Chinese New Year Advertisement

2007:

2006:
2005:

Other:
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by Petronas

i miss the chinese new year at Malaysia. And i am kinda shocked when i see so many unfamiliar Petronas CNY advertisement, especially the 2006 CNY advertisement. It makes me wonder how long i don't celebrate CNY at Malaysia already. Each year i need to be oversea during CNY. It is good to watch those advertisement and makes me less home-CNY-sick.

Apply passport online

i think that this is a interesting news for all the malaysians:

KUALA LUMPUR: There is more good news for those renewing and applying for international passports: they can do so online and pick up their documents later.

By middle of this year, Malaysians can submit their application online with their MyKad details and go the next day to collect their passports.

Immigration Director-General Datuk Wahid Mohd Don said the online application would be possible once the department streamlines passport applications and renewals procedures without forms.

“We will go paperless, hopefully by the middle of this year.”

“Our IT officials are in the process of working closely with the National Registration Department (NRD) where all the information provided will be checked with their database.”

The move was aimed at encouraging and introducing a paperless procedure for international passports, said Deputy Home Affairs Minister Datuk Tan Chai Ho after an official visit to Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM) yesterday.

Tan said the ministry was in the final stages of discussion with the NRD on implementing the procedure.

“It is our aim to completely erase the need to produce documents such as one’s birth certificate when applying or renewing passports, in addition to eliminating the need to be present.”

“However, (applicants) would still have to personally collect their passports once it is ready,” he said in response to a recent report of a large number of applicants crowding the Pusat Bandar Damansara Immigration office.

On Wednesday, an estimated 1,000 people were waiting for services at the office here while many others were also held up at another section of the office where the self-service e-Passport replacement kiosks were located.

The crowd barely eased up yesterday.

In this matter, Tan said the ministry had planned to gradually install a replacement kiosk for each state within this year.

Source: The Star Online

I do hope that this service will also be extended to the overseas Malaysians, which can't go back due to certain personal reason. If they can apply for the renewal of passport online, and the passport will be sent to the nearest Malaysia Embassy or Representative at overseas, that will be indeed a good news for the overseas Malaysians, as they will only need to collect their passports at the nearest Malaysia Embassy without going through the hussle of flying back to Malaysia and get their passports personally at National Registration Department Malaysia.

丁亥金豬年之解说

丁亥年是金豬年嗎？

丁(天干屬火)亥(地支屬水)鈉音屬土
請留意2007年只是丁亥，而不是辛亥，故不是金豬年。

Q:為什麼2007年會被叫做金豬年？

A:其實這只是民間以訛傳訛的說法， 並非真實的 ; 因為真正的金豬年是辛亥年，辛五行屬金，而亥乃是配以十二生肖中的豬，故''辛亥''就是''金豬''。而下一次辛亥年是2031年，故真正的金豬年是在2031年。把2007年稱作金豬年只是搞綽頭而已。

而且向來豬肥，有盤滿缽滿之意，可帶來財富，故無論那一年豬年人們都大肆宣揚為金豬年。就如1995年時又有金豬年之說。

“按照天干地支配五行的演算法，2007年不是金豬年，是火豬年，‘金豬寶寶’純屬無稽之談。”
古人發明的天干地支紀年方法中，天干可配“金木水火土”五行，即甲乙屬木、丙丁屬火、戊己屬土、庚辛屬金、壬癸屬水；地支是子丑寅卯辰巳午未申酉戌亥，可與十二生肖相配。
這種紀年方法以60年為一個迴圈，每60年中有5個豬年，如配以五行：乙亥年是木豬年，丁亥年是火豬年，己亥年是土豬年，辛亥年是金豬年，癸亥年是水豬年。據此，金豬年最早要等到25年後的2031年。

既然2007年是“火豬年”，那“金豬寶寶”之說從何而來呢？民俗專家葉春生告訴我們，所謂“金豬”只是按民間習俗對豬年冠以吉祥的稱謂，跟“金猴賀歲”“金雞報曉”一樣，都是為了討個好口彩。其實，許多民俗上的吉年都是商家添油加醋炒作的產物。

Source: Oriental Daily News

Similar English Site about Fire Water Pig Year:
Site 1, Site 2

Some interesting Extract:

Each year, the elemental influence of the year changes, and this year we will experience a combination of Fire and Water. There are Five elements in the Chinese system: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water, with each successive element supporting the next. Across the five, however, they clash and Fire and Water do not sit well together. This year the element is Yin Fire, which is more powerful than Yang Fire. Yin Fire symbolises emotions, tension, agitation and illusions. Underneath is Yin Water. Resulting from this combination will be many conflicts over politics, government and also authorities imposing their will onto the people. Yin Fire is also very explosive and symbolises firearms. The AK47 assault rifle, a deadly weapon, was designed and began production in 1947, the last Fire Pig year.

2007 is a mixed one with the year being ruled by the Fire element in Chinese and the Pig being ruled by Water element. With Fire and Water together it's going to be a struggle, as one is inimically the enemy of the other. Fire is on top this year with Water below – and Fire cannot burn without support. When Fire and Water clash, they either result in lots of scalding hot steam and explosions or they can transform whatever situation it was into something completely different.

What's in store for each of the twelve animal signs in 2007? The Snake, ruled by Fire, is the Chinese zodiac animal opposite to the Pig, and traditionally the animal opposite the year sign has a testing time that year. The animal signs that really benefit from this year are the Rabbit, the Sheep and the Tiger. If you feel that you are having a hard time this year, get yourself a Tiger pendant or jewellery piece or put up a Tiger photo in your office environment. The Tiger is in an harmonic combination with the Pig. You'll note here that I've frequently mentioned giving yourself social time-out in the forecasts below. The Pig is a social animal and enjoys others. Take a leaf out his/her book this year.

100th Page View

Today is February 15. Just 1 day after Valentine Day. And 2 days after my exam. And 2 days before Chinese New Year. And 2 days before my Blog 1st month of old.

Today, http://standalonecomplexing.blogspot.com has reached its 100th page view mark. Thank a lot for the visitors/viewers/readers who visit my blog and i appreciate your visit. Let hope that it will be continue to grow and has a more focused theme in the future.

Happy Chinese New Year to all my friends over there, at the other side of the computer screen.

恭喜发财！！ 2007 丁亥金猪年农历新年快乐！！ 还有万事如意！！

Winterbells

It is a small mini flash game. It is very cute, nice animated and the rabbit is cute. Let see how much bells can a Christmas rabbit hop on.

Enjoy ^^

Link: http://ywlt.com/flash/0bells.swf

My highest score is 644260. How about you?

Get Ready for Exam!

Starting from tomorrow GMT+1 10.45am, i will be having my 1st 2nd semester exam. The whole exam schedule will last for 2 weeks. In the meantime, let strike hard for the exam and wish for the best outcome. Gambateh! Viel Erfolg bei Klausuren! 加油！