Back to hometown or “Balik Kampong” in local language

Children or traveler that reside outside of their original home will go back to their hometown during weekends or some special event or festive seasons like Chinese New Year. I am one of those. I had to leave my hometown to further my study in other states right after I had completed my secondary education.

There isn’t any tertiary education institute in my hometown. Normally after secondary school, most of the youth will go to different places to further studies or to work in a bigger city. It is excited to explore a new place and yet it is so sad to leave the place that you were born and had grown up in. I still can remember how complicated the feeling was to “temporary” leave your home, your family members and friends, landing yourself in a whole new environment with new faces around you. That is why “back to hometown” is very anticipated by most of the “travelers”. I am definitely one of them. Especially during festive seasons like Chinese New Year, where most of the travelers will be coming back to their hometown, it is indeed a great time for gathering.

This is a great time for the family members to catch-up with each other on how they are doing and to share their individual experience when they are away from home. I feel I am more appreciated with the precious time that I could spend with my family members every time I am back in my hometown.

We should appreciate all the moments that we can spend with our family and friends as most of the time we are not with them. Thus, it is important to spend time together with your family members. I am glad that I knew about this fact and have been practicing the good habit of having “family time” with my family members.

It is time to “Balik Kampong” again! Travelers need to buy tickets to travel back home way in advance for Chinese New Year. Some even need to queue up really early in the morning long before the ticket counter is open to purchase the ticket. Fortunately, my brother is the one who help me to queue up and buy the ticket.

Thank you so much my brother!

Arrow Head Plant or "Ngar Gu" for Chinese New Year

Since young, my grandmother told me that the Arrow Head is very special and only available in the wet market around Chinese New Year. Of course it is a common and must-have-dish on the dinning table of my family during Chinese New Year. The taste of arrow head is quite plain and thus, it always cook together with chicken or duck meat. In the pas few years, some even sliced the arrow head and deep fried it, it's taste like potato chips and crispy. I do try to deep fried a few and found that it really required skills as it tend to over-fried very quickly and very often it will crumple together. 

Most people knows arrow head can be served as a dish and can be eaten. However, I only knew it recently that arrow head could grow into a very nice and beautiful plant. Some families will grow the Arrow Head plants a few weeks before Chinese New Year. 

Some will put it in a container filled with water and some will plant it in soil. Both methods also can grow a nice Arrow Head plants. During the initial stage, roots will grow from the arrow head. After a few days, there will be some shoots or leave is growing. The leave will continue to grow and in no time, you will see a very nice plant. When CNY is approaching, we can decorate the plant with some red color ribbon as red is auspicious color in Chinese society. You can also add in some colorful marbles to the pot to make the plant look attractive. 

Some people believe that the taller the plant grow, and the more beautiful it is, it indicates the family will be more prosperous and have lots of good luck in the coming new year. Remember that the plant required water regularly and it is a type of indoor plant. Of course, we need to take care of the plant and need to bring it under the sun in order for the plant to grow stronger and nicer.

There is no harm to try in when you see there are arrow heads available in the market.