On The Night Before The Lunar New Year's Eve

The lighted lanterns are up for sale.

All the mouth-watering goodies - tong kueh, man jiu kao etc.

With the Year of Ox just one step away, Chinese are on the last shopping spree for the festival before we call it a year!

My seemingly inexhaustible shopping list called on me to take the night off. I popped in to several places to join in the last-minute shopping crowds.

At Pasar Malam where life begins only at night, I was made to understand that it is going to operate through the night. This unique feature of Sibu has potential to be a tourist attraction.

I went through the market, stopping at some of the stalls to recollect my childhood memories.

Gee, tong kueh (or nien kao), man jiu kao etc were aplenty there. These are my childhood favourites and I srill love to take them.

Year of Ox may not be too promising with recession and depression looming large. The market generally feels a shrinkage in sales this time. This is going to be a belt-tightening festuval!

The thronging crowds at Pasar Malam.