Horse

Greetings everyone, the year of the Horse is upon us. Blessings & good health all round - huat ah!!

Come to think of it, every year is the year of the hoarse (in this country). People are slowly but surely getting trampled on by inflation, unaffordable housing (the authorities here now refers to this as attainable housing), immigrant influx & snobbish politicians among others. The economy is ailing but the government wants us to believe otherwise by announcing a budget surplus. Excess here does not translate into a good thing without considering other pertinent factors. Also, do note the pathetic performance of our SGD against the MYR which is a glaring indicator of economic asphyxiation. No offence to our Malaysian friends - we are still friends - just announcing the anxiety in this country which should be addressed (& fixed) but the authorities chose distraction instead. 

Oh well, the year turns regardless of the circumstances. We take care of ourselves first & foremost but don't blame us if we go after those who make our lives miserable. 

Serpentine '25

No point commenting on the outlook for this year. Pretty much everyone is just sick of how things are here; prices going up with disillusioned people at the helm preaching belief in their brand of politics. Trash.

Instead, I would like to wish everyone a good Year of the Snake - best wishes, good health & prosperity always. Enjoy the deserving mid-week break with good company!

Year of the Dragon 2024

To all Chinese blog readers, friends & relatives out there - wishing you a prosperous year of the dragon. It's a long weekend here, public holiday extends to Monday 12 February. Some public sectors will only resume work on 13 February as the first day of CNY falls on a Saturday which is a non-working day for the public officers. Have a good break, everyone!

Rabbit 2023

It's finally here - year of the Rabbit. With every new chapter, there is always renewed hope & outlook for better things to come considering the dreadful occurrences that just passed. So here's to good health & abundance to all of us as we bury the previous chapter & forge ahead with renewed vigour. Onwards!

Enter the tiger

Finally, the over-burdened ox made way for the leaping tiger. Here's wishing everyone a bountiful Lunar New Year, may this be the turn we have all been waiting for.

Speaking of turning, I noticed more shops in operation this year. They refused to close or maybe thought better & stayed open to usher in the fortunes. I peeped into the bubble tea shop, saw Chinese staff at the helm. Majority of the people working at the supermarket were Chinese as well. If you are a good employer, you should hold this day in good stead & declare mandatory rest for your staff, the Chinese ones especially. These people are more enticed to work due to the COVID situation, some of them are in deed in need of cash. Others don't mind working because there's no brief respite to be had; the airport is still closed to leisure travel. It contributes to the fatigued lifestyle here, everyone a semi-zombie who are edging closer towards ultimate unhappiness. 

Year of the Ox

It's that time of the year once more - Wishing all readers a happy Lunar New Year. The ox symbolizes effort & hard work so it might be a laborious turn for some of us this time but it sure beats being all cooped up at home, staying away from the virus & potential infections. The virus is still there, it has not gone away but we are dealing with it better than before. The economy had been hit hard & many of us are hoping for a recovery of any kind to come our way. Have a good one, folks. Be clear of the visitation guidelines, yes?

Like rats!

It's finally here, the year of the Rat. Not that it will be more significant than any other CNYs, I simply love the long holidays. It's longer this year as the new year falls on a Sunday. On a less celebratory note, we are on the brink of another plague threat. The Wuhan virus claimed its first victim here just two days ago, followed by two more yesterday. I remember that year when SARS wreaked havoc in 2003 & plunged the economy into the gutters. Bleak times ahead, it seems & that's a little too soon considering many of us were treated with crumbs as bonus at the close of 2019. The irony of celebrating the year of the rat knowing these critters were disease carriers back in the old days.

That aside, I'm looking forward to have some guitar moments this long weekend with very little other things planned to fill the holidays. Here's Like Rats by Godflesh from their 1989 release, Streetcleaner. Wishing everyone a virus-free holiday.

Oink!

Ah, yes! I simply love the CNY holidays because shops are closed & everyone takes a break spending time with family & friends. OK, these days, some commercial establishments do open during the festive season for a little while & they close thereafter. Planning to catch up on re-stringing & other music-related stuff. Not forgetting family time, of course. 

So here's wishing you a wonderful time merry-making & gobbling up lots of new year treats- huat ah!! Also- safety first, yes? 🍻

Year of the Dog

It's the beginning of a long weekend, a deserving break for many of us. Despite being only the second month of the year, things had been hectic. We continue to persevere, offering our best & being loyal to those who deserve our commitment. To all Chinese friends & blog readers, here's wishing you a prosperous lunar new year with bountiful rewards coming your way. As for the rest of us, it's the perfect moment to play guitar & spend time with the family- bring them to the movies; Black Panther is showing!

Festive weekend operating hours (2)

More festive operating hours...

... for you to take note of. Thanks to all retailers who responded to my PMs.

Enjoy the long weekend, everyone. 👍

Festive weekend operating hours

Festive operating hours for Davis GMC...

... and Swee Lee. Please note. More updates for other stores to come. 😁

Cock a doodle doo

It's a tough road ahead. That's according to horoscopes. It's gonna be tough for some time to come, more about the economy than anything else. 

Gear-wise, wood type is becoming an issue everywhere & it hurts both buyers & sellers alike. So regardless of how furious the rooster crows to usher in the new year with hopes & such, the element of doom lingers overhead. 

I say, live & let live. Enjoy the moments especially with loved ones & your beloved gear, definitely. Looking forward to this long weekend (because I don't like working). Wishing you the best in everything you do, my friends & blog readers- regardless of the odds. 

Primate greetings

Lunar New Year greetings to all! Enjoy the break, expect some monkey business along the way.

Goat!

 

Ah, yes. It's that time of the year again when we enjoy a 2-day break, peel oranges, increase our sugar intake (rather excessively), exchange red packets (beware of empty ones!) & more importantly, revel in the merry-making. I enjoy Chinese New Year because I can sense the festivities all round, it helps me wind down & not think about work; I deem this important. So here's a very Happy Year of the Goat to all Chinese friends & acquaintances- prosperity & good health all round! Cheers!

New Year greetings

It's the final day of the initial month, year 2014. It's another new year today; the Lunar New Year & here's my best wishes to all Chinese friends, blog visitors & fellow guitar dweebs- a prosperous year of the horse & success in all endeavours.

CNY greetings!

XIN NIAN KUAI LE- to all my Chinese guitar comrades & blog visitors alike. To the rest of us, happy resting; it's a long, deserving break (at least for me).

A note from Beez- he will gladly open shop for you (by appointment only) because he understands that for some of us, this holiday is the only opportunity to have our instruments serviced. Salute, Beez!You do have his contact number, yes?

Dragon year!

Was gonna say this last night but fell asleep after medication- Happy Lunar New Year to all Chinese friends, fellow guitar dweebs & all blog visitors!

Festive season business hours

Dear friends, the following stores have updated me their business hours for the upcoming festive season (Chinese New Year) for the week of 31st Jan:

Davis GMC (thanks, Janet, for the update) will be closed from 31st Jan till 6th Feb. Business as usual on 7th Feb. That's a whole week of festive break.

Swee Lee Co (thanks, Yadni, for the update):

• 31/1/2011 - 1/2/2011: Business as usual
• 2/2/2011: Close after 2.00PM
• 3/2/2011 - 4/2/2011: Close
• 5/2/2011 - 6/2/2011: Business as usual

Look for BEEZ: Business as usual on 31/1, 1/2, 2/2, 5/2, & 6/2. The industrious Beez says he's available on both days of the Lunar New Year (3/2 + 4/2) by appointment only. Meaning: If nobody fixes any appointments with him on those days, he won't open shop. Thanks, Beez, for the update!