LEISURE: Celebrating Chap Goh Mei @ KBBC..

"Chinese New Year 2008 is now reaching towards the end of its final few hours - and for it, we SHOULD celebrate the end of it..together..with fun and dance..Wuhuu~" - The Editor

..CELEBRATING THE CHAP GOH MEI..What is really the history behind this Chap Goh Mei thingy? Honestly speaking, although I'm a pure chinese blood line, I myself can't really explain on what is really going on during this Chap Goh Mei..No one did ever explain this kind of stuff to me before..For what I know and certain of is that Chap Goh Mei is a day where the chinese peeps celebrated the end of their Chinese New Year celebration..If I'm wrong about this, please do correct me..Well, about a week plus ago, we attended a cordial invitation from David to celebrate a themed Chap Goh Mei celebration in KBBC (Kuala Belait Boat Club) near the Belait river..The theme for that night was "Once Upon A Time in China"..WoOo~ Hehehe..Finally, I've the chance to attend this year Chap Goh Mei celebration..Wuhuu~..And also a chance for me to dress up..Hahaha..Anywhoo~ Earlier of the day, we were foretold that there will be fireworks going on to start the event..So as we drove near reaching the KBBC, fireworks were seen shooting out towards the dark sky..OMG, THE EVENT HAS ALREADY STARTED..WE'RE LATE!! Well, that was our first thought though..NOT~ As we arrived at the KBBC, thought there were lots of people already..NOT NOT~ Instead, there are more vacant parking space..Sigh..Well, typical bruneian..Thus, I assumed that we were one of the first guests to arrive there on the dot..Hahaha..Anywhoo~ As we entered the KBBC, we were then greeted by the beautiful usherettes..We were asked to sign their guests book and were given a red packet as well as a paperbag filled with a couple of oranges..Quite unique if I must say..I've also got the chance to say birthday greeting to David..White tents were set up for the guests and round tables were place beneath it.. We were then asked to pick a place to sit..No rules on where we should sit though..Free seatings..Hahaha..Thus, we picked a very large round table in the middle of the tent as our place..Some of us were then ushered to the buffet section..and SOME of us need to stay to guard the table from being seated by someone else..Urgh~ I was so hungry..Well, while waiting for the others to come back, me and Nizam then took a "mini" feast on a bowl of peanuts, which were placed earlier on the table..Took a peak into my red packet though..Soon they came back and its time for us to eat..Hahaha..Man~ the food taste really nice and yummylicious..Emmm~ Well, while we were eating our sumptious meal, people starts to flock into the KBBC..Roslan, the photographer also came along with Apok wearing their chinese attire..Wuhuu~ After we're done with the food, we then took some pictures of ourselves..Man~ we all look damn good..Hahaha..Not bad~ Hahaha..

..ROARING THE NIGHT..A very very long firecracker were then played during that evening to start off the lion dance..Man~ The sounds really was so "into" my ear drums..Urgh~ Nevertheless, that was the first largest firecracker that I've ever seen right in front of my eyes in my whole life time..Lucky me..Hehe..Then, drums were played and the lions started to dance according to the beat of the drums.."Britney Supiah" was so excited to see the lions as this was her very first time to ever watch the lions dance right in front of her eyes..I know how it feels like when you're seeing something knew..Well, we really enjoyed the lions dances though..There was once where both of the lions sit closed to each other onto a bunch of oranges..They were like seating in a place for like what..15 minutes..At first, we're so baffled on what was really going on..But as the lions stands off those bunch of oranges..SURPRISE!! They've made a letter out of the oranges itself..You could see it in one of the pictures..Honestly speaking, they all did a very good job..CONGRATS LION DANCERS..But there are some things that I'm really baffled about..Has the traditional chinese lion dance lost in the millenium already?? From what I saw tonight was totally different from the lion dance that I've seen when I was a kid..SPOT THE NOT: 1. The round headed man is no longer heading the lion, instead he was replaced with a full red dressed man wearing a fake black beard..Sort of like a Santa Claus.. 2. The lion dancers are no longer wearing the old chinese kungfu shoes, instead they are using the ADIDAS shoe.. OMG, has the chinese lost their own traditional way of doing the lion dance?? Anywhoo~ Back to my story..The lions also dropped down a banner which I don't really what it means..But we kept on saying the "How Yeah", which I think it means, "Wow, it's great"..I think..Hahaha..

..WAITING FOR THE LUCK..This is what people has been waiting for throughout that whole night..LUCKY DRAW..Hahaha..I, myself very certain that I won't get any of the prizes from the lucky draw itself..Hahaha..Well, as soon as the announcer announced that its time for the lucky draw, people start to go up onto the first floor..The lucky draw was quite different though from any lucky draw that I've been..Instead of giving out a prize that was bought from the shop, they generously give out money as the prize of the lucky draw..Hahaha..Lucky them who've won it..especially the old guy who had won himself a $100+..Wuhuu~ Well, at least one of the OGDSheean got it..Hahaha..Throughout the lucky draw, we've also celebrated David's birthday with Shapiee's birthday..Two big cakes were brought from the kitchen..A slide show was also made for David after the cutting of the cakes..

..SHAKE THOSE BOOTIES..Its time to dance but not like the lions..Hahaha..At first, the music was quite dull though, but reaching towards the midnight, the music feels really seducing..Hehehe..So we dance with all of our might..Grooving with the music beats..Throughout the dancing as well, some of the dancers showed up some of their skills..SHUFFLING time..Right~..Hahaha..The problem, it was hardly for some of us to breathe and dance with a thick smoke..Man~ I even had to stop dancing and cover my nose with my palm..But its ok..we're having our fun..But that night doesn't end really well..As we were dancing, then people starts on playing with the cakes, so we had to get down from the first floor..Thought we could avoid from the cake smudge onto our face, instead they caught some of us and there it was..Cake shampoo..Urgh~ Had to use the big flag on the road to clean our head due to no nearby water pipe..

Well, we had a lot of fun that night..I can't really believe it..Its finally reaching towards its end..After this, there will be no more fireworks entertaining the "lepakers"..Sigh..Well, till next year..

P/S: Only a little of the guests followed the theme of that night..And a woman won for her best dressing that night..CONGRATS..Sorry, I donch know her name..Hehehe..