farmers would lay down their tools and celebrate the harvest by coming home to their families. It is also the Winter Solstice in Northern Hemisphere when the night is longest. The days will be longer from now and the festival is symbolic with better days to come.

It's Guy Fawkes Day: What Does That Mean?

Today (5th November, 2010), Guy Fawkes Day, also known as Bonfire Night, is celebrated annually across New Zealand with the use of fireworks and the lighting of bonfires.

Historically, the celebrations mark the anniversary of the failed Gunpowder Plot of 5 November 1605 in which Guy Fawkes (13 April 1570 - 31 January 1606) and 12 English Catholic conspirators planned to blow up King James I and the House of Parliament. However, the plot was revealed, Guy Fawkes was discovered in the cellar of the House of Parliament surrounded by casks of gunpowder, and after being tortured he was executed for treason on 31 January 1606. Today, these conspirators would be known as extremists, or terrorists.

In a happy coincidence for New Zealand's large Indian community, Guy Fawkes today has coincided with Diwali or Deepavali. It means a "row of lamps". It is celebrated with great passion and happiness to mark the victory of good over evil and the removal of spiritual darkness and ignorance.

For Hndus, Diwali is the most important festival of the year and this classic Indian festival of light is celebrated with an exhibition and explosion fireworks other than food, dance, drama and beautiful art and craft.

Despite government regulations restricting the sale of fireworks to a four-day period, firework retailers were gearing for a big Guy Fawkes season. It was reported in a local newspaper that at one of Auckland's main firework outlets, the owner said "Good for business, Guy Fawkes and Diwali together".

The SPCA was bracing for several animal abuses involving fireworks such as lighting fireworks and aiming them at ducks and cats, taping fireworks to the bird. It was also reported that a goup of youths turned up at a paddock and let off a heap of fireworks, hence setting a bush and tree on fire. The fire caused six horses in the paddock to bolt through a fence in panic, one badly injuring its leg.

Instead of banning fireworks completely, i think the government should have tighter control and restriction on sale of fireworks. Another way is to reduce the number of days of sale or just cut it to one day on Guy Fawkes day

It is sad to hear annually of scrub fires being set off, animals being abused, older people being terrorised of the loud noise and hard working emergency services being kept busy by those careless and irresponsible persons. Anyhow, it seems like an odd way to celebrate a failed terrorism attack. Over the years, the Guy Fawkes celebrations would have caused substantial damages to people, pets and properties.

Happy Guy Fawkes Day & Diwali.

Prepared by vincent ht yeoh, 5th nov 2010

Wesak Day Celebration at Darling Harbour.

Wesak Day which is Buddha's Birthday was celebrated over two days at Darling Harbour, Sydney on the 8th and 9th of May. The celebration was combined with the multicultural function with performance and food fair. It was a sea of colours.

Happy Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year to everyone.

May peace and love, understanding and forgiving, caring and sharing continue to prevail and everyone attain an awe-inspiring virtue and ocean of prosperity.

虎年快樂 威德福海

For this New Year and the coming years, I like to share the following eight secrets of longevity with every one.

1. Eat Well. Cut down on salty, sweet and fatty foods. And add lots of colourful fruits and vegetables to your diet.

2. Regular Exercise. Exercise on the regular basis to keep physically healthy.

3. Relaxation lowers blood pressure, eases muscle tension and promotes sleep. Taking it easy also helps combat fatigue, which is the first noticeable symptom of all chronic disease.

4. Take an annual Holiday. Holiday allows one to break from the normal routine, to do something different. It need not be expensive, but it is a period away from routine.

5. Being socially active. Studies show that people with good, active social lives have less depression, stronger immune systems and a much lower incidence of heart disease.
Keep the Mind Active.

6. Manage Stress. Continue to work to keep the body and mind busy. Manage work stress with self-discipline, time management, procedures or a decreased expectation. If the stress is overwhelming, it is time to retire.

7. Reduce weight and quite smoking if this is applicable to you.

8. And the most important, have a positive attitude towards everything.

Happy New Year

The Aussies say "No worry, be happy." There is happiness in the land of no worry.

Visit to Ruapotaka Marae

Kia ora (Hi, hello)

Yesterday (31-10-09), a group of about 100 students from Te Wananga o Aotearoa spent a day in Ruapotaka Marae as part of the course requirement. It was a very colourful and rewarding learning experience for me and i totally enjoyed the Maori culture and hospitality extended to us.

We gathered at the entrance to the Marae compound at 8.30 am and was briefed by the official of the Tikanga (Protocols) of the marae .We are not allowed to eat, and drink inside the meeting house and also not allowed to smoke within the compound surrounding the marae. I enquired and was told not to take photos inside the meeting house while the powhiri or welcoming ceremony is carried out. I was rather disappointed but have to respect the hosts.

The term marae describes a communal "plaza" area that includes a wharunei (meeting house) and a wharekai (dinning room). It provides a focus for social, culture and spiritual life for the Maori community. Going onto the marae means entering into an encounter situation, where challenges are met, and issues are debated. All new comers to the marae must be greeted formally by the tangata whenua (hosts).

There is a standard dress code for the powhiri (welcoming or ritual ceremony) where women usually wear a long black skirt and black top and men long black trousers and a shirt.

Collection of koha (gift) took place prior to the powhiri on to the marae. In the days of old, food was given as a koha, but nowadays monetary koha is the norm with no set amount of money where people can contribute what they can afford, no matter how small it may be.

We were asked to assemble and line up at the entrance (signify to the hosts that we are ready to enter the marae) with women standing in front and the men behind the women (signify that we come in peace and men as the protectors).

A kai karanga (caller) of the tangata whenua (hosts) then began to call the manuwhiri (visitors) on to the marae. This is the first voice that is heard. When the karanga (call) begins, the kai karanga (caller) of our visiting group proceeded on to the marae (we followed slowly) and responded with karanga also. When moving to be seated, the front rows of the seating were reserved for the kai korero (speakers) and the elder men and the next row for the kai waiata (singers) and elder women. The remaining seats were occupied by the rest of the adults. The group waited until the front rows were seated before sitting.

Once everyone has been seated , the whakorero (formal proceedings) commenced. The kaumatua (elder on the marae) then spoke followed by a waiata (song) sung by the kai waiata (singers) to compliment and support what the speaker has said. This is followed by our speaker and singers. The whaikorero then alternated between the tangata whenua (hosts) and the manuwhiri (visitos) kai korero (speakers). This manner of giving speeches is known as Tau-utu-utu (alternating speeches). The other variance is known as Paeke oratory style which refers to the kai korero speaking in a block rather than alternating speakers.

At the conclusion of the whaikorero the last kai korero (speaker) of our visiting group laid the koha on the floor in front of the hosts side. After the visiting group have sung their waiata and seated, a lai karanga of the tangata whenua side acknowledged the manuwhiri by way of karanga (call) for the gift. A kai korero of the tangata whenua side then moved forward to pick up the koha and acknowledged also the manuwhiri for their gift.

Following the oratory, we then move towards the hosts to greet them with the hongi (pressing of noises). The significance of the hongi is that it acknowledges a person spiritually, physically and genealogically.

After the powhiri, a kai karanga of the tangata whenua performed a karanga to let us know to make our wau to the whare kai (dinning room) to have our morning tea.Thereafer, we proceeded to attend three separate workshops on Powhiri (welcoming ceremony), Flax Weaving and Maori Songs and Haka" . For Powhiri workshop, we were divided into a small group of 5 or 6 people where we have to do a mind-mapping of the powhiri we attended earlier and a representative from each group has to give a talk on their group's findings.

Raranga Harakere or flax weaving is interesting. We were told on various varieties of flax and the things/objects which can be made from flax weaving such as piupiu (skirt), kete (bag), tipari (headband) and many others. We were taught to create flower from the flax. The blades of the harakeke (flax) plant and its tightly entwined roots epitomize its inner strength and tenacity. Harakere embodies the spiritual beliefs of Maori people symbolizes the whanau (family), hapu (sub tribe) and iwi (tribe) and evokes strong feelings of unity and togetherness. There are certain protocols or restrictions in the gathering, preparing and eventual weaving of the fibers eg "do not cut in the rain or at night", 'do not step over flax or unfinished work", "no eating or drinking while weaving" "women during their "moontime" (menstrual periods) should not go near the harakere", etc.....

The Maori song and haka were also very challenging and movement of hands and legs are an important part of the act.

For lunch, a representative of the elder blessed the food and we began to enjoy the hot hangi served to us.We were told that the ringawera started to prepare the Maori hangi since the afternoon before yesterday). After we have finished our meals, our three representatives stood up to give three separate speeches (English & Chinese) to thank the ringawera (the people who prepared the meal) and the people of the marae for their hospitality followed by songs (English & Chinese) sung by us to support our spkeakers. This brings the formalities to a close. After lunch we proceeded to the compound to do the Maori song and Haka which we learned yesterday morning during the workshop .We also took group photos and interacted among all participants and hosts. A closing ceremony was held in the marae where participants talked on their experience for the day and acknowledged the hospitality by the hosts. It ended at about 3.00 pm.

During the day, i also came across some Maori words which are similar to Malay words eg "terlinga" for ear and "tua" for old or elder. There are also other tikanga (protocols) practices on the marae like "do not sit on pillows", 'do not sit on tables", "sitting appropriately", "taking off shoes" "switching off mobile".......

Hei konei ra (Goodbye)

Please click on photo to enlarge

Posted by H T Yeoh on 1st Nov 2009 Sunday