Mid Autumn Festival & Children's Day

Yesterday was Mid-Autumn Festival, or Lantern Festival where kids will carry their battery operated lanterns or the traditional paper/cellophane lanterns. Well, I always call it the "Mooncake Festival" cos "mooncakes is in the air" & you can't miss it with the month-long pre-publicity before the day.

When I was young, it was 'fire playing' time for me where I would find all sorts of stuff to burn. From lanterns to rice to leaves to wood to er...well, insects. I had my good old neighbour to share such moments with me until later, we had to do it discreetly due to the numerous cases of fire happening during this season. Slowly, it evolved to sparklers & slowly, only just eating mooncakes, yams, pomelos etc.But at least I was celebrating it together with my grandparents & cousins then.

It was a quiet festival for me for this year. There was no celebration, no lanterns, not even praying to the "Goddess living on the moon" nor eating my favourite yam & pomelo. I could have just gone down to my old childhood place just to be in the mood. Yet I didn't. Because I was rather tired after a day's work & I believe my hubby is tired as well. I suppose there are many others like us as well.

I'm happy that this festival is still celebrated albeit it has evolved into something rather commercialised with more exquisite packaging & it has become a time of giving for the business people other than X'mas & Chinese New Year. I wonder how many of us remember the 2 stories behind this festival. Perhaps more people remembered the story of the lady who took the 'longevity pill' & flew to the moon than the story of inserting secret messages in the buns (now known as mooncakes) during war time.

It's a pity that I've had a quiet Mid-Autumn this year but I'll make it a memorable one next year :)

Children's Day
Well, Children's Day is around the corner. It's been years that I last celebrated this day which we would usually receive something from the school (usually given to them by the govt).

There's an interesting upcoming activity this Monday, which happens to be Children's Day.

The world's happiest cartoonist, Peter Draw, is going to draw the world's largest caricarture on 1 Oct at Suntec starting at 8am. So if you happen to pop by Suntec, do give him your support and encouragement & find out who he's gonna draw :)

Click on the poster to find out the details. You can also visit his website http://www.peterdraw.com/ to find out more about this young talented chap & his works.