Adult swallow and juvenile swallow. Pacific swallows. Back in Segamat Baru on eve of Chinese of New Year 2016. Intermittent rains since I came back on Friday afternoon. Traffic has quadrupled in this town as Chinese in Malaysia prepare to usher in Year of Fire Monkey. Only saw this pair on Sunday morning for a good 15 minutes before both flew away. Juvenile swallow was gaping its beak at the adult but latter did not feed it any food. Gold cake (Nian Gao) packages feature lovely birds and aptly so since CNY heralds the coming of Spring. Sticky sweet rice cake is offered to Kitchen God in Chinese household so that sweet words flow to the Jade Emperor from Kitchen God's mouth after this offering is consumed.
The Chinese character 福 is very widely used during Chinese New Year and translates to mean blessing. Auspicious Chinese characters are written on Red paper and pasted on entrance to homes to welcome prosperity, health, wealth, happiness and blessings to household. The character 福 is often pasted upside down on doors to double the blessings!
ReplyDeleteNian Gao fried with Yam and Sweet Potato by mum's are yummy.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Barn Swallow painting (plate 173) by John James Audubon at http://www.audubon.org/birds-of-america/barn-swallow. John J. Audubon's Birds of America is preserved digitally for all generations to marvel at his works of art through the Audubon website at http://www.audubon.org/birds-of-america
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