JUST TO SHARE (Lau Tai Onn): CNY CELEBRATION IN BKT MERTAJAM, FEB. 9

In celebration of CNY 2024, the 1^st day of which falls on Saturday, 10/02/2024, Soh Ai went back to Rantau Pajang, Selama, Perak with her brother Sze Teong ann wife Kitty Wan on Wednesday, 07/02/2024, so as to help out their mother to clean up the old house. They procceeded to Sze Hean’s house in Tropical Residency, Bukit Mertajam (BM) on Friday. 09/02/2024.

This year’s CNY was celebrated in BM for the first time, breaking the tradition of celebrating in Rantau Panjang.

My two sons Wai Kit and Wai Yu followed me in a car to BM on Friday. Wai Kei flew back from New Zealand to KL after 1.5 years’ stint of Work & Travel there and he would take a train to BM on Saturday night. Wai Jen flew by AirAsia to Penang and stayed in a BM hotel for 4D3N.

DAY 1. 除夕 FRIDAY 09/02/2024 K.L. / BKT MERTAJAM / RANTAU PANJANG

Wai Kit and I left home at about 10.00am to Taman YARL to fetch Wai Yu at 10.30am. We had breakfast at Restoran Kaw Kaw PahKopi (OUG) before hitting the northbound N-S. Highway at about 11.40am.

Toll is free today and the traffic condition is smooth-sailing.

We took a break at R&R Tapah from 1.50pm till 2.35pm. I drove from home to Tmn YARL, while Wai Kit took the wheel from there to R&R Tapah, and Wai Yu drove from Tapah to BM.

We reached BM at around 5.30pm and met my mother-in-law (Ah Ma), and the families of Sze Hean and Sze Teong.

We had steamboat reunion dinner at Tropicale Residency in the presence of Sock Kim and husband Chooi KH. Wai Jen also came at about 7.00pm by Grab car.

After dinner, we witnessed Dragon Dance in the garden and the festive celebration mood was very high.

Soh Ai and I left BM in Sze Teong’s car (with Kitty) to go back to Rantau Panjang to stay overnight there, as there were not enough rooms in Sze Hean’s house to accommodate us.

We reached Rantau Panjang at about 11.30pm.

Kaw Kaw PakKopi @ OUG

My wantan mee breakfast

R&R Sg. Perak

Arrival at Bukit Mertajam

Jia-wei in Spiderman hood

Well-decorated Tropicale Residency

Sze Hean's house at the background

Steamboat food

Dragon Dance in progress

DAY 2: 大年初一 SATURDAY 10/02/2024 RANTAU PANJANG

On the 1^st Day of CNY in Rantau Panjang, four of us (Soh Ai, Sze Teong, Kitty and I) went for noodle breakfast in the nearby Aoron Coffee House. We had a simple lunch with 2-dishes and soup prepared by Kitty. Dinner was even simpler as we bought a plate of Nasi Goreng (RM10) from the neighbour restaurant and it was not even finished.

Simple lunch on the 1st Day of CNY

DAY 3: 大年初二 SUNDAY 11/02/2024 RANTAU PANJANG / BKT MERTAJAM / RANTAU PANJANG

We had our breakfast at Aaron Coffee House at Rantau Panjang and left for BM at 1.00pm.

We visited Pek Gong Cheng Food Street, BM (大山脚伯公埕美食街) and took Teochew Kuay Chap (潮州稞汁, RM11/B bowl) and iced coffee (RM2.50/per glass) and roasted cheese bread (RM3/set). Most of the stalls were already closed when we arrived.

I took some photos of the adjacent well-decorated Xuan Tian Temple (玄天庙).

We arrived at Tropicale Residency, BM at about 5.30pm.

We had a grand steamboat reunion dinner attended by Ah Ma, family of Sze Hean (incl. Yean Li, Xin-yi, Le-yi, Jia-wei), Sze Teong and Kitty, family of Sock Kim (incl. Chooi, Ji-an, Ruben and Aria), Soh Ai and our 4 sons Wai Kit, Wai Jen, Wai Yu and Wai Kei.

Soh Ai, Wai Kei and I followed Sze Teong’s car to go back to Rantau Panjang, reaching there almost 12.00am because of a road block near Selama Kedah. Wai Kei would follow Teong’s car the next day to go to Ipoh to visit his friends (staying overnight at a hotel), while Wai Kit and Wai Yu would drive from BM to pick us up at Rantau to return to KL the next day too.

At Ah Ma's house

Ready to leave for BM

Pek Gong Cheng food street in BM

Tokong Xuan Tian

Long queue in front of the coffee shop because most shops' food were sold out

Our noodle lunch (2 bowls shared by 4 of us)

2 sets of cheese bread

Tropicale Residency

Ji-an daughter Aria

12-year old uncle Jia-wei carrying his 2-year old niece Aria

Sock Kim feeding her grand-daughter Aria

Loshang or Prosperity Toss (bought by me for RM38.80)

Jia-wei and Wai Yu

A group photo for all present

Aria

DAY 4: 大年初三 MONDAY 12/02/2024 RANTAU PANJANG / K.L.

Sze Teong, Kitty and Wai Kei left Rantau Panjang at about 9.30am. Wai Kit and Wai Yu came from BM at about 2.00pm to pick us up.

Today was still a public holiday but it was expected many people were returning home from the north, causing heavy traffic along the N-S. Highway.

We stopped by R&R Sg. Perak (Wai Kit drove) for half an hour at about 4.00pm and had some food and drink.

It took Wai Yu to drive about 5.5 hours non-stop along the jammed highway to return to his condo at Tmn YARL at 10.35pm. I took the wheel and reached home at 11.05pm. What a long journey of driving on the road!