10:30 am
Setting out the fireworks and firecrackers for tonight to dry out in the afternoon sun for the last time. Yes, this actually has a logical basis behind it. I’ll explain some other time. Heh.
3:00 pm
Went to see Ah Beng The Movie – a Malaysian production. It’s a Chinese New Year movie, wanted to catch one before the reunion dinner later. Anyway, the ticketing counter wrote Cineplex 2 on the stub and we waited until 3:10 pm and finally went to ask at the counter if the movie’s starting.
It turns out it was at Cineplex 3. The person made a mistake. I complained and the person at the counter gave us RM 7 tickets instead of RM 9 – got RM 2 each back and got the RM 7 “movie night” tickets instead. I was pissed off coz I hate missing the start of movies but that’s the best they could do. Oh well, that’s Sibu for you.
It’s CNY eve so it was good to catch a CNY movie. 🙂
5:45 pm
I’m about to head out for the extended family reunion dinner. I’m bringing some Chinese firecrackers along, it’s a tradition to let it off before the dinner. I can hear my neighbors already – the sound of firecrackers going off is almost unbroken, everyone starts burning the long Chinese fireworks before the CNY eve dinner.
My dad filmed me playing with this old skool traditional triangle shaped fireworks. It’s called Judas Belt in the Philippines when it’s in a long string, but we get single ones over here – the Chinese name translates to “triangle firecrackers”. I do not recommend you play with firecrackers like I do, I’m actually pretty blase about these things coz I’ve been letting them off for as long as I can remember.
The video is actually quite funny, you can hear my dad’s commentary. Heh.
6:30 pm
The Chinese New Year eve reunion dinner! This is my grandma. I really like her. She’s one of those people that’s cheerful and jovial against all odds. Always love spending time with her when I’m back.
We’re Heng Huas and one cultural thing about the CNY eve dinner is that we don’t eat rice. We eat longevity noodles tossed with lard. It’s not the Foochow type where you eat it in soup – that’s actually totally not cool with Heng Huas coz eating soup during the reunion dinner is supposed to make it rain.
Heng Huas eat dry longevity noodles tossed with lard and some deep fried shallots for the reunion dinner. I love the stuff, it’s very flavorful and tastes good with the dishes. That’s one of my favorite on the plate – braised pork with fatt choy (it’s a type of bacteria, seriously).
I’ll keep on adding stuff until tonight!
Happy Chinese New Year everyone! 😀
Wow I’ve never played with fireworks before. Dull childhood lol. Anyway, Happy Chinese New Year!
Happy Chinese New Year Charmaine! 🙂
Wow! Really? You’ve never played with fireworks before?
I’ve played with them since I was young enough to remember – the oldest memory being my dad holding my hand while I was playing with a sparkler when I was a very very little kid.
Guess it’s those nice memories that makes me associate CNY with fireworks and firecrackers – I let them off every year…and I’m turning 31 soon! 😀
Wow!you seem like a pro! Any tips to share ?
Haha! No la it’s just logic and I’ve been playing it for a long time.
Dampness at sea, moisture, humidity etc is all a factor so by drying them out in the sun, you dry out the powder too, and the fuse, Makes it burn better.
Contrarary to popular believe you don’t need to do it very long. With out super afternoon sun, it just takes a while in direct sunlight before you can feel the heat on the crackers.
Happy Chinese New Year Glow! 😀
Happy Lunar New Year! Have a blast!
Thanks bro! 😀
I most definitely will tonight, it’s a tradition, one of the few that I follow. Hell, the one of three that I like, the other two being the reunion dinner and the visiting friends bit. 🙂
Happy Lunar New Year mate! 🙂
dries out any moisture accumulated during storage! i knew that and am doing that! heh
Exactly bro! 😀
That’s the logical reasoning behind it. 🙂
Yeah, and during transportation too – it’s shipped over here, usually from China in boats (even if it’s stored properly in containers) – dampness and moisture during improper storage/transportation before it gets to you.
I dry it out until it gets a bit hot (just takes an hour or so with our sun) before the big night.
Happy Chinese New Year bro! 😀
Yoy, Happy Chinese New Year!(^^)
Have a great Dragon Year (^^)
You too mate!
Happy Chinese New Year! 😀
hehe. that’s what i did too… like 7 years ago. haven’t touch fireworks for a while. the sun actually makes it pop louder and actually pop. keeping it in the dark too long tend to just let the explosives collect moisture, rendering it less effective. am i not right? 🙂
Yup, people generally do that – just in case of improper storage or dampness during transport by sea – the moisture will be sorted out if you dry it out.
It’s the moisture that sometimes prevents fireworks from going off or not having the full blast potential.
You’re 100% right! 😀
Happy Chinese New Year Michelle! 🙂
Happy CNY to you too!
w00t! Tomorrow is the day everyone goes back to work (if you don’t take leave) so it was fun tonight. 🙂
HB, we all must careful playing with firework. When my sister was little got her hand burn badly and rush to hospital for it. So she just watch firework now only. Our late father when he was little got his whole face burned from firework that backfire on him. He was in hospital for a while back then too. Lucky he cover his face enough to protect his eyes so hands got burned also.
I just watch firework too.
Sorry to hear about that Vickie! 😡
Yeah, the quality control of firecrackers and fireworks is really shoddy in China and I know what you’re talking about.
It happened twice today – a fireworks cake exploded on the ground when one of my neighbors lit it and it flew everywhere. Everyone hauled ass coz when something which is meant to explode in the air goes off on the ground like that the results ain’t pretty.
Then the fireworks cake that I lit misfired halfway and exploded on the ground too. It happens when one of the tubes isn’t loaded properly and burns into the other tubes, causing a chain reaction that disintegrates the cake configuration and sends fireballs everywhere. One shot past me into the house.
I guess I’m very lucky coz fireworks and firecrackers incidents like that happens every year but I’m still alive and unmaimed.
Someone also took out the entire lane’s streetlights with a fireworks cake. Don’t know who coz everyone was letting them off.
I love playing with it though, coz I like lighting the fuses. 🙂
Happy CNY! 😀
Just happened to stumble upon your site/blog, while looking for some pics of Chinese New Year 2012.
Really like reading your fireworks stories. Probably because we share the same passion for it.
Xin nian kuai le from the Netherlands!
Maurice
I would call it that too!
It’s a passion! 😀
I like fireworks – I do an annual roundup on the blog, coming up soon.
Thanks for the well wishes! Happy CNY Maurice! 🙂
Cool. I’m curious to see what else you did. And especially how you are enjoying lighting fireworks. I know you probably know the feeling. It’s something you can’t explain to someone who doesn’t share the same passion.
Fortunately, I’m a licensed pyrotechnicain (next to my normal day job). So I don’t really have to wait 365 days till New Year’s Eev. I can also light fireworks for festivals, parties, weddings, etc.. That is IF local government gives me a permit for that specific day 🙁
Coming right up mate!
There’s a lot of stuff I haven’t lit up yet. I’ll finish them all (at least one of each) before I go back home.
Yup, I totally get what you mean. It’s literally a *passion*. 🙂
Nice! It must be fun being a licensed pyrotechnician. 😀
Love the pics of the food as well.
Makes me want to taste them. Hahaha.
It is pretty good. I miss the pork.
…but then again, my granmda cooks it whenever I’m back. She’s awesome. 🙂
E O E O, police coming
Surprisingly not this year.
There’s police coming for ang pow during every CNY eve but not 2012.
Maybe it’s the end of the world after all. 😉
Got any updates for 2012 fireworks stash that u have ? anyway happy chinese new year to you and fatt fatt fatt ^^
I’m compiling it! 😀
There’s too many this year and er…I haven’t gone through all the fireworks and firecrackers despite my best efforts.
Let of a cake before I rushed out for my niece though.
I’ll get it done before this week. Full report. 🙂
Happy CNY John!
Nice post mate..more update on the firework and cracker pls.. Cheers
Thanks mate! 🙂
It’s coming up real soon! Before the end of the week.
I just have too many variety this year so I’m still uploading the videos and…I haven’t completely finished my fireworks and firecrackers stash yet.
I did get through most on CNY eve and some the days after, especially today when my niece came back. 😀
Happy New year! I love fireworks! Playing them and also taking photos of them XD
Me too! I love playing with fireworks and firecrackers. It’s a *must* for me every Chinese New Year. 😀
Happy CNY Sherrie! 🙂
That food looks tasty…Happy Chinese new year from Melbourne Australia Tours.
Yup, it’s awesome stuff. I love my grandma’s cooking, it’s delicious! 🙂
Happy CNY Colin! 😀
Grandmas are always the better cooks. They have got many years of experience in cooking. Have you ever visited Melbourne?
Hello Colin!
Yup, I spent 4 years in Melbourne – the early days of this blog. 🙂
I was in college then university.
I love the place, have gone back three times now. 😀
i wanna know where to buy this fireworks . its hard to get them during hari raya festival. I wanna be firecracker dealer for next year hari raya. hope we can coperate and make some money
Sorry dude, I don’t deal in fireworks or firecrackers.
Yeah, the fireworks underground here is run by the Chinese so there’s not much going on during Hari Raya. I can’t help you there coz I don’t deal and my advice to you is not to, coz the profit margins are very low compared to your day job.
It’s only if you’re the top guys, then that’s a way to earn a living. 😀
This year 2013 got firework stash or not ?