Happy Chinese New Year Yo’ll

CNY is just around the corner. The usual tradition of visiting relatives, giving ang pows and hopefully receiving some (in my case), eating and more drinking during this joyous celebration are much anticipated.

What’s more when you also have ‘new’ addition to the family in the form of nieces and nephews, making the occasion more celebrative. This is the time where many of us also take long breaks (a week) for visiting all relatives and friends, especially, my bad, for not making time for them throughout the year (excuse: being very busy and all, which is the truth!).

But before all that can happen, several days of spring-cleaning the house, queuing at the banks for new notes (and ang pow packets) and preparing ‘soong lai’ gifts for in-laws and parents are the norm for married couples.

Children are extremely excited during CNY as this is the time they get to play dress up and receive red packets from their uncles and aunts. Grandparents, on the other hand waited eagerly to show off their grandchildren to others and the adults will definitely drink (alcohol galore), eat and play cards (tsk....tsk....) till the wee hours of the morning.

This CNY will not be any different for me. Besides being labeled a drug pusher by family members for taking orders and buying all sorts of supplements on my aunts’ behalf, this year, I would also like to take the opportunity to do some bird-watching back in Teluk Intan. My husband and I just bought ourselves a pair of Nikon Monarch 8 X 42 binoculars from Singapore (a friend once warned us that it will be a real expensive hobby…..sigh….i wonder whether this can be considered a sport for tax deduction purpose?).
To-date we have discovered 88 species of birds and still counting……yeh! It is a feat for us. My favourites are the Malkohas (long-tailed colourful birds). Good birding spots as I have come to realize are aplenty in the city…..we even managed to spot more than 10 species at the balcony of our home in Menjalara. Other birding spots we normally go to are DPC, FRIM, Sungai Buloh, Kuala Selangor and Lake Garden, KL.

“Once you are into birds, it is quite difficult to ‘switch off’ as you tend to be more sensitive towards their presence such as the sounds they make” said another avid birder friend of my husband and this is soooooo true. We also tend to look up at trees and skies more often these days, just to see whether there are any birds that we could spot. The thrill of discovering a new bird, capturing them on camera and later identifying these birds is very gratifying.

So, yes, we will be trying to squeeze in birding during CNY and hopefully these birds are as merry as us during this festive period. Before that, some tips for all you guys and gals out there:

1. Drink loads….not the alcoholic type. Drink as much water as possible to rehydrate yourselves. The hot weather and all the CNY activities can easily caused dehydration, leading to fatigue. We all love our alcohol but do so in moderation. Water fills you up more, so you tend to eat less.

2. Don’t overindulge. I know it is going to be hard but at least practise some form of self-control, especially on biscuits, fizzy drinks, fatty foods and Chinese Mandarin oranges. One to two pieces of everything is fine.

3. Wear sunscreen with SPF 50 to protect the skin against UV rays that can cause skin pigmentation and also promote ageing.

4. Exercise if you have time or simply expend more energy than you consume. Getting involved in more activities (e.g birding, photography, playing with the kids) can also take your mind off eating.

5. If you like to overindulge, try supplementing your diet with herbal tonics such as Milk Thistle and Dandelion. These herbs help cleanse the liver and detox the body.

6. Plan your journeys and drive safely. Your loved ones would like to see you arriving in one piece. If you are tired, take a short nap at designated petrol kiosks along the highways. Snacking on berries such as blueberries or drinking an infusion of wolfberry tea helps improve eye circulation and reduce tiredness. You may also get this in the form of capsules at your local pharmacies.

7. Lastly, do not stress yourselves out. Just go with the flow, don’t be too calculative and endure all negative remarks/questions thrown at you in good faith (they meant well and only wanted to strike a conversation with you, and these are the standard questions, so you can’t say you are caught off guard by them).

Happy Chinese New Year to everybody and I’ll fill you with more updates after my CNY break!

My agenda for CNY
13th Feb – Pre CNY dinner with the in-laws
14th Feb – Driving up to TI to visit David’s side of the relatives plus birding
14th Feb – Driving back to KL to meet up with mom’s side of the family at Putrajaya
15th Feb – Visit dad’s sides of the family in Klang
16th Feb – Visit relatives in Klang valley
17th – 19th Feb – road trip to Melaka
20th Feb onwards – attending friend’s and relatives’ open houses

Gong Xi Gong Xi!

Final part of Health & your horoscope

Sagittarius

Sagittarius governs the hip, thighs and the sciatic nerve which are often areas of complaint for you. You may be prone to illnesses connected with movement such as muscular aches and pains, arthritis and rheumatism. Also bones and teeth may give trouble. So take extra care and keep yourself as supple as you can. Walks and light exercise will bring benefits to the joints and drink plenty of calcium rich milk or supplement to keep your teeth and bones in peak condition.

Capricorn

Capricorn rules the bones joints and knee-cap. Your biggest health enemies are rheumatism and dislocations of the knee and joints. Your general physical health is good this year but you may be prone to stress. The important guideline for the year ahead is to rest properly whenever you can so that you don't burn yourself out from over-work. Also try to do proper warm-up so to reduce your risk of post-exercise injuries.

Aquarius

Aquarius governs the calves, circulation and breath. This year you may be more prone to indigestions and stress. You'll be running around and hurried meals might just lead to stomach upsets. Try to avoid junk food and fast food. You'd be better off with a high fibre diet with lots of fruit and vegetables for your energy source instead.

Pieces

Pisces rules the feet, toes and lymphatic system. Many of you have a bad posture standing with a stooping gait and a clumsy step. Yoga is the perfect activity for you. Luck is on your side this year and good omens are to be found in the health area of your chart. It is as if the planets protect you and keep you from harm, so I suggest you should not push your luck by doing all the opposites!