Greeting the CNY in the New Village....

This year we followed my sis-in-law to New Village so that we could be where the action was. Apparently this was the place to be to see all the fireworks display. So with the kids in tow, we made our way to the heartland of Sitiawan. New Villages were built during the Emergency (1948-60) to prevent the Communists from getting supplies from the locals. And when we got there, I could see why... there was a field right in the middle of the village. You get a 360 degree view!

Sitiawan was quite a hotbed for Communist activities back then. After all, this is the hometown of Chin Peng, still exiled in Southern Thailand for his role in the MCP. Being a small town back then, some of us knew his family members.

What's left in the morning. Fireworks these days come in big packages too... unlike those I used to play as a kid. And they cost a bomb too. I think lots of $$$$ must have gone up in smoke to greet the New Year.

And literally, the whole village was shrouded in a veil of smoke....which was accompanied by the 'gunpowder' smell. The grass was really wet because of the heavy rain but we stayed and watched!

When the economy was good last year and the town folks awash with wealth from palm oil and birds' nest, the display was even more awesome. I guess the fireworks display is also an indicator of our economy. Last year's indicator showed that the District of Manjung, where Sitiawan is located, was one of the fastest growing districts in the whole of Malaysia. How's that??? 8) Makes feel kinda proud of it.

The firecrackers were fired up even before midnight struck. We stood right in the middle of the field, and all around us, the sky lighted up intermittently..... in that sort of glow that reminds me of the pictures of war zones on CNN. Sure beat the display that they put up for the Sultan Kedah's Golden Jubilee Celebration at Kolej Sultan Abdul Hamid last year for the Golden Jubilee.

I even saw some sky paper lanterns making their way up into the sky. They fly quite high into the sky but stays afloat only as long as the candles in it remains lighted. But nothing beats the sound of the firecrackers which was quite deafening as well as the display in the sky.... talk about noise and air pollutions.

However, this year's display seemed shorter, guess a reflection of the tough times we're in. Still it was a good experience for my kids.... to be where the action is.. 8)