Diary 33: Chinese New Year in A Hainan Village

16 February 2010. Hi, everyone. I am now back to metropolitan Kuala Lumpur, after taking a 4-day break in my home village, a Hainan village called Air Jernih in the district of Kemaman, Terengganu.

Celebrating Chinese New Year in a village environment is a big occasion when friends and relatives meet annually. Of course, the main concern is eating “good dishes”. What were these dishes at my home this year?

First, there were the home farmed chickens. My 76-year old father has been rearing these chickens for the last six months. The Chinese New Year was the time he shared his big chickens with his family members.

Second, there was wild boar meat. At the village level, wild boar meat is getting popular because it is relatively cheap at about RM7 per kg compared to the modern farmed pork of RM20 per kg.

Third, there were prawns harvested by the Malay fishermen at Kemasik, the nearest coastal fishing small settlement to the village.

Fourth, vegetables cultivated by my father using minimal chemical fertilizer were also served.
Faced with all these nice food at the same table, what was my choice? Just like any social dinners where a variety of food items are served, I just take whatever is appropriate. For my own nuclear family members, it was none other than rice and vegetables for the Chinese New Year.

There is “flexible zone” for my family members during festivals. In the morning, we had roti canai at a Malay store in Kemasik. My wife, my 15-year old daughter and 8-year-old son enjoyed their soft drinks. My preference was taking young coconut drink and fruit at a stall in a nearby Malay village.

We also had good time at the Kemasik beach. We two children love the sea water very much.Twice a day (morning and afternoon), we went to this popular beach and soaked our bodies in the water. This kept us fit.

Our practice brings good result. When we came back to Kuala Lumpur after a long drive, we manage to maintain a good health condition. None has sore throat or cough.

Happy and Healthy New Year to all of you.