Chinese-Malaysian New Year's cookies

During the last few days, we made two kinds of Chinese-Malaysian New Year’s cookies; ‘kuih bangkit’ and ‘kuih rose’. This was the first time we made them and the taste was not quite right. We need to improve them next time!

Chinese New Year eve was on Sunday, and we joined the afternoon event at the Tzu Chi service center, and Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner and chanting service at the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist center. The gifts from Master Cheng Yen of Tzu Chi and Master Hsing Yun are made delicately.

I liked having Chinese New Year in Penang; the atmosphere is wonderful: a lot of stores play Chinese New Year songs and people shop for food & clothing, and having a big meal (Mandarin: tuan yuan fan) with family. I didn’t feel such atmosphere in St. Louis. Steve had to go to work, as there is no holiday for Chinese New Year. I play this Chinese New Year song ‘Choy Shen Duo’ in Cantonese at home to create a little atmosphere: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scYV5F_cMWg&feature=related

前几天我们做了其中两种马来西亞华人年饼糕，kuih bangkit 和 kuih rose（蜂窝饼）。第一次做口感味道都不如我期待的好，以后再改进吧！

新年除夕星期天，我们参加这里的慈济举办下午茶会、岁末／新春祈福，及佛光山举办的除夕围炉、延生普佛。慈济证严法師及佛光山星云法師的结缘品，都很精致。

过惯了在槟城时的华人新年，到处可听到商店播放新年歌，人们购买年货、新衣等，与家人围炉吃团圆饭的气氛。在St. Louis这里可就没有这种热闹，也没假期，Steve去工作了，我在家播放着广东歌版的 ‘财神到’ 制造一点气氛: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scYV5F_cMWg&feature=related