Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year, the biggest event in the Lunar calendar, falls on the 14th of February 2010 this year, in conjunction with Valentine's Day.

As always, we as children traveled back from our respective locations and gathered together for the final dinner of 2009 of the Lunar Calendar.



After meal, someone took out this roll of something that cracks when ignited.

*evidence laid bare*




But hey, our neighbours were way ahead of us in terms of firing up to the sky, polluting the midnight air. We did our part of polluting, and good for me it's only a bit. Next year, I promise, no more fire cracker, not even fire works.. it's polluting the atmosphere and making the 1st day of CNY even warmer.. totally covered in smog..
This year, however, I noticed a significant reduction of fireworks. Unlike previous years, the firework show started at 1130pm this year, and ended at 1235, earliest ever in memory..

1st day of CNY, my house was packed.. busy gila





An army of 40 adults with uncountable kids..


Cute kid





From right;Bro, Sis, Mom, Dad, Myself




Anyway, I read the latest Discovery Magazine, and there was this article about Hobbits, a potentially new species of hominid existed in Indonesia. This species of hominid is believed to stand at one meter tall, weighing around 30 kg. 1 question: why were they so small?

There was this theory about Pangaea, and that divided islands normally preserve ancient species, such as marsupials in Australia, and Lemurs on the Madagascar. And so the Hobbits were a part of human evolution that was separated from the main colony during the division of Pangaea.
Also discussed was the discovery of Ardi, which I mentioned before, a 4.4 million years old specimen unearthed in Ethiopia last October.. it is the oldest hominid specimen ever found, and so Ardipithecus ramidus is considered as the ancestor of both the Hobbits and Homo Erectus.

So how did the Hobbits go extinct? On islands where Komodo Dragons roam freely, volcanoes and earthquake ready to erupt at any time..Did modern human ever encounter a Hobbit? Or did they go extinct because of the arrival of Homo Erectus? Or did they fall prey to Neandethals instead of Homo Erectus??

I couldn't remember all the details though.. was reading it on the plane back to Sibu.. Anyway this edition also showcased some Kenya cyclist stuff and also panda conservation thingy..
quite a good read.
But as we celebrate the coming of the year of the Tiger, we should not be overwhelmed by the festive mood, as I discovered when I was browsing through the Nat Geo website. There were too much thing to record really, as I really need to read this again next time, but I was simply too busy to type in anything useful. And this, is what I meant by overwhelmed.. intoxicated..

And am going back KL this Sunday, 21/2/2010..and DAYAO IS ON THE 24TH!!! A bit nervous la bro...

Happy Chinese New Year 2010...

=)
Malcolm